The Murdoch press seem intent on maintaining the negative slant on reporting aimed at the government, begun well and truly before the axing of Kevin Rudd in June.
Continue reading "Despite The Carping, A New Poll Is Inevitable" »
Finally, some common-language, commonsense assessment of the Abbott economic plan, which by definition, is better than anything an incumbent government and all of its resources can come up with. Van Onselen makes excellent sense with his analysis, drawing the only conclusion that can be drawn, that being a coalition economic approach which cannot in any sense be proven to be any better or any worse than the incumbent government. Clearly, one cannot scrap revenue earning measures, reduce company tax and still spend on socially responsible measures like paid parental leave without some hole being rent in the economic fabric. As Van Onselen states, these airey-fairies would appear to be the things an opposition would come up with in the almost sure and secure knowledge they'd never have to be implemented. Thing is, the way Labor has quite neatly shot off both feet by axing a sitting PM because popularity polls weren't sitting where they'd been 6 months previous, Abbott could pull off what his own internal polling says shouldn't, but might, happen.
I can see and appreciate both sides of the political argument, more so from the Liberal perspective, and less so from the conservative perspective. Let's be perfectly clear in acknowledging that the Liberal-National coalition is no longer that, but a Liberal-Conservative coalition with a rural lobby sideline. The Nationals are no longer a force in Federal politics. The Howardian brand of conservatism remains strong in the Liberal Party, as evidence by the 42-41 vote which put Abbott where he is today. At least half of that party are overt conservatives. Not the socially responsible Liberals of the party's creation, but ardent free-market capitalists who believe in doing things the way they've always been done because change is bad, and those who disagree are marxist/socialists eco-treehuggers. Mindless ideologues, in other words. It's this part of the Australian political scene I do not understand. The rabid fear-mongering over asylum-seekers doing what is perfectly legal. The rabid fear-mongering over the levying of an appropriate surcharge on each and every tonne of non-renewable resource dug out of the ground & sold, for fear of upsetting multi-national corporates and their massive profits sent off-shore. The dismissal of scientifically proven portents of unregulated ecological destruction.
Between Labor & genuine Liberal ethos, the gap is very small, in fact, non-existent in some areas. The gap between labor & conservatism, especially the Howardian brand, is a yawning chasm. A chasm Australia can ill-afford to fall into again, especially so soon after coming through the worst global recession since 1930. Labor may not be your way, reader, but don't make the mistake of thinking that voting Liberal will be any better, because it won't.
Bernard Keane (Crikey) in today's emailed election campaign updates:
Here is a little something someone sent to me that is indisputable mathematical logic. It also made me Laugh Out Loud. This is a strictly mathematical viewpoint...it goes like this:
NICKNAMES
EATING OUT
MONEY
BATHROOMS
ARGUMENTS
FUTURE
SUCCESS
MARRIAGE
DRESSING UP
NATURAL
OFFSPRING
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no point in two people remembering the same things!
"Start with something so basic it barely gets a mention. That voice. Gillard's accent is curious. Especially if, like her, you grew up in Adelaide, had a working-class background and went to public schools. I'm often asked why I don't sound like Gillard. Easy. No one in Adelaide sounds like Gillard. Certainly no one who went to Unley High School, hardly a school of hard knocks. Could she have manufactured those broad nasal vowels, so different even from her Adelaide-accented sister, to fit her political emergence within Labor's left-wing factions? You feel so cynical even suggesting it."
If this is the best conservatism has to throw at Labor in what has thus far been the most lack-lustre of election campaigns, then the poll has already been won by Labor.
I watched the Hawke tele-movie last night, hoping to see something of quality in a portrayal of Labor's greatest leader of the modern era. Sadly, all I saw was a disjointed and emotionless profile backed by some mediocre acting. The characterisation of key Labor figures of the late `70's was also pretty damn poor, I thought. To the point where I thought players other than 'Hawke' and 'Keating' should have been wearing signs on their chests to identify who they were. I picked up on Kim Beazley, Robert Ray, Bill Kelty and Graham Richardson but that was it for me. Maybe I spotted John Faulkner, but then, there were so many bit players with heavy-rimmed glasses....
The story jumped around way too much, and focussed on the frailties of the principal players while ignoring the actual socio-political achievements of both Hawke & Keating governments. Were it not for the summarised achievements right at the end, with the credits, a political newbie would have automatically thought that both governments would have been lame ducks and that politics is really just a brutal gladiatorial battle field for over-inflated egos. Not that politics isn't a brutal gladiatorial battle field for over-inflated egos, but it's far more than just that. Politics is a stage upon which the theatre of our nation's social and cultural development is played out.
Of all the stories which deserved telling, Keating's was reduced to another mere bit part, which was probably the most disappointing part. Hopefully, someone will do the Keating side, and do a better job of it so we can get the real story, without all the sideline trash.
The power of the media in this country to meddle with, and spice up the political scene, is undoubted. Any political watcher will attest to this all too evident fact, with the 24 hour 'news' cycle - a misnomer if ever there was one - focussing heavily on domestic political happenings as opposed to genuine news of interest to the general public.
I’m growing tired of waiting for the Federal Election. Why? Because every three years we’re exposed to the same bullshit, propagated by different people. Julia Gillard’s tweets today - “I believe in the importance of hard work; the obligation that we all owe to ourselves and others, to earn our keep and do our best.” and “We are privileged to live here. We best respect that great privilege by working together, shaping a better future, going forward not back.” are the essence of the sound bite culture which modern politics has become. A lot of content but zero substance.
I’m not interested in nothing issues like how many refugee boats didn’t land on Australian shores last month, or whether or not an asylum-seeker clearing house is constructed in the Kerguelen Islands, or who tells the biggest lies of the two major party leaders. I’m only interested in good government, astute financial management of the nation’s coffers, whose wars we’re NOT tagging along on, whether education is being properly and prudently funded and health care the same. If there was a bumper sticker competition pertinent to this coming election, I’d opt for something along the lines of “I pay tax, and I vote!”. A more pertinent slogan I can’t think of.Technorati Tags: Election 2010
Here's a very important piece I happened across in today's Oz. Most unlike the Oz, I know, but from time to time politics must be seen to take a backseat to more important societal issues and I tip my hat to the editors.
Breast Cancer, or indeed, any form of the insidious disease, must by definition have tremendous impacts on a sufferer's psyche. As the partner of an individual who was diagnosed with a triple negative breast tumour in August last year, I can attest to how the disease and it's horrifying treatment regime can impact on the afflicted, both physically, and mentally. I could easily go into long-winded definitions of what I mean, based on what I've witnessed first hand, but that would be unfair and invasive of another's privacy. Suffice to say, that when one is confronted with one's own mortality, by a branch of medical science which openly admits it has no answers and very, very little understanding of the disease they treat, the fear factor is overwhelming. 'Am I going to die?' must seem like an ever-recurring question. To those of us not afflicted, such a question might seem silly. Of course we're going to die, but none of us knows when or how. To be confronted with the 'how' and have the 'when' suddenly accelerated into one's face has to be terribly daunting.
I'll simply say this. Had my partner been offered proper psychiatric counselling at the outset of her diagnosis, with ongoing consultation throughout the surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, I'd like to think our marriage would still be in one piece. As it stands today, apparently we're separated & living under the same roof, with her believing I wasn't supportive enough, understanding enough despite my being there with her all the way, at every treatment or appointment I could manage. It might be because I’m male & absolutely hopeless at understanding females, as all we males are constantly told, or maybe it’s due to my innate desire throughout adversity to keep things as ‘normal’ – whatever ‘normal’ is – as they can be despite both people’s world’s being totally devastated.
Whatever it is that I didn’t do or say or partake in, I’m absolutely certain that having toxic chemicals pumped into your body, and severe 3rd degree burns incurred from radiation, not to mention surgery whilst the regime doing these things to you can’t explain itself or give the answers you want, has to have deleterious impacts on a person’s state of mind & self. If your significant other is going through what mine has just been through, make sure & certain that some form of psychiatric help is made available. You may not be able to force a horse to drink, but at least having water has to be a better start.
