As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

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

12357100

Posts

  • plufimplufim Dr Registered User regular
    Oh indeed. It'll be something awful.

    3DS 0302-0029-3193 NNID plufim steam plufim PSN plufim
    steam_sig.png
  • MorblitzMorblitz Registered User regular
    edited March 2015
    The Lizard People live amongst us.

    I don't know how the LNP did it, but they managed to find the most reptilian, slimey, and repugnant bunch of people... and then somehow got put in charge of this country.

    "I want (the budget) to be a surprise for you".

    Watching that Pyne video made me physically uncomfortable.

    Morblitz on
    3DS Pokemon Y Friend Code: 0645 5780 8920
    Please shoot me a PM if you add me so I know to add you back.
  • SurikoSuriko AustraliaRegistered User regular
    edited March 2015
    Pyne the Fixer, can he fix it?
    Pyne the Fixer, no he can't.
    "I never give up, no, I will not give up. It's too important," he told Channel Nine this morning.

    "It's too important to allow the Labor Party who are political opportunists and the Greens who are the same, to wreck this reform."

    The Government needed the support of six out of the eight crossbench senators to pass its legislation through the Upper House, but the Minister conceded he was unlikely to succeed.

    "It's looking that way and that's very disappointing because I'm very committed to these higher education reforms, as is the Government," he told Radio National Breakfast.
    The change in his rhetoric from day to day is whiplash inducing. At least he appears to be admitting defeat.

    Suriko on
  • The AnonymousThe Anonymous Uh, uh, uhhhhhh... Uh, uh.Registered User regular
    Today is St. Patrick's Day, which means it's time to celebrate Abbott doing what he does best.

    Also, a reminder that the Greens are the best political party.

  • SurikoSuriko AustraliaRegistered User regular
    Remember how the Labor government tried to make ISPs block websites on CP grounds? Yeah, the Liberals are going to do it. For copyright.

    This week.
    The federal government plans to introduce legislation this week allowing content owners to apply for court orders to force internet service providers to block overseas file-sharing websites.

    The Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill - led by Attorney-General George Brandis - was today cleared for introduction into parliament by the Coalition.

    According to sources, the legislation is scheduled to be introduced into parliament either tomorrow or on Thursday in an effort to have it passed before the end of the week.

    The bill - the text of which is yet to be made public - is understood to facilitate the blocking of overseas websites used for downloading and uploading copyright infringing content.

    John Stanton, CEO of telco industry body the Communications Alliance, said it was "disappointing" that the industry had not been consulted on the bill prior to its impending introduction.
    Transparent government!

  • GvzbgulGvzbgul Registered User regular
    Well, more transparent than Labor on this thing.

  • SurikoSuriko AustraliaRegistered User regular
    edited March 2015
    Gvzbgul wrote: »
    Well, more transparent than Labor on this thing.

    It was shit when Labor tried it, yes. Debate dragged on for months about it though before a pillow was shoved over its head. This is being quietly slipped through in the obvious hope it passes before publicity can be raised, and unfortunately, it'll probably work.

    Speaking of Labor, they're doing what they do best. Being spineless fucking gits. They admit the metadata biull won't do jack shit against terrorism, that they're helping the Liberals out of their own mess by passing it, and that they're hemorraging votes from the left to the Greens. But they're still going to support it, because they're Labor.

    Edit: What.
    Private companies such as those controlled by the billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart will be exempt from new laws requiring the publication of their tax information because of fears this could jeopardise their safety and possibly lead to kidnappings.

    The assistant treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, told the Coalition party room on Tuesday the publication of the financial statements of large private companies raised “real safety concerns”. He said the 700 private companies captured by the new law covering more than 2,000 companies with a turnover of more than $100m should be exempt.

    The prime minister, Tony Abbott, agreed the Coalition would implement this exemption. The changes will require a legislative amendment.
    I can't even.

    Suriko on
  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    Excuse me?

    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • UnluckyUnlucky That's not meant to happen Registered User regular
    edited March 2015
    Suriko wrote: »
    Edit: What.
    Private companies such as those controlled by the billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart will be exempt from new laws requiring the publication of their tax information because of fears this could jeopardise their safety and possibly lead to kidnappings.

    The assistant treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, told the Coalition party room on Tuesday the publication of the financial statements of large private companies raised “real safety concerns”. He said the 700 private companies captured by the new law covering more than 2,000 companies with a turnover of more than $100m should be exempt.

    The prime minister, Tony Abbott, agreed the Coalition would implement this exemption. The changes will require a legislative amendment.
    I can't even.
    What.

    If ever there was a prime example of "The Liberal Agenda."

    Kidnap feared? What? We don't live in Uganda.

    Hah, looks like Mr. Zirnsak agrees:
    Mark Zirnsak, of the Tax Justice Network Australia, said the kidnapping argument was “nonsense”.

    “This is government giving in to the big end of town,” he said. “There is no reason why there should not be greater transparency around the tax paid by multinational companies, so there can be community confidence that these companies are paying their share of tax.

    “Arguments that greater transparency will lead to greater risks of kidnapping are nonsense. Australia is not some fictionalised version of Colombia.

    Edit: Reading the rest of the article, it's sometimes nice to see we're not the only folks around commenting that this is ridiculous.

    Unlucky on
    Fantastic
  • IncenjucarIncenjucar VChatter Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    Well obviously the people on the boats are there to kidnap Australians. Abbott is trying to save you all, can't you see?

  • SurikoSuriko AustraliaRegistered User regular
    edited March 2015
    Maybe Abbott thinks Mad Max was a documentary.

    **Edited

    You decide.

    Suriko on
  • GvzbgulGvzbgul Registered User regular
    No lobbyist wants onion dick.

  • The AnonymousThe Anonymous Uh, uh, uhhhhhh... Uh, uh.Registered User regular
    edited March 2015
    I'm not disagreeing with you guys here, but
    *snip*
    this is not a cool way of saying things.

    Anyway. The Senate has voted down uni deregulation again, 34-30. This isn't a DD trigger though, because it's technically a different bill. Pyne is still refusing to drop it though, so who knows! Also it's worth noting that Lambie has called for an increase in higher education funding, which seems to be what the unis are hoping for now that deregulation is dead (again) for now (again).

    The Anonymous on
  • TakelTakel Registered User regular
    Yeah going to have to agree with that. We may hate the Liberals and what they're attempting to do to the country as well as the general political class, but let's keep it fairly civil.

    Steam | PSN: MystLansfeld | 3DS: 4656-6210-1377 | FFXIV: Lavinia Lansfeld
  • Mr RayMr Ray Sarcasm sphereRegistered User regular
    Anyone seen any of these out about about?

    1425698446509.jpg

    There's a couple of smaller ones around my local shopping center, made me chuckle.

  • -SPI--SPI- Osaka, JapanRegistered User regular
    I haven't seen those, but around the lake in my hometown someone goes around and places tiny flags with Abbott's face on them into any dog poo they find. They have been doing this for months now.

  • -Loki--Loki- Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining. Registered User regular
    -SPI- wrote: »
    I haven't seen those, but around the lake in my hometown someone goes around and places tiny flags with Abbott's face on them into any dog poo they find. They have been doing this for months now.

    What a champion.

  • plufimplufim Dr Registered User regular
    Abbott says he never worried about metadata retention when HE was a journalist.

    You know, in the 1980s. Before the internet and mobile phones.

    3DS 0302-0029-3193 NNID plufim steam plufim PSN plufim
    steam_sig.png
  • SurikoSuriko AustraliaRegistered User regular
    "If I'm going down, I'm taking all of you with me!"
    Tony Abbott and some of his cabinet ministers have canvassed the prospect of an early double dissolution election to be held in the next few months.

    A minister who was present at the discussion over a private dinner on Monday night said that the idea was talked about but "not under serious contemplation".

    And the Prime Minister told Fairfax Media that "the government intends to serve a full term".

    But the mere fact that it was mooted has had an unsettling effect inside an anxious government.

    "The concern is that Tony might consider it to forestall any move against his leadership," said a minister.

    "Given his increasing desperation, there could be a rush to the Governor-General," with the implication that Mr Abbott would gamble government to preserve his position.

    The scenario canvassed at dinner was that the government would bring down its second budget in May and then quickly call a double dissolution election, ostensibly to clear an obstructionist Senate.

    Also the government is apparently lying when it claims the intergenerational report is a Treasury-produced document.

  • -SPI--SPI- Osaka, JapanRegistered User regular
    edited March 2015
    In Parliament, Prime Minister Tony Abbott continued to claim the report was a Treasury document, pointing to its table comparing Greek debt to what it said would have been Australia's government debt had Labor's policies been continued.

    What a useless waste of resources for political points scoring. Why include alternate universes in a report on the future of the country? May as well have the economical status of Australia is 2050 if the soviets won the cold war, or the state of the car industry if dinosaurs never went extinct. Is this document a view of the future of Australia or a mislabled spec script for a Sliders reboot?

    Also Pyne is still a font of bizarre ideas, his latest Brainwave is reducing Commonwealth funding to Universities based on the proportion of their graduates that don't pay back their HECS. I don't even.

    -SPI- on
  • SurikoSuriko AustraliaRegistered User regular
    edited March 2015
    Labor has agreed to the amendment on journalist warrants, giving the metadata retention legislation a clear path to passing. The text hasn't yet been made publically clear.

    This means that the intelligence committee meeting, which was to allow media companies to have their say about the metadata laws, has been stopped from happening - by one day. It was scheduled for tomorrow and is now obviously cancelled. Not enough :|

    Edit: Amendments have just come before parliament. 30 pages of them. 30 minutes to read them before debate. :rotate:

    Edit 2: It's a 2-year imprisonment offense to reveal a warrant exists, and the "public interest advocate" position who will argue the warrants will be appointed by the government. Wilkie's raised why whistleblowers and such won't be protected, only journalists, which Turbull says is a very good question, but we need this bill now now now now so who cares.

    Suriko on
  • SurikoSuriko AustraliaRegistered User regular
    Metadata retention just cleared the House.

    Bandt wanted to clarify what "journalist" in the bill referred to, as there's currently no definition. Turnbull effectively rammed it through regardless.

  • JintorJintor Registered User regular
    Well that's fantastic. Just glorious. Not happy, Shorten.

  • JintorJintor Registered User regular
    edited March 2015
    Seriously? Oh yeah 2 year imprisonment to reveal a warrant exists. That doesn't sound like bullshit. It's not as if these laws are commonly used against whistleblowers or some shit. it's not as if the border and immigration department just had a bunch of leaks that revealed a whole bunch of bad shit going down on Narau (even beyond the bad shit that was already going down there) including the fact they were trying to get people they suspected but couldn't prove of leaking information to the HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL thrown the fuck out. What the fuck. How could you let this through?

    Jintor on
  • Apothe0sisApothe0sis Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality? Registered User regular
    /sigh

    One step closer to Shadowrun, one step away from Star Trek

  • JintorJintor Registered User regular
    it's just the icing on the case that you can get around it if you have the technical skills of a 12 year old

  • HeatwaveHeatwave Come, now, and walk the path of explosions with me!Registered User regular
    GOOD GOVERNMENT STARTS NOW

    P2n5r3l.jpg
    Steam / Origin & Wii U: Heatwave111 / FC: 4227-1965-3206 / Battle.net: Heatwave#11356
  • SurikoSuriko AustraliaRegistered User regular
    edited March 2015
    Aaaaand Abbott just called Shorten 'the Dr Goebels of economic policy'. Dreyfus has been suspended from the chamber by the Speaker after calling foul. Yes, the shadow attorney-general, not Abbott.

    Fun fact, Dreyfus is also Jewish. This was raised after the fact but the Speaker didn't care.

    Suriko on
  • GvzbgulGvzbgul Registered User regular
    wow

  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    What The Fuck are you people doing down there?

  • SurikoSuriko AustraliaRegistered User regular
    It's okay, the debt will be halved by our fearless government. In 2055.
    Shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen.

    Q: My question is to the prime minister. Prime minister, why was net debt of 13% of GDP a debt and deficit disaster but net debt of 50 to 60% of GDP a pretty good result?
    Abbott waves the question to Joe Hockey.

    So we’ve halved – in our first budget we halved the amount of net debt that is going to exist in 2055. By the middle of this century, we halved it. That was a significant achievement.

    But there is much more to be done. There is much more to be done. And the people standing in the way of that action are the Australian Labor party because the Australian Labor party created the mess and we are determined to fix it.

    Leaving aside that I believe that figure is the one including blocked measures, my favourite way to think about this is as if the intergenerational report had been released in 1915. This would mean that the report predicted the economy after:
    The Roaring Twenties
    The Great Depression
    The First World War
    The creation of communist Soviet Russia
    The Second World War
    The Marshall Plan
    And the Cold War's beginning
    With no knowledge of any of them.

  • SurikoSuriko AustraliaRegistered User regular
    And for the capstone to a terrible day in politics:

    Metadata Retention legislation vote. Ayes on the right.
    1000.jpg
    "Democracy"

  • HeatwaveHeatwave Come, now, and walk the path of explosions with me!Registered User regular
    "And on your right are the politicians who think all Australians are criminals"

    P2n5r3l.jpg
    Steam / Origin & Wii U: Heatwave111 / FC: 4227-1965-3206 / Battle.net: Heatwave#11356
  • JintorJintor Registered User regular
    well it is democracy

    you can vote for kaang, or you can vote for kodos

  • HeatwaveHeatwave Come, now, and walk the path of explosions with me!Registered User regular
    "Well I believe I'll vote for a third party candidate"

    P2n5r3l.jpg
    Steam / Origin & Wii U: Heatwave111 / FC: 4227-1965-3206 / Battle.net: Heatwave#11356
  • SurikoSuriko AustraliaRegistered User regular
    So... guess how much money is being given to Telstra.

    Go on, just guess.



    ...



    Ready?

    One hundred billion dollars.

    Oh and Telstra retain ownership of the pits.
    While NBN Co is paying Telstra nearly $100 billion over the next thirty years for the copper in the street, maintenance of the copper and “help” to do the FTTN rollout, Telstra will retain ownership of the pits, ducts, traps and other key infrastructure.

    It would be very tempting for Telstra to charge yet again for FOD [Fibre on Demand] installations and Telstra will tell you that the potential for damage to FTTN or other FOD connections is too high for individuals or communities to self-install fibre down streets.

    VMBZkKQ.png

  • Apothe0sisApothe0sis Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality? Registered User regular
    /sigh

    One step closer to Shadowrun, again

  • UnluckyUnlucky That's not meant to happen Registered User regular
    edited March 2015
    Suriko wrote: »
    So... guess how much money is being given to Telstra.

    Go on, just guess.



    ...



    Ready?

    One hundred billion dollars.

    Oh and Telstra retain ownership of the pits.
    While NBN Co is paying Telstra nearly $100 billion over the next thirty years for the copper in the street, maintenance of the copper and “help” to do the FTTN rollout, Telstra will retain ownership of the pits, ducts, traps and other key infrastructure.

    It would be very tempting for Telstra to charge yet again for FOD [Fibre on Demand] installations and Telstra will tell you that the potential for damage to FTTN or other FOD connections is too high for individuals or communities to self-install fibre down streets.

    Drevil_million_dollars.jpg

    Unlucky on
    Fantastic
This discussion has been closed.