Malcolm Turnbull avails himself of every opportunity to tell us how exciting it is to be alive with his new agile government and its positive paradigm but sitting behind him are the bullies that persecuted Gillian Triggs for telling the truth about the state sanctioned torture of children in detention.
Triggs had the courage, integrity, and dignity to quietly and calmly stand her ground under the most disgraceful abuse. She would not be silenced. She would not be bribed.
Report after report, including the government’s own Moss Review, confirmed the abominable conditions facing the people locked up in these hellholes and still the abuse of Triggs flowed. Case after case came to light, people even died, and still new contracts worth billions were awarded to Tony Shepherd’s Transfield.
Two of Ms Trigg’s worst abusers, Peter Dutton and George Brandis, have never apologised for their bullying and instead, appear to be being rewarded for incompetence.
Dutton was described by basically every stakeholder as the worst Health Minister ever yet retains a position in Cabinet and appears to have adopted the cloak of leader of the rabid right. Brandis, after innumerable stuff-ups like the ‘right to be bigots’, the sacking of Graeme Innes to gift his little friend Tim Wilson a high paying sinecure, and the appropriation of arts funding to gift to associates, has been made leader of the Senate.
Apparently Malcolm and George have met with Ms Triggs recently. I hope George was forced to apologise for his unforgivable personal attacks. Somehow I doubt it as “sorry I was wrong” doesn’t come easily to Liberals, but I am sure that Gillian would have savoured the moment regardless.
Scott Morrison, who suggested the Liberal Party exploit fears about Muslims for political reasons, who complained about asylum seekers being flown to attend the funerals of their loved ones who drowned, who insisted on the dehumanisation of ‘illegals’, was a natural choice for Immigration Minister and now, having achieved the fear and mistrust he wanted to foster, has been rewarded with the role of Treasurer despite showing little aptitude for the job.
Greg Hunt retains his position as Minister for Coal and resolutely sticks by the lie that increasing our emissions by 6% over today’s levels by 2020 is something to boast about. When pensions, education and health spending increase by less than they were going to, it’s an increase. When emissions increase by less than they were going to, it’s the biggest cut in the world according to Hunt who labels any questioning of this as “pathetic” and any legal challenge as “vigilante lawfare”. Maintain the lies with gusto and a little boy puppy dog face as you watch the world burn.
And then there is Christopher Pyne who, as Education Minister, wanted to rewrite the curriculum to go back to basics and Direct Instruction with an emphasis on phonics and our Judeo-Christian heritage. He threatened to defund university research if he did not get his way with fee deregulation but got nowhere in convincing the Senate. Despite his failure in this portfolio, now all of a sudden he is the man of the moment pushing the government message of innovation and digital disruption.
Pyne, aside from being able to change direction without blinking, has a rather nasty predilection for calling people “c*nts”.
And in case you were unsure of what he said he spelt it out on Sunrise.
Our very polished and sophisticated deputy leader of the Liberal Party also likes to hurl catty abuse
As does our recently promoted Minister for Employment and Minister for Women
Fiona Nash has been made Minister for Regional Health despite the controversy surrounding a conflict of interest where her Chief of Staff was a lobbyist for the junk food industry when she made the decision to take down the healthy food website. He resigned but was then taken to China as part of a trade delegation with Andrew Robb in August. As Penny Wong pointed out, “A senior minister, trade officials and an unregistered lobbyist shouldn’t be doing business together.”
There are also questions about inappropriate behaviour and corrupt dealings facing Arthur Sinodinis, Mal Brough and Wyatt Roy, the practice of allowing people to buy contact to Ministers through large donations, and the numerous politicians’ entitlements scandals. The new Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Turnbull strategist, James McGrath, is infamous for paying for dirt files on Labor politicians
Add in a back bench which contains Cory Bernardi who thinks same sex marriage will lead to bestiality, Eric Abetz who thinks abortion causes breast cancer, George Christensen who thinks we will all be under Sharia Law if we accept Muslim refugees, Andrew Nikolic who thinks civil liberties are an impediment to the war he wants to wage on us all in the name of national security, Dennis Jensen and Chris Back who, as recently as July, called for a parliamentary inquiry to examine the evidence of climate change before the Government signs up to post 2020 emissions targets, and many other ‘colourful’ characters whose research seems to extend only to the Murdoch press.
And finally, a partnership with a National Party full of empowered dinosaurs who are extracting promises and actively recruiting in order to expand their power base, mixed with a seething nest of discontent from deposed Liberals.
The polls tell us that the Coalition are a shoe-in to win the next election despite internal disunity, a worsening economy, inaction on climate change, a failed Fraudband, and every policy blatantly favouring big business and the high end of town.
I am at a loss to understand why the Coalition has shot to the lead in the 2 party preferred polling other than an overwhelming gratitude and relief at seeing the back of Abbott.
As has been continually pointed out, nothing has changed except a leader who delivers 300 word slogans in a pleasant tone.
