Australian Politics - Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.

Hacky McAxe

Super Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Gilded
Joined
May 7, 2011
Messages
37,038
Reaction score
29,410
A thread for the discussion of Australian politics.

Have at it. Friendly discussions. Keep it on topic. No abusing each other for differences of opinion, but feel free to debate those differences of opinion until your heart's content.
 

wendog33

Kennel Immortal
Premium Member
Ladder Champion
Joined
Aug 6, 2016
Messages
24,741
Reaction score
27,950
I have the honour of kicking it off but remember Hacky's warnings.

Don't get triggered.
Don't get personal.
Don't be disrespectful.

Do present your counter arguments constructively, whether enlightened left or conservative right lol

"Remember this before the last election? When Michaela Cash stood in front of Scott Morrison and promised that Labor's radical plan to have half of new cars be electric by 2030 would lead to "Johnny" losing his ute, and his apprenticeship.

Post election:

- The UK has committed to ALL new cars being electric by 2030.
- China has committed to ALL new cars being electric by 2035.
- Today, the largest car manufacturer in the USA committed to having all their new cars being electric by 2035.

Australia has no plan.

We are increasingly isolated in the progress towards carbon neutral because any reasonable idea on how we get there is immediately slammed as radical, impossible, and too costly.

We missed an opportunity to be on that path last election.

Remember it as we approach the next."

 

Cook

Kennel Addict
Joined
Aug 15, 2014
Messages
6,097
Reaction score
5,481
Am a fan of Gladys at present. Although all this sneaky mobile speed camera rubbish has me pissed off. I’m forever watching my speedo now and not the bloody road.
 

Cook

Kennel Addict
Joined
Aug 15, 2014
Messages
6,097
Reaction score
5,481
I think if Labor are to have any chance at federal level, Joel Fitzgibbon needs to be in charge
 

wendog33

Kennel Immortal
Premium Member
Ladder Champion
Joined
Aug 6, 2016
Messages
24,741
Reaction score
27,950
I think if Labor are to have any chance at federal level, Joel Fitzgibbon needs to be in charge
I'd say its very slim pickings but Mark Dreyfuss looks like he can string 2 words together and not send us off to sleep.
 

Natboy

Banned
Premium Member
SC H2H Champion
SC Top Scorer
Joined
Aug 11, 2019
Messages
8,945
Reaction score
11,608
I think if Labor are to have any chance at federal level, Joel Fitzgibbon needs to be in charge
I was going to ask that question here.
Despite the Libs being in power and unlikely to lose power anytime soon the kennel seems to be majority Labor/Greens voters.

If you don’t think Albo has what it takes to lead the party and country which seems to be the consensus who would you like to lead the Labor/Greens?

I find Tanya Plibersek to be a really rude, sarcastic bitch but would you Labor/Greens supporters choose her if you got a say?
 

Hacky McAxe

Super Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Gilded
Joined
May 7, 2011
Messages
37,038
Reaction score
29,410
I have the honour of kicking it off but remember Hacky's warnings.

Don't get triggered.
Don't get personal.
Don't be disrespectful.

Do present your counter arguments constructively, whether enlightened left or conservative right lol

"Remember this before the last election? When Michaela Cash stood in front of Scott Morrison and promised that Labor's radical plan to have half of new cars be electric by 2030 would lead to "Johnny" losing his ute, and his apprenticeship.

Post election:

- The UK has committed to ALL new cars being electric by 2030.
- China has committed to ALL new cars being electric by 2035.
- Today, the largest car manufacturer in the USA committed to having all their new cars being electric by 2035.

Australia has no plan.

We are increasingly isolated in the progress towards carbon neutral because any reasonable idea on how we get there is immediately slammed as radical, impossible, and too costly.

We missed an opportunity to be on that path last election.

Remember it as we approach the next."

Electric Vehicles is always a tricky thing. It provide no benefit if the majority of the grid electricity is being made by fossil fuels. It does push for a reduction in oil usage but without converting the grid it'll have no discernible impact.

What we really need first and foremost is a plan to convert the grid to renewables, then push forward on EVs.
 

Hacky McAxe

Super Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Gilded
Joined
May 7, 2011
Messages
37,038
Reaction score
29,410
I was going to ask that question here.
Despite the Libs being in power and unlikely to lose power anytime soon the kennel seems to be majority Labor/Greens voters.

If you don’t think Albo has what it takes to lead the party and country which seems to be the consensus who would you like to lead the Labor/Greens?

I find Tanya Plibersek to be a really rude, sarcastic bitch but would you Labor/Greens supporters choose her if you got a say?
Can't say I like any of the Labor candidates. Don't like any of the Liberals either. So it's basically doomed any which way.

I've never really adhered to a single large party. Have voted Liberal in the past and Labor in the past. Generally I'll vote for a minor party if I can. Usually the Science Party or one of the other minors, but I'll preference whichever one has better policies at the time.
 

Cook

Kennel Addict
Joined
Aug 15, 2014
Messages
6,097
Reaction score
5,481
I was going to ask that question here.
Despite the Libs being in power and unlikely to lose power anytime soon the kennel seems to be majority Labor/Greens voters.

If you don’t think Albo has what it takes to lead the party and country which seems to be the consensus who would you like to lead the Labor/Greens?

I find Tanya Plibersek to be a really rude, sarcastic bitch but would you Labor/Greens supporters choose her if you got a say?
God help em if Chris Bowen gets in charge.
 

Natboy

Banned
Premium Member
SC H2H Champion
SC Top Scorer
Joined
Aug 11, 2019
Messages
8,945
Reaction score
11,608
Can't say I like any of the Labor candidates. Don't like any of the Liberals either. So it's basically doomed any which way.

I've never really adhered to a single large party. Have voted Liberal in the past and Labor in the past. Generally I'll vote for a minor party if I can. Usually the Science Party or one of the other minors, but I'll preference whichever one has better policies at the time.
Me too. I always voted Labor until after Kevin’s first crack. I’m very glad Shorten is gone, his voice alone made me feel like throwing a brick through the TV. I like Albo and he’s a very nice bloke in person but they need someone stronger
 

wendog33

Kennel Immortal
Premium Member
Ladder Champion
Joined
Aug 6, 2016
Messages
24,741
Reaction score
27,950
Thoughts on Mark Dreyfuss?

He's all I can come up with.

I like Penny for her principles and ability to put a few words together but I don't think she would be electable...unless there was a huge push to put her front and centre or if Murdoch racked up a few good front pages for her.
 

CaptainJackson

Kennel Immortal
Gilded
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
16,215
Reaction score
19,733
Not my work, found elsewhere but however



#SpyGate

Bo 'Nick' Zhao, a Chinese born Australian goes to ASIO telling them he's been offered a $1million from the Chinese Government to run as a Liberal Party candidate and then infiltrate the Australian Parliament as a Chinese Spy.
He then turns up dead in a Melbourne hotel room in March.
Enter Gladys Liu, the Liberal Candidate with a host of concerning connections to the Chinese Government who earns Liberal pre-selection thanks to miraculously raising a million dollars in donations.
Fairfax then discovered a photo of Liu at her home with Nick Zhao in the back ground.
Gladys is now the Liberal Member for Chisolm.
https://amp.smh.com.au/.../alleged-chinese-spy-target...


#SignGate
Liberal Candidates Gladys Liu and Josh Frydenberg both have Mandarin signs at polling booths in the colours of the Australian Electoral Commission branding telling Chinese citizens how to vote (by putting 1 next to the Liberal Candidate). There is no Liberal Party branding on the sign
Liberal officials admit in court that the signs were designed to convey the appearance of official electoral commission material.
https://www.abc.net.au/.../josh-frydenberg.../11675738


#LetterGate
Angus Taylor writes a public letter, published in the Daily Telegraph, to Sydney Mayor Clover Moore criticising her for her millions of dollars of domestic travel. The document he quotes is a forgery.
Taylor refuses to disclose where he got the fake document from and refuses all Freedom of Information requests from the media that might give an insight.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../government-blocks-access...


#DuttonGate
Fake 'How To Vote' cards were handed out in Peter Dutton's seat of Dickson designed to trick Greens Voters in voting for Dutton.
https://7news.com.au/.../federal-election-2019-fraudulent...


#PhilippinesGate
George Christensen charges tax payers for domestic flights and ComCar trips that were part of his trips to known red light districts of the Philippines. When he is caught he simply pays back $2,100 with no consequences.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../george-christensen-pays...


#DroughtenEnvoyGate
Barnaby runs up a bill of $675,000 in 9 months in his role as Special Drought Envoy. When asked what he did in the role, Joyce explained that he sent his "report" in the form of multiple text messages to Morrison. When The Guardian submitted a Freedom Of Information request for these texts it was rejected on the grounds that Morrison was too busy to retrieve them.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../pms-office-refuses-to...
https://www.theguardian.com/.../barnaby-joyce-spent-less...


#reefgate
The Coalition granted $444million to a little known organisation called the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. The process involved no public tender, no transparency, and the organisation was later found to have business partnerships with BHP and Rio Tinto.
https://www.abc.net.au/.../great-barrier-reef.../10720928


#paladingate
The Coalition awarded a $423million contract to run Manus Island detention facilities to a tiny and almost unknown company called Paladin as part of a "limited tender" process only meant to be used under special circumstances. The company's head office was a small shack on Kangaroo Island and family members of the PNG Parliament were found to be directly profiting from the contract.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../the-paladin-scandal-is...


#helloworldgate
Helloworld travel agency paid for Finance Minister Mathias Cormann's family holiday to Singapore within two weeks of the Coalition awarding Helloworld a Government contract worth over $1billion.
Cormann claims he didn't notice his holiday had been free.
https://www.smh.com.au/.../suspicious-minds-are-circling...


#aupairgate
On two seperate occasions, Peter Dutton personally intervened to have European au pairs allowed into the country after being initially refused by Border Force.
The first was on behalf of an old Police colleague, the second on behalf of the AFL Chief Executive and son of a Liberal Party donor.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../peter-duttons-au-pair...


#vikkigate
Barnaby Joyce's mistress, Vikki Campion was forced to leave her role as his staffer when rumours of their affair started causing tension with colleagues. As a result she was given a plum $190,000 a year job with good friend Senator Matt Canavan despite Parliamentary rules prohibiting jobs for 'partners'.
There were a number of allegations suggesting she never attended work whilst in this role.
https://www.smh.com.au/.../pm-s-office-says-vikki-campion...


#foxtelgate
The Coalition granted $30million to Foxtel, ostensibly to assist with "sports coverage" (whilst simultaneously slashing ABC funding). There was no public release of any conditions or oversight regarding the funding. News Corp, the largest newspaper owner in Australia and the owners of Foxtel, vigorously and unapologetically proceeds to support the Coalition whilst attacking Labor in the next election.
https://www.smh.com.au/.../foxtel-yet-to-reveal-spend...


#mundinegate
The Coalition granted $200,000 to Foxtel station Sky News to fund a new show featuring future Liberal Candidate Warren Mundine. The funding was taken from money budgeted for "Indigenous Advancement".
Inquiries later found that the funding had been officially approved before Mundine had even formally applied for it.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../warren-mundine-approved...


#internetgate
Assistant Treasurer Stuart Robert charged tax payers $2,000 a month for home internet, blaming "connectivity issues". He was later forced to repay $38,000 in inappropriately claimed expenses but was not further investigated.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../stuart-robert-repays...


#darwingate
The Coalition award a Chinese company a 99 year lease on Darwin Port. A year later, Andrew Robb, the Trade Minister at the time of the deal, leaves the Government to assume an $880,000 a year job as a "Consultant" with the same Chinese company.
https://www.smh.com.au/.../liberal-andrew-robb-took-880k...


#watergate
Barnaby Joyce approved a dodgy $80million water buy back from a property owned by a Cayman Island's based company that Energy Minister Angus Taylor used to be the Director of and his college mate now ran.
When Twitter users began to discuss it his lawyers sent letters to them threatening legal action for defamation if they didn't delete the tweets.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../angus-taylors-oxford...


#grassgate
A property owned by Energy Minister Angus Taylor's brother was alleged to have illegally burned 30 hectares of native grassland classified as endangered under existing environment laws.
After Angus Taylor personally intervened and met with then Environment Minsiter Josh Frydenberg about the investigation into his brother, the Government suddenly announced a review into the part of Commonwealth environment laws that specifically deals with endangered native grasses.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../angus-taylor-met...


#SportsRorts
Over $100million in grants to sporting clubs were handed out according to a colour coded spreadsheet showing if the clubs were in marginal or potentially winnable electorates.
The Government overruled the recommendations of the Sports Commission 300 times, instead giving photo ops to LNP candidates just before the election.
The PM denied any involvement despite extensive email evidence showing his office was calling the shots.
https://www.smh.com.au/.../remember-sports-rorts-here-s...


#Robodebt
In 2016, the Government set up an automated debt recovery mechanism to recover welfare overpayments.
However the calculations used by the system were deeply flawed and demanded repayments from thousands who hadn't been overpaid a cent.
To make matters worse, the new process reversed the onus of proof on the recipient to prove they hadn't been overpaid.
Over 2000 Australians died after receiving Robodebt notices. A large (although unknown) number have been attributed to self harm.
In 2020, the Government finally admitted the system was flawed and paid back or forgave $1.2billion in debts.
https://theconversation.com/robodebt-was-a-policy-fiasco...


#CovidCommissionGate
Morrison hand picks a Gas Company Chairman to run a "Covid Commission" to plan Australia's post-Covid economy.
He was paid $500k for 6 months work. He eventually recommends tax payers underwrite a "gas led" recovery. The shares for the company he works for rises 8%.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../covid-commission-boss-nev...


#FoxtelGate2
When Foxtel missed out a $100million pandemic rescue package, News Corp execs wrote directly to Coalition Ministers to complain and immediately received $17.5 in tax payer grants.
When the ABC requested copies of the communication under FOI, the Government refused stating that it would damage the relationship between the Sports Minister and the PM.
https://amp.abc.net.au/article/12690954...


#SharmaShareGate
As the Government was deciding whether or not to bail out Virgin Airlines, MP Dave Sharma purchased shares in Virgin's biggest competitor, Qantas.
Months later, just before Morrison announced an agreement with CSL to make millions of doses of a Covid vaccine, Sharma just happened to have bought CSL shares.


#CormannGate
Mathias Cormann quits the Coalition with aspirations to become the OECD Secretary General.
Tax payers fund his $4,300 per hour Private Jet to fly him to and around Europe as well as 8 full time Government employees to assist him.
https://www.news.com.au/.../0f3e7abf2ddef7d8a9b761da7b743b20


#ChristmasRort
For the 2nd year in a row, Scott Morrison, Josh Frydenberg, and Peter Dutton fly by private jet from Canberra to Sydney (and back) purely to attend Lachlan Murdoch's Christmas Party.
Tax payers fund the trip.
https://amp.theguardian.com/.../pm-and-treasurer-bill...

There was another point about Christopher Pyne, however have deleted that one, as I don't necessarily agree there's really anything shady about that particular one.
 

CroydonDog

Kennel Immortal
Gilded
Joined
Aug 1, 2012
Messages
19,531
Reaction score
16,530
These two alone:

#SportsRorts
Over $100million in grants to sporting clubs were handed out according to a colour coded spreadsheet showing if the clubs were in marginal or potentially winnable electorates.
The Government overruled the recommendations of the Sports Commission 300 times, instead giving photo ops to LNP candidates just before the election.
The PM denied any involvement despite extensive email evidence showing his office was calling the shots.
https://www.smh.com.au/.../remember-sports-rorts-here-s...


#Robodebt
In 2016, the Government set up an automated debt recovery mechanism to recover welfare overpayments.
However the calculations used by the system were deeply flawed and demanded repayments from thousands who hadn't been overpaid a cent.
To make matters worse, the new process reversed the onus of proof on the recipient to prove they hadn't been overpaid.
Over 2000 Australians died after receiving Robodebt notices. A large (although unknown) number have been attributed to self harm.
In 2020, the Government finally admitted the system was flawed and paid back or forgave $1.2billion in debts.
https://theconversation.com/robodebt-was-a-policy-fiasco...

Should have sunk the government by now, but how good is Covid?
 

Natboy

Banned
Premium Member
SC H2H Champion
SC Top Scorer
Joined
Aug 11, 2019
Messages
8,945
Reaction score
11,608
Thoughts on Mark Dreyfuss?

He's all I can come up with.

I like Penny for her principles and ability to put a few words together but I don't think she would be electable...unless there was a huge push to put her front and centre or if Murdoch racked up a few good front pages for her.
I like him. QC, very smart guy. Maybe his climate policies would get a bit of backlash. Penny would be an absolute disaster and has about as much chance of being PM as I do
 

CaptainJackson

Kennel Immortal
Gilded
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
16,215
Reaction score
19,733
These two alone:

#SportsRorts
Over $100million in grants to sporting clubs were handed out according to a colour coded spreadsheet showing if the clubs were in marginal or potentially winnable electorates.
The Government overruled the recommendations of the Sports Commission 300 times, instead giving photo ops to LNP candidates just before the election.
The PM denied any involvement despite extensive email evidence showing his office was calling the shots.
https://www.smh.com.au/.../remember-sports-rorts-here-s...


#Robodebt
In 2016, the Government set up an automated debt recovery mechanism to recover welfare overpayments.
However the calculations used by the system were deeply flawed and demanded repayments from thousands who hadn't been overpaid a cent.
To make matters worse, the new process reversed the onus of proof on the recipient to prove they hadn't been overpaid.
Over 2000 Australians died after receiving Robodebt notices. A large (although unknown) number have been attributed to self harm.
In 2020, the Government finally admitted the system was flawed and paid back or forgave $1.2billion in debts.
https://theconversation.com/robodebt-was-a-policy-fiasco...

Should have sunk the government by now, but how good is Covid?
Last time there were sport rorts exposed in the media like this was back in the 90s under Keatings goverment, the minister responsible for it at the time resigned from her position. She was directly responsible for it and got the sack.

Today's sports rorts, the minister had emails from the PM'S office, morrisson was directly involved in it

And of course robodebt they were told 17 times it was illegal but still went ahead with it. A similar scheme happened in Netherlands and the government resigned on the spot
 

Natboy

Banned
Premium Member
SC H2H Champion
SC Top Scorer
Joined
Aug 11, 2019
Messages
8,945
Reaction score
11,608
Will Eddie Obeid go back to jail? He and Ian Macdonald’s trial finished yesterday I believe
 

CroydonDog

Kennel Immortal
Gilded
Joined
Aug 1, 2012
Messages
19,531
Reaction score
16,530
Thoughts on Mark Dreyfuss?

He's all I can come up with.

I like Penny for her principles and ability to put a few words together but I don't think she would be electable...unless there was a huge push to put her front and centre or if Murdoch racked up a few good front pages for her.
Penny Wong is one of the smartest people in parliament, but for her to get anywhere near the top job a million things would need to happen first, so, it won't happen. It used to be fun watching her smash people like Cory Bernardi in the senate.
 

Mr 95%

Kennel Immortal
Gilded
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Messages
22,161
Reaction score
22,879
Any odds on how long this thread will last?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top