Sunday 30 June 2013
Hilarious quote from the North Coast's very own right-wing 'political fibber extraordinaire'
“Bruce, there
is one thing I am very particular about and that is making sure I get my facts
right.” {Fred Perring
in a Daily Examiner letter to the editor on 24th June 2013}
Labels:
propaganda,
right wing politics
Saturday 29 June 2013
Quotes of the week
“On top of that, I’m entirely ready
to take a shovel, dig up the press gallery and turn it into a garden for
ornamental cacti. Their lack of self awareness is staggering. Who, on one hand,
lectures politicians for focusing on leadership instability, while at the same
time, reporting on nothing else?” {Corrine Grant over at The Hoopla on 25th
June 2013}
“Since when has disrespecting a
parliament, rather than respecting a parliament, been an act of loyalty? Since
when is disrespecting the office of prime minister, rather than respecting the
office of prime minister, seen as an act of loyalty? Since when is verballing
and patronising electors, that they somehow got it wrong in 2010 rather than
respecting the result, seen as an act of loyalty?” he said.
“Of course, none of these are acts
of loyalty at any level. They are the acts and views of radicals. And many, too
many, have fallen into this lazy world of spit and venom at the expense of
nation-building and investing respectfully in our institutions that are the
foundation of our democracy.” {Rob Oakeshott in The
Guardian UK on 25th June 2013}
“Who would want to be a woman in the sexist snake-pit that is Australian politics?” {Araminta Wordsworth in National Post on 28th June 2013}
“Who would want to be a woman in the sexist snake-pit that is Australian politics?” {Araminta Wordsworth in National Post on 28th June 2013}
"It's
a very strong team ... but there is one person who I particularly want to
mention.
"We have a strong and credible broadband policy because
the man who’s devised it, the man who will implement it virtually invented the
internet in this country. Thank you so much, Malcolm Turnbull."
{Tony Abbott in http://youtu.be/oQbm6InGeUg 27th June 2013}
"Tony Abbott should avoid further embarrassment
by not opening his mouth ever again on anything related to telecommunications.
He’s had years to get it right, and he still has no clue."{Robert Merkel in LarvatusProdeo on 28 July 2013}
“Van Onselen was voicing the concerns of more than a few of Abbott’s colleagues, who fear being handed power with no mandate and no agenda.”
{Waleed Aly in The
Monthly in July 2013}
Labels:
Federal Election 2013,
media,
politics
Friday 28 June 2013
Two women an ocean apart on a momentous Wednesday 26 June 2013
Crikey.com.au Editorial, 27 June 2013:
Yesterday, a lone woman stood up to her (overwhelmingly male) colleagues who were trying to take away her rights and silence her voice. She stood in the legislature and spoke for women everywhere, and when she could stand no more her colleagues and the people who elected her stood with her. And at least yesterday, she was triumphant.
She is Wendy Davis, a Texas state Senator, who filibustered a bill that would effectively outlaw abortion in Texas. When her 13-hour filibuster ended 11 minutes before the crucial midnight deadline, others took up the torch, shouting down a vote, and preserving women's right to choose -- until Texas Governor Rick Perry called for another special legislative session to pass the bill.
Yesterday, in Australia, our first female prime minister stood up to her male colleagues who were trying to silence her voice. She stood and called their bluff, and she said she was not going down without a fight. But then, when she could stand no more, her colleagues and her friends spoke for a man with a blue tie instead. And while a few remained loyal to her, it wasn't enough. In her final speech as prime minister, she took to the podium alone.
"What I am absolutely confident of is it will be easier for the next woman and the woman after that and the woman after that, and I am proud of that," she said. And no one stood with her at all.
Portrait of a man you don't want your daughter, sister, aunt, mother to meet
Kickstarter’s full public apology and take down notice of 21 June 2013 here.
Excerpt:
Let us be 100% clear: Content promoting or glorifying violence against women or anyone else has always been prohibited from Kickstarter. If a project page contains hateful or abusive material we don’t approve it in the first place. If we had seen this material when the project was submitted to Kickstarter (we didn’t), it never would have been approved. Kickstarter is committed to a culture of respect.
Second, the project page has been removed from Kickstarter. The project has no place on our site. For transparency’s sake, a record of the page is cached here.
Third, we are prohibiting “seduction guides,” or anything similar, effective immediately. This material encourages misogynistic behavior and is inconsistent with our mission of funding creative works. These things do not belong on Kickstarter.
Fourth, today Kickstarter will donate $25,000 to an anti-sexual violence organization called RAINN. It’s an excellent organization that combats exactly the sort of problems our inaction may have encouraged.
Thursday 27 June 2013
Nationals MP For Clarence Chris Gulaptis' weak-kneed response to the over 10,000 strong Northern Rivers 'No CSG' petition
The Northern Star 20 June 2013:
A PETITION of more than 10,000 signatures from Northern Rivers residents will be read to the NSW parliament today asking for the cancellation of all existing unconventional gas exploration licences in the region.
Greens MP Jamie Parker will read it.
"The people of this region will do what it takes to protect themselves from the gas invasion, but with this petition we are giving the government a chance to respect local democracy and do the right thing by the region," regional co-ordinator of Lock the Gate Northern Rivers, Ian Gaillard said.
Later that same day in the NSW Parliament, the Member for Clarence fails again to adequately represent his electorate in the short 21 minute period during which the O'Farrell Government played politics with the petition rather than discuss the issues:
Mr CHRISTOPHER GULAPTIS (Clarence) [4.40 p.m.]: Coal seam gas is a big issue in the Northern Rivers and in my electorate. I am neither for nor against coal seam gas. My position, and that of The Nationals, is that we have to regulate the industry to ensure that it does not impact on our land or water. In New South Wales, 1.1 million rely on gas as a source of energy. We have a responsibility to ensure that those people can access gas at a fair price without compromising our environment. That is the approach the Government has taken. I am somewhat confused about the approach of The Greens and the former Labor Government on this matter. One minute they are for it and the next minute they are against it; one part of the party is for it and the other part of the party is against it. They have more positions on this issue than there are in the Kama Sutra....
A response from the community in The Daily Examiner 25 June 2013:
A response from the community in The Daily Examiner 25 June 2013:
MPs in sorry state
A
10,000-signature petition from Northern Rivers residents opposed to coal seam
gas was presented to the NSW Government last week.
In response
to a referendum on CSG at the recent council elections, the Lismore electorate
voted 87% against the industry, and it would be expected that similar
percentages would have been recorded in neighbouring local government areas had
the same question been posed there.
As well, the
Lock the Gate survey of thousands of landholders across the region has
routinely reported in excess of 90% voting to declare their roads gas
field-free zones.
However, last
week's petition was presented to Parliament by the Member for Balmain because
our local State representatives, Chris Gulaptis and Thomas George, both refused
to present it.
At the
subsequent parliamentary debate on the petition, neither local member addressed
the substance of the petition, instead trying to push the blame for what is
occurring onto the previous Labor government.
And how dare
Mr Gulaptis refer to an issue opposed by 87% of the community as the
"anti-CSG bandwagon" and try to score cheap political points against
other elected members.
In what can
only be described as a totally irrelevant rant, he targeted our Federal member,
Janelle Saffin, over the actions of NSW Labor's disgraced ex-ministers Obeid
and MacDonald.
If nothing
else, Janelle Saffin is once again going in to bat for her constituents, a
responsibility our State representatives should remind themselves of, and hang
their heads in shame for failing to do so.
John Edwards
South Grafton
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