It’s the Murdoch technique to announce a new rule, and pretend it’s always been in force. Yesterday it was declared by their people that a vote for a piece of government legislation should be rejected (it was not said how) by that government if the member of parliament in question was suspected of something or other but not charged with it yet.
This is a really new rule. Because when Mark Vaile and Alexander Downer were suspected of giving two hundred and ninety-seven million dollars to Saddam Hussein their votes were accepted, and not questioned, by John Howard or Peter Costello.
Tony Abbott did not speak up against their tainted votes, nor Eric Abetz.
They should reflect on this, I think.
Or perhaps you disagree.
And, oh yes. How do you, constitutionally, reject a vote on the floor of the House of a duly elected Member of Parliament? How do you do that? He can vote as he likes, can he not? What business is it of yours? The Speaker, perhaps, can throw him out. But why would she?
What an immense breach of the Constitution is being suggested here.
And not one reporter has taken note of it.
Discuss.
Name:
Heard Abbott trying to make that bunkum argument this morning. He’s a member of the House and his vote stands. Abbott thinks he’s going to get traction on a fresh election now so he’ll push any angle he can.
Van Onselen is talking about a return to Rudd this morning. Tell me it won’t happen and it’sjust a Murdoch beat up. Please.
Rudd would split the Party; but isn’t that the real agenda?
That idiot Hartcher has been singing this song for many months.
From what I have gleaned, the pathology of our mainstream media seems to be to foment controversy, tension, anger, frustration, desire until a suitably bloody or otherwise re-assuring resolution is attained (the key being whose re-assurance is sought). It is not in the interest of a reporter to seize up a bubbling toffee of confected outrage by adding a cold splash of rationality, which might render an otherwise creamy & supple Werthers Original into bitter & unpalatable shards. I may have pushed that metaphor out too far, but I think my point is vaguely discernable.
Has the Coalition’s forgotten all about accepting Mal Colston’s vote? Like Gillard they too were forced ditched him when the political heat ramped up. Though he wasn’t made speaker of the house to thwart the ambitions of a failed prime minister.
Interesting point is that Slipper is currently under the presumption of guilt, due to s361 of the FWA, he must prove his innocence. This I assume is far more challenging for him legally speaking than a presumption of innocence?
Rudd is unlikely MGP, there are too many free kicks out there for the opposition thanks to his trashing by Swan and co and his own statements “regarding the greatest moral challenge”. He, will not put his hand up unless Gillard steps down or there is another challenger, he is their option only if everything else has gone to shit.
Shorten missed a golden opportunity to put his own candidature forward over the weekend. Imagine the positive press if he had sacked Gillard, Swan, Slipper, Thomson and ditched (or reduced the carbon Tax). His calling a snap election may have caught Abbott on the hop!
And dear old Michelle thinks a nothing story from 10 years ago concerning Slippers driver committing a crime is so serious that Gillard must resign.
Now I detest Gillard and have since she told a young Iranian homosexual man that being stoned to death is not persecution so he could go home, but elevating this non-scandal to the status of worse than lying about WMD and being part of the coalition of mass murderers in Iraq shows she is fucking senile.
The thing is that independents can vote how ever they damn well please and their votes are as valid as anyone elses.
The real problem with our media is that the press gallery spew their own hates and prejudices out as if they are worthy of being published.
Indeed, the media and Abbott’s other henchmen seem to be making it up as they go along.
Anyone would think Allende was in power, or that we live in Greece; perhaps we live in Allende’s Greece.
Or so they would have us believe.
MGP another reason, Peter Hartcher in the SMH suggests Rudd is not for turning.
“He has described the idea of giving him last-minute leadership a “hospital pass”, football parlance for a pass to a player encountering a wall of opposition muscle. In other words, a guaranteed thrashing at the polls.
In this line of thinking, he’d be restored to the prime ministership merely so that his enemies could blame him for an election loss, and exonerate themselves.”
Ha ha as if, he would take it back in a heartbeat simply as revenge on Gillard and because of the narrative of ALP having to admit their mistake in deposing him.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/party-in-hell-may-find-there-is-no-kevin-20120430-1xv5v.html
Speaking of Murdoch newspoll 27 : 51 primary vote and 41:59 2pp, Gillards in serious trouble now.
Hartcher has been peddling this bullshit for many months.
If anyone in their right mind believes fucking news poll.
And what a shame the report the media have been trying to hang on
Thomson had nothing at all to do with him, just as he always said.
Well, check out Essential if you don’t believe Newspoll.
Every single television network including the ABC was “promoting” the Newspoll results, it is in the Murdoch press (of course), the Fairfax press and the ABC. The public cannot avoid it unless they sit in the dark. When all of the “content providers” are saying the same thing will Joe Public doubt or believe?
The great spider sits at the centre of its web and laughs as its minions worry at the government.
Murdoch must be greatly amused as Abbott, the media and his other henchmen, the rag tag mish-mash that pretends to be an alternative government, seek to destroy the Labor Party.
Some idiots even want to bring back Rudd – and that would split the Party, which I’m sure would make Rupert laugh all the harder. At least, until Abbott discovered his backbone, after three or four years of kow-towing.
Wake up Australia – this is a dreadful plot.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/pyne-confirms-i-had-drinks-with-slippers-accuser-20120501-1xweb.html
Thought you might be interested in this. Along with confirmation that Craig Thomson was telling the truth and he was not being investigated it explains why the ABC is now talking about actual news.
Like 428 kids still in refugee prisons.
But what are the chances the fucking prattling moron media will all apologise to Thomson and leave him alone now?
I reckon zero, much easier to just pretend they all have clean hands.
Where has it been established that Craig Thompson has been telling the truth? Did I miss something? Please provide link.
Dammit, If only Shorten/Smith/Crean or even Rudd, anyone, had chucked out Gillard on the weekend they would now be basking in sacking of Thomson, Slipper and an interest rate cut, slip a reduction of Carbon Tax into the mix and ALP is electable again, unfortunately its all tainted by the Red-headed cloud hanging over parliament. /sigh
Read for yourself Dawson, he was not being investigated as he said all along.
and one phone call by the prat headed lying fucking media would have known that before they kept ranting on and on about nothing at all.
The Temby report was only about Michael Williamson and while the ABC can claim Thomson is distancing himself the fact is the investigation had nothing to do with him and the investigation goes back to the time after Thomson left the fucking union.
Which part of that didn’t the moron media understand?
First, as I understand it and I may be wrong, the Temby Report is an interim report and we do not know whether Thompson will feature in the final report.
Secondly, he was, again as I understand it, been asked by Fair Work Australia to comment on its report before its release. This suggests, I think, that the report has looked at something alleged against him. Plus there are two police investigations which may or may not involve allegations against him.
If none of these enquiries are shown to have investigated Thompson then he is correct and you are correct and, of course, even if he has been investigated, he may be cleared of any wrongdoing.
With respect, it is too early to reach the definite conclusion that you have reached.
Who are all these people who say they have changed their vote?
I don’t know anyone who has changed their vote – Labor or Liberal – in the last five years.
Where are they all? In Rupert’s call centre?
Hope you cracked a grange tonight Bob
MURDOCH NOT A FIT AND PROPER PERSON to run an international business, so says UK Parliament !
Further to Cuchulain’s post : The Fin Review provides a report and a good summary of the course of events.
http://afr.com/p/world/murdoch_unfit_to_run_major_corp_h6CL7PAXvpTsfHjIbWltIM
Keep the champagne for later, unless you live in the UK.