Albanese Labor Govt Watch

[Booney]

Apparently she signed an oath that is binding.

[RB]

LOL, good luck with that one, the Australian Constitution says hello.

Yep, she’s a looney and disgrace, but was duly elected, so stuck with her unless she resigns, does not seek re-election (which she has claimed, but who knows) or is not re-elected.

Good explanation here:

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/nation ... e=rss_feed

Perhaps a good solution to avoid these kind of issues would be for new senators/MPs to pledge allegiance to the people of Australia.

[tigerpie]

When this lunatic was sworn in, did she not have to swear that she would be faithful and bear true allegiance to The king/queen and their heirs blah blah blah.
Well if she did she's surely broken that and should be fkd off forthwith!

[stan]

Apparently she signed an oath that is binding.

Correct, they also sign something that has the wording on it.

Also she back peddled pretty quickly as well once challenged on this.

It's funny when the gravy train is in question that all the huff and puff seems to die down.

She may hate the the government and commonwealth and all it stands for but is happy to accept the 217k per year to only attend 60% of sittings and votes.

Funny how that works.

[tigerpie]

Not only has she shat on her oath, the tax payers are paying for her time off.
She missed 51 days out of 138. Voted 500 ish times out of 1200 ish divisions.
Nearly two months off because of assault injuries earlier this year apparently.
I had heart bypass surgery last year and was back in 4 weeks and got zero government assistance while off.
Unbelievable!

[RB]

When this lunatic was sworn in, did she not have to swear that she would be faithful and bear true allegiance to The king/queen and their heirs blah blah blah.
Well if she did she's surely broken that and should be fkd off forthwith!

If you're referring to the spectacle with the King the other day, you're opening a can of worms if you're suggesting that every time an MP or senator criticises the monarchy they should lose their seat!

About half of all MPs and senators are republicans.

Thorpe is an ineffective senator in my view but surely there are more important things to worry about with the country than this sideshow.

[tigerpie]

When this lunatic was sworn in, did she not have to swear that she would be faithful and bear true allegiance to The king/queen and their heirs blah blah blah.
Well if she did she's surely broken that and should be fkd off forthwith!

If you're referring to the spectacle with the King the other day, you're opening a can of worms if you're suggesting that every time an MP or senator criticises the monarchy they should lose their seat!

About half of all MPs and senators are republicans.

Thorpe is an ineffective senator in my view but surely there are more important things to worry about with the country than this sideshow.

Well I've not seen any other MP or senator behave like that in front of a guest to our country.

[stan]

When this lunatic was sworn in, did she not have to swear that she would be faithful and bear true allegiance to The king/queen and their heirs blah blah blah.
Well if she did she's surely broken that and should be fkd off forthwith!

If you're referring to the spectacle with the King the other day, you're opening a can of worms if you're suggesting that every time an MP or senator criticises the monarchy they should lose their seat!

About half of all MPs and senators are republicans.

Thorpe is an ineffective senator in my view but surely there are more important things to worry about with the country than this sideshow.

Well I've not seen any other MP or senator behave like that in front of a guest to our country.

Well then you haven't been looking then.

The senate is full or left and right loonies always going off. Cast your mind back to the times we have had President's and prime minister from other countries in parliament and the greens have gone off.

Happens all the time.

Just to be clear, I'm not excusing this behaviour at all, the behaviour from our politicians is absolutely deplorable. It's just what it is.

[another grub]

How Qld looking?

Miles home?

[Jimmy_041]

How Qld looking?

Miles home?

Qld Labor trying to put lipstick on a pig that it wasn't a bollocking

I read some anonymous Labor person thanked the fact they had the Ipswich West by-election in March that took some hatred out of the Labor voters there. They won the seat back

Labor's "abortion" scare was full on, pretty bad, false but effective. Who says we need dis/mis information laws? Politicians - the biggest offenders

Interesting that SA Upper House recently had a late-term abortion law amendment vote and both major parties allowed a conscience vote

NT.............. Qld............... the mainland is no longer 100% red and the Coalition dont look the irrelevant & dying party some people were crowing a year ago.

[Jimmy_041]

The Qantas book is out

"I was raised by a single mother and brought up in council flat so understand the battlers" sure learnt quick how to get on the gravy train

Albanese’s silly Qantas word games

The prime minister has spent his Sunday defending his Qantas interactions revealed in Joe Aston’s new book.

Mark Di Stefano
Columnist
Oct 27, 2024 – 6.05pm

Anthony Albanese spent Sunday coming up with semantic answers to allegations raised in our dear former colleague’s new book.

The central of these put by journalists to the prime minister from Joe Aston’s The Chairman’s Lounge relate to the scores of free upgrades he received from Qantas while he held the transportation portfolio, both in government and out.

“Every single thing has been declared,” he repeated twice for effect. “It’s why it’s being reported on and it’s appropriate that those declarations occur.”

If only that was the case: his disclosure paperwork mostly doesn’t include what classes he was upgraded to (going economy to first class can triple the value of the benefit), or whether his family members also received them.

Then there’s detail in the book that Albanese personally called Alan Joyce to line up these freebies before flying. That is, phoning the airline’s CEO to solicit goodies, while serving in a role to regulate the airline industry. Utterly shameless!

He at least did (for the first time) give a public nod to how his son Nathan Albanese found his way into the Chairman’s Lounge – that spectacular benefit usually reserved for the airline’s largest customers that was revealed in this column last year.

“My relationship ended and my plus one – and I put out a media release when my marriage ended, you can’t be more transparent than that – my plus one became my son,” he said.

His relationship with Carmel Tebbutt ended in 2019 and up until then he’d declared her as his plus one. He then met now-fiancee Jodie Haydon in 2020. In October 2022, his office disclosed a “spouse” member for the lounge, which is presumably Haydon. It was also in 2022 (according to the book) that the newly elected prime minister asked Joyce to give his adult son access. So, is it less a case of a “plus one” than a “plus two”?

He could conceivably hide behind his “don’t target my family” charade if it was made clear in disclosures. It’s not, because the prime minister (or his office) knew exactly how it would look if it ever got out. Now it has, and he can’t complain about that.

Aston is one of those journos you dont want to cross
Has gallons of ink & is very readable

[Booney]

How Qld looking?

Miles home?

Qld Labor trying to put lipstick on a pig that it wasn't a bollocking

I read some anonymous Labor person thanked the fact they had the Ipswich West by-election in March that took some hatred out of the Labor voters there. They won the seat back

Labor's "abortion" scare was full on, pretty bad, false but effective. Who says we need dis/mis information laws? Politicians - the biggest offenders

Interesting that SA Upper House recently had a late-term abortion law amendment vote and both major parties allowed a conscience vote

NT.............. Qld............... the mainland is no longer 100% red and the Coalition dont look the irrelevant & dying party some people were crowing a year ago.

Agreed, but, NT and Queensland are interesting cases.

The disaster that Newman handed over to Palaszczuk (after Newman held a sickening majority and Palaszczuk formed in minority) I thought the Qld public might still have the Newman years in their mind but I think this is more a sign of the old guard Libs going back to their roots but also a look at what the people in the 'burbs, typically ALP, are saying. They're saying enough.

The most interesting in the federal election next year will be the teals, the soft Libs, will those seats swing back to the LNP or stay teal?

Certainly a sign the ALP national strong hold is losing it's grip. Will it slip enough for Dutton to get in? Maybe.

[RB]

Certainly a sign the ALP national strong hold is losing it's grip. Will it slip enough for Dutton to get in? Maybe.

Not saying that the ALP are in no trouble nationally, but I'd put their loss in Queensland almost entirely down to the fact they've been in power nearly ten years. Very common for governments to change after that length of time.

[am Bays]

Everything said below is preferenced that there is a difference between state and Federal issues in elections.

33% primary vote for labor on Sat, they got 27% primary vote in Qld at the 2022 Federal election.

The saving grace for labor is that they're coming of base of five seats (out of 30 in Qld) so really they aren't going to lose seats next year in Qld as none of them are marginal.

They may get a seat off the greens next year who lost 3% of the Primary vote compared to the 2022 federal election.

The broader issue is that apart from 37% in Victoria and 40% in SA in 2022 Labour across the country are struggling to get above 35% primary vote (fell 10% in the ACT election compared to the federal result in 20220.

With ALP only holding a 2 seat majority what I think is odds on in 2025 is an Albo minority government.

[Jimmy_041]

Certainly a sign the ALP national strong hold is losing it's grip. Will it slip enough for Dutton to get in? Maybe.

Not saying that the ALP are in no trouble nationally, but I'd put their loss in Queensland almost entirely down to the fact they've been in power nearly ten years. Very common for governments to change after that length of time.

I'm not sure the 4 term hex is applicable in some States / Territories especially Qld

Qld Labor have been in power for 35 years ex 1996 - 98 & 2012 - 15

SA are 22 years ex 2018 - 22 and have the hallmarks of being in for another 2 terms at least (although Whyalla, SAHMRI or Green Hydrogen project could bring them down ala State Bank) Get over the next election and ramping is no longer a major political problem

ACT Labor have been in government for 21 years

Federal Government - Yes:
Another laugh at the "dying" Liberal Party comment.
They said the Liberals would never recover and Abbott was unelectable.
But Rudd's (very popular new) leadership turned to $hit very quickly.

Like the Murray recovering and regularly flooding (when some twat predicted it would dry up and die), history shows most things rise and fall over time.

[Jim05]

The Qantas book is out

"I was raised by a single mother and brought up in council flat so understand the battlers" sure learnt quick how to get on the gravy train

Albanese’s silly Qantas word games

The prime minister has spent his Sunday defending his Qantas interactions revealed in Joe Aston’s new book.

Mark Di Stefano
Columnist
Oct 27, 2024 – 6.05pm

Anthony Albanese spent Sunday coming up with semantic answers to allegations raised in our dear former colleague’s new book.

The central of these put by journalists to the prime minister from Joe Aston’s The Chairman’s Lounge relate to the scores of free upgrades he received from Qantas while he held the transportation portfolio, both in government and out.

“Every single thing has been declared,” he repeated twice for effect. “It’s why it’s being reported on and it’s appropriate that those declarations occur.”

If only that was the case: his disclosure paperwork mostly doesn’t include what classes he was upgraded to (going economy to first class can triple the value of the benefit), or whether his family members also received them.

Then there’s detail in the book that Albanese personally called Alan Joyce to line up these freebies before flying. That is, phoning the airline’s CEO to solicit goodies, while serving in a role to regulate the airline industry. Utterly shameless!

He at least did (for the first time) give a public nod to how his son Nathan Albanese found his way into the Chairman’s Lounge – that spectacular benefit usually reserved for the airline’s largest customers that was revealed in this column last year.

“My relationship ended and my plus one – and I put out a media release when my marriage ended, you can’t be more transparent than that – my plus one became my son,” he said.

His relationship with Carmel Tebbutt ended in 2019 and up until then he’d declared her as his plus one. He then met now-fiancee Jodie Haydon in 2020. In October 2022, his office disclosed a “spouse” member for the lounge, which is presumably Haydon. It was also in 2022 (according to the book) that the newly elected prime minister asked Joyce to give his adult son access. So, is it less a case of a “plus one” than a “plus two”?

He could conceivably hide behind his “don’t target my family” charade if it was made clear in disclosures. It’s not, because the prime minister (or his office) knew exactly how it would look if it ever got out. Now it has, and he can’t complain about that.

Aston is one of those journos you dont want to cross
Has gallons of ink & is very readable

Won’t be reading it personally. Nothing in there that those in the industry don’t already know and his bitterness sometime clouds some of his comments.
The CL issue doesn’t bother me as both major airlines woo politicians with exclusive lounges and TBH after being in most of them they aren’t really anything too special but rather a place to keep away from the general public
The upgrades especially to family members is not a good look especially when he is requesting them via his friendship to a bloke as dodgey as Joyce. Remember this is the same Joyce that stood down all his staff whilst Albo was a serving minister and ironically a Labor politician and now leader being best buddies with a bloke who illegally sacks staff would go down like a lead balloon with the union factions. Upgrades on partner airlines is usually a big no no so AJ pulled some strings and obviously expected something in return and it’s just amazing how their enemy and biggest competition got blocked from increasing capacity to Australia. Funny how these things work

[RB]

Certainly a sign the ALP national strong hold is losing it's grip. Will it slip enough for Dutton to get in? Maybe.

Not saying that the ALP are in no trouble nationally, but I'd put their loss in Queensland almost entirely down to the fact they've been in power nearly ten years. Very common for governments to change after that length of time.

I'm not sure the 4 term hex is applicable in some States / Territories especially Qld

Qld Labor have been in power for 35 years ex 1996 - 98 & 2012 - 15

SA are 22 years ex 2018 - 22 and have the hallmarks of being in for another 2 terms at least (although Whyalla, SAHMRI or Green Hydrogen project could bring them down ala State Bank) Get over the next election and ramping is no longer a major political problem

ACT Labor have been in government for 21 years

I don't know about a 'hex' but the numbers above go to my point don't they?

Most governments - state and federal - earn a second term, many win a third, very few win four. This is over the last 50 years.

Obviously there were local issues at play this year but the ALP eeked out about as many years in office as I would have expected. Goss was in for just over 6 years, Beattie-Bligh for 13.5. So Palaszcuk-Miles have split the difference. This is in what is generally regarded as a conservative state.

Most changes of government occur after at least two terms, and are generally accompanied by an 'it's time' sentiment amongst swinging voters which is well-documented. BTW, it generally doesn't help an aging state government when the same party is in government federally.

As for the ACT, I admit that that is a strong counter-example to what I've written above! But a) it's the exception rather than the rule, and b) the demographics of the relatively small ACT electorate, and the poor strategic decisions made by the Canberra Liberals for much of the last 23 years, go a fair way towards explaining that I think. In any event, you still see ebbs and flows in the vote share of the major parties between ACT elections.

[Jimmy_041]

I have bought the book but not to read about Albo.
I just want to read about how a company can turn into a $hit organisation & how a $hit bloke killed Bambi.
Haven't seen one like this since George Trumbull did a number on AMP

First thing to get straight - Qantas is NOT the "national carrier"
It is a $hit organisation that breaks the Law and lied to all of us about flights and refunds.
The ACCC should never have settled the misleading case - they should have gone through with the prosecution so it was on Qantas' history forever

It's not Albo's upgrades (despite Labor trying to keep the narrative to that) that is the problem. All politicians get upgrades (which is why Labor are trying to make it out to be the problem. They know the personal contact is the kryptonite).

The problem is Albanese using his privileged position to get personal favours by calling the CEO - that is inexcusable.

As (Shadow) Transport Minister &/or (Deputy) PM, QF are in his realm of influence and control. Favours create a debt - it doesn't matter whether its real or perceived. You dont ask bikies for a favour.

Joyce has "groomed" him (& the Qantas Board) beautifully and the Qatar extra flights decision may not have been influenced by it all, but that's the problem with corruption: you don't leave yourself open to that sort of accusation by opening the door.

Then, everyone in the CL is allowed a +1. Albo has +2. Again - opens the door to the accusations again

There's a fair bit of hubris surrounding Albo at the moment.
Maybe its because he was brought up by a single Mum in a housing estate blah, blah, blah. That's biting him on the ass big time now

I reckon its a bigger stir that Adam Brandt is a member of CL and his response to questioning was hillarious
Adam Bandt said people 'can make their own judgment' about him. $hit bloke & hypocrite is a good start

[Jim05]

I have bought the book but not to read about Albo.

I just want to read about how a company can turn into a $hit organisation.
First thing to get straight - Qantas is NOT the "national carrier"
It is a $hit organisation that breaks the Law and lied to all of us about flights and refunds.
The ACCC should never have settled the misleading case - they should have gone through with the prosecution so it was on Qantas' history forever

It's not Albo's upgrades (despite Labor trying to keep the narrative to that) that is the problem. All politicians get upgrades (which is why Labor are trying to make it out to be the problem. They know the personal contact is the kryptonite).

The problem is Albanese using his privileged position to get personal favours by calling the CEO - that is inexcusable.

As (Shadow) Transport Minister &/or (Deputy) PM, QF are in his realm of influence and control. Favours create a debt - it doesn't matter whether its real or perceived. You dont ask bikies for a favour.

Joyce has "groomed" him (& the Qantas Board) beautifully and the Qatar extra flights decision may not have been influenced by it all, but that's the problem with corruption: you don't leave yourself open to that sort of accusation by opening the door.

Then, everyone in the CL is allowed a +1. Albo has +2. Again - opens the door to the accusations again

There's a fair bit of hubris surrounding Albo at the moment.
Maybe its because he was brought up by a single Mum in a housing estate blah, blah, blah. That's biting him on the ass big time now

I reckon its a bigger stir that Adam Brandt is a member of CL and his response to questioning was hillarious
Adam Bandt said people 'can make their own judgment' about him. $hit bloke & hypocrite is a good start

I’ve read bits and pieces of the ebook but nothing really in it that most of us in the industry didn’t know.
Aston makes some good points but I’ve also read some things that aren’t factually correct and obviously he has an axe to grind with Qantas and by throwing Albo under the bud it will sell more copies.
The Qatar decision was not fully down to their friendship but I have zero doubt that it played it a part. Going to work out for the best though as Qatar will own 25% of Virgin in the near future and will get not only what they wanted before but far, far more and Qantas are shitting bricks

[Jimmy_041]

Aston was one of the few that didn't drink the Joyce / Qantas kool aid and called them out a long time ago and continuously ever since.
So much so that QF Lounge banned the AFR
IMO Aston probably was the major influence in bringing down Joyce

$hit airline / $hit organisation