Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi #7

[cobl04]

I think George wields enough influence that he feels comfortable as a Lib. Bernardi et al are so insane that I think they've managed to put the Libs offside. Probably because they focus on the culture wars rather than doing their jobs.

Abetz, though, somehow, just seems to be twirling around and no one gives a shit.

 

[Axver]

It seems everybody is surprised crazy uncle Abetz is still alive after his 140th birthday.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Clive Palmer to relaunch PUP apparently.

Delusional, is one word that springs to mind.

 

[Axver]

Clive Palmer to relaunch PUP apparently.

Delusional, is one word that springs to mind.

I seriously thought this was some Betoota article or something. It'll be funny, especially when he gets 0.1% of the vote after spending $10m campaigning.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Clive cannot catch a break on this one, contentless freefloating socalled populism isn't going to cut it when what's left of One Nation has the racialist vote locked up and Bob Katter is still around.

Still, it was amusing to see that they already have a party leader in the senate.

 

[cobl04]

The fact that the sprinklers went off is hilarious on its own, but if they went off to get the two fuckwits out of a hairy line of questioning it's even funnier

 

[Kieran McConville]

Maybe it was a sign from God.

 

[DaveC]

edit: i thought an upside down wu tang logo looked like australia and then thought "upside down wu tang logo" would be a great name for an australian rap group, and then i looked at a map and realized that i'm drunk and should go to bed.

 

[cobl04]

Nine and Fairfax to merge. JFC.

 

[Kieran McConville]

They deserve each other.

 

[Axver]

Fairfax has been dead for years anyway, but what an ignominious way to hammer in the last nail to the coffin.

 

[kabigon]

Goodbye Fairfax Fairfax Goodbye Fairfax Fairfax Goodbye-bye-bye

 

[Axver]

The true tragedy of today is Lee Lin Chin to depart SBS after this weekend's bulletins.

 

[cobl04]

this fucking country my god

 

[Axver]

Fuck what a good morning. Went for a run, brewed a pot of tea, had a libspill.

 

[kabigon]

I'm slightly* relieved that Dutton is not our PM yet

*I may be underselling this a bit

 

[cobl04]

He got 35 votes. They're fucked.

 

[kabigon]

It's the same for/against as in 2009

 

[Axver]

Flip 7 MPs and P-Dutz is in.

I'm not sure if I'm relieved that the evil potato is not PM, or if I wanted him to steal the role just to watch the Libs lose twenty bajillion seats at the next election. I'm not sure he has enough time before the ballot to be any more evil than he would be anyway.

Also, now that Dutty boy has gone to the backbench - to, presumably, snipe and undermine in a way he could not when bound by cabinet solidarity - it's just a little concerning that ScoMo has ended up the most powerful person in Australia, holding both the Treasury and Home Affairs.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Prediction: Dutton challenges again and wins, with Tony Abbott as his deputy.

He then leads the coalition to extinction (but not before being rolled in a midnight coup two days before election by Abbott), rather than the mere annihilation it was facing under the unaccountably liked Malcolm Turnbull. He is then invited to the Hague to stand trial for crimes against humanity (ok, that's not gonna happen).

Yeah, I dunno what's going to happen. Or care that much, to be honest. I mean I care about the medium term future after what I hope is a serious clearing of the house at an upcoming election, but care very little about the day-to-day writhings of this terminal patient.

Short of major global events that we would do best not to wish upon ourselves, nothing has changed very much in the last eighteen months. It's over. It's over the way it was over for Keating from about 1995 on, or Billy McMahon in 1971/72. Just get on it with and call an election already.

That super-ministry is a worry though. Personalities aside, if it isn't disbanded swiftly, it will solidify into permanence, like its US namesake. Can't say I'm terribly optimistic.

 

[Kieran McConville]

I hereby offer my services as Minister For Truth in a future government. You can trust me, I have your best interests at heart. As minister, my duties will include cracking down on instances of wrongthink. Don't worry, this is for the good of the country and is not as creepy as it sounds.

 

[Axver]

I'm curious to see whether the talk of moderate Nats moving to the crossbench and moderate Libs quitting parliament is enough to make Dutton supporters call off a second challenge, or if they're going to call the bluff of the moderates.

Because if we know anything about the moderates in the Liberals, it's that they are cowards who bend to the party's extremists all the time. If I were an MP in Dutton's faction, I'd be betting that I could drum up the numbers and make the moderates blink.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Eh, I'd believe that when I'd see it.

I'd bet you're right on the numbers.

However, whether the collective crossbench - no studies in courage themselves - would grant supply to a successor Dutton government is another story altogether. My guess is some would, some wouldn't. It could get dicey. It could also not matter much as we're off to the races at that point.

 

[Kieran McConville]

The coalition went to the last election with Malcolm Turnbull probably as popular as he will ever be, beloved of centrist liberals for some unaccountable reason, but there you have it. It went down to the wire. One thing is for sure, 'electability' isn't figuring high in the Liberal party room thinking right now.

 

[Kieran McConville]

I guess they won't be able to run with 'License And Registration Please' for the 2019 campaign marketing now. Maybe 'Straya: Get It Up Ya'.

 

[Axver]

Hahahaha fuck Dutton what a self-own.

 

[Kieran McConville]

He'll probably lose his seat, you know. Some fuhrer.

 

[Axver]

Part of me wanted him to become PM just so he could become the third to lose his seat.

But I cannot believe I'm relieved ScoMo won. You know it's bad when that's what it has come to. What a suicide pact by a large amount of the parliamentary Liberal Party though - not only do they oust the one member of the party to enjoy more support than the leader of the other side, but they overlook the only other person, a woman, with any capacity to challenge the popularity of the leader of the other side. Yes let's go for our least viable options, that makes a shit-tonne of sense!

 

[Kieran McConville]

Second Most Evil Man In Australia Asks Nation For Change

 

[Kieran McConville]

I too wouldn't have been too... surprised?... if it had been Dutton. Ugly? Yes. Definitely. A one-way trip to the wilderness, also yes. I maintain they're headed there in any case.

Turnbulls PPM lead never meant shit. The nation doesn't 'elect' the prime minister. It's shit. Garbage. Clickbait.

It was also based on hot air and wishful thinking for most of the time. He leaves as he came, an empty suit with a brief. I hope it burns. Another tick off the bucket list. Fucking scum. At least with the likes of Abbott, you recognise them as true believers in some antediluvian crusade (same as it ever was). Turnbull is a spiv.

As he acknowledged himself, he could easily have picked Labor. For all their sins, it is to their great good fortune that he did not.