Who do you trust?
At the end of my last post I suggested I needed more words to explain my proposition that Labor could win the next election. I did so because I felt l would be overwhelmed by anti-Albanese comments.
True to form, the anti-Albanese’s (mainly Facebook) were at it wanting a character full of sarcastic rebukes and aggressive remonstration. Even if it were Tanya Plibersek. I do not doubt that Albo has that in him; I have seen it when Albo was his party’s attack dog during Question Time. But when people are sick to death of shouty debate, it will not shape a believable candidate when looking for someone they can trust to oppose Scott Morrison.
Albo has all the characteristics of a politician who has given long service to his electorate, party, and country. He has held several portfolios and has served as deputy Prime Minister.
However, his main attribute is that he has a clean slate without scandals: Nothing on which Morrison (or the media) can pin a controversy. In other words, he is more trustworthy than Morrison. And that, of course, also applies when words like decency, transparency, lying, honesty, morality and fairness are used to describe a political candidate.
Who would you trust?
With Albanese, we have a man who can, when necessary, raise the tone of a debate while appealing to people’s better instincts.
Conversely, in Morrison, we have a Prime Minister who refuses to answer questions about his knowledge of one of his best friends’ involvement in the conspiracy theory QAnon. It is the “why” he won’t answer that annoys people. If there is nothing in it, why not answer?
And it’s a little early, but Morrison could always employ the Liberal’s favourite scare campaign saying that the boats will start again if the Biloela family is granted asylum. There isn’t one iota of evidence that this is so, yet the Coalition sticks to its hard-line policy. It will lead to the floodgates opening again, they might say. And after all these years, raising this issue against a child’s illness is despicable and fills one with disgust.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has the final say, but it was like taking a step back in time listening to him last Thursday. The words remain the same, as does the manner in which they are conveyed.
But of course:
“… the pedlars of verbal dishonesty are the most vigorous defenders of lying because it gives their vitriolic nonsense legitimacy. They use our countries gift of free speech to influence those in the community who are susceptible or like-minded.”
But alas, I have drifted from the points I wanted to add to my last piece. I wanted to strengthen my view that there were enough issues so damaging to the Government that Labor would make it look vulgar in an election campaign: Problems that amount to gross incompetency and negligence are as numerous as mice in a cornfield.
For example, at the G7 conference, the emissions reductions promised by the US, UK and EU doubled those proposed by the Morrison government. They also promised more policies before Cop26 in Scotland.
By comparison, Australia, in the eyes of the world, looks foolish and uncommitted. Despite acknowledging that the world is moving to a new energy economy, Scott Morrison has yet to address how Australia fits into it.
Australians now clearly see the need for us to be part of this new world. A world in which we lead the technologies race and the will to make it happen. Yet the conservative attitude that has so blinkered their thinking since Labor first proposed a carbon tax continues to take us down the wrong path and will not get us there in the future.
COVID-19 and the Royal Commission into Aged Care have highlighted the Morrison Government’s horrifying attitude to aged care in our country. So much so that I found (as an 80-year-old) this source for my research upsetting:
“Homer Simpson could have seen the catastrophe in aged care coming with COVID-19 because it was there in your face,” said Professor Joseph Ibrahim, head of the Health Law and Ageing Research Unit at Monash University.
When a political party deliberately withholds information that the voter needs to make an informed, balanced and reasoned assessment of how it is being governed. It is lying by omission. It is also equivalent to the manipulation of our democracy.
The Government’s outright incompetency has:
… cost 909 deaths from COVID-19, more than two-thirds of them (685) people in aged care facilities. Sadly, this is a disgrace, and the blame sits securely at the Government’s feet.
Yet another stone to throw at the Morrison government is the Coalition’s failure to produce a policy on the oversight of corruption or even a national security review. To find the answer to why a national ICAC has been left to decay at the grave of crime, you only have to read a list of the Coalition’s blunders, scandals and corrupt activities.
To formulate such a list – a complete one guaranteed to shock those who value their vote – will require a few more days. The more I dug, the deeper the scandals became. So can you please wait in anticipation?
Governments who demand the people’s trust need to govern transparently to acquire it.
I contend that the Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison governments are the most incompetent, corrupt and unempathetic governments in my lifetime. The cabinet is full of narcissistic males who have a low opinion of women and a lessor one of the citizens they serve. And an awful lot of academic achievers who wouldn’t know shit from clay, as the saying goes.
This being so, then why are they still in power? Many of the activities, as mentioned earlier, should have required ministerial resignation. Still, principles and responsibilities seem to have been thrown out the window by this Government which has grown worse in this last term. Yes, they are ripe for defeat, and deserve to be.
My thought for the day
The real enemy of neoconservative politics in Australia is not Labor or indeed democratic socialism. It is simply what Australians affectionally call. A fair go.
Like what we do at The AIMN?
You’ll like it even more knowing that your donation will help us to keep up the good fight.
Chuck in a few bucks and see just how far it goes!
22 comments
Login here Register here-
Lawrence Roberts -
Terence Mills -
Phil -
JudithW -
wam -
Phil Pryor -
Geoff Andrews -
Caz -
Baby Jewels -
David Stakes -
Keith -
GL -
HENRY RODRIGUES -
Andrew J. Smith -
guest -
Terence Mills -
Harry Lime -
Cando -
Consume Less -
Phil Pryor -
guest -
DrakeN
Return to home pageMissing but in plain sight is the erosion of the parliamentary system. The almost total closure of the parliament before the last election and the unelected mining camp henchmen bought~in to oversee the pandemic show a disregard for the democratic process.
The truth is; the electorate either doesn’t care or notice. It is what most of them had long suspected; that the parliament, is to some extent an irrelevance.
Photo~opps will triumph over rhetoric in a fast moving society with little time to follow a discussion.
Worrying rumblings within the National Party as Joyce, Canavan and other knuckle draggers start to move against the hapless McCormack.
The disturbing thing is that under our democratic arrangements, we the people have no say in who our prime minister and deputy PM are – how can that be ?
If the Joyce faction have their way we will not only be embracing coal but they will probably take us back to whale oil : well there seem to be a lot of whales around : Eh Barney ?
I agree, John, Albo is the Leader, and we need to support him.
I am so over Liberal Plants and disgruntled misfits who demand that they get their way, or they will stir up division, threaten to never vote Labor again (they never have voted Labor) and so forth.
It’s not just that I’d trust Anthony Albanese over Scott Morrison.
I’d also trust
Penny Wong over Simon Birmingham & Michaela Cash
Jim Calmers over Josh Frydenberg
Tanya Pliberseck over Alan Tudge
Kristina Keneally over Karen Andrews
Bill Shorten over Linda Reynolds
Chris Bowen and Terri Butler over Angus Taylor and Susan Ley
Linda Burney over ken Wyatt
Brendan O’Connor over Peter Dutton
Mark Butler or Greg Hunt
Richard Marles and Louise Pratt over Stuart Roberts
And many more I haven’t mentioned.
Why is this just about Albanese, “ a man who can, when necessary, raise the tone of a debate while appealing to people’s better instincts” and Morrison, a liar, sycophant and sociopath?
A great warm up today, lord, the pool was too cold for thinking.
It is naive to imagine anyone seeking a job, would not select their positive aspects. Indeed selection(omission) is the basis of debate. Similarly what you believe to be true is the truth even if you have no facts. Faith relies on no facts and avoids questions.
If Albo and the government are as you say, why do they have such approval and albo such disapproval? Could you be missing something? No, lord, sadly, I remember the lying rodent? People, like us, knew he was a disaster as treasurer, a miserable arsehole as a man and a consummate lying rodent but it took 12 years to dump him.
The old isaac gives albo the answer with his first law.
Albo and labor have their millstones dangling around their necks(interesting history luke 17.2, mark 9.42, matthew 14.6) but there is ample evidence to show that elections can be lost in the days before polling. Nationally by a cake and locally by a rally or a smart comment or, in 2010, by a clp lie. So there is always a chance for workers to realise that the payrise is not fair scummo is lying and return to labor without albo’s motion and we can but hope.
ps
carbon TAX lying was a big factor in the rabbott’s win?
pps
You might look at the work of Rex and Jacqui as opposition?
My observations, historically, are that this is the lowest, sub-bug’s balls government we’ve had in 120 years, full of reinforced careerists who ignore honesty as irrelevant, despise citizens as lesser beings, bare the botty to donors and patrons, exploit opportunities for self aggrandisement, twist facts and truth to front out a persona, a story. Rooters, rorters, ravers, ratbags, rascals and rubbish infest the government benches, and hardly one deserves sparing from the judgement offerred. One wishes for an immediate wormpoo transubstantiation, a complete elimination, so, an election voctory by alternatives, soon, is essential for our healtth and that of the nation, its environment, its society, the planet itself. Irritating and galling is the leadership of a drenched superstitious fool, a fantasy tickling todger titivator, a Pernicious Misfit, a Praying Maggot, a Pustular Muckheap, a Preposterous Mistake.
If Labor has a think tank; if it has a special back room where strategy is discussed by back room boys with a proven track record; even if it has a PR department ….. I would be amazed! For almost the past decade, Labor’s problem has been the incompetence or absence of any of those listed above. In the last election, the perfectly reasonable franking credits proposal was trashed by the LNP without a whimper by Labor who only needed to trot out a few examples of how the proposal would operate without affecting any of the “mums & dads” investors. Their silence said, “Shit, we didn’t think of that!” It will be interesting to see if the back room boys can come up with something to counter the obvious LNP claim that THEY have saved Australia from Covid-19. No,let’s put that in the too hard basket. I have seen Albo speak, off the cuff, passionately and effectively but he doesn’t appear to do the 10 second grabs with conviction (that only needs a coach, fellas!)
A couple of years back I helped out at a Labor fundraiser for a local candidate. Albo attended and I had the opportunity to say a few words to him. I had a relative in Federal Parliament on the Labor benches and tried to use it as a conversation starter with Albo. It didn’t work: he seemed unable to engage with me for some reason and I was left feeling that I had wasted his time.
I have always supported Labor and always will, but if I had been a swinging voter, I doubt I would have swung Albo’s way.
Everyone in Labor and prospective candidates need to engage personally with every potential supporter. The politician who listens to you and makes you feel that no one is more important than yourself will win the day. If you listen to people they in turn listen to you. It’s not rocket science.
I can only hope a clean background, an honest bloke, is still something that appeals to the masses today. I’m not sure it does. A slick talker, a promise-maker (not a promise-keeper) seems to me, to be more what people are looking for. 🙁
Trouble is people believe the Daily Telegraph and SMH or Australian before any other comments, herein lies the problem a bought 4th estate.
Rushton has stated that the LNP wish to continue talking about the Indue Card. It can be seen to be abusive directed at Aged Pensioners … very controlling in a relationship where one party controls the money flow, it is seen as domestic violence.
The LNP really do need to be pinned down on this matter.
On social matters the ALP are streets ahead of the LNP. On climate change they are just somewhat better. Climate change is happening; we know what is causing it; yet, politicians are frightened of it. We have little time to resolve the worst of climate change.
The LNP have proven themselves to be untrustworthy, if ethics was a consideration in the LNP, then a number of Ministers would be at least on the back bench.
On a side note: This seems to be more about that fat oaf Clive just having the shits that he couldn’t flog off the 30 odd million doses of Hydroxychloroquine he spent a big pile of money on.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/ludicrous-clive-palmer-slammed-for-letters-spreading-covid-19-misinformation-20210620-p582ju.html
Scummo and his mob have all the advantages of a partisan media, bags of money in the treasury and the apathy, stupidity, and greed of the Australian voter. That’s why whether its Albo, or Tanya or anyone else, this disastrous bunch of crooks, liars, shonks seem to sail through every scandal, fuckup and come out smelling of roses.
Josh will keep showering the tradies and the tax avoiders and the miners with goodies and a few crumbs to the stupid Australian voters and they’re a shoo-in for another term of fuckups and disasters.
Agree, (not so) strangely similar to what one was reading about PM Johnson, UK govt. and media…. same ‘transnational’ modus operandi informed by US GOP, nativist libertarian ideology and related grifters including media…. masquerading as informed, local and authentic:
In ByLine Times in ‘Boris Johnson & the Rise of Make-Believe (17/6/21):
‘The wider problem is that a generalised belief, unmoored from any moral imperative, is replacing reality altogether. In both America and Britain, this has transcended individual leaders to infect political parties and, indeed, an entire political system.’
Then on media in ‘When Truth Matters More – The Case for Scrutinising GB News’ 14/6/21)
‘Though generally not in favour of open borders, the British right has been less opposed to the idea of freedom of political exchange with America in recent years.
As documented extensively by Byline Times and by Carole Cadwalladr for the Observer, the Donald Trump and Brexit campaigns shared political slogans, data schemes and key personnel.
The latest iteration of this cross-pollination seems to be the launch of GB News – an ‘anti-woke’ broadcaster led by former BBC presenter Andrew Neil, with a helping hand from various American interests. The ‘woke’ label is itself an American import.’
Also alleged to be supported by Koch climate science denial network, while there is no such thing as unique Australian politics when the same grifters and ideologues are active in the US and UK.
An example of the way fake news plays out in Oz media is the recent article by Dennis Shanahan (19/6/2021) in the WE Australian: “PM’s triumph leaves labor lost for words”.
The PM’s “triumph” is supposed to be how Oz has met its carbon abatement target easily with the claim that “tangible results are more important than signing undertakings that are not met”. And one of those signings is the signing to the Paris Agreement and the requirements of that Agreement to make clear what his plans are for the next five years to reduce carbon emissions. Morrison is unable to say clearly what his plans are.
The idea that Labor was “lost for words” is based on the lack of questions asked in Question Time – and the reason may well be that Morrison was not there, but far away wowing the G7 assembly with his vague and evasive ideas.
Shanahan claims in his misguided support of Morrison that “All new coal-powered power plants take measures to abate carbon emissions with carbon capture and storage and a range of other other technologies.” That is, the Angus Taylor energy “roadmap”.
This is where the whole Coalition Paris Agreement and G7 stance falls apart. The Coalition carbon abatement achievement is way behind what it should be and to achieve net-zero carbon levels is by 2050 is way beyond their capacity. And to believe they can do that and still be an agent helping other countries to cook the planet is beyond belief.
Shanahan believes Labor is telling an old narrative that is outdated, but it is a story that Shanahan apparently does not know because he is in thrall to whatever the IPA says in its denial of IPCC science, or what Bjorn Lomborg says in his propaganda that the effects of climate change is insignificant and in the future we will be so rich we can easily “adapt” to the effects of climate change.
Labor needs to drill down on the propaganda delivered by Morrison and his cronies. Bring all this stuff out into the open. Examine the “technologies” Taylor proposes will do what he says they will. Where is carbon capture and storage being successfully employed in any great quantity anywhere in the world? How long will gas be used as a transit technology under the Coalition – and more specifically how will a gas-fired Liddell station work where there is no gas line? How advanced is green hydrogen in the making of steel or aluminium? How much soil carbon will be needed – and how different is this technology from good regenerative agriculture? What are the options for storing greenhouse gases without fugitive gases escaping – and for how long? And what is the future of coalmining in Oz? What are the Coalitions plans if they are aiming for net-zero carbon emissions and they are not met by their false “roadmap” by 2050.
We need to bring all this smoke and mirrors out into the open – relentlessly. Real science boffins can easily compound and complicate the attack.
And for that Labor must be clear and honest, strictly with the science. So many people know about the science and will recognise the truth.
Add to that the long list of Coalition failures.
STOP PRESS
As anticipated, Matt Canavan moved a spill motion at the National’s party room meeting this morning and the National Party stalwarts decided that it was in the best interests of the country that Barnaby Joyce be returned as Deputy Prime Minister – the people of Australia were not consulted.
With Scott Morrison currently in home quarantine that means the Barnaby Joyce is now leading this country – and Myanmar thought they had problems !
Who do you trust? Not one shitkicker on the government side…easy one pointer,or..no brainer.Speaking of no brains,the Gnats have just gone back to the future,exchanging one fucking idiot for another.New England Cocky will be pleased.Or not.
The only upside to this is the Fraud’s job just got harder,,what’s not to like?
guest, thanks for the reminder, Carbon Capture technology is a crock, not feasible to date anywhere. The Aus govt is pretending to be on the case but is fooling no-one who has looked at the science. The UK paper ‘Absolute Zero’, a climate change plan to 2050 and beyond. https://ukfires.org/absolute-zero/ Probably best if we all get holidays involving flights out of the way by 2030.
Hopefully the idiots that call themselves the LNP won’t get away with their bullshit too much longer…
The Climate Crisis Advisory Group, comprising 14 experts from 10 nations and every continent, aims to have more of an international reach and provide the global public with regular analysis about efforts to tackle the global heating and biodiversity crises.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jun/20/head-of-independent-sage-to-launch-international-climate-change-group
Barnaby Effing Joyce, a boil on a carbuncle on an ulcer on the arse of the country party, itself all that on the arse of Australia’s politics.., well, can we get lower?? The Dogshit emperor from New England, and one feels saddened and desperate, for rampant ratbag romanism and counter civilised behaviour now reinforce the utter stupidity and primitive criminality of the P M, our Poxed Mentality.
cando,
thank you for your comment. The fact is, of course, that the whole Coalition caboodle is a crock and is being presented as if the Coalition is the most pragmatic political party in the world and Morrison is the most pragmatic leader.
And what is that crowd doing about Climate Change? Basically nothing. And why? Because to do something that needs to be done would affect the fossil fuels cartel. Even the reduction claim they make is pathetic: they set a low level of abatement and they say they have achieved it. But it it is not enough, which means they have to do more before 2050 – and they won’t, not with this collection of cake recipes.
One of their concerns is that it would cost so much to make real carbon abatements – such as the income from selling coal/gas to the world to be burnt and to increase CO2 in the world and to increase the effects of Climate Change on the world – which can be seen everywhere and we are not finished with it yet – but the Coalition, aided by the IPA claims the effects are nothing to worry about. No alarm here.
This approach is to put collective heads under the sand. The truth is that doing nothing will be the most costly approach of all.
Already there are costs. In the smh.com.au a couple of years ago the article “Financial case for Snowy Hydro 2.0 just doesn’t hold water” explains that from a low estimated cost the government’s exposure to date is of more than $15bn. And it is not just costly and inefficient as well.
The idea of putting gas into the Liddell coal powered plant would cost $600m and it is estimated it would operate 2% of the time as backup.
In SA it is planned to use carbon capture and storage in the Cooper inland area at a cost of $1.08bn, to stuff greenhouse gases into the ground with no guarantee of no gases escaping – ever. Like sweeping dust under the carpet.
Meanwhile the critics, especially those looking to beef up our military are expecting war with China, huge trading partners, whom they accuse of being people who seek to use viruses as weapons and who are the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases in the world (although historically they are not). They say China will not reach their targets and are building more coal powered energy plants. What is not said is how the provinces have acted independently to provide power, but the problem is oversupply, which means old plants are decommissioned, more recent plants work part time or not at all. Details can be found at such sites as carbonbrief.org and others.
Canada is pilloried for not reaching targets. What is not said is that the conservative prime minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, withdrew Canada from the Kyoto Protocol in 2011 and fossil fuel provinces have jurisdiction in terms of energy. Trudeau gets the blame.
We see the fossil fuel industry here has power and offers a career path into and out of government. The Australian population is being conned in multiple ways. What do?
Alan Austin at Independent Australia has an article (“Calls for Albanese to stand aside are unhelpful and futile”, 21/6/2021) which promotes Anthony Albanese to remain Labor leader. He has more political success than Morrison, whatever the Murdoch media says.
Good science is one weapon to expose the duplicity of Morrison and his cronies.
guest: “We see the fossil fuel industry here has power and offers a career path into and out of government.”
Vis. Alexander Downer, et al