A Midweek Rostrum!

The Thompson Affair

Channeling the Bolter

‘Ms Hart received a threatening letter from Mr McArdle claiming her comments were defamatory. ‘’We will commence proceedings … most likely after we have achieved dismissal of the defective and wrongly based litigation that has been commenced against him.’’

guffaw

So, so far we have HSU, AWU, TWU, and now CFMEU. Any big ones left?

BOO!!

There’s a whiff about the acceptance of director’s fees of about $100k by the former head of another union.

The fees were for representing the member’s interests in super funds etc. Most officials consider this role part of their job, some others see it as a great big rort.

Thiefdom ?

ETU? Riordan? More like half a million!

I think you need to be more respectful..

That’s FWA Commission Riordan to you!

Looking at Tom’s list I’m inclined to accept his view of unionland.

That’s because people here don’t like political dishonesty.

I thought I’d give TB the respect of having some snazzy dot points!

‘I allow myself to change my mind…’

Just as I suspected.

Following up on BBs suggestion that dolphins engage in gang bangs, it seems some also get involved in same sex relationships to assist in group bonding.

Surprise surprise, gayness is natural and widespread.

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2009/06/16/same-sex_behavior_common_in_animals/

Professor Bunyip puts the boot into the Age’s environment editor.

http://bunyipitude.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/karolygate-iv.html

Seccombe is clutching at straws with his ‘oh wait, look over there’ speculations.

On the union issue, we can look to China and witness the birth of unions, most are weak and have little power to protect workers rights. So there is a need for organised labour to develop a middle class society and that is what China needs right now.

In Australian the process appears to have broken down through corrupt practice, which must have an impact on the political wing.

but the unions are a necessary brake to management putting its foot down on the workforce …

Exactly, the slave owners will have their feet on the necks of their slaves until the blood sweat and tears pour out of them. The uncle tom overseer, will happily crack his whip over the backs of the slaves ’til the skin splits. All of them quoting from the bible and moralising about how the slaves could improve and stop wasting their lives.

Egg, as much as I hate to admit it, I find that ToM is almost always correct on the issues he’s passionate about…

The one-eyed barracker will lay all blame for the play on the opposing team, can never see or admit any fault or contributing factors from his own players and team.

Kitty’s in fine form.

Blaming ALL unions and all officials is as unfair as blaming all managers and directors … we all know that the wrongdoers in the unions need their arses kicked, the same as business “leaders” who steal, cheat and lie …

I AGREE!!!!!!

The problem is that it appears as though more effort is being put into protecting and promoting the perpetrators, whilst destroying the whistleblowers, than is being put into nabbing the perps and recovering the money.

Company directors do time. Union leaders get promoted into Parliament.

Noice to see you, KL!… NIce to see you back KL….Kitty’s in fine form.

Was interstate for the end of terminal illness and death of my brother. Sad times.

Re charities … its always struck me the number of “stars” of sport, screen or stage … who invariably set up a fund of some sort or other when they retire …

Charities don’t pay tax, it’s a tax minimisation scheme, they can even attract donations and receive public funds while selling the image of a caring person. As soon as they start making real money, the [often taxpayer funded and trained] stars are advised to form a charity so they don’t have to pay as much tax or they choose to reside [for a tax qualifying period of the year] in a tax friendly country eg the bahamas.

Two tax havens that need to be seriously addressed are “Family Trusts” (divide and conquer) … and “negative gearing” … hidey holes for the Robber Barons & Family …

For sure. Will anyone have the political courage to do what is needed to reform these enormous tax black holes? Better to screw the single parents and the social security recipients, those lazy bludgers have it sooo easy. Let them go to the charities for assistance!

…we have seen a return to the excesses in behavior pre Workchoices.

What would they be tomm?

The consequence of that will be honest people with busy lives will withdraw from their volunteer efforts to be replaced by those with something financial to gain.

I simply cannot see any problem in corporations that receive taxpayer funding and tax free status being required to account for it, as everyone else has to. One example I can think of immediately is the recent court case where the churches took action to recover financial losses from lehman bros.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-21/lehmann-brothers-test-case/4273896

The class action involved 72 councils, churches and charities who sued Lehman Brothers for around $250 million, claiming it breached contracts and engaged in misleading and negligent conduct.

They had sought compensation for losses incurred on investments they made on advice from Grange Securities, which was bought by Lehman Brothers Australia in 2007.

As an ordinary person, I have a problem with taxes going to the investment, wealth creation and power of churches and charities, who then lobby govts for politically motivated purposes. The public has for many years wanted to see the end of this taxpayer funding.

I don’t get your problem with the Lehman Brothers recovery action. Can you be more specific?

I don’t get your problem with the Lehman Brothers recovery action. Can you be more specific?

I don't have a problem with their recovery james, just the wealth creation courtesy of forced funding from the taxpayers who have no say in it. Now if it was all their own private monies and non tax deductible donations used, no problem with their wealth creation at all.

Terry Moran: time for an inquiry into the public service:

http://theconversation.edu.au/terry-moran-time-for-an-inquiry-into-the-public-service-10277

…I think there is a big problem. Ministerial advisers have become the black hole of accountability within our parliamentary democracy.

Well, if ministers are using that to escape accountability, they can’t escape the proposition that it’s time the advisers were made more accountable for defined roles, and became answerable in the same way as public servants to all the investigatory and accountability bodies, including parliamentary committees.

Sincere condolences, KL. 😦

Thank you all for your condolences, my brother was way too young, that is the great sadness, I comfort myself with thoughts of him no longer having the pain and suffering just trying to survive which leaves no quality or dignity in life.

This is either going to turn into another Godwin Grech Moment or Miss Gillard now has a major problem

1992 or 1993, does it really matter at all?

I don’t know or understand why Gillard is hung drawn quartered and mercilessly attacked over alleged behaviour when scandals by male politicians are almost glossed over.

John Howard and his cronyism, the ethanol man, dick honan + AWB + bailing out brother stan, tampa, children overboard, all happened while he was a sitting PM. Not one bit of these scandals have stuck to him, he is still heralded by the fibs as the monument for a back to the future government.

Abbott’s career hasn’t been hampered by his ironically named ‘australians for honest politics trust’ fund to get rid of a political threat. This interference was carried out while in government.

Ruddock and the unlawful detention/deporting of cornelia rae and vivian solon.

kevin andrews and haneef

malcolm turnbull and abetz are still with us after grech and utegate.

Heffernan has survived the kirby defamation.

Is there a double standard in the way female politicians are treated?

Whatever happened to

carmen lawrence, ros kelly, jackie kelly?

However did Bronwyn Bishop survive the kerosene baths scandal?

I’m sorry but I can’t muster up the bilious outrage about this gillard union scandal, there seems to be one dug up almost every week when a labor govt is in power.

Many of those examples you cite were addressed through an independent inquiry.

Gillard has avoided questions for years, tried to brush it away with a “girly” – young & naïve – defence.

She’s getting some belated scrutiny now.

• Howard lost government and his seat because he was seen to be untrustworthy.
• Ros Kelly was forced to resign
• Carmen Lawrence lost the WA Premiership
• Kevin Andrews helped Howard out of office as a result of the Haneef affair.
• Turnbull lost plenty of credibility over Gretch, he paid a credibility price and it continues to dog him
• Abbott took action against Hanson and her mates, and that’s why he’s off. If it had been an attack against a union, he’s hear about it every day.

Questions about the integrity and honesty of a Prime Minister are entirely legitimate issues of public debate.

Gillard put the interests of her boyfriend above those of her client, in doing so she lost the confidence of her employer. Her actions cost her employer it’s biggest client and undermined its reputation

…and that’s the best that can be said of her actions. She owes the public a complete explanation, in parliament.

No hurt here TB, I’m a very relaxed character. I’m simply of the view that duplicity is in Gillard’s DNA. She errs on the side of concealment rather than openness, on dealing and dishonesty rather than transparency.

In reality it is probably a habit she formed as a student activist, and honed as a lawyer to union hacks.

What do abbott, turnbull, abetz, heffernan, andrews and ruddock have in common?

They are all in the current crop of opposition politicians, despite their scandals while in office.

‘The public don’t care.’

According to the readers of this Fairfax rag, you are wrong.

http://www.theage.com.au/polls/union-slush-fund-20121031-28k4p.html

fairfax rag:

Disclaimer: These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.

*Watching the redfern now show on abctv – compelling viewing.

…and Fraser was a completely dishonest c*nt who ALP barrackers hated, then loved…

…They loved him because of his criticism of the Liberals over asylum seekers, so they’ll probably hate him again now…

no, the criticisms are deserved, we loved him because of his criticisms of howard, abbott and current liberal party politics. We love john hewson too because he speaks out about the liberal tea party of hate and divide. Fraser and hewson are ‘true’ liberals, statesmen like turnbull and they are all critical of the hard right religious extremist takeover of the party.

[wiki] …After 1996 Hewson became increasingly critical of Prime Minister John Howard. In 2003 he opposed Howard’s decision to take part in the Iraq War although in 2004 argued it would be electoral “suicide” for the Liberal Party to replace Howard with an alternate leader at the time.[citation needed] In July 2006, Hewson gave an interview to ABC’s Four Corners program in which he voiced concern at the growing influence of what he characterised as a “hardline right religious element” in the NSW branch of the Liberal Party.[14] This was in breach of a Liberal Party rule about speaking to the media and reports at the time claimed he could face expulsion from the party.[15]…,/i>

…In 2011, he and former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser were among 140 Australian community leaders who pledged support for an emissions trading scheme despite, the fact the Coalition and it’s leader Tony Abbott (Hewson’s former Press Secretary) oppose the Carbon tax.[16]…

Could this be what bothers you the most?

http://theconversation.edu.au/pages/malcolm-fraser

or this

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/menzies-vision-lost-under-tony-abbott-malcolm-fraser/story-fn59niix-1226467462203

Mr Fraser said the quality of politics was deteriorating, as more union officials and former political advisers took seats in parliament instead of “people who have achieved things in their own right before they became politicians”.

Couldn’t agree more, both major parties have fckd us over.

your veil really has slipped tomM!

You know if I was a chick and had that special gender based desire to see a chick do well in the top job, I’d be feeling very let down by my Joan of Arc.

There is something unusual when as I understand it even the AWU didn’t know it existed.

And we know this…how?

PM’s accuser denounced by former colleagues as untrustworthy, lying “sexist pig” #auspol

http://www.vexnews.com/2012/10/pms-accuser-denounced-by-former-colleagues-as-untrustworthy-lying-sexist-pig-auspol/

BAD TO THE BONER: PM’s accuser is sleazy sex tourist, preying on vulnerable young Thai women:

http://www.vexnews.com/2012/08/bad-to-the-boner-pms-accuser-is-sleazy-sex-tourist-preying-on-vulnerable-young-thai-women/

Then we have the likes of sexist, misogynist larry pickering, there’s michael smith who is waging a personal vendetta against gillard. There’s the journo mates of abbott in the oz, of course there’s no agenda to bring her down so sexist tony abbott can have a new election is there?

Liberal dose of love for 2UE radio host Mike Smith:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/liberal-dose-of-love-for-2ue-radio-host-mike-smith/story-e6freuy9-1226218794080

…Bypassing a best man, Smith, 49, left the tributes to close mates Senator Barnaby Joyce, who gave a rousing rendition of the poem Fair Dinkum Love and “twinkle-toes” shadow attorney-general, George Brandis, who will be remembered more for his moves on the dance floor than his bridal speech…

…Brandis, who arrived with Joyce in the back of a stretch limo, was shocked when he got to John Singleton’s popular pub, according to Smith…

Pickering accused of stalking
http://www.4bc.com.au/blogs/4bc-blog/pickering-accused-of-stalking/20120823-24osw.html?page=1#.UJJqt8VEP78

Pickering joins Gary Hardgrave, declaring that despite her insistent denial of wrongdoing, questions of her integrity as Prime Minister will not go away.</i.

Who can guess where this BS is coming from?

And why did she conspire to knife Rudd and then deny her involvement, so it appeared as power thrust upon her which is a better look than plotting for months to bring Caesar down.

Perhaps she didn’t conspire to knife rudd until the knives were already in his back.

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/we-need-to-talk-about-kevin-20120224-1ttxx.html

As I say, I hardly know Julia Gillard. But from my own impressions and conversations with people who know her well and who have worked for her, I believe she is a decent person. She is warm, she is smart. She listens to people, treats them with respect. She has shown guts. Under relentless pressure, she has run a happy office.
I have no idea of the precise moment at which she decided to challenge Rudd, but I am certain that she had been as loyal a deputy as he was likely to get. Through the hard months of early 2010, she had long talks with him to keep him on track. Of all the whisperings I heard against Rudd until the time I left Canberra in April 2010, none involved her. In fact, she protected him. As one of her advisers said, they were ”joined at the hip”…

…This was not about ambition. Sure she might have wanted to be prime minister one day, but not under these circumstances, not with the consequences that were bound to follow. But in politics you don’t get to pick your moment, it picks you. Hers came. She took it…

might be an interesting read

Speechless: A Year In My Father’s Business by James Button [senator john button’s son and former speech writer for kevin rudd]

http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/james-button/speechless-a-year-in-my-fathers-business-9780522858587.aspx

That’s nice. Another example of unions stuffing up Victoria’s reputation as a place to do business.
This union has no regard for lawful behaviour, and since the abolition of the ABCC they’ve been running rampant. With more to come.

What has changed?

Could the industrial unrest have something to do with the new liberal party government?

New workplace guidelines in force for Victorian construction industry
Tuesday, 3 July 2012

http://vic.liberal.org.au/News/MediaReleases.aspx?id=3882&title=New%20workplace%20guidelines%20in%20force%20for%20Victorian%20construction%20industry

Why does a liberal party govt always seek to upset workers? Even victorian nurses were protesting in the streets and defying the state government.

Same in Qld, it’s not the workers or the unions who are acting on behalf of workers, it is the liberal party and it’s anti-worker policies that are the problem. They just can’t help themselves.

You might have noticed that all over the world, people are sick and tired of the way business conducts its business and the way governments bow to the demands of business, the only ones getting squeezed are workers.

It’s a year since the Qantas dispute. With the benefit of hindsight, it looks like Joyce’s decision to ground the airline was a good one.

Sure Qantas has had a rough year, but without the decisive action the disputes would have dragged on and on… to Christmas. Maximising damage during the busiest and most profitable period.

Qantas would have been in no position to withstand the onslaught of Virgin and their mates. The airline that employs over 30,000 people (including a thousand apprentices) would have been carved up.

Remember too that the avaricious unions involved represent less than 25% of the Qantas workforce.
==========
AO – the Grocon/CFMEU dispute was about union control of construction sites. It had nothing to do with politics or terms and conditions.

This union considers itself above the law.
==========
TB – I don’t know whether anyone has suggested that the Liberals are free of factions.

The difference is that their factional leaders obtain their power from the people that join the party.

The factions in the ALP are mainly controlled by unions, such as the CFMEU, who engage in the unlawful behavior I’ve mentioned above.

Having full time union officials also organising their factional power in the ALP is poison, and more people are agreeing with this perspective these days.

‘Here’s a suggestion … take away “big business” support from the LibNits and take the “union support” from the ALP …’

It’s the 20th century political dynamic, here and elsewhere. That maybe set to change, but I can’t see what would replace it.

[crikey]

However in WA, mining company donations to the WA Liberal Party went from less than $100,000 in total in the mid-2000s to over $1.2 million in 2010 and 2011, forming around one dollar in five of the party’s revenue…

…The sheer scale of mining company generosity illustrates why Tony Abbott remains committed to repealing the carbon pricing package and the mining tax despite the difficulties he will face in securing Senate support…

AO & TB – It’s the difference between strong influence and a controlling interest.

When all business groups can do is exercise a high level of influence, it’s seedy and undesirable.

Within the ALP, union exercise more than that. It’s reasonable to call it a controlling interest. This is stuffing up the party, and more people are finally recognising this.

THE ALP should become more of a social democrat party, and represent all progressive interests, not simply being in the pocket of the narrowly focussed unions.

‘The ALP should become more of a social democrat party, and represent all progressive interests, not simply being in the pocket of the narrowly focussed unions.’

It would be a good start and I don’t even mind if they keep the Greens in a loose coalition, after they give up CAGW alarmism and return to their environmental roots.

Derby Day is frivolous and being an expert in women’s fashion, I’m impressed with the latest in lycra skirts and tops.

I happened to see several horses too.

Bit hard on Old Nick, there reb.

Snacty already previously schooled us that Minchin isn’t a nicotine denier…he’s just been misunderstood & misrepresented by Teh Evil Left.
Surely you can find it in your heart to blame GetUp?

🙄

Yeah, Minchin is definitely not an advocate for Big Tobacco either. Stupid leftists.

Unfknblvbl

Nick Minchin is a prince among men.

‘Nick Minchin is a prince among men.’

Minchin is The Prince of Realpolitik.

How do you indulge in this kind of behaviour and then go on to uphold and value conservatism, respect for life and tradition?

Culture of anarchy at a college in crisis:

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/culture-of-anarchy-at-a-college-in-crisis-20121103-28qvh.html#ixzz2BDpZw8dd

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/culture-of-anarchy-at-a-college-in-crisis-20121103-28qvh.html

I ‘invented’ passive smoking?

Mum & Dad will be so proud when I tell them!

AO – “If the outcome is the same ie the party doing your bidding, then the only difference is semantics IMO”

I don’t agree. In the ALP there is a sense of powerlessness among the rank & file membership and branches. The power is all concentrated in those who are making a career out of politics and power. Few come through the branch structure.

Unions are so strongly organized, they exclude the branch membership.

More and more people are acknowledging these facts about the ALP that I’ve pointed out for several years now.

I don’t agree. In the ALP there is a sense of powerlessness among the rank & file membership and branches. The power is all concentrated in those who are making a career out of politics and power.

And you don’t think the same sense of powerlessness is reflected in the rank & file membership of the liberal party?

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4339558.html

[Peter Reith] …The practice of letting the federal leader choose a candidate predates Abbott but is a relatively new practice…

…The faction system will not be easy to change but a good start would be, firstly, to stop parliamentary leaders from denying the rights of the membership and, secondly, to reform pre-selections by making it more difficult for factional warlords to choose candidates and to give more power to rank and file members…

Sounds extremely similar to the arguments made against the labor party to me.

* stacks on, snacty! 😯

Smokers are pariahs, thanx to the Greens. Will they be taking on the alcohol lobby next?

I have no objection to clean skins.

A stauch Labor mate has quit voting for the Party saying his favourite pipe tobacco is no longer available here because of plain packaging rules. The Dutch company which exports to Oz says we are too small a market and you can go and get fucked.

I suggested he buy on line, which he will, but Labor has lost his vote forever.

Yes, that’s all very well, but we still have no finance editor.

China’s bloodless coup.

‘The hardliners seem poised to snatch control of the seven-man Committee, tying the hands of incoming president Xi Xinping and premier Li Keqiang. If confirmed, long-term investors may have to rethink their core assumption about the future course of China.’

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
UL Telegraph

Cheer up, Newman`s in charge.

A third of city dwellers in Russia want to emigrate and who can blame them. The totalitarian thing is bad…

why did she conspire to knife Rudd and then deny

‘why did she conspire to knife Rudd and then deny’

Not out of modesty, to be honest she was proud, but the electorate wasn’t too happy on hearing the news so she decided to keep it ‘in house’.

She lied and was found out.

Is this a low level blog war?

The usual Climate Predicters on the payroll of the Greeen Environmental Lobby have dismissed this very practical idea completely out of hand.

This is a very very good idea from Joe Public and should not be dismissed out of hand.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/technology/us-weather-agency-noaa-responds-to-demands-to-nuke-hurricanes/story-fn7bsi21-1226511235368

Thanx ToM, it was becoming unsettling.

‘What exactly, pray tell is the so-called “ToSY Treatment…?’

Baiting…although I hasten to add it has nothing to do with the blogmasta on this occasion…methinks its Migs.

…and El Gordo has a serious blog stalker.

I’ve found it funny when one followed me around for a while. It’s funny that anyone can actually be bothered going to all the trouble.

Though I doubt whether taxpayers have the time.

I suppose they put “Cats in a Cradle” on a Muzak loop at LA customs.

“Honestly I’m getting really tired of playing around in the shallow end of the swimming pool…..”

I can only offer a bigger boat so i suggest

Get a fucking canoe .

There is rumour down at the kaf that the Bolt Report has fallen under a Bondi Tram.

“… he is “dangerous” to anyone who posts at CW … just be warned … nasty is nasty and never changes … evil exists where good people do nowt!”

Well he did go to school with Rodney Adler, Jodie Rich, Warwick (I lost the family fortune) Fairfax.

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