Forty-second parliament: open thread

Those wishing to discuss Australian politics are invited to do so here rather than here.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

701 comments on “Forty-second parliament: open thread”

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  2. Nelson is not very good at giving unqualified apologies is he.

    Brendan, here’s a script for you to follow. Repeat after me:

    “I was wrong and I’m sorry.”

    That’s it – no qualifications or “But they meant well” or “If it caused offence” .. when clearly it did. Nothing. Let’s do it again:

    “I was wrong and I’m sorry.”

    Good – now shut up.

  8. No 642

    The so-called “inflation genie” is exaggerated. For a government who campaigned about stopping the political-buckpassing, they seem to be doing quite a lot to syphon-off blame to the last government wherever possible.

  11. Try reading Prof. Peter Read’s 25year stolen generation research & investigation

    IF you wish to have your conscience at odds with your current misplaced views
    but that would take you away from our blog for 6 months

  14. Well, well, well. Those snouts in the trough Liberals have opposed the freeze on a wage increase for federal politicians:
    http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23219574-1702,00.html

    Tony Abbot is complaining that he only gets paid $127,000 a year! Joe Hockey is complaining that he will have to rock up at work on Fridays, even though he earnt $205,000 a year for the last three years.

    No wonder that pack of morons lost the last election.

  17. Well I can understand you preferring Andrew Bolt a newspaper gossip columnist
    vs. Australia’s foremost historian on the subject Pro. Peter Read & his 25yr research…..for your knowledge of the subject

    Lets not be challenged with hard evidence

  19. No 662

    ShowsOn you’re tantrums about high wage earners exhibit nothing more than class bigotry.

    I cannot believe you are finding ways to justify an exercise in populism by Mr Rudd. Had Howard done this, you’d have screamed blue murder.

  23. No 670

    Yes, the wealthy are susceptible to discrimination. Indeed our entire taxation system discriminates against high wage earners. If that is not discrimination, clearly your definition is leaves much to be desired.

  25. [Yes, the wealthy are susceptible to discrimination. Indeed our entire taxation system discriminates against high wage earners. If that is not discrimination, clearly your definition is leaves much to be desired.]

    Why should we take your advice about what discrimination is or isn’t when you don’t believe in universal human rights?

  26. OH MY GOD! Oh my god. OH MY GOD!

    That is absolutely beautiful, Generic Person. BEAUTIFUL!

    The tax system IS discriminatory. SHOCK! HORROR! How dare those poor people pay less tax than me, just because I earn 50 times as much as them? I AM OUTRAGED!!!

  27. Benn. Howard , a US screen producer wrote many articles in the 1980’s
    claiming man has never walked on the moon…that Armstrong’s landing was fake

    He had many disciples who believed his theory it was a NASA/CIA conspiracy

    He went further & produced a film set in the Arizona desert with light , sound & surroundings mirroring the moon to prove how the NASA/CIA faked it

    Apparently the disciple’s views were re-affirmed…man did not land on the moon
    Facts & logic would not persuade them

    Howard’s disciples do not believe it happened either

  28. No 672

    Why is Bolt’s opinion less worthy than anyone elses? Or are you much too bigoted to consider other sources of commentary?

  29. Andrew Bolt iis a newspaper gossip columnist
    vs. Australia’s foremost historian on the subject Pro. Peter Read & his 25yr research

    I rest my case

  30. No 673

    Since you seem literally challenged, this is for your benefit:

    dis·crim·i·na·tion

    1. an act or instance of discriminating.
    2. treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit: racial and religious intolerance and discrimination.
    3. the power of making fine distinctions; discriminating judgment: She chose the colors with great discrimination.
    4. Archaic. something that serves to differentiate.

  31. Andos @674

    Perhaps they should get a national Apology for suchh appaling mistreatment, resulting in only 2 Beamers in the driveway.

  32. 676 Why would Bolt’s opinion be worth as much as anyone else’s? Or are you too bigoted to consider other sources of commentary?

  33. No 674

    Oh please, enough with the infantile behaviour.

    I offered no opinion, positive or negative, on the virtues of a progressive tax system. I simply stated that high wage earners are discriminated against through taxation policy.

  34. No 677

    If you actually bothered to read the article you’d perhaps notice that he extensively quotes the judge who oversaw the proceedings in the Trevorrow case, the first which dealt with the stolen generations.

    Yes, it was settled that Marjory Angas unlawfully promulgated the withholding of a child from his parents, but there was no evidence that this was racially motivated in order to keep Australia white.

  35. Well! You certainly put me in my place, Generic Person.

    It’s good to see that your dogmatic intractability remains undiminished.

    Touché!

  36. 667 GP
    “ShowsOn you’re tantrums about high wage earners exhibit nothing more than class bigotry.”

    I think you might find GP that it6 was this comment that got the reaction, not a commentary on progressive taxation.
    Now, tell the truth – you are a troll,aren’t you?
    You cannot be serious.

  37. [Yes, it was settled that Marjory Angas unlawfully promulgated the withholding of a child from his parents, but there was no evidence that this was racially motivated in order to keep Australia white.]

    READ ABOUT “HUMAN RIGHTS”.

    If you are representative of the standard of lawyers this country is producing then we are all screwed.

  39. No 685

    ShowsOn, thankyou for entirely missing the point. Pathetic personal attacks don’t enhance the value of your otherwise frail arguments.

  41. [ShowsOn you’re tantrums about high wage earners exhibit nothing more than class bigotry.]

    Don’t be a moron. The Liberals are complaining that they AREN’T high income earners! They want MORE MONEY not LESS. Can’t you even TRY to produce a semi-coherent argument?

    [I cannot believe you are finding ways to justify an exercise in populism by Mr Rudd. Had Howard done this, you’d have screamed blue murder.]

    Stop being a moron. Abbott and Costello both opposed Latham’s changes to politician superannuation, it is absolutely nothing new for Liberals to complain when someone moves their heads away from the tax payer trough.

    The Coalition Senators set up another THREE Senate standing committees this week just so they can share chairmanships before the new senate takes over. That is all they are interested in, an extra $20,000 – $30,000 of tax payers money each for the Liberal chairs of those comittees before the new senate takes over. They couldn’t care less about making a lean and efficient government. All they are is talk and no action.

    Show some principle, if you believe in smaller government then condemn actions by Liberal hacks that WASTE OUR MONEY.

  42. [ShowsOn, thankyou for entirely missing the point. Pathetic personal attacks don’t enhance the value of your otherwise frail arguments.]

    So why did you just attack me personally?

    Typical Liberal hack who can’t practice what they preach.

  43. No 684

    Jen, ShowsOn’s comments demonstrate cynical dislike for high wage earners based on nothing but pure class bigotry and jealousy.

    It appears a class in English will be necessary for many Poll Bludger readers. Oh, I forgot, that don’t teach English anymore. They teach students about redressing “social injustice”, whatever the hell that has to do with English, your guess is as good as mine. 😉

  45. GP
    imagine that the concept of terra nullus,official gvt policy and various social/historical sources are wrong

    Do the children stolen from their parents deserve an apology on purely humanistic grounds

    what is your opininin of the ‘barnardo boys”

  46. For the benefit of blogers

    Pro. Gerard Henderson is the ‘right’ most famous Historian (not Bolt a gossip man
    Yet even Henderson does not challenge the basic research on Pro Peter Read

    Its a little pointless debating with someone who does NOT accept the opinion
    of the best expert on their OWN side of politics

    Fellow spirits , I’m going out ….all the best

  48. If you really are studying to be a lawyer, GP, you should make sure you know the meaning of ‘literally’ (678). At a guess, I’d say you’re literally challenged.

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