Forty-second parliament: open thread

Those wishing to discuss Australian politics are invited to do so here rather than here.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

701 comments on “Forty-second parliament: open thread”

Comments Page 2 of 15
1 2 3 … 15

  2. [Says it all really and goes some way to explaining why Nelson was so appalling. He is being wedged by his own pathetic party. Tuckey and his ilk are a disgrace to the parliament, and a disgrace to Australia. Until they kick out the type of right-wing scum named above the Liberals get nowhere.]
    What’s the bet that the opposition will spend 6 or 7 years figuring out they need to purge the right before they get into shape to win an election.

  8. Annabel Crabb said it in today’s SMH:

    “Wilson Tuckey, Parliament’s equivalent of the pub galah…”

    ..oh yes, she nailed it.

  10. 53 & The Finnigans,

    You make an Interesting point about today possibly giving Rudd the next Election, for I felt in the early stages of Nelson’s speech that on a campaign trail I can’t see Nelson out performing Rudd, one positive for Nelson, he speaks better than Howard ever did

  11. That was so cool and politically a slamdunk. At the same time hundreds of thousands of ppl, in Parliament, town squares, schools,homes,workplaces etc all stood up and clapped and cheered.

    Great thing for the Country, the Koories and that nice Mr Rudd, what a very smart cookie is he

  13. [That was so cool and politically a slamdunk. At the same time hundreds of thousands of ppl, in Parliament, town squares, schools,homes,workplaces etc all stood up and clapped and cheered.]

    I don’t think Rudd did it for political reasons, he did it because it was the right thing to do.

  15. I was a bit sceptical about the “Sorry” and thought it had been given much too much prominence as a priority for fixing the country. I thought it was a “cause celebre” which obscured the much more pressing practical problems which should have been addressed. I have also been sceptical about Rudd’s ability to show leadership and vision.

    Having heard the speech today saying Sorry, I am very overjoyed to say I have been completely wrong. A very proud moment for our country. And I even heard a vague reference to Obama in the phrase “audacity of faith”.

  16. Wilson Tuckey doesn’t get it; he never will. He can bark like a dog into the wind along with the likes of Keith Windschuttle.

    Paul Keating (in parliament) on Wilson “Iron Bar” Tuckey:

    “…you stupid foul-mouthed grub.”

    “Shut up! Sit down and shut up, you pig!”

    “You boxhead you wouldn’t know, you’re flat out counting past ten.”

  19. the wonderful thing about john howard now is that he’s been rendered a complete non-entity. he’ll be in his ordinary house in wollstonecraft, with a rug over his knees, slurping his hot tea.

  20. [the wonderful thing about john howard now is that he’s been rendered a complete non-entity. he’ll be in his ordinary house in wollstonecraft, with a rug over his knees, slurping his hot tea.]

    I think Keating would be pretty happy today. This would’ve happened in 1996 if Keating won that election.

    Really this is just another sign that we have been culturally on pause for the previous 11 years.

  21. Yes on Pause thanks to the ALP taking 10 years to find a leader worth voting for.

    I’m not impressed with any MP who failed to turn up after all if you can’t even be bothered turning up to the first morning then why did you bother standing for election.

  23. Did anybody listen to AM this morning so many people in the town of central NSW they had on were against the appology or had reservations about it.

  25. [Did anybody listen to AM this morning so many people in the town of central NSW they had on were against the appology or had reservations about it.]

    Didn’t hear it. But it doesn’t really matter, it was the right thing to do, even if it wasn’t supported by a majority of the Australian population.

    For somethings it is the job of the government to LEAD, not FOLLOW the wishes of the population.

  26. ShowsOn @ 72: that’s just the most disgraceful behaviour. abbott on ABC radio this morning, when asked if there were any coalition members planning to not turn up, said, oh i don’t know, any personal things could happen to cause them to not get to parliament.
    dsgraceful pig. great stuff from the shadow indigenous affairs minister. stuff like that will hopefully ensure their continued shadow status.

  27. 59
    Basil Fawlty

    Mmmmm, have to agree with that Baz, with an impish humour and sharp eye, and a style we’ve not seen much of in serious political commentary. She’s our very own Jon Stewart, comic on the outside, deeply observant and serious on the inside.

    yep, cute alright!

  29. Rudd was dignified and impressive.
    Nelson was disappointing and offensive in his lack of understanding. The liberals have shown once and for all that they simply have no idea of the importance of a simple, unequivical apology.To raise the issue of compensation during the apology was disgraceful.

  30. It may have been the right thing but as noted on Insiders last year when JWH began the intervention, when have Aboriginal issues ever won someone an elaction?

  31. Wilson “Ironbar” Tuckey walked out of parliament after loudly reciting the Lord’s Prayer. Alby “Sergeant” Shultz was not in attendance, neither was Don Randall or Sophie Mirabellaopoulos. Gutless spivs: busy out whitewashing with John Howard, no doubt.

    With each passing day, John Howard’s legacy is being whittled away; all he will have left is the GST and the Iraq War: some legacy.

  32. CATHARSIS

    1. the purging of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions, esp. through certain kinds of art, as tragedy or music.
    2. Medicine/Medical. purgation.
    3. Psychiatry. a. psychotherapy that encourages or permits the discharge of pent-up, socially unacceptable affects.
    b. discharge of pent-up emotions so as to result in the alleviation of symptoms or the permanent relief of the condition.

    [Origin: 1795–1805; < NL < Gk kátharsis a cleansing, equiv. to kathar- (var. s. of kathaírein to cleanse, deriv. of katharós pure) + -sis -sis]

    Today, we have been cleansed.

  33. 74
    David Charles Says:
    February 13th, 2008 at 11:25 am
    ShowsOn (70) If you care to empty your mind of its partisanship, you might concede any cultural ‘pause’ bearing on indigenous Australians, has a longer life span…

    I believe Showson is referring to the ‘progress’ signified by the ‘Bring them Home Report’ commissioned by the Keating govt in 1995, and asserting that Keating would have continued this ‘cultural development’ had he retained office in ’96.

    Instead, nothing for 11 years… (I guess Howard moved slightly during the last election campaign – movement that may be judged of dubious worth).

    If yours is just a general comment on how poorly Australia has addressed the problems of aboriginal people over a long period of time… fair enough!

  34. Should the Federal Government pay compensation to truely stolen people, ie those people removed because of their race?

    I think so but only in this instance!

  35. 79
    Jen

    Today will blight Horatio Hornet forever. One chance to rise above the hacks and spivs in his party, to rise above the malignant meanness of Howard, to join the people of Australia and he bloodywell blew it!

    Shameful, pandering, slobbering and spineless.

    Rudd, on the other hand, was breathtakingly dignified and at the same time dinkydie.

    Like he said, an apology “without qualification”, not the scumbaggery that Nelson tried to pass off as one.

  36. John of Melbourne, Are you really saying that unless an issue wins you an election you don’t do it.

    Regarding the views of people in a country town, it’s all very good and well to quote them but the Government has done the right thing just as the Liberals did the right thing in 1967.

    At no stage did Rudd apology on behalf of people outside the Political process which in itself ends the sillness about ‘I’m not sorry for I didn’t do anything’

    As a fellow Liberal I susgest if you want to return to Government it’s high time you start listening to the likes of myself or feel free to disappear into the history books.

  37. ‘Laugh’ of the day would have to be Ironbar shouting the Lord’s Prayer. Was he trying to awaken his deity to the presence of unbelievers – aka non racists – in the house?

    .

    The Finnigans @ 32
    “BTW: Whitlam, Fraser, Hawke and Keating was there. Where is JWH?

    He and Janette are probably busy practicing curtsying, wearing silly hats and slipping on garters.

  38. 80
    “It may have been the right thing but as noted on Insiders last year when JWH began the intervention, when have Aboriginal issues ever won someone an elaction?”

    Today.

  39. Ironbar is probably as we speak rounding up white sheets, firebrands and crosses for burning, who cares, he is such an irrelevance and he has again proven it today. Wot a w..ker!

  40. [He and Janette are probably busy practicing curtsying, wearing silly hats and slipping on garters.]

    Oh I hope he is made a hereditary peer in the House of Lords. If that’s what it takes to get him out of the country, then so be it.

    I also hope Rudd makes Downer life-long ambassador to Iraq.

  41. The recalcitrant libs who either left the house, did not show or read a bloody magazine for God’s sake, deserve to get trounced at the next election.
    And I really was trying to rise above today, but as usual they have dragged us down to the lowest level.
    Deep breaths, counting….

  42. Ive paid out heaps on Joe Hockey in the past ,but in parliament today when the speaker called for all to stand in support of the motion,he noticeably made sure that those seated around him got up,also he was one of the first to stand on the liberal side-credit where its due

  43. Don’t worry Jen, I suspect if Rudd does okay as PM, Mr Pearce may be in trouble and who knows what the AEC will do to Aston’s boundary.

  44. BMW # 86

    No I’m not saying that I’m simply pointing out it does not get you re-elected.

    All peoples views are valid.

    read entry #84

  48. I congratulate, roughly but not precisely in order:
    the indigenous people, particularly those who worked for reconciliation
    Kevin Rudd
    Jenny Macklin
    the ALP in general
    Bob Brown and Chris Milne [look at her speech at the time of the NT invasion]
    former ALP PM’s, Gough and Bob and Paul
    Mal Fraser [deserves praise]
    Fred Chaney deserves praise
    most Australian people [and I’m sure there are more onside today than yesterday]

    And then there are the ‘others’

    Brendon Nelson and his mates, who nearly ‘got it’ but just missed, but a miss by an inch is as good as a mile
    those who absented themselves

    Have I omitted anyone?

    and a gap too large to fit on the screen to whatshisname the previous bloke who wasnt there at all at all in any way.

  49. Jen,

    I am more concerned about those who attended and provided their numbers to the apology than about those who absented themselves. At least they were honest about their recalcitrance and did not mouth words they did not believe. An apology without conviction is nothing. It shows there are still hold outs in the community and I suppose you are never going to please everyone.

    Nelson did reasonably well apart from the comparison with the older generation of soldiers etc. He should be given some credit for getting the majoriy of his Party to the occaission and also for embracing Rudd’s new bi partisan agenda on indigenous issues.

    Compensation will come through the promise to never do it again. There will also be plenty of money spent on health, education and housing. The best compensation will be if we can achieve real progress on all these matters in the coming years for the new generation.

    For me, the best part of the day has been to see the sparkle in the eyes of the aboriginals being interviewed. You can tell today is a very special day for them.

    I hope this can be a new beginning for a united Australia.

Comments are closed.

Comments Page 2 of 15
1 2 3 … 15