Australian Politics, Mark II

Then he looks like an incompetent leader who doesn’t know what message to sell to the electorate. That will go down like a lead balloon, I’d imagine. News Corpse won’t like it either but I could see them supporting it in principle to give them the opportunity to sneak it in after a hypothetical election win.

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Is it true that the Libs are potentially helping the Trump Administration to identify Iranian nuclear assets to bomb??

These by elections were unusual, as, apart from one WA seat, the sitting members were contesting. That is so rare.
Leaving aside WA ( which the LNP did not contest) the outcomes can be taken as an endorsement of the performance of the sitting members - and in Longman- very strong endorsement.

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Very true. I’m just having a crack at the Libs all trying to hose down the meaning of the results.

They shot themselves in the foot, built them up as a vote on Shortens leadership, ALP wins, now it’s Turnbull in the gun, now trying to downplay them.

Michaelia Cash office tip-offs about AWU raids set to be referred to the DPP

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is liaising with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions about whether charges should be laid over leaks from Federal Jobs Minister Michaelia Cash’s office about raids on the Australian Workers Union.

Some journalists were tipped off and waiting when AFP officers raided union offices in Melbourne and Sydney last October to seize documents relating to donations made to Get Up and Labor candidates when Bill Shorten was head of the AWU.

Senator Cash initially denied her office had any involvement in the leak to the media but subsequently told a Senate committee her senior media adviser had confessed that he had tipped off the media before the raids.

The adviser has since resigned.

There has been a long-running police investigation into the leak from her office.

Today AWU national secretary Daniel Walton said it was “troubling but not surprising that the AFP have decided to refer their investigation to the Commonwealth prosecutor”.

“Clearly the AFP have learned enough here to believe it warrants the attention of the prosecutor,” Mr Walton said.

Senator Cash’s office has been contacted for comment.

Labor’s employment spokesman Brendan O’Connor called on Senator Cash to answer questions including whether she is a witness or under investigation.

Police are aiming to send material to the director of public prosecutions in the next two weeks.

It is not clear how long it would take for the DPP to decide whether charges should be laid.

Unions putting it out that around 3000 in Dickson affected by the penalty rate cuts, which came into effect on 1 July - the same day on which Dutton got a $7k pay rise.
Labor also reminding Turnbull that in the Bennelong by election, Alexander’s majority as the sitting member was cut by a few percentages.

Michaelia Cash Asks Pauline For Advice On How To Turn A Toothbrush Into A Prison Shank

CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | Contact

Senator Michaelia Cash has today consulted on-again, off-again frenemy Pauline Hanson for some tips on how to survive life in prison.

In yet another example of the highest powered people in this country being no more tacticle or low brow as run of the mill degenerate criminals, Senator Cash has had to today ask for some advice from the only other Senator she can think of who’s been in prison.

This follows the news that the AFP is liaising with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions about whether charges should be laid over leaks from Federal Jobs Minister Michaelia Cash’s office about raids on the Australian Workers Union.

Some journalists were tipped off and waiting when Federal police officers raided union offices in Melbourne and Sydney last October to seize documents relating to donations made to Get Up and Labor candidates when Bill Shorten was head of the AWU.

It appears this leak may result in Michaelia Cash finally living out her dream of being in a similar scenario to the girls in Wentworth, where she can assert her alpha-status by plugging a sharpened plastic toiletry into someones lung until they stop breathing.

“It’s been a while since I was in the joint, love” said Senator Hanson.

“I’m not sure what they are using nowadays…”

“But let me suss it out. One of my guys just went in last week for raping and bashing his wife.”

“If not we can put the word out through the state governments. Plenty of good intel going in and out of Long Bay with some of those old Labor mugs”

Senator Cash initially denied her office had any involvement in the leak to the media but subsequently told a Senate committee her senior media adviser had confessed that he had tipped off the media before the raids.

He has since resigned.

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I reckon it won’t be until just after the elections.

Senate Additional Estimates on Friday could be fiery, with Cash’s portfolio and Home Affairs fronting.

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Fifield saying that no incumbent government has won a by-election since 1915. Joyce and Alexander both won by-elections.

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Tories must think it is telling the truth is optional. They certainly think it is compulsory to break election promises.

Lots of distraction and personality politics going on federally but meanwhile the con of the bipartisan political circus becomes blatant down my way.
The supposedly pro environmental state Labor Government is reportedly in the process of giving AGL, a convicted polluter (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-09/agl-macquarie-fined-over-pollution-incident/7077864 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/28/toxic-emissions-surged-after-agl-acquired-bayswater-coal-fired-power-plant), a licence to pollute WesternPort via the Crib Point Terminal, primarily because it’s a safe Liberal seat and they don’t give ■■■■ .
Laughingly the Libs are taking the high ground and grubs like Hunt are portraying themselves as defenders of the environment as a result, when you know the about face will come when they win. It’s common knowledge major corps have been flouting environmental laws around Hastings for years even though no-one will do anything about it.
Could not give a flying about by elections or personalities but I care about my bay. Pity the 2 major parties are too busy serving their donor masters to care.
NO AGL GAS FOR WESTERNPORT!
https://www.facebook.com/PreserveWesternPort/
https://www.facebook.com/SaveWesternPort/

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More fake news from Fifield ( the one who gave $30m to Fox while cutting the ABC).
He said that Labor dual citizens should have resigned. Joyce did not, got tossed out by the High Court.
He also said that manual workers who had physical difficulties in working to the new retirement age could get disability assistance. But the NDIS would not cover such circumstances.

Not sure what exactly Fifield said, but the story is that no incumbent government has won a seat held by the opposition (i.e. increased its majority) …definitely not that no government has won a by-election.

Finding that Malc And Friedandburned called a meeting with the shell organisation calling themselves The Great Barrier Reef Foundation and they didn’t even know wha they were there for until Malc tossed them half a billion under the guise of saving the reef. These guys are boarded by execs from BHP, Rio Tinto, Shell, Peabody Energy, Commonwealth Bank and Qantas. That’s our PM racket gaming a significant slice of our tax revenue, lying about it being to save our biggest natural wonder from the same thing a lot of these organisations are directly involved in while we’ve supposedly got nothing for suicidal farmers.

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Point taken. To put it another way, by-elections are often seen as a protest against the incumbent government, with votes recovered in General Elections . May not happen this time, but could be an omen for a few Queensland seats.

Job security may be threatened by social media use,
Cricket Australia sacks employee after Tasmanian Government alerts CA to her posts ( which had been cyber trolled) criticising Government lack of abortion facilities. She is suing, hope she can afford legal costs.
After a Commonwealth public servant secures a ruling that (anonymous) social media comments critical of Australia’s asylum policies are not a sackable offence, the Attorney General refers the issue to the High Court. She is asking the Commonwealth to pay her costs of legal representation before the High Court.

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Hopefully, Dutton and Christensen get their arses tossed out.

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Wouldn’t the context behind the reasons for a by election also contribute to its outcome