As the softer, gentler Tony campaign is clearly not working.....

By now the Liberal Party must realize there is a disconnect for many voters between the Australian Leader of the Opposition’s true nature and the top to toe makeover he has been given for the 2013 federal election campaign.

Might I suggest another way of making a politician even his wife admits is difficult to live with seem less threatening and perhaps even cuddly?

Get his media team to change the fonts on all those press releases churned out each day, so that Tony Abbott reads as…..

Remember, that around one quarter of all Australian households have a cat!

Meet The Kindergarten Team

Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson, Minister for Regional Australia Simon Crean, architect Dayne Mearns, Federal MP for Page Janelle Saffin, Kevin Plummer and Ben O’Donnell must have been surprised to find that The Daily Examiner online had sent them all back to pre-school on 8 February 2013.

Is Gina Rinehart after evidence that one or more of her children may have breached a court suppression order?

Finally, a clue to why Gina The Great is intent on trashing the journalist’s right to protect sources.

Steve Pennells ‏@pennells

All of us now being subpoenaed by Gina Rinehart are being asked to hand over documents stretching back to the exact same date 18 months ago.

Steve Pennells ‏@pennells

The date - Sep 5, 2011 - is significant. It's the day three of Gina Rinehart's children launched action against her in the NSW Supreme Court.

In Rinehart v Welker [2011] NSWCA 425 (21 December 2011):

4. On 5 September 2011, an application was made, ex parte , in the Supreme Court, Equity Division, seeking relief in relation to the affairs of a family trust of which Ms Gina Rinehart  is the trustee (the Trustee proceedings). The other party in the Trustee interests, Ms Ginia Rinehart, is a beneficiary under the Trust, but has joined with Ms  Gina Rinehart  in the dispute with the other beneficiaries. The ex parte application was made without any prior resort to the confidential alternate dispute mechanisms for which the Deed made provision.

5. Ms  Gina Rinehart  made an application for a stay of the application brought by the Beneficiary interests as well as an application for a suppression order made under the Court Suppression and Non-Publication Orders Act (the Act). On 13 September 2011, Brereton J made an order under s 7 of the Act, prohibiting the disclosure, by publication or otherwise, of any information as to the relief claimed, or any pleading, evidence or argument filed, read or given in, the proceedings. Pursuant to s 9(4), the order did not prohibit disclosure or publication of his Honour's judgment, or of orders made in the proceedings.

The West Australian 5th April 2012:

Hancock Prospecting's lawyers also raised concerns about the newspaper's in-house counsel gaining access to confidential documents concerning the case, because of the nature of the newspaper business.

Or could it be this?

Rinehart children in secret settlement pact

Litigation reportedly returned to the courts on 12th March 2013.

What set everyone wondering:

Rinehart subpoenas Fairfax journalist in trust feud

West Australian journalists score small victory against Gina Rinehart

Take a look at the News Media (Self regulation) Bill 2013 for yourself

The Daily Telegraph 13 March 2013

 

With various minions within Rupert Murdoch's media empire screamimg about this bill in the most lurid terms, perhaps it's time for ordinary citizens to look at these bills and make up their own minds.

 

The News Media (Self-regulation) Bill 2013 and the News Media (Self-regulation) (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2013 together with the Public Interest Media Advocate Bill 2013, the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Convergence Review and Other Measures) Bill 2013, the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (News Media Diversity) Bill 2013 and the Television Licence Fees Amendment Bill 2013 form a package of measures representing the Australian Government's response to two independent media reviews conducted in 2011 and 2012 - the Convergence Review and the Independent Inquiry into the Media and Media Regulation. [Explanatory Memorandum]

 

Download the Bill here and the Consequential Amendments here.

Australian Federal Election 2013: Call to Country

So who was it that appeared to call the Australian Prime Minister a "moll"?

News.com.au 12 March 2013:

Three women sitting in the public gallery shouted separate interjections at different points during question time.

One woman appeared to call Ms Gillard a "moll".

Another called the Prime Minister "Ju-liar" and a third spoke about Ms Gillard's recent visit to western Sydney.

"You didn't visit us did ya," she said.

Hansard 12 March 2013:

14.52 hours: An incident having occurred in the gallery

15.12 hours Speaker of the House of Representatives: …I remind members of the gallery that they are not participants in question time and that calling out from the galleries will lead to a closing down. I think it would be an absolute disgrace if we had to curtail the rights of people to attend and see their own parliament. Like many Speakers and many members of parliament before me, I have had the  privilege of going around the world and looking at other parliaments. I do not think people in Australia appreciate the access they have to this building and I would hate to get to the stage where we had to curtail that in any way. If people want to get to interject in question time, they have to get elected and get on a green seat—that would be my advice to individuals.

Even then they would have to observe the standing orders which say, 'No interjections.

It would appear that someone styling herself Debski Bebski made the remark "You didn't visit us did ya" and one Linda Jones admits to calling out "Ju-liar".

So who hurled what sounded like "moll" at the PM?

Former Liberal Party candidate for Bendigo Anita Dolon
in the Bendigo Advertiser

Is this a photograph of the third woman seated in the House of Representatives’ visitors gallery who heckled Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard during Question Time on 12 March 2013?

Or was the "moll" interjector someone else connected to the Rotten To The Core rally held that day in Canberra?

These are unanswered questions, but what is not in question is the Leader of the Opposition's smirking response as these insults flew.......

https://twitter.com/mearesy/status/311329931651084288/photo/1

A girl after my own heart

First Dog On The Moon presents Brenda the Civil Disobedience Penguin…….

Well done the Dog!