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To Malcolm Turnbull

To Malcolm Turnbull…

I have written a great deal of criticism about your government over the years – mainly yearning for the Malcolm we all thought we were getting when we collectively breathed a sigh of relief when you took over in 2015.

You said you never give in to bullies but you did. And they did what empowered bullies do.

As it turns out, your greatest achievements were saving us from Tony Abbott and then Peter Dutton and for that I will be forever grateful.

Don’t dwell on why this happened or what you could have done differently. Don’t think about the injustice because it will only harm you, not them. They didn’t win. Enjoy that and then forget them. They are paltry people.

Enjoy your family. Relax and heal.

And then I expect you to get out there with John Hewson as an activist for all those things you know are important.

Go in peace Malcolm, you deserve some.

 

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59 comments

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  1. Bronte ALLAN

    About time this inept obscenely over paid lying so-called “liberal” was gone! Time will tell if Morrison is any good, but at least (for now!) it seems we do not have to face up to the Duston being our PM! Here’s hoping all this bloody liberal infighting makes it more certain that Labor will win the next election. Not too sure about your comments re the Talkbull though Kaye! Or were you just joking?

  2. Kevin Clsrke

    I’m not as forgiving. Turnbull has subjected the people of Australia to Abbott policies while pretending otherwise. As a PM, Turnbull was a total flop. He believed in nothing but Malcolm Turnbull. In fact the only thing he did of any merit was delaying his demise long enough to stymie the appalling Duttons
    ambitions.
    Not that Morrison is much of an improvement.

  3. Kaye Lee

    All true. This was a lot about Turnbull’s ambition and he stood on people to get there.

    Now he is free to be an advocate for good. Let’s see if he can.

    I don’t think he is a bad man. I feel entirely different about Abbott and Dutton.

    I do take your point but I don’t have room to hang onto yesterday’s anger (except with Abbott who is still a danger).

    We now have a PM who deliberately suggested using anti-Muslim sentiment as a campaign strategy.

    “THE opposition immigration spokesman, Scott Morrison, urged the shadow cabinet to capitalise on the electorate’s growing concerns about “Muslim immigration”, “Muslims in Australia” and the “inability” of Muslim migrants to integrate.

    Mr Morrison’s suggestion was made at a meeting in December at which shadow ministers were asked to bring three ideas for issues on which the Coalition should concentrate its political attack during this parliamentary term.”

    https://www.smh.com.au/national/morrison-sees-votes-in-anti-muslim-strategy-20110216-1awmo.html

  4. Kate M

    Nicely said Kaye.

    Turnbull was a disappointment – but he was the best of a bad lot. It’s a shame he couldn’t have lived up to his rhetoric pre government.

    K

  5. Vikingduk

    The flaccid sock puppet fails in his attempt to gain an erection, deluding himself he was worthwhile, showing the world what an insipid, weak, unprincipled effwwit he is. And now the mouth from the south, dear snotty (stop the boats, on water matters, I love coal) morriscum. When the election has come and gone a few of us will be expecting snotty’s screams of anguish as he demands to know from voters, where the bloody well are ya.

    Meanwhile, the scummy dutton thing and the phoney tony sharpen the blades, brew their toxic personalities and poison the snotty prime monster ship.

    When will we hear snotty’s cabinet selections, I wonder. And Joolz is gone, maybe she could go and chew some asbestos, remind when the times were simpler bashing the asbestos victims.

    Will these shits be the unflushable turds, will the voters wake the f*ck up?

  6. paul walter

    No.

    No joy for the cold neoliberal who oversaw the Centrelink thuggery and continued on with a hundred other rotten Hockey-era policies.

  7. Diane

    Don’t forget #reefgate What’s the betting the GBRF now ’employs’ him as a (highly paid) consultant?

  8. jimhaz

    [You said you never give in to bullies but you did. And they did what empowered bullies do]

    Honestly though did he have any choice? I do not think so. The problem lies with the decline in membership of the major parties – the ones left now are the hardened on hater or naive idiot types who remain in the party because they are that type. I always bemoan the left for their emotionalism, but quite frankly the remaining paid up members of the Liberal party are no better.

    I was far less stressed under Turnbull than Abbott in relation to domestic politics (Trump is a different story) and am glad for that. Turnbull just disappointed me, which is less stressful than the hate I tend to feel for the far right team.

    For the ALP sake, I’m glad Bishop did not get up. If the LNP right behaved they could have still won under her (but we’d probably be in the same possie in 2 years time as she is a moderate).

  9. Karina

    Kaye, again you prove the way to get grace is to show it regardless.
    I watched part of Turnbulls speech yesterday and felt for the first time he was in flow. He seemed relieved that he would soon be out the door and away from the House of Shout. His call to see a list of anonymous defectors, I enjoyed that.
    Enter President Scomo, Big Australia here we come.

    While thinking of how to clean up democracy, I ran across this as a blueprint: https://mayday.us/the-plan/

    There is an interesting graph ‘Tracking the Pace of Social Change’ which shows how quickly ideas can spread upwards once adopted at a local level. From the website:
    “We are creating a people’s political machine to end the big money political machine.
    • Defeat enablers of corruption
    • Elect reformers
    • Work to pass reform at all levels of government to end big money politics
    Q: Why work at local and state levels? We need to fix [insert problem here] at the national level RIGHT AWAY.
    A: The history of social movements in America is clear: It takes grassroots action at the local and state levels to build up to change at the national level.
    But there is a better way: Flipping cities and states ends up flipping the whole country.
    All across the country, voters are fighting for political equality, pushing comprehensive legislation that includes small donor campaign finance systems and tough anti-corruption measures. And city by city, state by state, we are winning.
    This graph shows how, by changing policy state by state, successful social movements changed their own communities, and ultimately forced that hand of the federal government:
    Graph: ‘Tracking the Pace of Social Change’ > https://mayday.us/the-plan/

    I don’t know if there is something similar in Australia but the idea has value.

  10. Florence Howarth

    Those 38 polls tell us it was not the leader but the government that was despised. Turnbull’s personal rating remained high up to recently. The 2 pp ratings always low. When Turnbull took over from Abbott, the only thing that changed was the leader. Policies remained the same. The same thing seems to have happened today.

  11. Peter F

    I did not listen to Turnbull yesterday when he announced the conditions under which a second ballot might occur, but his demeanour was that of someone who had just had a massive weight/responsibility lifted from his shoulders. He was smiling, he looked fresh. I have not seen that in him for years. I agree that it is good that the RWNJ’s have not won, so far.

  12. Michael Taylor

    Does anybody know if Morrison is in the IPA?

  13. Frank Smith

    With a vote of 45-40 and Abbott, Dutton, Abetz, Andrews and the rest of their RWNJs still around it will only be a matter of days before the “insurgency” is resurrected. They are incapable of learning from mistakes. And of course the NEG issue still has to be satisfactorily resolved and as Turnbull said in his final address, it is imposible to have any rational discussion about emissions in the Coalition. Adding to their woes, Morrison will have to govern with a tied Lower House at least until the Wentworth byelection is concluded, assuming that Shorten does not grant the Coalition a pair – and why should he?

  14. diannaart

    Malcolm Turnbull, you are now free to utter the following words:

    “climate change”, “sustainable technology”, “fossil fuel mining is pollution and false economy”

  15. paul walter

    Michael Taylor, even if he were not a card carrier, he would be a fellow traveller.

  16. Matters Not

    Be interesting whether Morrison attempts to bring some of the dissidents into the tent (and the Ministry) so they can piss out or he attempts to proceed with those of like minds. In particular, what does he do with Abbott and Dutton.

    There are big risks whatever way he goes. Suspect that Bishop will hold her current portfolio. Josh for Treasurer. Cormann still in Finance. Birmingham getting the flick from education – so they can start again with the Catholics. Nat Ministers remain as they are.

    Suspect that Morrison didn’t have to make too many promises – unlike Dutton. Nevertheless – interesting times.

    Let’s not forget that Morrison is a ‘happy clapper’ who speaks in tongues. Will that have any affect on his thinking? Climate change?

  17. Ricardo29

    We have just gone through one of the most shambolic political periods that I can remember in my 50 years of observing, reporting on and participating in Australian politics and the unanswered question, batted away by both Morrison and Dutton, is “why did this have to happen?”.

    The RWNJ’s have, rightly, had their noses bloodied, but we have seen the replacement of a moderate by a deeply conservative, religious, booster of big business, cruel immigration policies, economic ineptitude ( Alan Austin in Crikey details it) and purveyor of bullshit.

    I expect a continuation of the worst policies of the current liberal government including policies which promote inequality, demonise welfare recipients, and continue the despicable Asylum seeker detentions and attacks against immigration.

    Even a period of apparent political stability in the Libs will, happily, only delay the inevitable election of what we must all hope is a Labor Government more like that of New Zealand.

    In the meantime, kudos Kaye Lee, for your advice to Malcolm. Best he leaves politics and enjoys the fruits of his tax haven investments.

  18. Andreas Bimba

    People suffer and die needlessly because they cannot find suitable employment or afford the necessary healthcare, housing, aged care, disability support or other basic needs. Malcolm Turnbull, the Liberal Party and also much of the Labor Party have promoted neoliberalism and as a result have greatly increased inequality over the last 30+ years. They are responsible for further enriching the wealthy and worsening the lives of most, especially for the most needy.

    We lost our entire car manufacturing industry because Joe Hockey and Tony Abbott denied Holden an additional subsidy in late 2013 of $80 million p.a. for ten years to replace their current models and to modernise their manufacturing operations. The subsidy was needed as all car import tariffs had been removed because of the obsession with globalisation and free trade (for class enemies). We could have instead embarked on a realistic plan to transition to new energy vehicles and to manufacture at least half of local demand which would have employed tens of thousands as well as being a technology driver.

    By way of comparison our super funds charge clients over $32 billion p.a. while delivering rates of return that are in general less than the rate of appreciation of the applicable market indices – in other words a general unmanaged fund can offer better returns. I call that a subsidy for nothing but in the current neoliberal era the financial services sector can apparantly receive subsidies a thousand times the size that our manufacturing sector previously received without complaint?

    Most of the political class follow the agenda set by Rupert, the right wing media, the coal industry and mining in general, the big corporations and local and international capital. Turnbull was a Goldman and Sachs executive and was a tool of the biggest blood sucking parasite of all – the international financial services sector, even if he had some humanity which Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton clearly do not.

    When you hear some members of the public being interviewed on TV it can be disturbing and it may be plausible that the electorate may also have degenerated over the last 30 years, with so many believing the neoliberal lies and supporting even greater inequality, an increasingly two tiered healthcare, education, employment and housing market, the abuse of asylum seekers and other marginalised people and the sociopathic behavior of Centrelink, the Job Agencies and other social services.

    Many perhaps through ignorance or misplaced hatred of those less fortunate than themselves, demand an even worse Australia when the truth is that we can attain full employment, adequate and affordable government services across the full spectrum, affordable housing for all, ample arts funding, a dynamic mixed economy and a rapid transition to environmental sustainability. Australia has ample resources and could instead offer the highest of living standards for all if we were to choose the right path – a path that is currently not being offered by the main political parties.

  19. vicki

    My son said to me how can they Govern a Country when they can’t even Govern themselves? Good point and my daughter came over and showed me all these meme’s and said it was a “good thing” because they see the funny side of this and know it is so serious? I said how is that, they are like get a grip mum your so serious and I said because this is serious like DOH! And they are like yeh we get that and we can take the humour from this and this is making us aware, I said how is that? and she said because now We are paying attention to politics, I said crap and she said no mum this is everywhere over social media and this is making people look up politics, that did stun me.

  20. Kaye Lee

    vicki,

    We must talk to our children about politics. My kids aren’t really interested but same as yours, there are things on social media that get their attention. We then have to teach them about credibility of sources and the effects of echo chambers.

    And it’s a good thing if they don’t get as angry as us. They need to get constructive about solutions, not bitter about our current ineptitude.

  21. vicki

    Andreas Bimba: spot on and thankyou for your words of truth.

  22. guest

    There is a place for showing some graciousness toward a PM driven from office, but in the case of someone such as Abbott I have no sympathy at all – and in the case of Turnbull I do not have much sympathy but for different reasons.

    Turnbull seems to one of the born-to-rule people, seemingly promised to be PM and nursed along the path. He had some good principles which he expounded once upon a time – but he showed some bad judgement which should have given warnings. In the end he sold his soul to the devil. He got what he wanted but he did not know what to do with it. He was lost in the snake-pit.

    He abandoned his principles. He lost direction, if he even had any real political nous. He gave some hope for a while that he would not be as obnoxious as Abbott, but he did it by being smooth in his delivery – but more uncertain, flustering and blustering as time went on, even vicious at times in his frustration.

    But while he might say he was white-anted, he had put up his hand to be leader and was unable to do it with any conviction. His undoing was brought about so much by himself. He set up such great expectations, but was unable to fulfill them. Sad, but predictable. Even fellow Party members did not believe that he was one of them.

    So he went in with something blue and something borrowed, something old and a pot of gold – but the whole charade fell apart. When I hear him talk about the many “achievements” of his government, I wince and remember the “great policies” which he dismantled or put aside, his stubborn adherence to what were mere thought bubbles with the saving grace being they were not Abbott’s or Hockey’s, and attempts to justify his muddle by ad hominem attacks on Bill, I am glad to see him go. He was truly a fizza.

  23. vicki

    True and I always have, this is why my son questions me about politics, my daughter on the other hand is like yes mum now we are paying attention, but it took this to happen for them take notice and so be it, but if you think my 22 yr old son isn’t angry your wrong and my 26 yr old daughter is like it’s all good as this will change the political arena for the better….I said to her lets see because only your generation can make this happen.

  24. vicki

    Lets be HONEST, Malcolm was shafted for NO reason other than Abbott and Rupert Murdoch didn’t like his Policies in regards to Electricity and big Business, they want US to PAY for corruption in politics,electricity and Big Business..Hah thankyou Murdoch as your CRIMES have been played out and your MEDIA sector is now under investigation and truth will be the LIGHT behind this treachery.

  25. Kaye Lee

    guest,

    I think the teacher in me often colours my approach. I cannot hang onto anger (exception Abbott). Every day is a new day with the opportunity to impress or disappoint me.

    In Turnbull’s case, he lacked people management skills. He just didn’t know how to make a team work. So he gave people what they wanted and listened to the Textor spin merchants about how he should try to appeal. It was never going to work. Turnbulll may as well have stuck to his principles (or what we thought were his principles) and at least have integrity on his side. A pissed off Abbott has to punch something and he most certainly won’t let other considerations deflect his anger.

    I think Malcolm is bemused as to why the party room did not defer to his superior intellect. I once told a student of mine that, instead of always saying he had a “better” way to do a maths problem, that if he perhaps phrased it as “I have another way” he might not piss off his classmates so much. It’s all in how you approach it if you want to win people over.

  26. Terence Mills

    Morrison’s challenge is now quite interesting.

    If he is to stop the sniping he really has to bring Abbott back into the cabinet but in so doing, Abbott will see himself as a winner : if Abbott is ignored as he was by Turnbull then it is not over, he will continue to undermine.
    Really it is for the Warringah electorate to send this man packing.

    Then, it’s a question of what Morrison does with Abbott’s protégé (another word for sock-puppet), Dutton. Morrison has already indicated that he sees a cabinet role for Dutton but he can’t possibly let him back into his previous fifedom of Home Affairs as he has become too fixated with detention and refugees : that is a portfolio that needs new, fresh ideas and a resolution to indefinite detention.

    Because of the disruption that Dutton has been associated with, perhaps he should remain on the back-bench until at least the next election when hopefully we will be done with this rabble and perhaps the electors in Dickson will find a new inspiration and a new champion.

    I can’t help joining the chorus : what was all that about ?

  27. Coralie Naumann

    From what I know Dutton has been invited back to the front bench. Doing the same ministry.
    Obviously the apple didn’t fall that far from the tree.

  28. johno

    Well said Kaye, perhaps fizza will now rise from the ashes to do some good for the world. Hopefully not ( as Diane suggested ) an overpaid consultant for GBRF.

  29. Terence Mills

    Coralie Naumann

    That would be Morrison’s first misstep if he is handed back his old portfolio as though nothing had happened.

    It has been suggested that what we saw last week was the result of Russian meddling with our democracy and that Dutton may had a lobotomy and be the Kremlin’s man in Australia, our very own Manchurian candidate 🙂

    That could account for the vacant stare and his monotone delivery with unchanging in pitch and lack of intonation and his fixation on boats, a faulty algorithm or a dodgy chip implant.

    Explains a lot !

  30. Egalitarian

    Twas a funny strange/weird interview with Abbott also.

  31. Grahame

    Terrence, what was it all about? Looks like a personality conflict. Malcolm bought his way onto the political island then for various reasons voted himself off the island – a combination of seeing the writing on the wall and having better things to do? With the leadership vote at 45 vs 40 it’s obvious the Libs could do themselves a favor and solve most future problems by breaking itself into 2 smaller parties. I wonder how long before the backwash from #Reefgate wipes out the new Treasurer. One more question, how long before Scomo reinstates the $80B tax break for big business. If and when that happens, understand we are back at square one.

  32. Rhonda

    If Dutton swans back into the Home Affairs disaster he created I’ll be horrified

  33. Adrianne Haddow

    I’d thought/hoped we’d seen the last of Stormfuhrer Dutton and the mad bastard lurking on the back bench like an Igor ( apologies to Terry Pratchett’s rather likeable Igor).

    Apparently we dodged a bullet with Dutton but ran straight into a flaming cross with Scomo. And the festering new cabinet line up.

    I think Rupert will be pleased…. it was worth the private jet to the antipodes to shore up his declining empire.

    Are there any moderate Lib party members?

  34. Kaye Lee

    Adrianne,

    There are a few who I think deserve honorable mention for how they have behaved during this debacle.

    Warren Entsch, Craig Laundy, Simon Birmingham, Linda Reynolds to name a few. Marise Payne also kept out of the fray and Tim Wilson (much as I dislike him) also handled himself well. Scott Buchholz was ok too even though he signed the petition he wrote “I support the PM”.

    The real rat is Matthias Cormann who I will never trust again. He flat out lied, as did Cash and Fifield. They were in on it early.

  35. KF

    Kaye lee, one doesn’t have to be angry and bitter towards Turnbull as a person to say that he was not a “victim” of his own party. He is and was an ambitious self serving tool and as such he achieved much for the 1% while in office. Check his history on the board of the NRMA if you don’t agree. He was masquerading as moderate all the while doing the devils bidding. It was a long game for him. He won’t go away and do good…he had his chance to do that and chose not to.

    Yes he will go away to “heal and rest” as millionaires can because they don’t have the every day worries like the rest of us, and to boot he gets the PM pension. I have no sympathy since he isn’t suffering: it was all orchestrated, that is why he was smiling: I’m outta here thank God and with a big fat cheque to sweeten the deal! It was merely time to pass the baton to another scumbag. Apparently rotating PM’s is normal now and I have to wonder how much more these extra PM’s are going to cost this country. This is the 5th one in almost as many years. The greed and transparency of it all makes me sick to my stomach.

  36. Diannaart

    Adrianne Haddow,

    If there are any moderate Libs, they’re hiding their lights extraordinarily well, no doubt in fear of the increasingly vicious far-right – particularly with regard to the knifing of Turnbull.

    Perhaps there is hope of a split where moderate Libs can walk into the light? And conservatives will have a choice?

    Anyone believe Herr Dutton’s claims he has no regrets? More likely, he will join Igor to plot … please, please, ScoMo don’t reward him with his former portfolio – power swells his potato-head.

    Just read Kaye-Lee’s post.

    I thought the oily Tim Wilson handled himself well also, never trusted Cormann, Cash, Fifield.

  37. Harry

    Andreas Bimba: agree with you. We all prattle on about politics, personalities and political maneuvering (and it is entertaining) but we should be clear that neoliberalism is THE enemy. Its that ideology that needs to be challenged.

    In particular we need to be clear that low unemployment (its nowhere near that!), high quality education and health and a sustainable environment are not constrained or limited by the taxes we pay.

  38. paul walter

    Kaye Lee, 9. 08…people, mark those words closely.

    Birmingham, no.

    An appalling long-winded and inaccurate speech to waste time in the Senate a couple of days ago.

    I will never forgive him for putting the viewing public through what he put them through.

    Andreas Bimba, somone else thanked you for that comment at 8.00 yesterday and I endorse them.

  39. Kaye Lee

    August 17…

    Cormann said he was unaware of any talk to replace Turnbull with Dutton.
    “Nobody has raised that with me,” he said.
    “We are both very committed to the success of the Turnbull government, to winning the next election. I did have four walks with Peter this week … we talk about a lot, but don’t think that we just talk politics as we walk up that hill.
    “… We strongly support the Turnbull leadership of course, and we want to see the Coalition government successfully re-elected early next year when the election is due.”

    LIAR!!!

  40. Karl Young

    Michael” Apparently Morrison is only on the mailing list.

  41. PopsiJ

    The only things that Turnbull did were those condoned by the LNP hard right, they are still there, Dutton, Abbott and the faceless ones. Things will not change

  42. Rhonda

    Kaye, I will pay the fact, as you point out, that Turnbull saved us – first from Abbott ( vainly as it turned out), then from Dutton/Abbott this week. But, there is still so much rubbish-of-shit to work through & still to come… least of which is my worry that our new Penticostal PM is going to try to “SAVE” us.

  43. Andreas Bimba

    Thanks for the positive comments.

    On economics professor Bill Mitchell’s blog the misdirection of nominally progressive parties throughout the world is often discussed. For example in the UK Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn offers a traditional social democratic path that promises to unwind decades of conservative austerity and neoliberalism but his shadow chancellor of the exchequer – John McDonnell remains a firm believer in balanced national budgets and of paying down debt at least over a 5 year cycle. This effectively means that only some minimal wealth redistribution will likely occur and that only a small change in economic direction will be possible and that effectively the UK Labour Party will also deliver a predominately neoliberal economic outcome. The same can be said of the ALP and the NZ Labour Party.

    In the US Bernie Sanders offers a better fiscal approach but will he win the Democratic Party nomination and will that party and the Washington swamp allow him to fully deliver his agenda if he is able to win the next US Presidential elections?

    To attain a dynamic social democratic mixed economy, a rapid transition to environmental sustainability and for decaying social and physical infrastructire to be repaired, the extra fiscal space that is available to the national government through issuence of the currency must be fully utilised. No debt or ongoing inflation is incurred if properly managed. This is the key factor for success.

  44. Zathras

    If I was more generous and forgiving of Turnbull I would use the “It’s hard to soar like an eagle when you’re surrounded by turkeys” saying, but in the end he turned out to be “just another turkey who voted for Thanksgiving”.

    If he really had firm beliefs and was truly dedicated he would have stood up against the extremist bullies and fought.

  45. PopsiJ

    In all of this what is significant is that the country was only 3 MPs to vote for Dutton to have him as PM

  46. benway

    RE: Birmingham – blatantly lying whilst calling the other team liars is hardly honourable or decent. It did, however make me laugh over the hypocrisy.

  47. Max Gross

    No, Kaye, Turnbull deserves no peace. His priority was always Malcolm Turnbull PM and nobody and nothing else. He dog-whistled with the worst of them in the hope of clinging to his lofty perch. He failed. Fizza, now and forever.

  48. guest

    Andreas Bimba, you are right to raise the issue of the Left in the UK and the USA who stand out in contrast with the neo-cons/neo-liberals etc.

    In the last week Greg Sheridan in the Murdoch stable attacked Jeremy Corbyn and made him sound like a rabid anti-Semitic racist, widely hated in the UK. I thought it was a strange thing to do at this time, not entirely relevant at present and poorly displayed, with one part prominent but the rest pages away, if one cared to look…until I remembered that Turnbull had been accused of using the racist card towards South Sudanese in Melbourne.

    I was interested in the Pacific Minister who was complaining about some grudge she had after all the hard work she claimed she had been doing in the Pacific. She was warning us of the debt being incurred by Pacific governments who were accepting finance from the Chinese. The Chinese, we remember, are huge trading partners with Oz, yet we regard them as an enemy, linked as we are with the USA through ANZUS. But we also know that Oz overseas aid is reduced to help reduce debt – no mention of that. Also no mention of the threat of rising sea levels through Climate Change.

    Meanwhile, in Ireland the PM is asking that the Catholic Church play a less central role in Irish society after all the revelations here, there and everywhere with regard to child abuse. Here in Oz, political child abuse is seen as a desirable technique to prevent refugees from coming to Oz by boat – but now that the boats have been apparently stopped, there seems to be no need for child abuse at all.

    My fear with the conservatives in power is that they are clearly incapable of understanding any kind of nuance in their policies at all.

  49. paul walter

    guest, the Guardian has been peddling this muck lately also and I think it a nauseating smear.

    From Sheridan, no surprise but typical.

    From the Grauniad, unforgivable.

  50. paul walter

    Re To Malcom Turnbull,

    I thought the treatment of Bishop similarly if not more roughhouse… ain’t no way…

  51. guest

    Further to conservative policy without nuance, consider Dutton’s brain fade with the suggestion of a reduction of the GST from energy bills. The States would love that.

    And a little more from Sheridan: “Our new PM, Scott Morison, is a seriously believing Pentecostal Christian…Josh Frydenberg is a proud Jew…Deputy PM, Michael McCormack, is a Catholic, giving us a very ecumenical trinity at the top of governance.” A little joke?

    Later Sheridan takes a swipe at Climate Change emissions reduction. “The truth is that Australia’s mission reduction policies have had not one speck of an effect on the global climate.” He says it is “essentially a symbolic issue”. “Effectively democratic governments are always pragmatic.”

    What he does not recognise is the fact that emissions in Oz did reduce under Labor, but have risen under the Coalition. His “pragmatic” means that Oz does nothing to “ruin” the economy. Economy trumps science, apparently. If the Coalition government was pragmatic, it would do something more than it is now about Climate Change, but it does nothing, nor does it let market forces act progressively – because the government is conservative.

    And there is more. “Part of the crisis [drift to the Left] in Western politics is a crisis in belief. As the West loses God, it is losing any sense of a larger purpose.” This from the author of “God is Good For You”.

    What “larger purpose” is he writing about? Is it about a better set of policies for government? Is it about a better energy policy? Or immigration? Or Climate Change policy?

    Or is it about a recognition of the “transcendent” so that we behave ourselves better so we can go to Heaven?

    No? But it is about consequences. “Western liberalism is going mad in a postmodern age, cut off from its true spiritual roots and removed from the civilising and moderating constraints of tradition.”

    He quotes from a French socialist, that our age is weak in five qualities: “depth, coherence, meaning, authenticity and originality.”

    Oh, really? Is that what is wrong with this present government?

  52. Diannaart

    Guest

    Apparently humans fracking the planet is god’s will. Doesn’t have to make sense in a post-truth world.

  53. guest

    Paul Walter, I can only go by what was said as reported. What you are saying is that the Irish PM smeared the Pope? Or did The Graudian smear the Pope? Should The Graudian have said nothing? Should I not have mentioned it?

  54. paul walter

    The Grauniad has spent much time smearing Corbyn.

    Assange is another target of the Runadiag and you wonder at the relationship between that journal and the nearby City of London.

    Sheridan was very funny about religion on the Drum recently, or at least other panellists felt so, judging by their responses to his new book. At least, they did not take too seriously his implicit call for an immediate return to the fourteenth century.

    As for the Pope, it is true that he looks older by the second.

  55. guest

    Paul Walter, Sorry – I confused your Graudian comment, apparently about Corbyn, while I thought it was about the Irish PM and the Pope. I become rather obsessive at times.

    As for why the Graudian should attack Corbyn, I have no idea. Circulation numbers problem?

  56. guest

    Diaannart, do not get me onto religion and politics. I am with John Lennon: “Imagine there’s no heaven, Only sky above…”

  57. Diannaart

    With happy-clapper ScoMo in da house, we’re going to need a John Lennon resurrection.

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