(Miscellaneous debris)

[Punk Rooster]

Only reason he said "this is the sweetest victory of all"
It legitimised him to do what he is doing now.
He is, ONLY, a one term Prime Minister
He is a bloke that batted above his average

are you in this clip Jimmy?

[Jimmy_041]

I reckon that's back of your head, watching with the cap on

[dedja]

quite sad really ... Don Chipp would be turning in his grave

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/democrats ... 6534310257

AFTER a day of high farce for the once-proud Australian Democrats, rival wings of the all-but-dead political party are at war over the expulsion of former SA leader Sandra Kanck.

Earlier today, a spokesman for the group, John Davey, said Ms Kanck, who served in the South Australian upper house for 16 years, had been expelled because she also belonged to environmental lobby group Sustainable Population Australia.

Then, Darren Churchill - who said he was senior deputy national president - said Ms Kanck had not been expelled and a group of seven people was attempting to take control of the party and was "removing anyone who stands up to them".

Now, the SA party's communication officer, Alex Bond, said Mr Churchill had himself been expelled from the party in late October and Ms Kanck had indeed been kicked out of the party.

"Sandra Kanck has accepted in her comments that the expulsion does still stand," he said.

Meanwhile, the Democrats have no politicians in any parliament in Australia, prompting Premier Jay Weatherill to question whether the party still existed.

Mr Churchill said a group of seven people had attempted to take control of the party and was "removing anyone who stands up to them".

"Like kids playing backyard cricket, they make up the rules along the way and ignore the rules that do exist as it suits them," he said in a statement.

[Gozu]

Controversial broadcaster Alan Jones has been ordered to apologise over comments he made in 2005 describing Lebanese Muslims as "vermin" and "mongrels".

The Administrative Decisions Tribunal (ADT) ordered Jones to apologise on his 2GB radio show between 8am and 8.30am any day next week over the comments he made on-air in April 2005.

It comes two months after Jones lost a lengthy legal bid to overturn the 2009 decision, which found he "incited hatred, serious contempt and severe ridicule of Lebanese Muslims".

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/201 ... e-tribunal

[Sojourner]

Julian Assange to run for the Australian Senate!

http://rt.com/news/juilan-assange-wikileaks-senate-900/

[Sojourner]

Seems pretty close to the mark in SA anyway!

[Gozu]

Former LNP donor Clive Palmer has now decided not to start up his own political party:

PLANS for a new political party have been temporarily shelved by outspoken billionaire Clive Palmer after polling found it would attract only 34 per cent of voters.

At a wide-ranging press conference on Wednesday, Mr Palmer said he had no intention at this stage to launch a new political party.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/nation ... 6540366109

[tipper]

not sure this deserves its own thread, but i was curious on other posters opinions on this idea

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/nati ... 6546779272

i am not sure how i feel about the idea just yet. removing compulsory voting has been a long standing part of our system, but that s no reason to keep it if the alternative is better. on the other hand, changing it should only be to improve the system, and not just for the sake of change.

i cant help thinking though that as the idea has been raised by a polititian, they see some sort of advantage for "their side" in it, rather than an improvement in the actual way things work.

[The Sleeping Giant]

One side of politics would love and thrive on non compulsory voting.

[Gozu]

Exactly, which is why they're trumpeting it.

The poor, marginalised and disenfranchised would be the main ones that would drop away due to them already feeling like no one cares what they think anyway (as opposed to well off people who think everyone should care about what they think about something) and to save money on petrol/public transport if they live a fair way from a polling booth.

This is real scumbag stuff but given the way Campbell Newman & the LNP are going in QLD I could understand it given the massive backlash they're going to get at the next election.

[Jimmy_041]

Exactly, which is why they're trumpeting it.

The poor, marginalised and disenfranchised would be the main ones that would drop away due to them already feeling like no one cares what they think anyway (as opposed to well off people who think everyone should care about what they think about something) and to save money on petrol/public transport if they live a fair way from a polling booth.

This is real scumbag stuff but given the way Campbell Newman & the LNP are going in QLD I could understand it given the massive backlash they're going to get at the next election.

I would have thought they would be the most motivated to vote to try and get a better deal.
As for having to save money on petrol/public transport; I've never heard so much $hit in my life.
They seem to be able to get off their asses to protest for trees, whales and no uranium or capitalism.

[Gozu]

Assuming they're even poor (I've met a few trust fund kids/professional protesters in my time) you know as well as I do most poor people are not activist types. The most motivated are generally the well off and greedy it's why they set up Trusts and do other tax dodging measures (Burnside types), I've never heard of a regular Joe Blow setting up a Trust fund before.

[Jimmy_041]

Mainly pensioners in Burnside
I think you mean Norwood

This:


does not equal this:

[Psyber]

Assuming they're even poor (I've met a few trust fund kids/professional protesters in my time) you know as well as I do most poor people are not activist types. The most motivated are generally the well off and greedy it's why they set up Trusts and do other tax dodging measures (Burnside types), I've never heard of a regular Joe Blow setting up a Trust fund before.

True, Engels' dad was an industrialist, and Karl Marx was happy to live on handouts from the Engels family.

I think I read that US statistics suggest that Republicans are more inclined to front up at the polls than Democrat voters, which means Obama had to work hard to get those he wants to help to come out to assist themselves by voting.

[dedja]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/ ... 6549986449

BARACK Obama can alleviate some of America's egregious debt by requesting a $1 trillion coin. A real-life, money-in-the-hand coin, worth $1 trillion.

All the President needs to do is call the US Treasury and have them mint a piece of platinum with a whole bunch of zeroes on it.

In what shapes as a solution to America's debt crisis that's both shocking and simple, the President has been urged by some financial experts to consider minting a $1 trillion coin.

But how is that legal? Wouldn't that affect inflation?

Technically, the coin would satisfy both of those concerns. The Treasury can't just print money as it chooses, but there's a loophole allowing it special concessions on platinum coins. The coin wouldn't impact inflation any more than the alternative - which is to raise the debt ceiling.

Says Philip N. Diehl, the former Mint boss and Treasury chief, who co-wrote the law that allows all this to happen:

"There are no negative macroeconomic effects. This works just like additional tax revenue or borrowing under a higher debt limit. In fact, when the debt limit is raised, Treasury would sell more bonds, the $1 trillion dollars would be taken off the books, and the coin would be melted."

[Jimmy_041]

They just need to borrow a couple of these from Zimbabwe mate

[Sojourner]

Tony Abbott volunteers for the Davidson Rural Fire Brigade this week.

[Gozu]

How shameless are right-wingers! Loving the over-confidence though

[Roxy the Rat Girl]

Tony Abbott volunteers for the Davidson Rural Fire Brigade this week.

Finally, a politician doing something proactive and useful. Well done Tone.

[The Sleeping Giant]

Using bushfires to boost your popularity. No shame.