(Miscellaneous debris)

[Gozu]

Love Guy Rundle's writing in todays Crikey email, on Mitt Romney in New Hampshire:

In the gym, the feeling seems to be returned. The crowd is solid Republican, and the country club contingent who form his base have duly turned out — they are leaner, with golden skin, and their two children look and dress like their corresponding parent — and most of them share Romney’s “moderate” policies, but they don’t like Mitt’s presumption that he’s local, by virtue of having been a one-term Massachusetts governor. “We’re family here” gets a tepid reaction, and it gets worse when Romney’s wife comes out. Whatever conversation went into deciding on Mitt’s smart casual, Madame Romney wasn’t having any of it, draped in an off-white knit piece from head-to-foot that wouldn’t leave much change out of most attendees’ annual wage. “Oh yes, we’re family in New Hampshire. We keep a summer house here,” she said and that was it for the crowd.

http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/01/09/run ... hampshire/

[Gozu]

A Liberal MP has been accused of trivialising the issue of multiculturalism with her comments that new immigrants need to wear deodorant on public transport and wait in queues without pushing in.

The Opposition's spokeswoman on citizenship and settlement, Teresa Gambaro, was quoted in one media report this morning as saying: "Without trying to be offensive, we are talking about hygiene and what is an acceptable norm in this country when you are working closely with other co-workers."

"You hear reports of people using public transport [without deodorant] and I think Australians are guilty of this too," she added.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-10/l ... =melbourne

[Jimmy_041]

Riveting stuff - slow news day at the ABC

[Psyber]

I must admit that a few times I'd used buses in the past they have been a bit smelly.
I've not noticed it since I've been up here in the hills and used them occasionally from here.

As for "deodorants", I'd rather people just bathed...
They are fairly irritating in their own right, as they tend to be full of fairly rough synthetic scents as well as the sweat gland inhibiting agents.

[Jimmy_041]

Whatever Psyber said........

[dedja]

I think a Royal Commission is warranted here ...

[Gozu]

More on 'Gambaro-gate', clearly option 2 for mine:

Option 2: The Liberal Party is willing to manipulate popular fears around immigration to generate a racial populism. According to this reading of her statement it suggests a dangerous level of cynicism and a willingness to employ political opportunism that plays on racialised nationalism and what she perceives as being a popular perception of migrants in order to rally support for her party. This is not shocking in the cut and thrust world of politics but Gambaro has all-too-transparently laid it out for all to see.

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/this-blog-ha ... ral-party/

[Q.]

Nothing new. Howard's reign was built on fear, it's legacy as strong as ever.

[Sojourner]

The Leader of the Opposition in WA has resigned after significantly dropping as preferred Premier in the polls, was still rating higher than Julia Gillard however....

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nationa ... 6247582960

[dedja]

Nothing new. Howard's reign was built on fear, it's legacy as strong as ever.

*cough* hansonism *cough*

[Gozu]

A FORMER Liberal state president has moved to topple incumbent MP Andrew Southcott, in a preselection battle.

Several Liberal sources have told The Advertiser support is gathering for Chris Moriarty amid disquiet over the fundraising and electoral performances of Dr Southcott.

Mr Moriarty also is a former candidate in the state seat of Fisher and is said to be a close ally of state Liberal frontbencher Martin Hamilton-Smith, whose state seat of Waite is included in Boothby.

Mr Hamilton-Smith's mother, Barb Adams, signed Mr Moriarty's nomination form.

The Liberals are undertaking preselection in their federal seats in case there is an early election.

Nominations for preselection in the once-safe seat of Boothby closed on Friday and it has em- erged as a three-way battle including little-known candidate Mark Nankivell.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/move-to-o ... 6250778215

[dedja]

The poodle is best qualified to do the hatchet job ... he still has Wilson's blood on his hands.

[Sojourner]

A FORMER Liberal state president has moved to topple incumbent MP Andrew Southcott, in a preselection battle.

Several Liberal sources have told The Advertiser support is gathering for Chris Moriarty amid disquiet over the fundraising and electoral performances of Dr Southcott.

Mr Moriarty also is a former candidate in the state seat of Fisher and is said to be a close ally of state Liberal frontbencher Martin Hamilton-Smith, whose state seat of Waite is included in Boothby.

Mr Hamilton-Smith's mother, Barb Adams, signed Mr Moriarty's nomination form.

The Liberals are undertaking preselection in their federal seats in case there is an early election.

Nominations for preselection in the once-safe seat of Boothby closed on Friday and it has em- erged as a three-way battle including little-known candidate Mark Nankivell.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/move-to-o ... 6250778215

Pretty sure Southcott had a large swing against him at the last election and is getting a little stale in the opinion of many in the electorate?

[story of my life]

A FORMER Liberal state president has moved to topple incumbent MP Andrew Southcott, in a preselection battle.

Several Liberal sources have told The Advertiser support is gathering for Chris Moriarty amid disquiet over the fundraising and electoral performances of Dr Southcott.

Mr Moriarty also is a former candidate in the state seat of Fisher and is said to be a close ally of state Liberal frontbencher Martin Hamilton-Smith, whose state seat of Waite is included in Boothby.

Mr Hamilton-Smith's mother, Barb Adams, signed Mr Moriarty's nomination form.

The Liberals are undertaking preselection in their federal seats in case there is an early election.

Nominations for preselection in the once-safe seat of Boothby closed on Friday and it has em- erged as a three-way battle including little-known candidate Mark Nankivell.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/move-to-o ... 6250778215

Pretty sure Southcott had a large swing against him at the last election and is getting a little stale in the opinion of many in the electorate?

We refer to him as the invisible man in boothby.

[scoob]

What a Douche...

THE Liberal Party has released a video showing Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese delivering lines straight out of the Michael Douglas movie The American President.


http://www.news.com.au/national/transpo ... 6253694017

[DOC]

Plagarism

[Sojourner]

A little ditty going around Facebook!

"Julia is my shepherd I did not want.
She leadeth me beside the still factories.
She restoreth my faith in the DLP
She guideth me in the path of unemployment for her party's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of the bread line,
I shall fear no hunger for her bailouts are with me.
She has anointed my income with taxes,
My expenses runneth over.
Surely, poverty and hard living will follow me all the days of my life.
And I will live in a rented home forever.
I am glad I am Australian.
I am glad that I am free.
But I wish I was a dog
And Julia was a tree.

AMEN BROTHERs & SISTERS !!!

[dedja]

Demcocracy, PNG style ... 2 Prime Ministers, 2 Defence Chiefs, a Governor-General who keeps changing his mind, and a Supreme Court who can't enforce their orders.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/worl ... 6254211216

Rebel Papua New Guinean soldiers have seized the military's headquarters and replaced the top defence official with their own leader.

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has been given a week to step aside for his ousted predecessor.

The self-proclaimed new leader of the country's defense forces, retired Colonel Yaura Sasa, insisted he was not mounting a coup. But he warned that the military will take unspecified action unless O'Neill stands down and former prime minister Sir Michael Somare is reinstated, as the national Supreme Court ordered last month.

"Both Sir Michael Somare and O'Neill have seven days to implement the Supreme Court's orders to resolve the current political impasse or I will be forced to take actions to uphold the integrity of the Constitution," Sasa told reporters in Port Moresby, the capital.

The new crisis comes during a turbulent period for the South Pacific's most populous island nation, where both O'Neill and Somare claim to be the rightful prime minister.

Between 12 and 20 soldiers overpowered guards at the Taurama Barracks in Port Moresby before dawn, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported, citing an unnamed senior source in the Papua New Guinea defense force.

The rebel soldiers then moved to the military headquarters at Murray Barracks and placed the head of the Papua New Guinea Defense Force, Brigadier General Francis Agwi, under house arrest. There were no reports of bloodshed.

Sasa, who last served as Papua New Guinea's defense attache to Indonesia before retiring from the military, told reporters he had been legitimately appointed defense chief by Somare.

Somare could not be immediately contacted for comment on Thursday.

O'Neill had told Australia - Papua New Guinea's former colonial master and main provider of foreign aid - that "authorities were taking steps to manage the situation," Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.

O'Neill was expected to hold a press conference later Thursday.

There has been a power struggle in Papua New Guinea since August, when Parliament appointed O'Neill prime minister in Somare's absence.

Last month, the country's Supreme Court and Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio backed Somare, who the court ruled was illegally removed as prime minister while getting medical treatment outside the country.

But Ogio changed his mind days later, saying bad legal advice had led him to incorrectly reinstate Somare.

Australia, which has the largest diplomatic mission of any country in Port Moresby, called for Agwi to be reinstated.

"We urge that the situation be resolved as soon as possible, and that the PNGDF chain of command is restored," the foreign affairs department said in a statement.

[am Bays]

A little ditty going around Facebook!

"Julia is my shepherd I did not want.
She leadeth me beside the still factories.
She restoreth my faith in the DLP
She guideth me in the path of unemployment for her party's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of the bread line,
I shall fear no hunger for her bailouts are with me.
She has anointed my income with taxes,
My expenses runneth over.
Surely, poverty and hard living will follow me all the days of my life.
And I will live in a rented home forever.
I am glad I am Australian.
I am glad that I am free.
But I wish I was a dog
And Julia was a tree.

AMEN BROTHERs & SISTERS !!!

I think I have a book at home with a reference to Menzies using this poem. I think this one comes out every couple of years for each new Prime Minister. Was it written by Anthony's ministerial speech writers??

[Dogmatic]

What a Douche...

THE Liberal Party has released a video showing Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese delivering lines straight out of the Michael Douglas movie The American President.


http://www.news.com.au/national/transpo ... 6253694017

Typical response when caught out.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/nati ... 6254803339