Update
Yesterday Crikey noted that Labor had failed to ask any question in Parliament about the Productivity Commission’s attack on the TPP. However, Labor’s Trade spokesperson Penny Wong did issue a media release on the issue on the PC’s views.
On Assange
Korinne Northwood writes: Re. “The persecution of Julian Assange is not feminist, it’s political” (Monday). Felicity Ruby’s argument seems to be: Julian Assange is a great great man who shouldn’t be charged with sexual assault because what he did wasn’t “rape rape”, and besides, those women lied because it’s just a vague political conspiracy to try and take down this great great man. Framed another way, Julian Assange is a man who has used his privilege, the media, and the force of the legal profession to avoid prosecution for sexual assault in a way that causes his alleged victims great distress. He has managed to make these sexual assaults all about him, and Felicity Ruby, despite her claims of being a feminist, is happy to help him out.
Why the libs hate Q&A
Ken Lambert writes: Re. “Rundle: Liberals hate Q&A because it is, well, liberal” (yesterday). “They trash the principle that citizenship is a universal right, not extinguished even by odious criminality,” says Rundle. Dual citizenship Guy? Such a thing should not exist, but given the imperfection in this world, then which of the two nations to which one shows loyalty and devotion qualifies as upholder of a universal inextinguishable right? And for all the LNP’s illiberality, the stark fact is that the Mallah’s and Hicks’ of this world can jeer at and heckle government ministers in public and go home to watch it on TV, assured in their tiny minds that they won’t disappear without trace. Guy, you want to worry more about all those citizenship loving nations where people like Zaky run the show and people like you get dropped out of helicopters far out to sea.
On the Federation white paper
Marcus L’Estrange writes: Re. “Federation reform paper a big missed opportunity” (yesterday). Why not have one government department for health and one for education, for all of Australia, run by a cabinet of nine ministers for each national department? One from all the states, territories and the Commonwealth. Over time the state, territories and the Commonwealth separate departments would largely disappear and only remain as a tiny policy unit to advise their respective ministers. Think of the savings resulting from the reduction of duplication and confusion?
Hmm, maybe we shouldn’t have dual citizenship Ken Lambert, but when Rupert Murdoch abandoned his Australian citizenship, we changed the laws to let him keep the benefits. I don’t think Zaky Mallah has any record that indicates support for the scenario you suggest. Mallah is a f…wit, but not much more than that. Steve Ciobo demonstrated that he was a bigoted ignorant fool, but noone has called him out.
OG
Monis was also a harmless F…wit given to making outrageous outbursts according to our court system and gullible experts…and what was the result?
So what was bigoted and ignorant about Ciobo’s reaction? I thought it was particularly mild mannered. A country with pride in its values and tradition and a resolve to defend same would have found a new home for Zaky long ago. Heres hoping Tony gets a law up which can deport Zaky to the land of his fathers.
And for all the LNP’s illiberality, the stark fact is that the Mallah’s and Hicks’ of this world can jeer at and heckle government ministers in public and go home to watch it on TV, assured in their tiny minds that they won’t disappear without trace.
They can only be assured of this because people like you, and most of the Liberal party, haven’t gotten your way yet.
Guy, you want to worry more about all those citizenship loving nations where people like Zaky run the show and people like you get dropped out of helicopters far out to sea.
We have no influence over those kinds of countries. We do, however, have the ability to prevent ours turning into one.
When people like me and the LNP get our way people like Zaky will disappear with a full legal trace back to the land of their fathers where they can tweet to a sympathetic audience about raping females in the public square and what a crap place is Oz.
And hopefully you and Guy will defend Zakys rights to the death and wave him goodby at the airport.
You’re off message, Ken.
Great Leader wants these things to be sorted out in a star chamber. Can’t trust the courts to reach the right answer.
Is it only scary brown people who are going to get banished, or if some white second-generation Australian with a UK grandparent says the wrong thing are you going to insist they’re “sent home” as well ? The Law of Return says pretty much any Jew is eligible for Israeli citzenship, what about them ?