[Australian & NZ Politics] Brought to you by Prime Minister Lump of Coal

Suriko · March 2015

Welcome to

Australia
The sunny country!

Featuring:

Wildlife that wants to kill you!

Summers that want to kill you!

Food that wants to kill you!

Lead by:

This rather unpopular suit as Prime Minister:

Opposed by this marginally less unpopular suit:

There are also these suits who pipe up from time to time:

Welcome to 'Straya!

Suriko · March 2015

Welcome to

New Zealand
That other country!

Featuring:

Wildlife that doesn't want to kill you!

Summers that don't want to kill you!

Food that doesn't want to kill you!

Lead by:

This rather unpopular suit as Prime Minister:

Opposed by this marginally less unpopular suit:

There are also these suits who pipe up from time to time:

Welcome to New Zealand!

Antoshka · March 2015

I object to the unfair characterisation of New Zealand as populated by shorties.

However, somewhat interestingly, it appears MP pay has again become an issue here, with the Remuneration authority deciding to up it much above inflation. It appears that Key has decided to finally follow through on his years of "Thats not very good looking", and use urgency to address this. Quite why he needs to use urgency powers in Parliament again, I'm not sure.

In other news that will surprise absolutely no one, a review of leaked documents relating to the TPP concludes it's likely to push up Medicine costs in Australia, which leads me to wonder how Pharmac could possibly fare under such an agreement.

Article here. I do wonder how such analysis will stack up to final text of the agreement, if anyone ever gets to see it

Heatwave · March 2015

Secret NBN Tax

Suriko · March 2015

Time for some good news for once.

Haha no it's actually terrible

According to the Essential poll, the prime minister’s stance on terrorism is winning voter approval and a majority of voters approve of restrictions to rights and freedoms in the interests of security.

It found that 46% approved of the way Abbott was handling the threat of terrorism in Australia and 33% disapproved. Some 75% thought the threat of terrorism happening in Australia had increased – up from 57% recorded in September. And 56% thought there should be more restrictions on rights and freedom for some people to improve the security of others – up 6% since September. It found 28% (down 6%) thought the current laws strike the right balance between freedom and security.

We get the government we deserve, I guess.

-Loki- · March 2015

To be fair, I wouldn't be surprised if a good number of people in favour of it are only saying so because they think they're going to get in trouble if they don't.

Dram · March 2015

The Guardian tends to have pretty great coverage of Australian politics. Especially their live coverage of question time and major announcements.

Jintor · March 2015

I wish they'd stop bloody posting lego though

Suriko · March 2015

Defence pay deal reached. Lambie's now free to vote for coalition policy.

And Palmer just told Abbott outright to commit suicide. Classy.

Edit: The intergenerational report is going to include blocked budget measures. What a farce.

plufim · March 2015

Wow.

So even that'll be "blame labor".

plufim · March 2015

We're through the looking glass people...

The Queensland Liberal National party women’s group will hold its international women’s day event at a “men only” members club with the vice president questioning why it can’t be respected when men want something for themselves.

LNP Women has sent out invitations to its lunch in Brisbane on Friday at Tattersall’s, a 150-year-old club that invites $1,000 a year memberships from among the business and political elite – unless they are women.

LNP Women vice president Peta Simpson said the decision to celebrate international women’s day at a men’s only club came down to two factors: Tattersall’s represented the best value, and was the ideal forum to protest an establishment stacked against women’s political participation.
...
The choice of venue for a women’s day celebration was even raised in federal parliament, with Tony Abbott – in jest – heralding the event as evidence of the LNP “smashing the glass ceiling yet again”.

“Obviously they’ve now broken down the last barrier and they’ve made the men only club admit women,” he said.

“I say congratulations and thank God that bastion of old fashioned chauvinism has finally collapsed like the walls of Jericho at the trumpet cry of the Liberal and National party.”
...
Simpson hastened to say the event itself would not involve any criticism of the venue itself.

“At the end of the day men are men and women are women and I know increasingly in society the lines are getting blurred,” she said.

“But how can we celebrate international women’s day knowing that there’s not an international men’s day – and then when the men do want to have something that’s for themselves, we can’t respect it?”

Mortious · March 2015

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11412237

Customs is seeking new powers including requiring a person to provide a password or access to their electronic devices.

The agency has also floated other possibilities including collection of biometric information and making passengers empty their pockets if asked by an officer, even if there is no reasonable suspicion.

Well shit.

I really, really hope this doesn't pass.

They already have a process for getting access to these things if they need it.

Suriko · March 2015

The Intergenerational Report is out, and contains few surprises. The country will burn unless our policies are passed, Labor sucks forever, et cetera.

Mortious · March 2015

Suriko wrote: »

The Intergenerational Report is out, and contains few surprises. The country will burn unless our policies are passed, Labor sucks forever, et cetera.

oh noes, not again

Suriko · March 2015

We also, finally, have an official position from Shorten on data retention:

Labor leader Bill Shorten today told journalists there were some issues with the government's proposed data retention legislation but none of them "are too hard to work out".

Issues to be resolved include where the data kept by telcos and ISPs under the scheme is stored and the ability of journalists to protect the confidentiality of their sources.

So long, Labor. I tried to have faith in you.

-Loki- · March 2015

Is them supporting data retention so odd considering they wanted their own version of it as well?

Morninglord · March 2015

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/mar/04/police-investigate-save-the-children-whistleblowers-over-nauru-abuse-report

plufim · March 2015

Yes. Go after a children's charity. That won't hurt your piblic image at all.

Morninglord · March 2015

What public image.

Suriko · March 2015

-Loki- wrote: »

Is them supporting data retention so odd considering they wanted their own version of it as well?

I held out a faint hope that they would change their minds and represent their constituents instead of grabbing for power.

Which is, admittedly, a pretty silly thought.

Oh yeah and science is about to be skullfucked thanks to Pyne holding research funding hostage for his higher education reforms.

More than two dozen research facilities are preparing to shut down as administrators warn Australian science is suffering “immense” damage as a result of the federal government’s refusal to guarantee critical infrastructure funding.

About $150m in funding for 27 research infrastructure facilities promised in last year’s federal budget has been tied to the Abbott government’s higher-education changes, which have stalled in the Senate.

The facilities have no guaranteed funding past 30 June and up to 1,700 jobs are at risk if they are forced to shut down.

Among the sites funded by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Scheme (NCRIS) is the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility, where scientists invented the Nanopatch, a needle-free vaccine delivery patch that could dramatically slow the spread of viruses during a pandemic.

Another NCRIS-funded site, the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF), is developing a system to mass produce the revolutionary patch, but will have to shut its doors if funding isn’t renewed.

Jintor · March 2015

the libs weren't always this crazy right?

like howard was a huge jerk but at least he was pragmatic, right?

Antoshka · March 2015

So it turns out that the GCSB, featured in such election campaigns as the last one may once again be in the spotlight here in NZ, as a result of basically recording all electronic communication in the South Pacific. Including New Zealanders, which would have been illegal at the time these releases, but would now not be.

Actually, while not surprised, what interests me most is the seeming implication that the GCSB here in NZ is not really for NZ's interests. and is instead basically a collector for the US / 5 Eyes group.

Morninglord · March 2015

Jintor wrote: »

the libs weren't always this crazy right?

like howard was a huge jerk but at least he was pragmatic, right?

he was a cunning bastard and a right stinker, but he wasn't a complete fucking moron
or at least that was the impression I got

Antoshka · March 2015

Morninglord wrote: »

Jintor wrote: »

the libs weren't always this crazy right?

like howard was a huge jerk but at least he was pragmatic, right?

he was a cunning bastard and a right stinker, but he wasn't a complete fucking moron
or at least that was the impression I got

Watching the John Oliver series on gun control, he does appear to be able to have some sort of principles that were not immediately electorally advantageous, though that may be slightly generous.

I mean, I didn't exactly watch Australian politics with quite the same vigour I do now, but he also seemed to be able to work with people who didn't always agree with him on everything, which really shouldn't be a surprise in a politician, yet here we are.

Donovan Puppyfucker · March 2015

Antoshka wrote: »

Morninglord wrote: »

Jintor wrote: »

the libs weren't always this crazy right?

like howard was a huge jerk but at least he was pragmatic, right?

he was a cunning bastard and a right stinker, but he wasn't a complete fucking moron
or at least that was the impression I got

Watching the John Oliver series on gun control, he does appear to be able to have some sort of principles that were not immediately electorally advantageous, though that may be slightly generous.

I mean, I didn't exactly watch Australian politics with quite the same vigour I do now, but he also seemed to be able to work with people who didn't always agree with him on everything, which really shouldn't be a surprise in a politician, yet here we are.

Meh, gun control was very popular amongst the greater population after Port Arthur. The only people who really whinged about it were the Australian Shooters Party (from back before they became the Shooters and Fishers Party). Pretty much everybody else was on board, so it's more likely that the proposal of the gun control legislation gained Howard votes.

Apothe0sis · March 2015

Howard was an utter bastard, surrounded by other utter bastards. But he was able to more deftly turn lucky breaks to his advantage.

Abbott is essentially Howard but just without any of the finesse. The Abbott playbook is essentially the Howard playbook but played by rote and brute force. It's the difference between a sort of good salesperson and someone following a script - the latter is just obviously forced and so loses its effect.

Apothe0sis · March 2015

Howard would have used the Martin Place siege to run roughshod over the ALP just like he did Children Overboard from a similarly unpopular position.

-Loki- · March 2015

Apothe0sis wrote: »

Abbott is essentially Howard but just without any of the finesse. The Abbott playbook is essentially the Howard playbook but played by rote and brute force. It's the difference between a sort of good salesperson and someone following a script - the latter is just obviously forced and so loses its effect.

Well, except one of the things Howard did that seemed to garner him some support was Howard at least pretended to listen. He would do his own thing in the end, but it at least appeared he was considering both sides.

Abbott will just say buttlabour and generate some insultingly false report and then try to pass some legislation that no one in his party even knew about because fuck you, I'm the king of Australia.

Morninglord · March 2015

He also completely ignores questions.

Words come out and the question is still there.

And he thinks he's answered it, and looks triumphant.

And then he looks like a complete moron.

The thing that really gets me is he is tall and not completely ugly. Being tall gets you points. It just does. Ditto for having a strong jawline and all that. It gets ya points, straight up. Smart people, stupid people, it don't matter, it affects decisions.

He's managed to be such a complete cockup that now I associate those things with idiocy.

Good job there.

Morninglord · March 2015

Speaking of idiocy.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/mar/06/coalition-ban-on-second-term-for-labor-appointed-agency-directors-brutal

They seriously are trying to remake the entire fucking country into their own image.

It isn't just that they are moronic. They don't actually care about the good of the country. At all!

Mortious · March 2015

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11412865

The major banks are breathing a sigh of relief that the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has dropped proposals that would have deemed anyone owning five or more residential properties as a commercial borrower, although the Property Institute is unhappy with the latest proposals.

.....

"In the unlikely event that Mr Wheeler's proposed initiatives are actually successful, all he'll have achieved is to make the current housing stock problem even worse by scaring away the very people who are prepared to invest in new housing stock."

I was under the impression that a couple of people buying up all the new housing stock, was the reason for our housing crisis in the first place.

plufim · March 2015

Morninglord wrote: »

Speaking of idiocy.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/mar/06/coalition-ban-on-second-term-for-labor-appointed-agency-directors-brutal

They seriously are trying to remake the entire fucking country into their own image.

It isn't just that they are moronic. They don't actually care about the good of the country. At all!

Guess whose idea it is!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2981918/Prime-Minister-Tony-Abbott-s-controversial-chief-staff-banned-Labor-appointments-keeping-jobs.html

Prime Minister Peta strikes again.

Go to know at least SOME of the LNP realise how dumb this idea is.

Solvent · March 2015

plufim wrote: »

Morninglord wrote: »

Speaking of idiocy.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/mar/06/coalition-ban-on-second-term-for-labor-appointed-agency-directors-brutal

They seriously are trying to remake the entire fucking country into their own image.

It isn't just that they are moronic. They don't actually care about the good of the country. At all!

Guess whose idea it is!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2981918/Prime-Minister-Tony-Abbott-s-controversial-chief-staff-banned-Labor-appointments-keeping-jobs.html

Prime Minister Peta strikes again.

Go to know at least SOME of the LNP realise how dumb this idea is.

To steal one of Chris Berg's lines, it'll all come out when the next government holds a royal commission into this government.

plufim · March 2015

I hope they actually fucking do this time. Should have been one into Howard.

plufim · March 2015

NSW LNP looking to outsource 300 public service jobs to India

http://m.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-government-plans-to-outsource-jobs-to-india-20150305-13vwsc.html

Suriko · March 2015

The Federal government has formed a taskforce charged with protecting the Great Barrier Reef

from being declared 'in danger'.

Sigh.

-Loki- · March 2015

plufim wrote: »

NSW LNP looking to outsource 300 public service jobs to India

http://m.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-government-plans-to-outsource-jobs-to-india-20150305-13vwsc.html

"Any changes to the current model will be evidence-based to improve services and deliver better value for money," the spokesman said.

"No decision has been made to accept offshore services. We are considering a range of options, including one that provides for delivery from a regional location in NSW.

"Consultation with all ServiceFirst staff and industrial representatives has been ongoing and will continue throughout the program."

As someone who has been through their job being outsourced to the Phillipines twice, that's a load of horseshit. The only consultation with existing staff will be 'train these people or we'll make you redundant early'.

Heatwave · March 2015

CREATING JOBS!

...overseas

Road Block · March 2015

"Any changes to the current model will be evidence-based to deliver better money," the spokesman said.

Lets be honest here.

Jintor · March 2015

Suriko wrote: »

The Federal government has formed a taskforce charged with protecting the Great Barrier Reef

from being declared 'in danger'.

Sigh.

you nearly had me sur

i was just about to be a little optimistic

The Anonymous · March 2015

So in case there was any doubt that our treatment of refugees is pure evil, a UN report affirms that our treatment of refugees is, in fact, pure evil. Turns out, if you place a large number of people into concentration camps against their will, it counts as torture and leads to escalating violence! Who'd have guessed?

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