For the people?
Peter Matters writes: Re. “Sinodinos’ FOFA repeal looking shaky as critics multiply” (yesterday). Whatever trickery Sinodinos has in mind or how often Abbott smiles sweetly and shakes hands with us plebeians, there cannot now be any question — Abbott’s assurance that his government is for all the people is one whopper of a lie.
Cutting through the green spin
Martin Gordon writes: Re. “The tough life of Australian companies under the carbon price” (Tuesday). Bernard Keane and Glenn Dyer were right onto overstatements of economic impact of the carbon tax. Similarly, Bernard Keane might be on the wrong end of a missive for his (correct statement) that “Refugee advocates have a history of overstating claims of abuse in detention centres” (Monday). Surely not!
As Keane lives in Canberra he might be more sensitive than most to the dubious tactic of overstatement and spin than most of spruikers. With the carbon tax and all manner of environmentalist arguments I have always been amazed by the alacrity of claims of so many new “green” jobs, so “little an impact” on consumers (despite it increasing manufacturing costs about $1 billion pa, for example), that every bit of space proclaimed as a park is pristine and worthy of world heritage nomination (not withstanding that it might have been farmed, grazed, logged — sometimes multiple times — used for off-road motorbikes, and even been a rubbish dump)!
Asylum seeker breach inexcusable
Les Heimann writes: Re. “Now Morrison puts his foot in it: comments compound asylum seeker threat” (yesterday). Scott Morrison, through his absolute inexcusable ineptitude, has put in jeopardy the lives and wellbeing of perhaps thousands of innocents in Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and other countries where a person who flees the country is guilty of treason and his families punished or even executed.
Morrison’s thoughtless actions providing access to names and origins of people denotes him as either just stupid or unbelievably callous and calculating, and if it is the latter he is on a par with the worst in the world, past and present. Either way, at the very least, he should forthwith resign with the deepest apology for putting so many in harm’s way.
If he does not resign then our Prime Minister must, absolutely must, sack him with extreme prejudice in the light of his actions.
If neither the Prime Minister nor Morrison does anything, their colleagues should sack them. If no one in the Liberal Party acts to remove Morrison and or Abbott they are all collectively guilty.
Just what is happening in this country?
Reflections on geography
Steven McKiernan writes: Re. “Lest we forget to pay: how Anzac Day became a commercial enterprise” (yesterday). Good piece from a good book James Brown. The celebration of sacrifice continues unabated. One point worth pointing out however, Albany is a couple of hundred kilometres away from the shores of the Indian Ocean. The Mt Clarence War Memorial and Avenue of Honour overlook the Southern Ocean. Mount Adelaide, King George Sound, and Attaturk Entrance provide only a few (among many) local place markers for the stupid sacrifice of the Dardanelles Campaign.
“Let silent contemplation be your offering.”
Now we’ve got Joe Shonky running around crying “Crisis! Crisis!”?
[Much as he did for the last couple of years – before they won the election, when the crisis was “so bad” that Abbott didn’t sit parliament down for how many weeks after winning? And Shonky had to farm out money to the Reserve, to make the books look worse?]
I reckon the biggest economic crisis we have is Toady’s knot running it?
Les, you ask just what is happening in this country. Where to start.
Politically, economically, socially, morally, ethically, and in every other way, we are going down the gurgler!
It can only get worse while this government remains in power. The next two and a half years will seem like an eternity. Roll on 2016!