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Under Tony Abbott, political principles reach an all-time low

We are witnessing history being made. Unfortunately, it's a history-making decline in standards of political behaviour. At least it proves we're not merely imagining that things were better in the old days.

Tempting though it is, one of the things incoming governments don't do is delve into the affairs of their predecessor. The papers of the old government aren't made available to the new masters. But all that is out the window with the Abbott government's decision to establish a royal commission into the Rudd government's handling of the home insulation program and provide it with Labor's cabinet documents.
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It takes innocence greater than I can muster to believe the motive for the inquiry is to bring justice to the program's victims rather than to embarrass the Coalition's political opponents by raking over one of their more celebrated stuff-ups.
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So far have our standards sunk that we must now suffer the indignity of being lectured on human rights by the Chinese government.
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Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/under...alltime-low-20140225-33ffk.html#ixzz2uMzrH2an
 
The socialist left wing Labor and the Greens want a Royal commission into the death of one asylum seeker but cannot see the reason for a Royal commission into the 'PINK BAT DISASTER" that caused the deaths of 4 young Australian men and the burning down of over 200 houses.

What do they have to fear?
 
sails said:
No, IFocus. That's an opinion, not fact...
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Well the fact is that this government is destroying a centuries old tradition of parliamentary protocol by wanting to release cabinet papers for the Royal Commission.

The longstanding tradition of having cabinet papers confidential allows frank and wide ranging advice to governments. It means ministers from whichever party is in power can speak their minds without being concerned that in 3 years time they will have their comments trawled and nitpicked in public.

It's wrong, it's dumb and it's unprincipled.:2twocents I just hope the judge in this case has the courage and clear vision to make that observation regardless of the findings.
 
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-26/ewen-jones-says-food-star-ratings-wont-work/5283940

“I carry weight, I am actually fat. It’s not the Government that makes me fat… I don’t need a government to come and tell me that what I’m eating is wrong”…

“When I’m opening up a tub of ice-cream, I’m not looking at the rating, I’m not opening it because it’s low-calorie, low-fat or because it’s good for me”…

“I’m opening it up because it’s chock-a-block full of chocolate”…

Asked how he believed the Government should best combat obesity and its huge costs to the taxpayers, Mr Jones said education was the key.

“I think it’s through education and education in school, through healthy examples in schools, but not down to tuckshops,” he said.

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So if education is the way, then surely a website providing information to help make better choices, along with food labels that help to make better food choices is a good way forward :confused:

have no idea what MP Jones is on about. It's not like we're going t ban blatantly bad foods. He's still able to eat himself into a type II diabetes early death if he so chooses.

Jones' attitude seems to sum up the Coalition position on the issue though. Keep the masses in the dark and keep the donations from the junk food / alcohol / tobacco industries rolling in.
 
noco said:
The socialist left wing Labor and the Greens want a Royal commission into the death of one asylum seeker but cannot see the reason for a Royal commission into the 'PINK BAT DISASTER" that caused the deaths of 4 young Australian men and the burning down of over 200 houses.

What do they have to fear?
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* can you point me to the information about 200 houses burning down

* were the private employers more or less responsible than the govt for the deaths? Should Govt no longer provide money to external parties and only use directly employed people to do any form of Govt contract so as to ensure OH&S compliance? Note it was the states who were responsible for setting OH&S and IIRC none of them really had much in the way of guidelines for the insulation installers.

* can we have a royal commission into John Howard sending troops into Iraq for the second Iraq war? He did so against a large share of the population, he did so ignoring a lot of tell tale signs the information being used to justify the invasion was faulty, and it turned out that all the reasons provided as justification wear false or out right lies. The Brits did a decent attempt at some self analysis, how about the Abbott Govt does some too so we ensure not to make the same mistakes again.
 
sydboy007 said:
* can you point me to the information about 200 houses burning down

* were the private employers more or less responsible than the govt for the deaths? Should Govt no longer provide money to external parties and only use directly employed people to do any form of Govt contract so as to ensure OH&S compliance? Note it was the states who were responsible for setting OH&S and IIRC none of them really had much in the way of guidelines for the insulation installers..
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The link below indicates 154 house fires that we know of......there may have been more......nevertheless, just one house fire would have been too many.

The Governemnt in office at the time of this debacle should have insisted on contractors being registered as proficient with Work Place Health Safety rules.....they did not care who did the work, resulting in letting a lot of "COW BOYS" in that should not have been allowed.

http://www.businessspectator.com.au...l-rationality-prevail-over-pink-batt-hysteria
 
noco said:
The socialist left wing Labor and the Greens want a Royal commission into the death of one asylum seeker but cannot see the reason for a Royal commission into the 'PINK BAT DISASTER" that caused the deaths of 4 young Australian men and the burning down of over 200 houses.

What do they have to fear?
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Don't forget the 1200 that drowned at sea during ALP's 'open border' policy. Not a peep out of them...
 
DB008 said:
Don't forget the 1200 that drowned at sea during ALP's 'open border' policy. Not a peep out of them...
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It's ridiculous to blame drownings at sea on government policy.

The responsibility lies with those who choose to take the risks.

Once people have got here, and are in the custody and 'care' of the Australian government, the duty of responsibility for their safety then transfers to the government (of whatever persuasion).
 
rumpole said:
It's ridiculous to blame drownings at sea on government policy.

The responsibility lies with those who choose to take the risks.

Once people have got here, and are in the custody and 'care' of the Australian government, the duty of responsibility for their safety then transfers to the government (of whatever persuasion).
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Please take your blinkers off.

If the previous Gov had an open border policy that encouraged people to come here illegally....umm, they would have to take some of the blame for some of those deaths at sea? No?



Here was an article in todays paper that might help you understand...


The hypocrites of the left

A YOUNG man came to our doorstep seeking our help and we killed him. That is what happened on Tony Abbott’s watch and Tony Abbott now needs to show some principle and sack Scott Morrison.”

That single quote from Greens MP Adam Bandt sums up the emotional flatulence and sanctimonious hypocrisy that has been spewing from the Establishment Left all week.

If by “we”, Bandt meant the Greens and the rest of the opportunistic bleeding hearts who have been parading their compassion all week, then he would have been correct.

Because if anyone is to blame for the death of 23-year-old asylum seeker Reza Berati during a violent riot at Manus Island it is those very people who persuaded Kevin Rudd to dismantle the Howard government’s hard-won border protection.

And further, it was the toxic partnership of the Greens and Labor which turbocharged the people smuggling racket and lured asylum seekers like Berati with the promise of open borders.

Yet Labor’s Senator Sue Lines had the hide to accuse Scott Morrison of having “Blood on his hands”.

Greens leader Christine Milne even came close to accusing Immigration Minister Scott Morrison of “murder”.

What a joke.

Yes, Berati’s death was tragic. And if there are lessons to be learned about how to manage Manus Island, the government will need to heed them.

But the glee with which the compassionistas are pouncing on this story is unseemly.

What makes it even more infuriating is that this tragedy never should have happened. John Howard had emptied out the detention centres. There were just four boat people left in detention when Labor came to office. The boats had stopped. The deterrent was in place. No one left to riot. No asylum seekers dying at sea.

Labor arrogantly dismantled it all with the result that more than 50,000 people bypassed our immigration system and more than 1200 people drowned trying to get here.

Yet the bleeding hearts were silent on those deaths, which were every bit as tragic.

The tragedies were the direct result of achieving their heart’s desire and few had the integrity or humility to admit they were wrong.

When 200 asylum seekers drowned off Java in December 2011, what was Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young’s response? “Tragedies happen. Accidents happen.”

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/the-hypocrites-of-the-left/story-fni0cwl5-1226837577099
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DB008 said:
Please take your blinkers off.

If the previous Gov had an open border policy that encouraged people to come here illegally....umm, they would have to take some of the blame for some of those deaths at sea? No?


.
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So you ascribe NO RESPONSIBILITY WHATEVER to people who have seen others drown at sea and still choose to take a risk when they are quite safe in Indonesia, and you allot ALL the responsibility to government policy at the time ?

It's really funny when some people drone on about 'personal responsibility' in some issues like drug and alcohol abuse and decide to totally ignore it in others.

Yes, this government's policy appears to have stopped the boats. What price do you put on the now fractured relations with Indonesia which is just waiting for an excuse to get some retribution for our ships straying over its borders. Such retribution may come in loss of trade deals which could cost us more than we saved in refugee detention.

And I hear no condemnation of the blatant hypocrisy of refusing to agree to a 'Malaysia solution' on the laughable grounds that Malaysia has not signed the refugee convention, but sending people back to Indonesia which has also not signed the convention is fine ?
 
rumpole said:
It's ridiculous to blame drownings at sea on government policy.

The responsibility lies with those who choose to take the risks.

Once people have got here, and are in the custody and 'care' of the Australian government, the duty of responsibility for their safety then transfers to the government (of whatever persuasion).
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Agree 100%.

It grates me that the same goons who are willing to blast the refugees out of the water to keep them out of Australia, are the same ones that feign compassion and cry crocodile tears if refugees perish.
 
rumpole said:
So you ascribe NO RESPONSIBILITY WHATEVER to people who have seen others drown at sea and still choose to take a risk when they are quite safe in Indonesia, and you allot ALL the responsibility to government policy at the time ?

It's really funny when some people drone on about 'personal responsibility' in some issues like drug and alcohol abuse and decide to totally ignore it in others.

Yes, this government's policy appears to have stopped the boats. What price do you put on the now fractured relations with Indonesia which is just waiting for an excuse to get some retribution for our ships straying over its borders. Such retribution may come in loss of trade deals which could cost us more than we saved in refugee detention.

And I hear no condemnation of the blatant hypocrisy of refusing to agree to a 'Malaysia solution' on the laughable grounds that Malaysia has not signed the refugee convention, but sending people back to Indonesia which has also not signed the convention is fine ?
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Of course. People are responsible for their actions. However, if you throw a juicy carrot, there will always be a certain percentage of people that will take it, regardless of the risks. ALP had an open border policy. Lots of people drowned, bugger all was said about it. ALP encouraged people to come here in droves.
 
Macquack said:
Agree 100%.

It grates me that the same goons who are willing to blast the refugees out of the water to keep them out of Australia, are the same ones that feign compassion and cry crocodile tears if refugees perish.
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Plenty of feigned compassion and crocodile tears here, at a rent-a crowd "candlelight vigil" organised by GetUp to make political capital out of the death of an Iranian in Manus.

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rumpole said:
And I hear no condemnation of the blatant hypocrisy of refusing to agree to a 'Malaysia solution' on the laughable grounds that Malaysia has not signed the refugee convention, but sending people back to Indonesia which has also not signed the convention is fine ?
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The Malaysia solution was discussed at length in the asylum seeker thread at the time it was proposed.
 
Interesting everyone is ignoring the growing Scandal around Alastair Furnival and his lobbyign to get Cadbury their $16M.

I thought at least Noco would be incensed at the blatant abuse of power.

Furnival used to work for Cadbury and miraculously they get a handout from the Government he was working for.

How do you have an end to the age of entitlement when the system is so corrupted by the lobbyists and the general public is realising that the burden of structural adjustment will not be fairly shared.

Factor in that the Food and Grocery Council, which has opposed the food rating system site, contacted the Senator about it the day it went live. The site was pulled down the same day. Coincidence??

Abbots' already using the not as bad as Thompson defence, but if that's the height of the bar you are setting yourself, then seriously resign and get someone in who has some integrity.
 
Yes, I agree Sydboy, it's disgusting.
How the hell did a lobbyist get to that position within the government power structures.
How many more are there in a similar position? The Libs need to look into this otherwise the public will soon lose all faith.
 
Knobby... Syd
Geez guys, come on.
Senator Nash's debouched, dishonest, misleading, disingenuous, self-serving, lazy, behaviour has to been seen through 'Thomson' spectacles or specially made contact lens, available free with all Murdoch publications. This allows the wearer not to see the frothy scum unless it rises higher or is more putrid than 'Thomson scum'.
And it goes without saying, that this government, being on a razor thin majority, can hardly be expected to put morality and good governance before politics .
 
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