The Great White Ant …

Well, finally, Australia has a government.

Colourful Christopher got in early with his claims, Bill Shorten was still swanning around in self congratulation, but it has come to pass. The coalition has the numbers, perhaps number, a plural seems a slight exaggeration.

The waffling banker  will be the Prime Minister. You could switch the initial letters around without getting further from the truth … the baffling wanker. The small L Liberals (where L is short for loyalty) can rejoice that not all of them lost their seats. Pity really. Given that both sides of politics promised to totally disregard economic reality and race us to bankruptcy, it’s a task that could have been safely left to Labor. Their track record being impeccable in that regard.

Abbott would have made mincemeat of Shorten. He could have mentioned the boats, countered the suggestion that Liberal contenders are prone to tell lies with a very brief replay of Julia promising no carbon tax and, of course, he could have promised no carbon tax. Turnbull can’t do that having promised us a carbon tax. Nor could he run on his record, waffling on like a scratched record is no substitute for achievement. Turnbull put considerably more effort into overthrowing Abbott than in winning an election. But then winning an election is a little like face to face combat, unlike shuffling around dispensing innuendo and looking for an opportunity to slip a knife in someone’s back.

The only reason for his rise to power was the fact that he looked better in the polls than Abbott. He now looks like the self made millionaire … that inherited billions. Much was made of his appeal to progressive types. It didn’t dawn on the small L Liberals that progressives would like him but not vote for him in a fit. In another era I’m sure Jeff Kennett liked John Brumby a great deal (and Abbott would positively love Bill Shorten). We all approve of weak enemies.

Turnbull has a vision, we know, it’s Turnbull, Prime Minister. Does he have a vision for Australia, I think not.

Mr Shorten is very happy with his achievement, Mr Turnbull is entirely happy with his. It’s the people of Australia that lost the election.

Electricity Bill …

Ms Gillard promised she would not introduce it.

She and Mr Swan heaped scorn on the then opposition for the suggestion that Labor would introduce it.

The nation saw Labor as liars when they did introduce it.

Energy prices and business costs have gone up because of it.

An optimistic forecast of its effect … restraining the increase in world temperature by 0.0034°C by 2100.

Prior to the last election Labor promised to abolish it.

The electorate certainly gave the Coalition Government the mandate to abolish it.

Today Labor joined with the Green to frustrate its removal.

It may be detrimental to the economy, useless for the environment but anything that hampers Australia’s recovery is good news for Labor because it reflects on Abbott.

 

Albo in …

I happened to hear Mr Shorten’s press conference as I was driving the other day. He made a speech tossing his hat into the ring and outlining the qualities that would make him a good Labor leader. Galvanizing, electrifying, inspiring, renewing are all words that you don’t need to describe it. Three years of that, I thought, and I’ll die of boredom. Albo has, at last, announced that he too will run. I suspect he is intellectually the inferior but, gee, he offers much more entertainment. Good on yer, Albo.

New Labor …

Just what they need …

After graduating he worked for 18 months as a lawyer for the firm of Maurice Blackburn Cashman before beginning his union career as a trainee organiser under the ACTU’s Organising Works programat the AWU, and was elected Victorian State Secretary in 1998. In February this year he  told MUA members in Western Australia  “there’s no other place I’d rather be today anywhere in Australia, and I mean this with all my heart, than here with you”.

At least you can’t fault him on loyalty …

Well, until he abandoned Miss Gillard and declared for Kevni.

CFMEU workplace reform association …

Violent scenes have erupted at a building site in Melbourne’s CBD this morning as striking construction workers clashed with mounted police as they advanced on their picket line.

There were reports of unionists punching and hitting police horses while police were forced to use capsicum spray when four officers were pushed to the ground by protesters just after 7am. People attempting to work at the site have been threatened. The protest is aimed at forcing Grocon to bow to CFMEU demands that the company pay for union appointed stewards on the construction site.

Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten said the federal government did not condone violence.

“We do not condone in any shape or form, regardless of whose doing it, unlawful action,”
Quite so, but we can make it a lot easier for you by removing the watchdog and the penalties …
SMH October 11, 2011
The Labor government must abolish the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) and remove its coercive powers, the nation’s powerful construction union says.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard told caucus on Tuesday legislation to abolish the watchdog would be introduced to parliament by the end of the year.

How thoughtful of them.