Australian Politics General...

[SirRumpole]

Has anyone in the media managed to ask any political party what their proposals are to prevent a reoccurrence of staffers drunkenly entering parliament and/or potentially getting raped/raping? Such as: Drug/Breathalyzer test reading below 0.05 prior to entry? Cameras in every hallway? Security escort unless you're very senior and it's past 8 pm?

As much as this seems a simple textbook he said/she said/I was too drunk/high to remember case I find it unbelievable that Bruce Lehrmann would have just left the office at 2:00 am without saying anything or checking on Brittney considering they came to the office together only 30 minutes beforehand and she was by all accounts drunk. I don't think any normal person would do that unless something 'bad' happened.

Bruce definitely fails the decent human test in my view, but I can't see him getting convicted unless some actual concrete evidence is produced.

They don't need to leave the building to get drunk, they can do it on the premises.

The whole place should be made dry during working hours and no entry after 9pm.

 

[IFocus]

They don't need to leave the building to get drunk, they can do it on the premises.

The whole place should be made dry during working hours and no entry after 9pm.

And like most Australia work places drug testing...

 

[moXJO]

And like most Australia work places drug testing...

Canberra would just make coke legal

 

[sptrawler]

Has anyone in the media managed to ask any political party what their proposals are to prevent a reoccurrence of staffers drunkenly entering parliament and/or potentially getting raped/raping? Such as: Drug/Breathalyzer test reading below 0.05 prior to entry? Cameras in every hallway? Security escort unless you're very senior and it's past 8 pm?

As much as this seems a simple textbook he said/she said/I was too drunk/high to remember case I find it unbelievable that Bruce Lehrmann would have just left the office at 2:00 am without saying anything or checking on Brittney considering they came to the office together only 30 minutes beforehand and she was by all accounts drunk. I don't think any normal person would do that unless something 'bad' happened.

Bruce definitely fails the decent human test in my view, but I can't see him getting convicted unless some actual concrete evidence is produced.

I agree, but I also wonder why someone who is so traumatised and upset that she puts the dress in a plastic bag, wouldn't go to the doctors for some forensic evidence. They are obviously both very smart people.

 

[The Triangle]

Going back to a topic earlier this year - are people like Brittney Higgins and Bruce Lehrmann the kind of staffers that the opposition MPs and Senators lose with Albo's reduced staff rules? It doesn't sound like anything they did in their jobs was of any value to Australians. If those are the kind of people getting hired, then no wonder Labor brought in that rule.

I agree, but I also wonder why someone who is so traumatised and upset that she puts the dress in a plastic bag, wouldn't go to the doctors for some forensic evidence. They are obviously both very smart people.

I want to see what Linda Reynolds has to say for herself next week - If I have an employee accusing someone of rape, I'm doing everything in my power to get them to see a doctor and report it to police. What if the accused had HIV?

They don't need to leave the building to get drunk, they can do it on the premises.

The whole place should be made dry during working hours and no entry after 9pm.

zero alcohol and drug levels are required in certain industrial settings because you'll likely hurt yourself or someone else operating heavy machinery which requires physical coordination. If people want to go out for lunch and have a beer with a steak sandwich, then go back to work and work on a spreadsheet in an office building I think it's fine.

 

[sptrawler]

Going back to a topic earlier this year - are people like Brittney Higgins and Bruce Lehrmann the kind of staffers that the opposition MPs and Senators lose with Albo's reduced staff rules? It doesn't sound like anything they did in their jobs was of any value to Australians. If those are the kind of people getting hired, then no wonder Labor brought in that rule.

I want to see what Linda Reynolds has to say for herself next week - If I have an employee accusing someone of rape, I'm doing everything in my power to get them to see a doctor and report it to police. What if the accused had H

I'm only going from memory, because I have very limited internet at the moment, but I don't think Brittany reported it to Linda Reynolds for some time and she also said she had been to the doctors. During the trail it was said she didn't infact go to the doctors.
It is all a real mess and sounds like the reporting of the incident happened much later, maybe someone could post up timelines, because from my reading of the media reports it sounded like the charges weren't brought forward untill after talking to the press well after the event.
Like I said I've had limited access to the internet, but that is the impression I gleaned.

 

[sptrawler]

Looks like the case is coming to a conclusion.

Bruce Lehrmann’s lawyer casts doubt on Brittany Higgins’ credibility during closing arguments in court

The ACT supreme court trial of Lehrmann is in its final stages, with the jury set to begin deliberations later on Wednesday

www.theguardian.com

 

[mullokintyre]

Looks like the case is coming to a conclusion.

Bruce Lehrmann’s lawyer casts doubt on Brittany Higgins’ credibility during closing arguments in court

The ACT supreme court trial of Lehrmann is in its final stages, with the jury set to begin deliberations later on Wednesday

www.theguardian.com

The Jury has been considering its verdict since 3.00 p.M. Wednesday, and they will return on Monday.
There seems to be no relationship between the length of deliberation and the verdict, though some suggest that quick verdicts are usually not guilty
Mick

 

[wayneL]

The Jury has been considering its verdict since 3.00 p.M. Wednesday, and they will return on Monday.
There seems to be no relationship between the length of deliberation and the verdict, though some suggest that quick verdicts are usually not guilty
Mick

It's interesting how this case has become so important in the national psyche.

It certainly is important for the people involved, but I'm kind of at a loss why we're all following it so intently.... Well, apart from the fact that it is being so intensely politicised

 

[SirRumpole]

Looks like the case is coming to a conclusion.

Bruce Lehrmann’s lawyer casts doubt on Brittany Higgins’ credibility during closing arguments in court

The ACT supreme court trial of Lehrmann is in its final stages, with the jury set to begin deliberations later on Wednesday

www.theguardian.com

It's interesting how this case has become so important in the national psyche.

It certainly is important for the people involved, but I'm kind of at a loss why we're all following it so intently.... Well, apart from the fact that it is being so intensely politicised

Brittany is the current poster girl for the MeToo movement and the feminist press lap this stuff up. The shrieking coming from female journos is not matched by the males who are more likely not to have axes to grind.

 

[mullokintyre]

In another example of rats deserting the sinking ship, a fourth ( or is it fifth?) NSW state minister, Rob Stokes, has announced his retirement.
Labour now a shoe in at state level NSW.
Mick

No 5 or 6 just announced his departure.
Health Minister, Brad Hazar, has joined the rush of departed and announced he will not be contesting the next election.
From ABC News

New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard has announced he will retire from politics at next year's state election after three decades in parliament.

Key points:​

• Mr Hazzard has been in NSW parliament since 1991
• He has held several portfolios, and was prominent as health minister during the pandemic
• The veteran MP joins a list of government figures leaving at the 2023 election

Mr Hazzard said it was "time for a new beginning" as he confirmed he would not contest his seat in March, bringing his tenure as the member for Wakehurst to a close after 32 years.

He described his six years as health minister, half of which was largely occupied with the COVID-19 pandemic, as "the best of times and the worst of times".

"t is time to focus on my family and new pursuits outside of government," he said on Monday night.

"This period of political life has been very demanding. As my staff pointed out, Victoria has had four health ministers during this time, and Queensland and Tasmania three.

I expected some pun headlines about health hazards being removed, journlists are less fun these days.
If by some chance the coalition win the next election, there will be precious few with any ministerial experience.
But then again, that level of experience will still be greater than the labour potential ministers, who have pretty much zero.
Mick

 

[PZ99]

Another key NSWexiteer and union hater: David Elliot > https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10...-david-elliott-announces-retirement/101566878

A lot of the 3 way factional war in the fed Libs that messed up their preselections has spilled over into NSW

 

[mullokintyre]

Aaaagggghhhh, factions, don't ya just luv em.
Internal hate sometimes exceeds the hate for your opponents.
Mick

 

[mullokintyre]

Its great to see the double standards applied to lydia Thorpe over her "unwise" relationship with a bikie gang leader while sitting on the parliamentary committee overseeing bikie crime, but then again, the Greens have always thought that transparency, honesty, conflict of interest etc etc only to others.

Mick

 

[mullokintyre]

Seems like Dan Andrews may be in a spot of bother if the number of rats deserting the sinking ship syndrome is anything to go by.
Apart from the seven MP's Mark Gepp, Richard Wynne Jill Hennesy , Dustin Halse , John Eren , Jane Garett and Danielle Green who all resigned immediately within a two week period back in December 2021, the was Luke Donellan who resigned in October of the branch stacking recordings, and of course there was Adam Somnurek who may well recontest as an independant over the same issue.
And then of course there was Jenny Mikakos who was thrown under a bus by Andrews over the mess that became Covid back in June 2021.
None of them will be recontesting for Labour.
Early in 2022 we had Labour MP Vaghela Kaushallys forced to resign after crossing the floor over the so called "red shirts "investigation.
Today we have had the announcement that Deputy Premier James Merlino, Health Minister Martin Foley, Industry Support, Tourism, Sport and Major Events Minister Martin Pakula and Police and Water Minister Lisa Neville are all set to step down from cabinet and not contest the November state election.
Thats a total of 15 members who will not be contesting for the Labour party.
Lucky he had a wacking great majority or he may have run out of fodder.
Mick

Vic Labour is joining the exodus.
from ABC News

Victorian Employment Minister Jaala Pulford says she has no regrets after calling time on her political career, just weeks out from the November 26 election.

Ms Pulford's exit will further reduce the number of experienced ministers in the Andrews government, after four ministers announced their departure in June.

Not sure why the ABC mentioned only the four ministers that departed in June, as since this current governmen four year period, there have been a total of 17 members departed, 8 of which are/were ministers.
And yet it seems the polls are still very much in favour of Labour.
Mick

 

[mullokintyre]

In last tuesday federal budget, labour made a comittment (of sorts) to build 1 million extra homes in OZ.
From ABC News

A plan to build 1 million new homes by the end of the decade as part of a historic deal between the federal government, states, private investors and the construction sector, will be revealed in tonight's federal budget as Labor seeks to mitigate the nation's housing crisis.

In his first budget, Treasurer Jim Chalmers will outline the government's plan to increase housing supply over five years from 2024, although it will rely heavily on the market itself.

Under the scheme, the Commonwealth would support an additional 10,000 affordable dwellings in that time frame, costing the budget $350 million, with the states and territories expected to deliver the same number of homes for low to moderate income households.

I was a little surprised that some of the figures were not analysed a little more closely.
\While the figure of a million homes in a decade is not a big deal, Australia built nearly that many in the decade before Covid.
However, the rest is questionable.
Firstly, 10,000 affordable dwellings at a total cost of 350,000,000 means each house is going to cost 35,000.
And that does not include the cost of the land on which these affordable houses will be placed.
There is no chance on earth of building anything apart from a small shed for that sort of money.
Now the spin doctors have already started to water it all down.
The million homes are "an ambition and aspiration".
According to a transcript of the interview with Julie Collins at DSS.gov .au

“We know we've got a lot of work to do on this,” she told RN Breakfast.

“It is an ambition and aspiration, if you like, for the million homes.

“We do know it's going to be difficult to make.

“But what we need to do is try and keep up supply … we certainly want to get there.

“We know that housing affordability is a really serious challenge right across the country.”

I wonder how I would go if i suggested that paying my taxes was "an ambition and an aspiration", rather than a commitment to do so>
Would the ATO accept that??
The maths i did above may have been a little too hard for the presenter, which may explain why he did not ask the bleedin obvious question.
Mick

 

[IFocus]

And yet it seems the polls are still very much in favour of Labour.
Mick

Think its as much about the mess the Libs are in also.

 

[wayneL]

Think its as much about the mess the Libs are in also.

Yes.

Allegorically, It's become a choice between Stalin and Mr Bean.

 

[mullokintyre]

Yes.

Allegorically, It's become a choice between Stalin and Mr Bean.

Yea, but at least mr Bean was good for a laugh.
Mick

 

[SirRumpole]

Yea, but at least mr Bean was good for a laugh.
Mick

I laugh at Dutton all the time.