The NEXT coming Oz election thread!

Thank god for the pesky Liberal backbenchers at times like this. I think Howard's brought out the best in them! :wink:



Sedition divides the Parliament
By Louise Dodson and Joseph Kerr
November 11, 2005/SMH

Liberal backbenchers and the Labor Party have targeted the potential of sedition provisions in the new anti-terrorism legislation to restrict artistic and journalistic freedom of expression.

The tough new powers, allowing the preventive detention of suspects without charge for up to 14 days and 12-month control orders, were introduced into Parliament yesterday.

"These measures bring to the fore the very real tension between Parliament's duty to protect the community from the threat of terrorism and its obligation to ensure that other fundamental rights such as due process, liberty and freedom of speech are not unduly infringed upon or curtailed," said a Liberal MP, Petro Georgiou. ... <cont>

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/sedition-divides-the-parliament/2005/11/10/1131578172866.html?oneclick=true

Spot on, Bleak! Exactly!:

Could this have something to do with the haste? Imagine having to have the bosses' blessings to stop work!

Anger as IR bill clears first hurdle
By Misha Schubert, Canberra
November 11, 2005/the AGE

WORKERS who join nationwide strikes against contentious new industrial relations laws next Tuesday, without permission from the boss, risk having their pay docked and potential legal claims for damages.

But it would be up to companies to decide how to handle walkouts, Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews said as he hailed the passage of the biggest shake-up of industrial law in decades through the House of Representatives.

Tempers flared as the Howard Government guillotined debate on the legislation, ultimately supported by 80 votes to 61.

Leader of the House Tony Abbott insisted the 24 hours of debate on the bill was longer than for any other in the history of the Parliament. "How much more debate could this bill possibly require?" he asked.

But leader of Opposition business Julia Gillard was furious that more than 20 Labor MPs were refused the right to speak, even though their speeches were incorporated into Hansard.... <cont>

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/anger-as-ir-bill-clears-first-hurdle/2005/11/10/1131578172433.html?oneclick=true

Oh well, if some fascist employers want to threaten workers wanting to take stopwork action next Tuesday, then they're not very bright! Nothing like creating a few "martyrs" for the workers' cause. ... And exposing the IR legislation for the nasty, repressive & divisive piece of crap it really is! Imagine having to get their approval! Really!

and when exactly is this election?

It's a bit complex Steve because of the way the House of Representatives (think the Commons) and the Senate (think of an elected House of Lords) are organised. Usually what happens is that the House and half of the Senate go to the same election. The dates for this are August 2007 to January 2008. Of course that's the theory. A PM will always only look for a dissolution at a time that strategically suits them so some time in those dates is when we will have the election.

So this thread has some way to go yet

thank god

was beginning to think I might be too late

oh well bye bye nother bottle cabernet sauvignon...Casa Tecopilla from Chile this time. Not bad and dead cheap purchased in the co-op at St Colomb Major Cornwall 2 weeks ago. Isnt this world wide wine thing amazing?

or world wide whine for some on a2k

When I came back from Canada earlier this year I brought back with me a Trius Merlot from the Niagara Peninsula. Coals to Newcastle indeed given I'm in South Australia. Of course I was just showing off. It's amazing the number of people who don't know Canada produces wine. I like the Chilean wine we get here because it comes in 1.5 litre bottles

Nup plenty of time before the thread bumps into the next federal election Steve (transparently obvious effort to get post back on track). As we get closer it will be interesting to monitor it.

I heard our PM on radio today, smugly banging on about his IR legislation. I'm hoping that, metaphorically speaking of course, it will be a bit like Julius Caesar praising a good long walk to the Forum.

You come on the Australian thread to tell us you bought wine from Chile?!!?

May your chooks turn into emus and kick your dunny down!!!

I'm inclined to buy a Chilean wine on an off pay week

Well, I fancy an el cheapo bottle of Oxford Landing what-ever's-going- cheap at Dan Murphy's! Or perhaps a nice, bubbly spumante ...?

Can't go wrong with the odd Jacob's Creek either

remember cart d'or?.........que
must have been a good ad campaign cause i still remeber it


and one called "very old catspiss"

Piat d'Or? First time I ever saw that was in NZ back in about 1985 when I went for a week to NZ on business. That was my first visit. They nearly killed me with hospitality.

Jeepers I remember - stand back - Barossa Pearl

Oh and the 1970s foray into France - Kanga Rouge

A very unusual sight this morning as I headed off to the shops. In the outdoor "mall"/coffee drinking/ area of my local shopping centre (Sydney Road) was a big banner slamming the IR changes. In front of it was a vocal speaker, with a good sized crowd watching & applauding. The CFMEU was there, local councillors were there, the mayor was there, all the usual suspects were there .... Interesting, I've lived in this general area for more than 20 years now & have never see a speakers' corner, with a crowd develop, just like that! ... A sign of the times.

It's getting about. I was doing some personal business on Friday and got chatting with the bloke that was helping me and we got around to the new IR legislation. He told me he was a swinging voter but that he was more inclined to vote Labor and he was absolutely steamed with the IR legislation. He told me that he was senior enough in his business to be able to sit down with the boss and negotiate but as he said, "what about an 18 year old who comes through that front door looking for a first job?" I wasn't arguing with him.

I think Howard has miscalculated. The "mob" as he likes to call us, aren't happy at all.

We're back!!!!



I wonder what happened to that last message I posted? Spinning around in cyberspace, somewhere, getting dizzy ......

... anyway, as I was saying ..

He might well have miscalculated, gf. He's gotten too cocky & too used to a complacent, blobby electorate, so thinks he now can get away with just about anything these days. And I think he makes the mistake of thinking that when something is off the front page then people have totally forgotten about the issue, so thinks he's gotten away with yet another swift one!! Take that recent comment about how loudly folk had complained about the GST, but now happily accept it. Huh? He's totally wrong about that. People on low to middle level incomes still resent it - it's made a big dint in their savings & has lowered their standard of living. But how would Howard know that? He doesn't mix with such folk any longer. So people cop one imposition, followed by another, then another ... but my theory is that peoples' anger increases with each new outrageous Howard act & eventually they turn ... eventually they act! And I suspect that the IR changes could well be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Just one totally outrageous, mean, act too many. Yep, this could well be the start of the backlash we had to have!