Oz Election Thread #4 - Gillard's Labor

@dlowan,

Who is Peter Martin? Confused

I did mean Peter Slipper. Smile

1 Reply

@msolga,

Peter Martin wrote the article (or blog) Hinge posted and you commented upon. You reproduced a graph from it.

1 Reply

@dlowan,

Yes he did, but I was responding to your post about PS. Smile

I just watched Bob Brown on Q&A.
Made me a bit weepy, it did.
I'm so sad to see him leave politics.

0 Replies

@dlowan,

Sorry, Deb.
I've just back-tracked through all the links to posted responses.
I now see that Peter Martin (writer of the article), not the other Peter, was a friend of yours.
As you would have gathered, I was confused.
Because we we talking about the Slipper person at the time, I assumed you meant he was a friend of yours.
Got it now.

0 Replies

Quote:

Embattled Thomson quits Labor party
Updated April 29, 2012 11:20:14

Embattled Labor MP Craig Thomson has announced he will leave the party and sit on the crossbenches as an independent. ....

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-29/craig-thomson-leaves-labor-party/3978614

0 Replies

Just when you thought Oz politics couldn't get any more bizarre ....
Now this.

NZ, anyone?

Quote:

Palmer seeks to enter politics
April 30, 2012 - 11:18AM/the AGE

Comments 190

Mining billionaire Clive Palmer.

Billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer has announced he will seek Liberal National Party preselection to take on Treasurer Wayne Swan at the next federal election.

Mr Palmer said he would seek preselection in Mr Swan’s Queensland seat of Lilley.

“He’s been a sitting member for far too long and it’s about time we get this country moving again,” Mr Palmer said of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Mr Swan took to Twitter to respond.

“Over the moon to fight in Lilley for relief for families and small businesses, against Clive and Tony Abbott fighting for Clive’s profits,’’ Mr Swan tweeted.

Mr Palmer, recently one of the targets of Mr Swan’s attacks on the influence of “vested interests” in the national political debate, said he wanted to grow the nation's prosperity and lift standards in Parliament.

“I think Tony Abbott’s a great leader,” he said.

“He’s the next prime minister of Australia.”

Mr Palmer, a former major donor to the LNP, dismissed suggestions he would need to give up his business interests.

“I don’t think I have to give up anything if I win the seat. Politics is about ideas; you’re not there for money. You’re not going to become rich being a politician,” he said.

“I’m not going into politics to pursue business interests; I’m going into politics if I can [to] contribute to ideas, where this country should go.

“We’ve only got a small family company.” ... <cont>

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/palmer-seeks-to-enter-politics-20120430-1xtpa.html

2 Replies

@msolga,

Global politics is even more bizarre, Msolga. If I was religious, I'd be thinking the end was near, but I prefer the OWS line, that The Beginning is Near. hehe

Take a look at this video. I like his conceptual view of the larger picture. Thinking that the industrial age only really kicked in last century, and we are already facing this oligopoly/kleptocracy situation globally, I think we all do really need to do some growing up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEZkQv25uEs&feature=share

1 Reply

@msolga,

You thinking of Piggy Muldoon?

Arrrgggghhhhh....in the country that spawned Joh and Pauline and Katter.....this is nuttin'. Also that bizarre very fat Queensland politician.....in joh's time.....Hinze?

2 Replies

@dlowan,

Russel Hinze, the minister for everything. His sons and nephews had sand and gravel supply businesses that profitted greatly from big Russ. His niece Kristy Hinze marries some bloke three times her age to become a millionaire.

1 Reply

@Builder,

Russ lived in the country.

Back in the bad old Joh days, when you entered Russ' electorate, the main roads became four lane super highways, smooth and a delight to drive on. Upon leaving his electorate, you once again drove upon a rough dual carriage way.

It was astounding.

They were vermin

0 Replies

@Builder,

Quote:

Take a look at this video. I like his conceptual view of the larger picture.

Yes, I can't argue with the gist of his argument.
The video has an almost religious "feel" to it, though ...
I find that a wee bit disconcerting.

0 Replies

@dlowan,

Quote:

You thinking of Piggy Muldoon?

I wasn't.
But now you've put the idea into my head I can't seem to budge it! Wink

Quote:

Arrrgggghhhhh....in the country that spawned Joh and Pauline and Katter.....this is nuttin'.

I don't know about that, Deb.
He (Clive Palmer) threw a lot of $$$$ at the Qld state election. And gloated in a pretty disgusting way after the landslide victory. A truly horrible sight! Shocked

Maybe the local Nats think they owe him?

Wayne Swan didn't exactly win his seat by a huge margin at the last election ..... only by some thing like 3+ %

But I noticed that Abbott was being rather cagey on the radio tonight, saying something about the Lib/Nats believing that they prefer their candidates to come from "grass roots" ranks. Which was interpreted as a "thanks, but no thanks" to Palmer. But we shall see, I guess ...
I find Qld politics "different" & quite unpredictable, so who knows what might happen?

1 Reply

@msolga,

Apparently he was in deep with Joh.

Also, he sounds kind of nuts.

Not that Abbott is sane. However, I suspect this guy is too outré and tainted for Abbott....not to mention all the people from the party ranks wanting pre-selections.

1 Reply

@dlowan,

Quote:

Apparently he was in deep with Joh.

Also, he sounds kind of nuts.

I didn't know about being mates with Joh.
Definitely a bad omen!

But I do know he's one of those "mining magnates" (god, I hate that term!) who doesn't want to pay the mining tax. (Which is why he wants to stand against Wayne Swan.)
In fact, he paid no tax on his main company last year.

Magnate's company paid no tax:
http://www.smh.com.au/business/magnates-company-paid-no-tax-20120411-1wsl2.html

1 Reply

@msolga,

Heard him on radio national this am....without knowing who the he'll he was.

1 Reply

@dlowan,

Bet you wished you hadn't! Wink

1 Reply

@msolga,

Yeah....but listening to ANYTHING about Oz politics is too much to bear, as we watch an Abbott government careening towards us like a huge, dark nuclear cloud.

It's sad.

As is watching Labor's fingers slowly, one by one, losing their grip on the edge of the cliff as they dangle over the abyss.

And despite all the usual bullshit, they've done some damn good things.

Why could Howard get away with....read my lips, no GST....while Julia is hated forbthe carbon tax?

1 Reply

@dlowan,

I know, I know ....
I'm blocking a lot of it out.
Too horrible to contemplate.

It's interesting.
In Victoria the Bailleu (Liberal) government has broken endless numbers pre-election promises. It's probably easier & quicker to count those he's actually kept.
But does he get harangued daily in the Herald-Sun (Murdoch press)?
Or is he called TedLiar?
Nope.
Of course not.

1 Reply

@msolga,

******* Murdochs.

1 Reply

@dlowan,

Yup.

0 Replies

Oz Election Thread #4 - Gillard's Labor

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