There’s always something to write about
The political writer’s life was much easier when the previous government was in power – almost a scandal or some form of corruption every day. We didn’t have to think much about what to write. Now with a more sensible government in power, we have to think more deeply about what keys our ever-sensitive fingers hit.
But that is not to say there isn’t anything to write about; here are a few examples.
Brazil Election
News that Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the leftist Worker’s Party has defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro will come as good news for those concerned with saving the Amazon. The election was fought on two fronts. One, Brazil had one of the world’s deadliest outbreak of COVID-19, and the government mishandled it. And two, the widespread deforestation in the Amazon basin.
As at the time of writing, Bolsonaro still hadn’t conceded.
Israeli Election
Exit polls in the Israeli elections suggest that the former prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, “may have scraped a razor-thin election win with the help of new far-right allies.”
Talking about Covid
A new strain of Covid-19 has hit Australia, but experts aren’t yet too worried about its impact based on early evidence. (More to come on this, I’m sure.)
The latest Newspoll
The post-budget Newspoll courtesy of the Poll Bludger finds that:
“Labor’s two-party lead at 55-45, in from 57-43 at the previous poll eight weeks ago. Both major parties are up on the primary vote, Labor by one to 38% and the Coalition by four to 35%.
Anthony Albanese’s lead on preferred prime minister has slipped from 61-22 to 54-27, and he is down two on approval to 59% and up four on disapproval to 33%. Peter Dutton is up on both approval and disapproval, respectively by four points to 39% and three points to 46%.”
False accusations by an insipid Opposition.
It certainly is a Clayton’s opposition. Consider this:
“Michelle Landry, the member for Capricornia accused Anthony Albanese of ‘bullying’, saying she left the chamber distressed and ‘humiliated’ after the prime minister answered her question.”
I witnessed the episode in parliament, and I saw Albo tearing strips off Dutton. And as for Landry, it couldn’t have been too bad because what I saw was her giggling throughout the whole event.
And they wanted Albo to apologize.
Essential Poll and power prices
Last Tuesday’s Essential Poll revealed what Australians thought about intervention in the energy market as power prices soar. Two-thirds back it. To quote Treasurer Jim Chalmers:
“We are contemplating the kinds of steps that governments wouldn’t have contemplated a year or two ago.”
Robodebt Royal Commission is underway
From Luke Henriques-Gomes from The Guardian brings us the latest:
“Royal commissioner Catherine Holmes AC SC says the inquiry’s focus will be on those who had or should have had oversight over the automated debt recovery scheme.”
Officials from key government departments embroiled in the robot debt scandal and two private debt collection agencies are expected to be grilled.
I recently read that even after the scheme was found to be unlawful, Prime Minister Scott Morrison insisted it go ahead. That’s pure speculation on my part, of course. Despite searching, I cannot find any reference to it. Let’s hope the commission will identify those responsible for this cowardly act of taking money from people without reason.
Scott Morrison, Christian Porter, Marise Payne, Alan Tudge and Sturt Robert are sure to be star witnesses when they give evidence.
Kids Matter
It always touches the heart when a child dies. Mainly when one hears words that testify to the kindness of their character. Such a boy was 15-year-old, Cassius Turvey. Cassius was killed on October 23, 10 days after being allegedly bashed while walking home from school with a group of friends in Middle Swan, in Perth’s northeast.
Sarah Ferguson a hit on 7.30
Peter Dutton was interviewed by a professional journalist last week and found the going tough. Sarah Ferguson gave him a going-over, and he didn’t much like it.
An alphabet full of Donald Trump
In the absence of much political news, this from Craig Coulter might amuse you:
He lives in Castle Rock, Colorado and asks this question of Quora Email Digest:
Is Donald Trump mentally challenged, or is something else wrong with him?
a) Trump has an IQ of about 65 at best. Yes, this means mentally challenged; let’s review why…
b) Trump had to ask if ingesting disinfectants to treat covid was a good idea.
c) He apologized for his wife not being there while she stood next to him on September 14, 2017, at a conference for hurricane Irma.
d) He redrew the hurricane path with sharpy.
e) He thought he could nuke hurricanes to stop them.
f) Asked if China had a hurricane gun, they were using against us.
g) “This is one of the wettest hurricanes we’ve seen from the standpoint of water.”
h) Told us about visiting the president of Puerto Rico. Did anyone tell him he is the president of Puerto Rico?
i) Made a call to the president of the Virginia islands.
k) Raked leaves in the forest to prevent forest fires.
l) Windmills cause cancer (he was referring to wind turbines, but he is too dumb to know this.)
m) Frederick Douglas is getting more recognized today (he died in 1895.)
n) F 35 jet is literally invisible.
o) Couldn’t figure out a unity handshake at g7 Summit (also so unfit he was the only one who took the golf cart.)
p) Coloured American flag wrong colours.
q) Took over airports in 1776.
r) Starred right at the sun during an eclipse. Twice
s) Falling trees in the forest explode.
t) People are dying who have never died before.
u) Though he could buy Greenland on 7-25-2021.
v) The green new deal will prohibit windows, cows, and people.
w) In the spring of 2022, when asked about the invasion of Ukraine, Trump went off on a tirade about wind turbines; he could not even stay on topic long enough between the time the question was asked and whatever nonsense came out of his mouth.
x) Wanted to build a wall between Colorado and Mexico.
y) Moon is part of Mars.
z) If you support or voted for this guy, you should read the following two paragraphs very slowly and carefully. [See link above].
Some worthy quotes to finish off with:
“…as English actor and comedian John Cleese once said: “If you’re very, very stupid, how can you possibly realize that you’re very, very stupid? You’d have to be relatively intelligent to realize how stupid you are.” https://t.co/yOQ6GN2q8R
— Adam Campbell (@campbelladam79) December 31, 2020
When you are dead, you do not know you are dead. It's only painful & difficult for others. The same applies when you are stupid.
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) October 30, 2013
My thought for the day
It is a pity that fact in journalism cannot be made compulsory and decency legislated.
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6 comments
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Colleen Goodfellow -
New England Cocky -
margcal -
Arnd -
paul walter -
Keith
Return to home pageOur Government performs best with a strong opposition.
Australia does not have an opposition to oppose it.
As an irregular viewer of 7.30 Report, has Sarah Ferguson gone on scheduled holidays, or, has she been replaced for treating Boofhead to a thorough grilling of his alleged political beliefs?
Given the most unsatisfactory overrated sycophantic COALition minion of Murdoch media-ocrity David Spew has brought the excellent standard of journalism back down to the gutter, is there any other reason why with a LABOR government we have to tolerate such ineptitude?
In a similar vein to my comment on “Speed is of the essence….” you could, should, even, write about what the Government is “not” doing.
I’m sure many voters like me (Teal Ryan 1, Labor 2, Liberal last) believed Albanese made himself and Labor a small target to win the election but would unshrink himself upon victory. It certainly hasn’t happened yet and doesn’t look like it’s on the horizon.
Every day, Albanese and Labor are wasting the golden opportunity that Liberal non-viability offers to make and take bold, daring, prophetic decisions and actions for the good of the Commonwealth and the world.
It’s arguable that Morrison led Australia’s worst government ever (Abbott remains a strong contender) but Albanese is on the way to leading the most disappointing government so far in Australia’s history. So much need, potential and opportunity. So little action.
John:
Have you considered typing much more slowly? Clearly, there’s a lot of people who can’t read so quick!
(Ok, so this is an old joke. But not as old as the issues we are dealing with!)
Little chance againt the power price gougers after squibbing on tax cuts for the wealthy.
Methinks, too many obscured clauses at FTA level explotable by TNC’s.
In relation to Peter Dutton’s interview with Sarah Ferguson, the matter of climate change was completely ignored by Dutton. The continuation of coal mining and use of gas does immense harm; is deadly for many people, it destroys crops, huge damage is inflicted on infrastructure through amplification of climate. Climate change creates psychological problems for numerous people.
Fossil fuel emissions have been assessed to kill 8 million people world wide; that’s separate to people dying in heat waves, drowning in floods, or being buried in land slides.
Centuries of more adverse climate change amplified by the greenhouse gases emitted have now already been created,
Peter Dutton clearly doesn’t acknowledge or understand that.
Profit is important, it doesn’t matter apparently that it provides a death sentence for millions of people when existing fossil fuel mines are able to continue and new mines developed.
Dutton says he wants to protect people, he did not display that wish in the interview with Sarah Ferguson.