Proving that whatever Peter Dutton can do, he can do worse, Barnaby Joyce last night made the most extraordinary claim yet advanced about asylum seekers, that the rise in boat arrivals was linked to Labor’s decision to halt the live export trade to Indonesia in the face of horrific, indeed sadistic, levels of abuse of animals.
Even Joyce himself was this morning insisting he had made no such link, suggesting he realised he had gone too far. His colleagues, meanwhile, deployed the same strategy they had with Peter Dutton’s vilification of refugees — insisting their colleague had said something quite different to what he had actually said.
Whether it was accidental or not, however, Joyce’s astonishing remarks illustrate how the Coalition now reflexively reaches for the boats issue no matter how vague or tenuous a connection there is to the subject at hand — just as Tony Abbott once replied to a question on the economy by claiming he’d “stopped the boats”.
The Coalition used to claim “surpluses are in our DNA”. That claim hasn’t been made for a long time, as they’ve racked up deficit after deficit with their increased spending. But it’s clear that boats are in their DNA. No matter why, no matter how absurdly, they’ll seek to drag asylum seekers into the discussion.
And to think Malcolm Turnbull promised a more mature and intelligent national debate.
Cousin Jethro – “Spare Prime Minister” – indulged for years by lumps of our newsmedia.
… What was it Homer Dutton said about refugees “not being literate in their own language” last week?
Maybe the subliminal message from this government – defending this Deputy Embarrassment – is that we are the refugees, illiterate in our own language : not understanding what Jethro crowed, thrice(?)?
…. Like Abbott’s pre-election promises, the one’s “some of might have thought they heard” he made?
Lol. Remember how crikey and Bernard Keane argued that being against death camps is being a single issue party? How’s that logic working out for you now the government is The Boat Stop Party with policies including stopping the boats, stopping the boats and stopping the boats?
Although Talcum promised a more “a more mature and intelligent national debate” most of us assumed that he meant from his silver tongue – nobody expected anything but drivel from the hold-overs, recalcitrants & never-were wannabes left over from the Rodent/rAbbit years.
Yeah, sure, we know the excuse that he is beholden to the trogs & knuckle dragging bigots, zealots and assorted morons who elevated him but that if/when he “wins” on July 2nd, a new shining Philosopher King would beam his munificence upon us.
Don’t bet – there is nothing to stop him being dumped asap post July 3rd to allow the Clown Prince over the Water to reinstalled.
Never mind, the sheeples will still vote in the LNP duds. Then complain for the next three years as they get turned over for decreases in pensions, increases in medical costs, a crappy below par NBN, taxpayer monies paid to polluters, and being told we have jobs and growth. Oh yes we stopped the boats.
Turnbull is Toast..