Cartoons of the Week

Cathy Wilcox

Peter Broelman

Matt Golding

Fiona Katauskas

 

Cartoons of the Week

Cathy Wilcox

David Rowe

Glen Le Lievre

And from Byron Events Farm (formerly Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm) in the NSW Northern Rivers region on Easter Long Weekend 2022.......

 

"Fuck ScoMo! Fuck ScoMo!'

I wonder why Murdoch/Costello media didn’t show this from #bluesfest2022 ???? Want to talk about booing @AlboMP but not this??? Hmmmm pic.twitter.com/Lg65elIfiU

— Lalulizzi 🌺🌎👊🏼🧜🏽🧚‍♀️🌿⚖️💉 (@lalulizzi) April 20, 2022

 

Meme of the Week

via @OccupyMyGov

 

Cartoons of the Week

Cathy Wilcox

These days people are getting rather 'chatty' on Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's Facebook page

On 10 January 2022 the Australian Prime Minister & Liberal MP for Cook Scott Morrison held a press conference accompanied by Lt. General John Frewen Co-ordinator General of Operation Covid Shield and Honorary Professor ANU Dr. Paul Kelly, Chief Medical Officer, Australian Government Department of Health.

At this press conference Morrison spoke on the subjects of COVID-19 public health rules, vaccination and booster programs, hospitalizations, death rates, transportation & supply, need for additional workers and the national economy. He answered around 11 questions from journalists concerning some of those subjects.

On the same day Morrison posted a video on his Facebook account.

All screen shots taken by Ronni Salt

It appears there were 5.8k comments received to this post of which only est. 2,226 were made visible by Morrison's social media team. 

Here are just a few of those in no particular order......

 

COVID-19 Delta & Omicron State of Play: Morrison goes to battle against any threat to his plan to throw open Australia before the 2022 federal election campaign

 

IMAGE: Courier Mail, 29 November 2021

Genomic testing has confirmed two more overseas travellers, who recently arrived in New South Wales, have been infected with the Sars-CoV-2 Omicron variant of concern. The total number of confirmed cases of Omicron Variant infection is now four individuals in this state within two days.

The Omicron Variant first entered NSW when two infected individuals flew into Sydney International Airport on Qatar Airways QR908, Doha to Sydney, at 7:06 pm on 27 November 2021, after travelling from an unspecified country or countries in southern Africa. Both people had previously been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The second two infected people arrived on Singapore Airlines SQ 211 at Sydney International Airport at 9:20pm on 28 November 2021 – after travelling through an unspecified country or countries in southern Africa.

A fifth individual infected with the Omicron Variant had flown into Darwin Airport from Johannesburg, South Africa on 25 November 2021, presumably on a Qantas international flight.

All five people were taken into quarantine – four at Special Health Accommodation in the Sydney area and one at the Centre for National Resilience in the Darwin area.

Out of the 11 SARS-CoV-2 variants being monitored, to date Australia has only reported 5 surfacing in this country:

B.1.1.7 (Alpha ) B.1.351 ( Beta) P.1 (Gamma ) B.1.617.2 (Delta) B.1.1.529 (Omicron). Only Delta and Omicron remain cause for concern.

As yet little is known about the Omicron Variant's reproduction rate, incubation period, or the level of illness it is likely to cause those it infects. 

Australian Prime Minister & Liberal MP for Cook Scott Morrison states he plans to call a meeting of state and territory leaders today or tomorrow to discuss how to respond to the Omicron variant, but it is "too early" to make decisions about reinstating quarantine before Christmas.

I rather think there will be a mixed reaction from States and Territories to his urging them to rigidly adhere to his own reopening timetable for internal & international borders, as well as for lessening of public health measures and the cessation of hotel quarantine.

Only Queensland & the Northern Territory have the luxury of a basic quarantine station each. For the remaining states and territory it’s hotel or home quarantine, with the difficulties these bring.

In fact, NSW was still using the COVID-19 hotel quarantine system from 21 to 27 November 2021 and, is hardly likely to feel comfortable with home quarantine until it knows more about the virulence and transmissibility levels of Omicron.

Australian Dept. Of Health table showing the number of cases (predominately involving Delta Variant) and source of infection between 22 November and 28 November 2021:

Australian House of Representatives 22 November 2021: on the subject of Prime Minister Scott Morrison's December 2019 family holiday in Hawaii during the Australian east coast bushfire crisis

Morrison rising to his feet in the House of Representatives at approx. 16:00 on 22.11.21 followed on from Anthony Albanese on his feet at 15:11 pic.twitter.com/cVnUXjwKz5

— no_filter_Yamba (@no_filter_Yamba) November 22, 2021

Scott Morrison's "The Australian Way" climate change policy called out as unworkable, reckless and dangerous at UN COP26 Climate Change Conference 2021

"The pandemic has taught us that national solutions to global problems do not work. We come to Glasgow with global ambition to save our people and to save our planet. But we now find three gaps. On mitigation climate pledges are NDCs [nationally determined contributions]. Without more we will leave the world on a pathway to 2.7 degrees and with more we are still likely to get to 2 degrees. These commitments made by some are based on technologies yet to be developed and this is at best reckless and at worst dangerous...."  [Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley Q.C., Day Two, UN Climate Conference 2021, Glasgow Scotland U.K.]

FULL SPEECH: "1.5°C is what we need to survive, 2°C, is a death sentence... We do not want that dreaded death sentence, and we've come here today to say, try harder, try harder."

Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley Q.C. addresses #COP26 Climate Conference pic.twitter.com/hlK9cQ1eD6

— CCN TV6 (@tv6tnt) November 1, 2021

Snapshot of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor listening to the full speech.

Cartoons of the Week

Cathy Wilcox

Mark David

NSW Berejiklian Government moves itself behind the veil in September 2021 as state pandemic numbers grow to record levels

THE THREE AMIGOS: Premier Berejiklian (left) Prime Minister Morrison (middle) & Deputy Premier Barilaro (right),
Architects of the 2021 NSW Delta Variant Outbreak
 IMAGE: The Northern Leader, 16.010.2019

By the last day of 2020 in News South Wales there were 4,739 recorded COVID-19 infections for that year and only 2,043 (or 43.11%) of these were due to community transmission. Total deaths with a COVID-19 diagnosis stood at 56 people.

However, as a state population we had cause to be cautiously optimistic.

We had weathered two ‘waves’ of the global pandemic – the initial one in March-April when the original SARS-CoV-2 virus began to spread and total cases passed the 3,000 mark and then later in June-September when the number of people falling ill began to climb again until the total reached 4,038 individuals.

Compared to other regions around the world infection numbers and the death toll was relatively low in proportion to the NSW population.

And the federal government had promised Australia a national vaccination program in early 2021 to be completed within six to eight months.

News South Wales is now in the last quarter of 2021.

The national vaccination program is still nowhere near complete – it is plagued by vaccine shortages, poor distribution planning and the Morrison Government's outright mismanagement. Lengthy wait time for vaccination appointments are still being experienced and eligibility for vaccination is problematic given children have been excluded for much of the roll out to date.

As of 9 September 2021 only est. 33% of the total population of 25.8 million men, women & children in Australia have been fully vaccinated. In New South Wales that percentage is still well below a safe level at an est. 42.11% fully vaccinated.

The highly infectious NSW Delta Variant Outbreak began on 16 June 2021 and, despite being initially told by members of the Berejiklian Government that this variant form was unlikely to make people as sick as the original SARS-CoV-2 strain, it was not long before public hospitals admissions began to steadily climb.

From 16 June to 9 September 2021 the Delta Variant has infected via community transmission 34,804 men, women and children in New South Wales and 162 of these people were dead.

Those particular deaths represent 74.31% of all COVID-19 related deaths in NSW since the SARS-CoV-2 virus first entered the state in January 2020.

Public hospitals have a combined total of over 1,000 COVID-19 inpatients occupying hospital beds on every day now and by 9 September the total number currently in intensive care units reached 205 very ill individuals.

The Berejiklian Government has been repeatedly warning the general public that we are going to see the rise in infection, hospitalization & deaths continue during September and October and, that the date or month the NSW Delta Variant Outbreak will peak is still uncertain.

Despite this scenario, on 10 September 2021 NSW Premier & Liberal MP for Willoughby Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced that the 11am daily government COVID-19 update press conference would cease from Monday 13 September 2021. Being replaced by a NSW Health video giving daily updates, on which the Premier & some of her Cabinet Ministers may appear from time to time.

The reason given for her personal absence from any future structured daily television appearance concerning the COVID-19 pandemic is that these daily press conferences prevent her "doing my job properly”.

This walk away from public scrutiny and accountability for the decisions made by the premier and her ministers is worrying. 

Coming as it does on the heels of the removal of a section of the NSW Health daily online media releases after 26 August 2021 (which contained the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases who had been infectious in the community and for how long), the cessation of publication of a full list of "venues of concern" known to have been frequented by infectious individuals, combined with an obvious reluctance to mention in front of television cameras the total number of fully vaccinated NSW residents who have later contracted COVID-19 and the total deaths to date in this cohort.

That a gradual contraction of the range of statistics now included in NSW Health's daily media releases is being considered has been hinted at by the Premier in recent days and, it is possible that a daily confirmed case count will disappear by the end of the year - even though it is likely epidemic levels of confirmed cases are still being recorded each day.

Such a contraction of easily accessible pandemic information would not be for the benefit of the general public. Rather a muting of information on the status of the NSW Delta Variant Outbreak would be more likely to benefit the Morrison Government, as its MPs and senators gear up for the next federal election.

This effort to move the NSW Government behind the veil and answerable to no-one also began as the Berejiklian Government commenced a staged opening up of regional New South Wales, ahead of that 70% fully vaccinated target for those between 15 years of age and over 90 years which triggers a statewide opening that is optimistically pencilled into industry diaries for sometime in October-November this year.

In New South Wales this trigger will apparently be used independently of where other states or the national average vaccinated percentage is with regard to the 70% fully vaccinated target.

One cannot avoid a suspicion that Berejiklian may have gone into 'hiding' because she has not been quite truthful with the general public about the road this Delta Variant is expected to travel and at what speed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"All of us have to start accepting that we need to live with Covid. Because Covid will be around for three or four years and it’s not practical to do everything the same [ie continue to suppress the disease]…..we have to make sure that as a government we normalise the way we do things every day…..But we also have to accept, that we all of us have to start thinking about what living with Covid really means…"  [NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian at the 11am daily government COVID-19 update press conference on 10 September 2021]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I want to welcome the New South Wales plan to reopen,” he said on Thursday. “This plan keeps the deal, keeps the faith with the people of Australia and the people of New South Wales, set out in the national plan.”  [Australian Prime Minister & Liberal MP for Cook in NSW, Scott Morrison on 9 September 2021 - as quoted by columnist Laura Tingle in the Financial Review, 11 September 2021]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A new normal Friday morning in New South Wales “living with Covid”…..

DAY 87: NSW Health data showed that, as of 8pm Friday 10 September 2021, the number of locally acquired COVID-19 infections since the 16 June beginning of the Delta Variant Outbreak in NSW now totals 36,374 people - inclusive of 170 deaths. There are currently 1,164 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 221 people in intensive care, 74 of whom require ventilation.

NSW recorded 1,599 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 up to 8pm.

From January 2020 to 10 September 2021 the cumulative total of COVID-19 infections from all sources had reached 42,000 cases.

The deaths up to Day 87 of the NSW Delta Variant Outbreak represent 75.22% of all NSW deaths with a COVID-19 diagnosis since the pandemic first entered Australia and the state in January 2020.

According to NSW Health a cumulative total of 1,037,036 NSW residents had been fully vaccinated by 8pm on 10 September 2021 out of an est. state population (ABS Dec 2020) of 8,172,500 men, women and children. That figure reveals that only est. 12.68% of the entire NSW population was fully vaccinated. *It should be noted that a different figure and percentage might be reached using the Australian Government’s ADF managed Operation COVID Shield data for the same period.

World's richest man shares in Morrison & Frydenberg's $13 billion taxpayer-funded JobKeeper cash splash on rich businessmen

 

Forbes, 25 May 2021:

CEO of LVMH  Bernard Arnault
IMAGE: AFP via Getty Images

French fashion tycoon Bernard Arnault is the world’s richest person this Monday morning, with an estimated net worth of $186.3 billion—putting him $300 million above Jeff Bezos, who is worth $186 billion, and Elon Musk, worth $147.3 billion.

Arnault’s fortune has jumped from $76 billion in March 2020 to $186.3 billion on Monday, a massive rise of over $110 billion in the past 14 months, thanks to a pandemic-defying performance by his luxury group LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy).

LVMH, which also owns household names like Fendi, Christian Dior and Givenchy, rose 0.4% during the first hours of trading on Monday, putting its market cap at $320 billion and pushing Arnault’s personal stake up by more than $600 million......

Pushed by the “momentum” of shoppers in China, according to Jefferies analyst Flavio Cereda, LVMH recorded revenue of $17 billion for the first quarter of 2021, up 32% compared to the same period in 2020. 

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton's own subsidiary companies sell luxury goods in Australia. Its current share price is in the vicinity of €634.90 or Aust $1,013.73. The major shareholder in LVMH appears to be the Arnault Family Group, the holding company of Bernard Arnault.

Michael West Media, 6 September 2021:

Should Bernard Arnault rename his yacht Josh's Little Aussie Battler?
Image: Josip Baresic

Big business doesn’t vote, small business does. That’s the dilemma for Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg as they try to keep JobKeeper secret heading into the election. Michael West reports.

There is rising discontent in the Liberal Party’s small business base about the billions splashed on JobKeeper subsidies to large, profitable corporations.

No wonder. It is hardly comforting to know that the world’s richest man, French fashion magnate Bernard Arnault, is a beneficiary of Josh Frydenberg’s largesse. Perhaps Australian taxpayers may be afforded the privilege of adding to Bernard’s collection of Picassos or footing the fuel bill for his newest super-yacht (pictured in Monaco above) Symphony.

The symphony of revelations that large profitable companies, elite schools, posh clubs, and even foreign multinationals such as Bernard’s LVMH group which owns Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Moët & Chandon have been gorging on JobKeeper, have just tossed an ugly big spanner in the works for the Coalition election campaign.

The debacle over the vaccine roll-out has rendered an early federal election unlikely. Amid exploding Covid infections in NSW, Morrison’s campaign team is now desperately pushing the narrative “end lockdowns, live with Covid” while demonising Labor state premiers for closed borders but, with every death, time is running out for an early election. Besides, what premier in their right mind would open their borders to NSW right now?…..

Read the full article here.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, in 2020 one of LVMH’s Australian subsidiaries, Louis Vuitton, claimed $6 million in JobKeeper while recording an increase in sales revenue, a boost in its profits and an increase in shareholder dividends. The exact figure was $5,965,000.

Quotes of the Week

 

"The inconvenient truth for Scott Morrison is that the Doherty modelling does not say it is safe to end lockdowns once the vaccination rate hits 70 or 80 per cent. Indeed, according to the Doherty modelling we could spend up to 39 per cent of our time in lockdown if we begin to open up when vaccination hits 70 per cent."  [Chief economist at the Australia Institute Richard Denniss, in The New Daily, 24 August 2021]

"And no matter how many times the PM quotes the Doherty modelling, his false distinction between vaccines or lockdowns is all about messaging, not medicine." [Chief Economist at the Australia Institute Richard Denniss, 25 August 2021]

“What's actually happened is the virus is considerably more infectious than the first variant that emerged. It also appears to be more virulent so you're seeing higher mortality levels, particularly in younger people. That's a much worse place we are now than I thought we'd be in a year or so ago." [Professor Edward Holmes FAA, FRS (Syd Uni), ABC News, 26 August 2021]

“Analysis: the route Gladys Berejiklian is taking is defined by vaccination rates and hospitalisations – and it’s going to be brutal” [Gold Walkley-winning investigative reporter Anne Davies, writing in The Guardian, 26 August 2021]

"But our new authority figures are a bunch of modellers who aren't physically at the daily press conferences but whose work is quoted, and more often misquoted, as the source of instruction for what politicians do, rather than being what it is: advice on what happens if politicians make certain decisions." [Chief political correspondent ABC “7.30” program Laura Tingle, ABC News, 28 August 2021]

"It’s galling then, to tune in every day at 11am to watch the NSW premier reframing her abject failure as an act of courageous leadership." [Political Editor Katharine Murphy, The Guardian, 28 August 2021]

"Berejiklian is a Liberal team player who keeps her grievances about Morrison private. But, in private, she is scathing. The NSW Premier has told Liberal colleagues she’d have preferred that Peter Dutton had won the last federal leadership ballot – she’d rather be dealing with Dutton because Morrison is so unpleasant, she’s said. She’s described the PM as a “bully”. Berejiklian went so far as to tell a colleague that Morrison’s behaviour was “evil”." [Political & International Editor Peter Hartcher, The Sydney Morning Herald, 28 August 2021]