We’re not likely to see anything on the polling front this week, but there is other electoral news to relate following recent parliamentary vacancies and party defections:
• The Sydney Morning Herald reports preselection nominees to fill the late Jim Molan’s New South Wales Liberal Senate vacancy are likely to include Andrew Constance, former state minister and unsuccessful candidate for Gilmore, and Fiona Scott, who held the lower house seat of Lindsay from 2013 to 2016, together with reported front-runner Dallas McInerney, chief executive of Catholic Schools NSW. Constance and Scott are associated with the moderation faction, while McInerney is a conservative. Mary-Lou Jarvis, lawyer and Woollahra councillor, has also written to senior party figures staking her claim as a qualified woman and the third candidate on the ticket at last year’s election, while also criticising the party’s apparent intention to leave the position vacant until after the state election on March 25.
• The Australian reports the Liberal hierarchy’s hopes of fielding a female candidate for the Aston by-election stand to be complicated by the entry into the field of Emanuele Cicchiello, who is rated a strong chance by sources close to eastern suburbs conservative powerbroker and Deakin MP Michael Sukkar. However, other unidentified sources, “including some with strong Right faction allegiances”, rubbished the notion. Cicchiello is deputy prinicipal of Lighthouse Christian College, a former mayor of Knox and contestant for the seat of Bruce in 2013 and numerous preselections since. All other noted contenders have been women with the exception of Andrew Asten, a former staffer to Alan Tudge, who has since ruled himself out. Anthony Galloway of the Age/Herald reports the matter could be determined by a plebisicite of local members, which have lately proved resistant to female candidates, if the by-election is set for a date that allows sufficient time.
• Victorian Senator Lidia Thorpe’s resignation from the Greens last week marked the first change to party representation in parliament since the election, with the Senate numbers now at Coalition 32, Labor 26, Greens 11, One Nation two, Jacqui Lambie Network two, United Australia Party one and two independents, namely Thorpe and David Pocock. This leaves the government needing two extra votes when the Greens are on board and the Coalition are not, where formerly it needed only one. Thorpe was elected to a six-year term at the election last May, which will extend to the middle of 2028.
While Russia is creating a brand new Stolen Generation of children forcibly removed from their Ukrainian parents and adopted into Russian families, often hundreds of kilometres away, we should never forget the much vaster Stolen Generation European Australia has inflicted on the Fist Nations of this land. First Nations Australians deserve a Voice to Parliament, and we should all vote ‘Yes’ in the coming referendum to finally deliver them one.
Snappy Tom @ Monday, February 20, 2023 at 10:35 am
“Griff says:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 10:06 am
“Most of the evil in this world is done by people with good intentions.”
― T.S. Eliot
____________
Eliot is simply wrong: Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot…”
Quite certain that they said they intend well. And evil transpired.
Mavis, C@tmomma & Griff – I think we can all agree it is imperative for world peace that China refrain from militarily supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Aston bye-election date will be set for April 1st.
Voters in ex-cabinet minister Alan Tudge’s former Victorian seat of Aston will head back to the polls on Saturday, April 1 to elect a new MP after he announced his resignation earlier this year.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-20/live-news-blog-the-loop-nicola-bulley-brazil-carnival-covid-19/101996730
Russia is not resiling from holding over the West whatever nuclear gun it thinks it can get away with brandishing:
“Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Feb.19 that Russia had blocked the rotation of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in the Ukrainian city of Energodar, which has been occupied shortly after Feb. 24.
According to the ministry, Russia keeps actively deploying military equipment and servicemen to the facility: “Russia flagrantly violates the norms of international law, undermines the norms of nuclear and radiation safety.”
The Ministry added that Russia shows “complete disregard” for the IAEA’s demand to immediately withdraw weapons and military personnel from the plant. “If Russia is not stopped, its criminal actions at the Ukrainian nuclear power plant may lead to a catastrophe unknown to Europe.”
https://kyivindependent.com/news-feed/foreign-ministry-russia-blocks-rotation-of-iaea-mission-at-occupied-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-power-plant
Congratulations B.S. Fairman!
yabba @ #1988 Monday, February 20th, 2023 – 10:49 am
Or maybe dyslexia. It appears to be so common with this person.
Taylormade @ #1965 Monday, February 20th, 2023 – 10:21 am
Have you been able to fit into your wetsuit yet, Porky Pig? 😐
UK Cartoons:
Ben Jennings on a blast from the past #BorisJohnson #RishiSunak
Steven Camley on who will replace #NicolaSturgeon as #FirstMinister #RoyLogan #SturgeonResigns #SNP #Scotland
Patrick Blower on #RishiSunak #BorisJohnson #ToryParty #BaftaAwards
Steven Camley on who will replace #NicolaSturgeon as #FirstMinister #Sturgeon #SturgeonResigns #SNP #Scotland
Morten Morland on #NicolaSturgeon and her exit #Sturgeon #SturgeonResigns #SNP #Scotland #IndyRef2 #RIPRaquelWelch #ScottishIndependence
Five minutes in at the RC and Mr Greggery drops another bomb.
Advice to Mussolino in Jan 2017 that averaging not allowed.
He says mussolino will be recalled to be asked what she did with that advice.
Can’t wait
C@tmomma says:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 11:11 am
Have you been able to fit into your wetsuit yet, Porky Pig?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I recall it was merely his togs C@t when jumping off the Lorne pier.
There is definitely little likelihood the West will allow Russia to return to “business as usual” after its defeat and withdrawal from Ukrainian territory, without facing the music for its unjustified aggression and war crimes:
“Kaja Kallas, the Estonian Prime Minister, insists that after the end of the war in Ukraine, Russia must be held accountable for war crimes and its decision to invade a neighbouring country if it is to have any chance of developing normal relations with the West.
Source: She stated this in an interview with AP on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, 18 February, reports European Pravda.
“I don’t think there can be any relations as usual with a pariah state that hasn’t really given up the imperialistic goals,” she said on the sidelines of a major security conference in Munich. “If we don’t learn this lesson and don’t prosecute the crimes of aggression, the war crimes will just continue,” Kallas believes.”
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/02/19/7390034/
I see that the Ukrainian Jeer Squad is full flow and irony-free snark.
Putin’s war should be made as palatable as possible lest it upsets their digestion.
Rape, mass murder, mass child theft and various mass atrocities against civilians should not be mentioned.
What could possibly go wrong when you arm convicted murderers and let them get on with it? Just don’t mention it is the best thing.
Did you know that the Jeer Squad ONLY mentions any of this in response. They NEVER raise these issues themselves. Lacks couth, one presumes.
BTW, the numbers of KIA, WIA and MIA on both sides should not be mentioned. Lacks taste. You will never find the Jeer Squad raising these unpleasant stats. If forced, the Jeer Squad will mention these numbers should only be whispered and then with a total lack of adjectives, adverbs and emotion-laden verbs.
So. What does the Jeer Squad do best?
Sit on their precious holier-than-thou sanctimonious high ground sniping at Putin’s enemies.
Ukraine did not choose Putin’s War. It will just have to get on with killing and wounding as many Russians as it possibly can. So, the numbers do matter. They are not an unpleasant unmentionable corollary of an unfortunate random event.
Here is the reality of Putin’s war:
Killing very big numbers of Russian soldiers is good.
Killing even bigger numbers of Russian is excellent.
I don’t mind people arguing that the US and Australia should not go to war to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion. It is definitely an arguable proposition.
As long as they are open and clear about all the consequences.
Unfortunately they are ALWAYS silent on this aspect of their plan for the PLAN.
Putin is literally using his country’s cohort of military-age males as ammunition sponges. His bet is that the West runs out of ammo to give Ukraine before he runs out of men to get shot by it. Just saying.
Putin truly is the Russian people’s worst enemy.
Heart breaking testimony at RoboDebt RC from mother of victim who suicided due to stress over debt notices, and debt collectors.
@Taylormerde:
“ I am still in cricket mode. Have watched all the dismissals over and over again.
Cummins easily the worst followed by Carey.”
________
I know that Cummins being better than a complete arsehole triggers you, being a ‘conservative’ fuckwit and all, but you do realise that … he’s a bowler … probably the best quick Australia has produced since Lillee. You seem to also ignore that his tail end cameo in the first innings in partnerships with Handscombe keep Australia in the game once the more fancied top and middle order bats collapsed … again.
#IStandWithPat
Poland’s President issues a warning to Putin not to attempt any invasion strategy upon Ukraine that relies upon active participation from Belarus:
“Polish President Andrzej Duda is convinced that if Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, orders his armed forces to engage in the war against Ukraine, it would mean a “total end” for his regime.
Source: Duda in an interview with 1+1 TV channel
Quote: “There is no doubt that Lukashenko is trying to avoid Putin forcing the Belarusian army to enter Ukraine, to engage in open combat against Ukraine. Because, firstly, it would mean death for many Belarusians who have no combat experience and suddenly, badly armed, would face Ukrainians who have been fighting for many years and who are very determined to defend their homeland.
Secondly, Belarusians are not a warrior nation. Belarusians do not want to fight, so they would have to be forced to go against their Ukrainian neighbours.
Lukashenko knows very well that this will mean his ultimate end. Because, in my opinion, virtually the whole nation will go against him, then. The situation may turn out to be completely unmanageable for him.”
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/02/19/7390047/
I can’t believe the distinction between rejoicing in death, and dehumanising the grunt soldiers of the enemy and prosecuting the just defence of Ukraine, including winning battles and the war, without celebrating human misery on either side is just impossible for so many posters to get.
As for a plans to manage super powers without war, to even suggest none exist, is a staggering level of ignorance. If only there was some international body devoted to that end, and if only we, Australia had supported it rather than undermined it. But still not too late.
It isn’t hard you could teach high school kids this stuff in much less time than some idiots have wallowed around it without even coming close to the spark of understanding. It is bewildering .
That Vic Resolve poll together with day 3000 is going to explode a lot of cooker heads today 😆
Andrew_Earlwood says:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 11:48 am
@Taylormerde:
“ I am still in cricket mode. Have watched all the dismissals over and over again.
Cummins easily the worst followed by Carey.”
________
I know that Cummins being better than a complete arsehole triggers you, being a ‘conservative’ fuckwit and all, but you do realise that … he’s a bowler … probably the best quick Australia has produced since Lillee. You seem to also ignore that his tail end cameo in the first innings in partnerships with Handscombe keep Australia in the game once the more fancied top and middle order bats collapsed … again.
#IStandWithPat
中华人民共和国
Taylormade is pinning his hopes on a “Daily Double” – the returns of Scott Morrison and Matthew Guy.
It must be that part of the decade again.
This week we learn that people have lost money buying blocks of land in Walter Burley Griffiths North Arm Cove development
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/a-block-of-land-called-hope-the-fight-to-revive-walter-burley-griffin-s-lost-city-20230214-p5ckfp.html
2.
This has been the case since WBG lost his development bid 100 years ago – suckers thinking they have grabbed a bargain off-loading to other suckers from generation to generation
Do journalists keep a stockpile of re-useable stories?
Pi says:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 10:25 am
EA: “how do you propose Ukraine liberates its territory”
The answer is not to become inhumane animals, or it makes no difference who lives there.
———————————————————————————————
Further to what you are saying, there is a significant operational impact upon those who dehumanise the enemy. Although fear and anger are understandable emotions in war, it is the job of leaders in particular to properly channel this anger in order to prevent this process of dehumanisation.
The problem with dehumanisation (notwithstanding the obvious moral and legal implications) is that it badly clouds the judgement and subsequently effectiveness of individuals and units at the tactical level. It impedes objective planning and results in individuals and units selecting their own priorities (taking the law into their own hands) based on revenge rather than operating effectively as part of larger formations to achieve specific goals.
Inevitably, this results in a breakdown in unit discipline that is significantly detrimental to the achievement of the broader mission as those units subsequently become ineffective.
Political Nightwatchman
“ Aston bye-election date will be set for April 1st.”
How appropriate!
Figjam solidarity aside, if you undermine and get rid of a beloved national coach,because you are too good for him, and can do better without him, you’d better do very well indeed.
#IStandwithJustin
‘WeWantPaul says:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 11:53 am
I can’t believe the distinction between rejoicing in death, and dehumanising the grunt soldiers of the enemy and prosecuting the just defence of Ukraine, including winning battles and the war, without celebrating human misery on either side is just impossible for so many posters to get.
As for a plans to manage super powers without war, to even suggest none exist, is a staggering level of ignorance. If only there was some international body devoted to that end, and if only we, Australia had supported it rather than undermined it. But still not too late.
It isn’t hard you could teach high school kids this stuff in much less time than some idiots have wallowed around it without even coming close to the spark of understanding. It is bewildering .’
======================
War is fundamentally nasty and brutish. It is NOT nice.
‘Killing huge numbers of Russians is an excellent thing.’
If you can’t come at that sentence then you don’t get war.
(I agree fully with Cronus’ position.)
sprocket_ @ #2666 Monday, February 20th, 2023 – 11:42 am
I’m finding difficult to watch.
She is so brave going through all this in the face of a callous and uncaring government.
Weak as I am, I’m heading to the gardening to stop feeling any more rage.
WWP – the way Putin is prosecuting his chosen war, the fewer and slower his Russian troops either defect or die, the more humans overall who will die, be raped, be tortured and be abducted.
‘timbo says:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 11:58 am
sprocket_ @ #2666 Monday, February 20th, 2023 – 11:42 am
Heart breaking testimony at RoboDebt RC from mother of victim who suicided due to stress over debt notices, and debt collectors.
I’m finding difficult to watch.
She is so brave going through all this in the face of a callous and uncaring government.
Weak as I am, I’m heading to the gardening to stop feeling any more rage.’
============================================
They should make Jenny and the girls sit next to her so that they can explain to Scomo what he did.
Robodebt RC displays a letter from Tudge to mother of suicide victim:
WTTE: a few minor admin errors, sure, but the department handled his case “appropriately, professionally and sensitively”.
Boerwar, what the wowsers aren’t getting is that, in this particular military context, maximising the rate of Russian military casualties actually is the lesser of two evils.
Timbo
It’s grim stuff. She’s a brave woman.
I hope she didn’t watch Tudge’s farewell from Parliament the other day.
All about what a great guy he is and how tough being an MP has been on his family.
No need to ban it .It’s slack arses not bothering to wear appropriate PPE and observe OH&S regs that is the problem. The danger of dust from dry cutting concrete, rock or whatever has been known ‘since forever’ . Dustless cutting methods/equipment is available. But hey they cost a little more so nah 🙁
DHS email: vulnerability indicators on client files can only be set for 52 weeks.
Flagged for review after 52 weeks — but ‘auto-ended’ within *two weeks* if no review undertaken.
FFS!
Rossmcg @ #2682 Monday, February 20th, 2023 – 12:04 pm
It was nauseating to watch the backslapping and handshaking from both sides. I’ll never forget it.
Boerwar,
ABC news 24 just said they didn’t want to show robodebt royal commission because what’s being heard isn’t particularly strong.
Fuck the ABC for their weakness and bias.
This robodebt evidence is getting more and more harrowing.
Dr Doolittle says:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 10:49 am
Boerwar at 9.16 am and We Want Paul at 9.18 pm
Here is the link to the ABC story with extensive quotes from Hugh White and Chris Barrie:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-20/what-would-war-with-china-look-like-for-australia-part-1/101328632
———————————————————————————————
Neither side would win from such a war, certainly not in the sense that we often identify winning and losing. Both sides would be very significantly damaged militarily and economically and there is little reason to believe that either side could plant a flag and claim victory.
The question in the analysis not broadly canvassed is why hasn’t China attacked yet? The answer I suspect is because China itself is not confident that it can win such a war and even as it builds up its forces over coming years, so too will Taiwan, Japan and the US. This suggests to me an ongoing stasis with inevitable peaks and troughs in terms of foreign policy disputes but it’s not necessarily inevitable that this will result in war.
We Greens are busy this morning.
We Greens are:
1. Calling for action on stone dust, ban it.
2. Calling for aaction on number of observers on live trade boats, ban the trade.
3. Calling for inaction on the mechanism, not good enough, block it.
4. Calling for blocking the $10 billion housing action plan; walk out on it.
5. Voice, first FUD it and now don’t mention it.
6. ATO clawback from oil multinational of $157 million; don’t mention it.
#Greens unofficial Bludger Spokesperson.
Late Riser @ #1962 Monday, February 20th, 2023 – 10:17 am
I listened to an interview with the Union Rep for these workers when I was out in the car and he said that WHS Inspectors would go to the businesses, find employees not wearing proper masks, or masks at all, working in conditions of inadequate ventilation, silica dust heavy in the air. They would issue a notice to the employer to improve the standards. Then they would come back in 3 or 6 months and nothing would have changed.
I think the core issue here is that arms of government, such as the WHS Inspectors, have become afraid to bring the hammer down on these rogue employers, fearful that they will then run to A Current Affair, News Corp tabloids or the Coalition with a sob story, which they will blow up in favour of the poor, hard-done-by job creator and the politicians, fearful of an electoral backlash will back down and leave them alone.
‘south says:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 12:08 pm
Boerwar,
ABC news 24 just said they didn’t want to show robodebt royal commission because what’s being heard isn’t particularly strong.
Fuck the ABC for their weakness and bias.’
———————————
I have generally been appalled at the level of reporting of Robodebt.
I called it right. April 1 for the Aston by-election.
Now my next prediction. Following the lose of the Liberals in NSW the weekend before, the media will declare the by-election as the ultimate test of Dutton’s leadership in the week before.
But I can’t see who would challenge at the moment or who would even want to for that matter. Karen Andrews maybe wants to lead but would prefer to takeover closer to an election. Ley would be out of fry pan into the fire. Dan Tehan might think of himself as a leader but I doubt many others do. Hastie would be a religious nut AKA Scommo 2. Nobody else in the HoR Liberals stands out much.
Rather than listening to Hugh White, people should search out the interview with Paul Dibb on Radio National this morning. Eminently more rational and considered than Hugh ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction exist’ White. Chris Barrie is another Coalition shill. Ever wondered why they are getting so much exposure in the media since the election of Labor?
Rex Douglas @ #2670 Monday, February 20th, 2023 – 11:54 am
I mlike this comment from the Age this morning.
Middle aged balding white man
5 hours ago
Shoot! Early days but third term governments are not supposed to gain popularity….. that’s not a honeymoon, that’s a marriage!
B.S. Fairman @ #2035 Monday, February 20th, 2023 – 12:14 pm
Angus Taylor wants the job. Despite his history in government.
Prior to suiciding, this was the interaction from Centrelink and their debt collector with the victim…
Appears to have been hounded to death. The debt being ~$17,000 – subsequently zeroed
‘Cronus says:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 12:11 pm
…
The question in the analysis not broadly canvassed is why hasn’t China attacked yet?
….’
—————————
It seems to me that fully commissioning and integrating the huge surge in naval builds will take another 7 or so years. I suspect that Putin did everyone a favour by reminding China that wars are unpredictable beasts.
FWIW, the Global Times had for several weeks avoided the almost daily staple of improvements in PLA and PLAN arms and preparations.
Today we are back to two such items.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/
poroti @ #2026 Monday, February 20th, 2023 – 12:05 pm
Also, the union rep on the radio this morning said that product with a lower silicon content could be used. Probably doesn’t look as shiny. 😐
sprocket_ @ #2039 Monday, February 20th, 2023 – 12:17 pm
Overkill, sprocket_. With the emphasis on ‘kill’. Honestly, I bet there were dark souls in the Coalition, no names, no pack drill, who were secretly happy that the numbers on welfare were going down, by whatever means necessary. Because ‘Back In Black’ Surplus. 🙁
Cronus at 12.11 pm
Certainly. The Chinese should have drawn some conclusions from the great difficulties that the US had in occupying Iraq, which does not have mountains etc. White and Barrie are talking about a hypothetical war between navies and air forces, but the ultimate problem for China would be how to suppress resistance in Taiwan. The Indonesians could not do that in East Timor for many years, and Taiwan is twice as big.
Putin’s costly failures in Ukraine have reinforced the lessons from Iraq.