News to report on the three by-elections presently in view – one federal and two state, two with dates confirmed and one to be announced:
• The Liberal National Party candidate for the Fadden by-election on July 15 will be long-serving Gold Coast councillor Cameron Caldwell, who won a final round vote of 153 preselectors over Dinesh Palipana, with Fran Ward, Owen Caterer and Craig Hobart falling by the wayside in earlier rounds. Lydia Lynch of The Australian reports a meeting of Labor’s administrative committee last Friday unanimously endorsed Letitia Del Fabbro, a nurse educator who was also the candidate at the May 2022 election.
• Nine candidates have nominated for Liberal preselection in Warrandyte, expected to be held in about a fortnight, controversial former Kew MP Tim Smith not being among them. As reported by Rachel Baxendale in The Australian, they are John Roskam, former executive director of the Institute of Public Affairs; Sarah Overton, KPMG director; Nicole Ta-Ei Werner, who ran in Box Hill at the November state election; Jason McClintock, a tech business founder who ran in Eltham (and who donated heavily to the party’s state election campaign); David Farrelly, who ran in Pakenham; Jemma Townson, “energy industry communications director and former Matthew Guy and Katie Allen staffer”; Antonietta di Cosmo, 22-year-old “Ryan Smith staffer, champion rower and law student”; Allison Troth, “cancer campaigner and former John Howard staffer”; and Andrew Conlon, “Manningham councillor and maths teacher”. The report says factional conservatives are likely to back Roskam or Werner, while “an opposing factional grouping that coalesces around powerbrokers Frank Greenstein and Holly Byrne” might support Overton, McClintock or Townson.
• The Rockingham by-election to replace Mark McGowan has been set for July 29. The West Australian reports that Labor’s candidate will likely be Magenta Marshall, who has won backing from the Right, despite last week saying she was “not sure it’s my time”. Marshall is in her late twenties and works in a “specialised campaigning role” in party headquarters, having previously been an electorate officer to Balcatta MP David Michael.
I have a close mate, an intelligent and very decent human being whom was awarded an AO a couple of years ago.
He appears somewhat embarrassed and never talked about the award.
“MEMBER (AM) IN THE GENERAL DIVISION OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA
Mrs Angela Jeanne KARPIN, Redfern NSW 2016
For significant service to the judiciary, and to the law, and to mental health
governance.”
Wow.
Delivered a judgment, RPSCA v Fleet, that was so bad that both sides agreed an appeal should be allowed. A feature – not allowing the defendant, Dr Fleet, to give particular evidence in his defence, a quaint but ordinary requirement of the law.
People bestowing awards for professionals, who really just doing what they are paid for, should check these things.
To illustrate, re bus:
yabba:
Monday, June 12, 2023 at 12:12 pm
Thanks, and for the map on this page.
Why is Labor refusing to put a financial incentive on the table for the states to implement a rent freeze and future caps ..??
Why is Labor leaving renters behind to live in poverty ..????
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/greens-scale-back-demands-for-labor-social-housing-bill/5fvy8qvrx
Such a tragedy for the family and friends of those killed and injured in the coach crash. Just terrible.
Rex Douglas
Why is Labor refusing to put a financial incentive on the table for the states to implement a rent freeze and future caps ..??
Because it is a fucking stupid idea.
Not sure what’s more cringe. Two loser AFL clubs living in the past last night displaying their ancient silverware or King’s birthday honours still being a thing …?
The accident happened about 200 metres from an important spot in Australian labour history; the North Rothbury colliery where there is a very underplayed memorial to the riot/police action.
https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/government/dissent/display/22596-rothbury-riot-memorial
I met the last survivor of the incident, Jim Comerford. He was aficionado of the Hunter Valley dishlickers and a friend of my father.
It’s not that Biden’s age is “fine”, it’s that, unlike Trump, Biden doesn’t treat the presidency as a dictatorship and actually delegates power to others.
Biden’s administration will be fine, regardless of whatever happens to Biden himself. The US has weathered similar situations before, in much the same way. The machinery of government pretty much runs itself.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/12/radio-new-zealand-employee-placed-on-leave-amid-investigation-into-pro-russia-editing-of-ukraine-reports
Putinbot infiltration of Radio NZ, editing news stories to put Russian talking points in (I’m surprised it took a year to expose). I would like to think we here at PB would bust it within a week if ABC news articles started to include such bullshit as “Russia annexed Crimea after a referendum, as the new pro-western government suppressed ethnic Russians in eastern and southern Ukraine”.
A reminder of why scrutiny of the media is important, and that the Putinbots seek to influence public opinion everywhere with their lies and should not be tolerated.
What a foolish suggestion.
”
Oakeshott Countrysays:
Monday, June 12, 2023 at 10:23 am
Not my field, but on general principles high stress states can result in vomiting
”
Thanks anyway even if it is not your field.
”
Team Katichsays:
Monday, June 12, 2023 at 9:03 am
The US isn’t going to have a civil war with Trump as the head of one side. It may have, but this case in Florida changes things. Other cases on abusing women, paying porn stars, illegal handling of finances or trying to rig elections are, for varying reasons, not gonna lose him the broad rabid support he would need. But this one, even at the most lenient viewing, shows Trump doesn’t give a rats about the USA. So peeps will need to decide what they love more – Trump or country?
Sure, many are loony cult members without the rationality to see the question. But others, faced with the option of joining a violent uprising or facing that question might in deep reflection and self preservation stay at home. Or suddenly decide they always liked DeSantis more.
You would expect this sews up the army from top to bottom against Trump. He has gone too far and pushing harder for violence will not end well for him or his followers.
”
TK
I can understand you are coming from a position that people will come out of this insanity gripping USA but I am not saying this but Americans think and are afraid of that
Conservative terrorists threaten armed resistance to protect their God King cult leader
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/6/10/2171892/-Conservative-terrorists-threaten-armed-resistance-to-protect-their-God-King-cult-leader
“Donald Trump is a cult leader.
There is no other way to explain the rabid adherence of his disciples, willing to overlook his and his family’s corruption, his putrid morality, and his rank incompetence.
There is a racist, toxic, marginalized deplorable community, and Trump gave it voice. And in return, they’ve pledged their undying allegiance. Which means that they will never have a problem with anything he does, even if it’s stealing our nation’s top secrets.
They don’t care if Trump carts off and shares our top military vulnerabilities with Kid Rock or anyone else. They don’t care if Trump leaks our military contingency plans against our enemies, potentially costing the lives of our troops. They don’t care if our nuclear secrets are spilled on some tacky Trump carpeting. And they certainly don’t care that he conspires with his staff and lawyers to lie to the national archives and the FBI so he doesn’t have to turn anything over.
Some are feigning outrage like “oh noes, we’re politicizing the Justice Department,” as if they haven’t been the same people leading “lock her up!” chants since 2016. Other are arguing that “let the voters decide” is how the rich and powerful should face justice, because why should they face the same laws and system as the plebes?
But this is the modern conservative movement, prone to violence and destruction, and their rhetoric is heating up.
It is true—right-wing violence is, by far, the leading cause of deadly attacks since 9-11.
Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe @tribelaw calls for the federal trial against Donald Trump to be televised.
“The only way the country can be satisfied that justice has been done, that the truth has been exposed….is to have the public watch the trial,”
Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke and this was covered up – his wife effectively ran the White House. Most historians agree that Wilson’s incapacity and consequent lack of advocacy was fundamental to the US not ratifying the League of Nations Treaty which in turn was seen as a factor in WW2.
Its a curious argument – its ok staff can run the thing. Leaders matter in the scheme of things – this is just one example.
“Just putting it out there that the guru of the Left, Noam Chomskey is 94yo, John Pilger is 83yo and eminense grise of the Australian Right, Phillip Ruddock, is 80yo, and they are all still active contributors to public life.”
Chomsky is still OK as far as I’ve seen (I don’t agree with his free speech absolutism, but that’s not an uncommon point of difference with American intellectuals), but Pilger vanished off the deep end years ago with his support for Trump, Putin and Xi and shit like calling Obama an “Uncle Tom”. The poster child for the kind of leftist who has taken a “the enemy of my enemy is a saint” approach to all those who oppose establishment America, although taking it so far as defending Trump is taking it unusually far.
I haven’t listened to anything Ruddock said in 15 years, the fuckwit.
”
Player Onesays:
Monday, June 12, 2023 at 10:25 am
zoomster @ #900 Monday, June 12th, 2023 – 8:48 am
And, of course, in this case they’ll say they’ve shown they’re willing to negotiate but Labor isn’t.
How amusing that the Labor partisans are now using the Green’s demonstrated willingness to negotiate to demonize them.
It surely can’t be long before they start demonizing the Greens for being left of centre at all. Goddam commies!
”
Commies are or say goddamit and I strongly believe there are commies in the Greens political party. For example, ex-Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon.
They say The Australian communist party disappeared in 70s but the what happened to the members of that party. Some say they joined some ALP and some formed Socialist Alliance party. Then what happened to the rest. They joined Greens political party.
Rex Douglas says:
Monday, June 12, 2023 at 12:51 pm
What a foolish suggestion.
MSNBC’s Maddow suggests DOJ could do quid pro quo with Trump, dropping charges if he leaves 2024 race pic.twitter.com/ELjpvDx4J7— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) June 10, 2023
_____________________________________
Yes it is an absurd suggestion – because the whole point of charging Trump is that nobody, not even ex-presidents, are above the law, which is effectively what he and his supporters are saying.
But having looked at the clip, it seems less of a suggestion or proposal than two people who are not involved in the prosecution but are involved in the politics, chewing the fat. I’m sure the discussion was far more wide-ranging, but this was the juicy bit to take from out of the context.
”
Arkysays:
Monday, June 12, 2023 at 10:57 am
@Confessions: It never really works. Stalin Jnr didn’t replace Stalin. Mao Jnr didn’t replace Mao. Enver Hoxha’s kids didn’t replace Enver Hoxha. So on.
If you count North Korea as a personality cult, then generations inheriting the cult has worked there, but it’s kind of hard to tell what happens in North Korea really.
Baby Doc Duvalier in Haiti is the only other one that really leaps to mind of a successful father-son personality cult transition.
I can’t see the MAGA cult genuinely warming to the nepo baby.
”
You forgot 4 generations of Nehru – Gandhi family in India and Sheikh Hasina and her Father Shiekh Muzibur Rehman of Bangladesh, Sirimao Bandarnayake and her Father, Zulfikar Bhutto and his daughter Benazir Bhutto.
Do you want me to go on with my list?
Arky,
I made a point of not stating whether the contributions of the public elders were laudatory or otherwise for a reason. As there will always be people who will stand by them and what they do and say and argue with you about it. And that’s the point, as many of those same people are trying to run a line about the intellectual insufficiency of President Biden. Especially one particular contributor here on PB. But they won’t admit that they have a mote in their own eye. 🙂
Ven,
I think that list is very culturally specific, wouldn’t you agree?
He’s back, Colonel Markus Reisner. This is a few days old, but is a well presented – clear, well illustrated, informed, insightful – review of the last few months, up to the end of May, early June.
His conclusion (jump to 18:00) is sobering – the Ukranians are getting from the US what they need, but nothing more, prolonging the conflict, because … Russia.
https://youtu.be/ZvJgRrpkaaU
@Ven: Nepotism is not the same as a cult of personality. Many countries have multi-generations of political families achieve high office. Few have that level of mass unreasoning hero-worship that marks the cult of personality. You could argue Nehru had a cult of personality but did Indira Gandhi really? It’s a hard thing to do in democracies, and she did get voted out for a while , then got re-elected, then got assassinated.
Maddow is in danger of turning ‘Tucker Carlson of the Left’ from an exaggeration and bit of false equivalency into a fair comment with shit like that.
Way to feed the right wing media chamber a free talking point that the charges are just a left wing plot to try to put pressure on Trump not to run for President.
What an idiot.
Lars
Wilson was well before the 25th amendment so the method of declaring him incapacitated was unclear.
Wilson also had a distant relationship with his VP, Thomas Marshall, who allegedly did not know Wilson’s full condition anddid not push forward with proposals to become acting president.
Presidential succession in situations of incapacity is much more transparent now (although it relies on the honesty and goodwill of the cabinet members)
(There is a story that Wilson had his stroke in the middle of a speech which had been hooked up as an early coast to coast broadcast by radio hams. An osteopath in San Francisco told the other hams that Wilson was having a stroke due to his speech becoming garbled)
And yet Russian butts still get kicked.
A Ukrainian equivalent to “shock and awe” would be nice, but the message is still being sent.
(If only deaf ears would listen to reason.)
Lars Von Trier
Most historians agree that Wilson’s incapacity and consequent lack of advocacy was fundamental to the US not ratifying the League of Nations Treaty which in turn was seen as a factor in WW2.
I do not know what you mean by “most historians”. It is generally understood that the US did not ratify the League of Nations because of strong opposition from the Republican-controlled Congress – led by Senate Majority Leader Henry Cabot Lodge (R-MA).
President Wilson’s immediate successors as President (Harding, Coolidge, Hoover – all Republican) were fiercely isolationist.
Energy debate marred by media bias and stupidity
Media biases are most often based on stupidity — think reporting that suggests renewables are the cheapest form of energy.
Guess what toilet paper this comes from.
“How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria” – aka Trump satellite Judge Cannon, who it was found had earlier improperly exercised her discretion over the appointment of a master? Either she recuses herself or the DOJ will apply to have her replaced, which will most likely succeed given her earlier decision favouring her benefactor.
Another good one from Steve Schmidt, hosted by David Pakman, with a brief outline of his (remarkable) CV, the differences within the Republicans (he’s a north-east liberal republican), Christie’s prospects (the only one telling the truth right now), and then onto Biden, whose main failure he asserts is communication.
https://youtu.be/IYKFi74mmkU
”
C@tmommasays:
Monday, June 12, 2023 at 1:34 pm
Ven,
I think that list is very culturally specific, wouldn’t you agree?
”
Didn’t Marcos son became President of Phillipines?
What about Bush family?
Bush sr., Bush Jr., Jeb Bush.
Kennedy family
John F Kennedy, Robert Kennedy Edward Kennedy
Bill Clinton, Hilary Clinton
The DOJ recusing Cannon would be some serious fuel on the MAGA fire.
”
Arkysays:
Monday, June 12, 2023 at 1:43 pm
@Ven: Nepotism is not the same as a cult of personality. Many countries have multi-generations of political families achieve high office. Few have that level of mass unreasoning hero-worship that marks the cult of personality. You could argue Nehru had a cult of personality but did Indira Gandhi really? It’s a hard thing to do in democracies, and she did get voted out for a while , then got re-elected, then got assassinated.
”
Indira Gandhi is the biggest cult leader of India. In a culture where elders word is respected and followed to a large extent by Indian women altleast till 90s, when it came to Indira Gandhi women and poor wouldn’t listen to anyone but Indira Gandhi. They wouldn’t listen to any reason whatsoever.
Rajiv Gandhi became PM because Indira Gandhi was his mother. And Sonia Gandhi is lionised by Congress party only because she is DIL of Indira Gandhi.
ItzaDream @ #1033 Monday, June 12th, 2023 – 2:03 pm
Maybe. Neither here nor there though.
Doing (or not doing) something because of what some pissed-off extremists might do in response is basically giving in to terrorists. Preemptively even. The MAGA’s, their opinions, and whatever fires they choose to start don’t and can’t matter. The criminal justice system must operate outside their influence.
Ven @ #1018 Monday, June 12th, 2023 – 1:10 pm
Bingo!
Oakeshott Country says:
Monday, June 12, 2023 at 1:47 pm
_______________________
Also JFK with the Addisons Disease and various addictions, rumours that Reagans Alzheimers was apparent in his second term.
a r @ #1035 Monday, June 12th, 2023 – 2:09 pm
I wasn’t suggesting for a moment that it was a reason not to. I was saying that if that happens, then ‘rigged witch-hunt’ will be seriously inflamed.
Enough Already @ #998 Monday, June 12th, 2023 – 12:06 pm
How old was Putin when Russia invaded Ukraine? How old was Bush when the USA (and others) invaded Iraq? The point is, that it has nothing to do with age. Age is a cheap metric that can be used to bias opinions.
Lars Von Trier @ #1037 Monday, June 12th, 2023 – 2:16 pm
I don’t think Addisons can be coopted into the ‘disabling’ category. Some addictions might, notably alcohol. Reagan always looked like he was born with Alzheimers to me. His tea leaf reading B grade actress wife was a serious worry.
In a crisis you want world leaders who are cool and calm.
If JFK had listened to Curtis Le May during the Cuban Missile Crisis and flattened Cuba, about 20% of people on this blog wouldn’t have been born and the other 80% would have died before their normal time.
I happen to think having an 82-86 year old with that responsibility in a real world crisis (which US presidents tend to have from time to time) is a recipe for disaster.
Where a Taiwan crisis to erupt in 2027 would you really want 85 yr old Joe Biden making the split second calls?
If it was a Republican 85 year old – let’s be honest,you would be leading the charge for the opposite case.
podcast (april 2023)
https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/political-scene/joe-bidens-very-risky-choice-to-run-again-increases-the-scrutiny-on-kamala-harris
(you usually get one free click)
Lars Von Trier says:
Monday, June 12, 2023 at 2:28 pm
In a crisis you want world leaders who are cool and calm.
If JFK had listened to Curtis Le May during the Cuban Missile Crisis and flattened Cuba, about 20% of people on this blog wouldn’t have been born and the other 80% would have died before their normal time.
I happen to think having an 82-86 year old with that responsibility in a real world crisis (which US presidents tend to have from time to time) is a recipe for disaster.
Where a Taiwan crisis to erupt in 2027 would you really want 85 yr old Joe Biden making the split second calls?
If it was a Republican 85 year old – let’s be honest,you would be leading the charge for the opposite case.
________________
Ah yes. The well known physiological phenomenon of age-related hotheadedness. So many cool, calm and collected youths succumb to this terrible affliction.
Ron Filipkowski
@RonFilipkowski
Kari Lake: “If you want to get to Trump, you’re going to have to go through me, and 75 million Americans just like me. And most of us are card carrying members of the NRA. That’s not a threat, that’s a public service announcement.” (watch the video attached to the Tweet)
https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1667497810176909313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1667497810176909313%7Ctwgr%5Ef9e685faa61858ac8bb0c546d713e59a5f8f6576%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailykos.com%2Fstories%2F2023%2F6%2F10%2F2171892%2F-Conservative-terrorists-threaten-armed-resistance-to-protect-their-God-King-cult-leader
Fortunately Britain’s nuclear deterrent was always a joke but Antony Eden being in charge of it was problematic after some clown of a surgeon tied off his common bile duct.
He flew to America for restorative surgery but still had a lifetime of septic episodes and developed a pethidine and Benzedrine addiction. All of this may have influenced his last Imperial huzzah in invading Suez.
Luckily Ike took control of the situation and Macmillan was able to organise the numbers to get rid of him (an area where a parliamentary system works much better than presidential)
Rep. Clay Higgins
@RepClayHiggins
President Trump said he has “been summoned to appear at the Federal Courthouse in Miami on Tuesday, at 3 PM.”
This is a perimeter probe from the oppressors. Hold. rPOTUS has this.
Buckle up. 1/50K know your bridges. Rock steady calm. That is all.
11:19 AM · Jun 9, 2023
·
4.6M
Views
https://twitter.com/RepClayHiggins/status/1666978397027803142?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1666978397027803142%7Ctwgr%5E59ceb8e21b0ca99f8cc47fb06243cfd80d70a895%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailykos.com%2Fstories%2F2023%2F6%2F10%2F2171892%2F-Conservative-terrorists-threaten-armed-resistance-to-protect-their-God-King-cult-leader
rPOTUS means “real President of the United States.” 1/50K is the ratio of a military map. “Know your bridges” means what it says—bridges are transportation chokepoints and would be valuable military targets. “Rock steady calm” is an old military tradition of calming jittery troops on the front line. For example, at the Battle of Bunker Hill, at the start of the Revolutionary War, a rebel officer calmed his troops as a mass of Red Coats of the British Army marched towards them: “Do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes!”
“
This is being handed out to people in my area and people are believing it. I checked-googled NIAA there is no such National Institute of Aboriginal Affairs. It is fake news. People believe it because of the so-called freedom of information April 2023.
” rel=”nofollow ugc”>
Lars Von Trier @ #1041 Monday, June 12th, 2023 – 2:28 pm
Biden isn’t? Didn’t he make it through an entire debate with Trump and avoid delivering anything more heated than “c’mon, man!”?
Many would struggle to retain that level of cool and calm when faced with such an odious and dishonest opponent. I sure would.
Mozziemp says:
Monday, June 12, 2023 at 2:47 pm
How do I attend the tearing down “statues of white explorers” festival? 🙂
I asked one of the recipients if he had read the “Uluru Statement from the Heart”, but he had not. So I sent him a copy and after he had read the Uluru statement he told me he thought it was good and would have believed it but not after reading the Fake notice.