Reflections on the Miracle of Democracy at Work in the Greatest Nation on Earth

Forty-second parliament: open thread

Those wishing to discuss Australian politics are invited to do so here rather than here.

701 Comments

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  1. 451
    Marktwain
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 9:44 pm | Permalink

    Poss, outing may be soooo 2007 (or soooo Howard era, as it is officially known) but it is soooo well paid! Think of that.

  2. 452
    gusface
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 9:45 pm | Permalink

    Poss
    but what about the bringing them out of moderation report?

  3. 453
    Greeensborough Growler
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 9:51 pm | Permalink

    Possum,

    I abhor the way you wave away “BloggingDreamtime”. Don’t you understand that once you take the blogs, the memory will fade and all we will be left with is an incoherent narrative of unconnected bloglets.

    That is right, the blogosphere will become an extension of real life.

  4. 454
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 9:53 pm | Permalink

    At this point Ms Twain, it ain’t about the money – it’s more about the snark. Especially considering the nature of the opportunity cost moving from from econometrics.

    I’ve had a few offers from the usual suspects – but until they can get a handle on modern media realities, they’d be wasting my time and theirs.

  5. 455
    Antonio
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 9:56 pm | Permalink

    Zoom – the very act of putting comments in moderation exhibits a welfare mentality. Some comments never come out of moderation – they become increasingly dependent on the moderator. And the cycle continues, generation after generation.

  6. 456
    Antonio
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:00 pm | Permalink

    There are cases where bloggers, whose comments are put into moderation early on, come across their comments years later and don’t even recognise them. Others spend years searching for their comments, not realising that the moderator may have deleted them, or even forwarded them to another blog.

  7. 457
    Marktwain
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:04 pm | Permalink

    In the midst of the word he was trying to say
    In the midst of his laughter and glee
    He had softly and suddenly vanished away …

    Are you, Possum, a snark or a boojum?

    Thinking back on it, those last few lines could be applied to numerous members of the former government. And to all of those who talk about “modern media realities”. Snark!

  8. 458
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:05 pm | Permalink

    I believe that moderation is an absolute myth. It is absolutely contrary to the fact and I absolutely repudiate it (bangs fist).

    It’s obvious we need a moderation intervention.

  9. 459
    Greeensborough Growler
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:06 pm | Permalink

    Antonio,

    This condition is called bloglexia. It is KO to admit you have it. I have come across stuff and asked the reasonable question, “who would write that”, and found out it was me.

    It is a nightmare.

  10. 460
    Greeensborough Growler
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:09 pm | Permalink

    Possum,

    Do you think blogs can be reformed or are they destined to delete themselves becaused of an inherent PDF failure?

  11. 461
    Ron
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:11 pm | Permalink

    As the most regular prisoner of the moderation blogosphere , Dr Adam Carr presides over of all blogosphere land title claims.

    William is merely his disciple but regarded as as too soft on the disrespectful

  12. 462
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:16 pm | Permalink

    Oooh, nasty! Ms Twain. I’m just a humble possum with claws and a calculator, and despite the musings of many of your fellow journos – I wont be disappearing anywhere, any time soon.

    You really have a taste for the classics.

  13. 463
    zoom
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:17 pm | Permalink

    See how quick you all are to jump on the blogging bandwagon!
    I bet most of you have never had a blog put into moderation in your life, but you are all too ready to claim to have been part of the Moderated Generation if you think there’s a buck in it.
    While we all sympathise with the idea that no blog should be removed from its author, I remind you that there are still blogs today who, without moderation, would suffer errors of syntax and grammar too horrible to contemplate, and which no modern society should tolerate.

  14. 464
    Greeensborough Growler
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:18 pm | Permalink

    Ron,

    As Lionel Murphy said when discussing this very topic.

    “Those moderated blogs have a right to be disrespectful!”

  15. 465
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:20 pm | Permalink

    Greeny, the world has moved on from such Bloggenics – dont you know its now all about the cultural transgressions of blogdem, how its not the kernal that’s the problem, but the malware. It’s so much more palatable to the intellecshual classes that way.

  16. 466
    Enemy Combatant
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:20 pm | Permalink

    There’s no doubt about it! Some blogs are an absolute waste of cyber-space. No more dead electron editions for me.

  17. 467
    Arbie Jay
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:20 pm | Permalink

    “who would write that”, and found out it was me.”

    GG

    You need a break, that is bad, baaaad, as bad as when I spent an hour looking for my glasses to end up in front of a mirror in despair to see them on my face.

  18. 468
    gusface
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:21 pm | Permalink

    Possum@458

    you obviously have never met someone whose comments were held in moderation!

    :)

  19. 469
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:21 pm | Permalink

    Hey zoom, some of my best friends are bloggers!

  20. 470
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:22 pm | Permalink

    But gusface – that’s just victimology!

  21. 471
    Antonio
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:23 pm | Permalink

    The theory was that blogs would die out anyway, but if a moderator removed them, and placed them among MySpaces and Facebooks they would assimilate, and have a future in the modern world. However, the policy left blogs in between two worlds, and comfortable in neither. Hence many bloggers demanded an apology. But an apology (like a blog) is just words. We need practical action.

    Brendan Nelson has agreed to bipartisan cooperation in a “Stolen Blogs” parliamentary sub-committee, which will interface with key stakeholders, and be outcome-driven in respect of access to ongoing facilitation. Counselling will be provided for those who request it, and a telephone hotline will be set up.

  22. 472
    jen
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:24 pm | Permalink

    What I find so disturbing is the complete lack of cultural sensitivity to the bloggers who have lost their comments, only to be given a token apology by William.
    Compensation is required, not just dental checks.
    I move that we get Wilson Tuckey to put forward a private members bill in support.
    In the meantime I suggest we all say the Lord’s Prayer very very loudly.

  23. 473
    Ron
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:26 pm | Permalink

    As the second most regular prisioner of the moderation blogosphere , my disrespect has merely penalised me with additional out of school study training from Dr Adam Carr……for which I’m instructed by him I must never apologise for

  24. 474
    jen
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:27 pm | Permalink

    I personally have been moderated. It is painful and humiliating and no explantions were ever given. Although no doubt I deserved it .

  25. 475
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:28 pm | Permalink

    Funny funny funny.

    And to think just a few months ago, such mirth would have been inappropriate.

    On that I shall exit stage left – night all.

  26. 476
    Megan
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:30 pm | Permalink

    Thanks for the fun,Poss.

  27. 477
    Marktwain
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:30 pm | Permalink

    Poss, my namesake reckons that “facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable”. He also reckons that “clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society”.

    I’m probably channeling him here, as I suspect I may be a little drunk, but I reckon he’s saying there’s no use in hiding behind a nickname, especially if your statistics – or other bits – are a bit wobbly.

    What was everyone saying about moderation?

  28. 478
    Ron
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:31 pm | Permalink

    Jen , Prayers are banned by Dr Carr in the moderation blogoshere

    Dr Adam says there are no Poll driven data to support them

  29. 479
    jen
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:32 pm | Permalink

    Possum,
    to think back a few months ago is like re entering a bad dream.
    And it’s still hard to believe it’s over.

  30. 480
    Greeensborough Growler
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:39 pm | Permalink

    So we all agree, Shakespeare said it in Bloglet, Prince of Bookmarks.

    To blog, or not to blog
    That is the question
    Whether ’tis nobler to suffer
    The slings and ridicule of William’s outrageous moderation,
    Or take umbrage at a sea of ridicule.
    And by opposing him be banned?

  31. 481
    Antonio
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:40 pm | Permalink

    Well, we’ve all had our say here tonight, and everyone’s had a good laugh.

    But what about those who are in moderation RIGHT NOW!! Spare a thought for them, their pain and their anguish.

    Yes, it still happens, though governments now call it “blog protection”.

  32. 482
    Ron
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:41 pm | Permalink

    Antonio #441
    you make a generous defence of Tuckey , Jensen etc ” that they have a right for their anti apology views to be represented in Parliament”

    Would not most of the anti apology voters have treated Tuesday with the respect of NOT demonstrating their opposition , given the magnitude of the occasion ?

    and delayed representing their opposition to any other future Parliamentary day

  33. 483
    jen
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:42 pm | Permalink

    Where is this so called Apology anyway?
    I have not heard the S word, and expressions of regret just don’t cut it Bilbo.
    You need bipartisan support from the Opposition (where Is Adam?), and if we don’t like it I for one will flip though a magazine or nor show up at all.

  34. 484
    Antonio
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:42 pm | Permalink

    GG – And (as it’s Valentine’s Day), Shakespeare also said:

    “If blogging be the food of love, blog on,
    Give me excess of it; that surfeiting,
    The appetite may sicken, and so die”.

  35. 485
    Greeensborough Growler
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:42 pm | Permalink

    Hat tips to everyone tonight. Good fun!

  36. 486
    Antonio
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:50 pm | Permalink

    #482 Ron – Why? There was a motion before the house. They were required to vote on it. The worst politicians are those who just take the money and shutup in Parliament, and their electorate never knows what they’ve voted for or what they really believe.

    Having lapsed in serious mode, I must go to bed.

    Meanwhile, Rudd has gone to East Timor. He’s certainly getting a few things done this week….

    In fact, I’d say he’s achieved more since November than John Howard achieved in a decade.

  37. 487
    Marktwain
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:51 pm | Permalink

    The quality of mercy is not strain’d …

  38. 488
    jen
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:53 pm | Permalink

    Night all.
    have to say that tonight was the most (blogging) fun since November 24th.

  39. 489
    Mike Cusack
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:59 pm | Permalink

    It is good to have imbeciles such as Tuckey, Mirrabella, Shultz etc demonstrate just how small minded, how lacking in grace and intelligence, how entirely unsuited to membership of a meaningfull house of parliament they are. It is easy to forget just how meagre is the contribution they generally make to the good governance of the nation. We need the reminders that they gave us yesterday.

  40. 490
    gusface
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 11:06 pm | Permalink

    Mike
    had the MIL over (yes she did finally vote labor)
    BUT she felt that the backturning was very disrespectful WTF
    The MSM is very skillfull in manipulating the images
    the usual suspects were playing to their audience
    and of course their 1950’s view of what is right (read white)

    we have a long long way to go

  41. 491
    Glen
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 11:06 pm | Permalink

    Mike you obviously dont believe in Democracy then, you are happy to support the opinions of those you agree with but if anybody like Tuckey, Jensen, Mirrabella and Shultz have a different opinion to you then they are small minded and stupid pardon me but to say someone is stupid for simply having differing opinions to is simple minded in my books.

    Had Nelson not done a botler of a speech id have been non-plus about yesterday but im willing for it to happen and move on it appears you arent.

  42. 492
    zoom
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 11:10 pm | Permalink

    Sophie Mirabella is small minded and stupid even when she has the same opinion as I do.

  43. 493
    Glen
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 11:12 pm | Permalink

    Zoom something tells me you’ve never had the same opinion with her so your statement is false.

  44. 494
    Arbie Jay
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 11:13 pm | Permalink

    Glen

    They were gutless individuals, if they had a different opinion they should have stayed in parliament and voted nay to the motion.

    Is not what they were elected for, to represent the people, not loudly recite a prayer to draw attention to themselves and then scuttle from the chamber, or fail to show up at all.

    I would have had some respect for them if they had quitely and decently spoken against the motion rather than behave like petulant spoilt children without the courage of their convictions.

  45. 495
    zoom
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 11:15 pm | Permalink

    I think we agree that little children are sweet, that Australia is the best country in the world, that Mt Buffalo is a terrific holiday destination and that Telstra has failed regional Australia.
    But she’s STILL small minded and stupid.

  46. 496
    apres
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 11:15 pm | Permalink

    Glen, you can’t take the good feeling away with your trolling tactics. Nelson’s speech was leadfooted, graceless and badly written, full of non sequiturs, mixed metaphors, cliches and awkward expressions. 1 out of 10. And then there’s the content…

  47. 497
    Mike Cusack
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 11:28 pm | Permalink

    Glen, it was not the different opinion to mine that upset me with them, it was the childish, wasteful fashion in which it was expressed. I am always happy to see views contrary to mine argued, particularly if they are argued well and interestingly.

    Wilson Tuckey reminds me of myself when I was the class smartar*e in year 8. I was a complete waste of space. I have since grown up and realised how stupidly and selfishly I acted, and I am sorry for the inconvenience I caused to my teachers and classmates. My presence was an unwelcome distraction to all and may have cost some of my classmates dearly in their later aspirations.

    The Commonwealth Parliament is much the poorer for the presence of Tuckey, and sadly he is one of the very few people in Australia yet to realise it. By 14 or 15 I woke up to my idiocy and reformed (or at least attempted to) when I became smart enough to realise that clasmates were laughing at me rather than with me. Tuckey has never had that insight.

  48. 498
    Glen
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 11:30 pm | Permalink

    Arbie Jay i can understand why they did not wish to take part in the ceremony and speeches considering their own views of the Apology but Arbie dont forget alot of people in Australia didnt support it at least they have some representatives in Parliament who are sticking up for their position.

    Apres here we go again, any Tory who contributes here is derided as a troll, there are people who vote Liberal Apres, deal with it!

    Nelson’s speech highlighted the fact that this is a complex issue and there is no easy way to tackle it. So long as children are being abused in aboriginal camps the apology will have been a waste of time IMHO. We should be Sorry that political correctness has contributed to the problem we see today, that abuses like Nelson mentioned are happening in this day and age is a disgrace and unless Aboriginals march and get angry about what their own people are doing they’ll never be able to stop such injustices.

    Sure to those who were forcefully removed and not for their own safety we can and should say Sorry but many children were saved and the irony is there is more reason to remove aboriginal children from their parents today than there was back then.

  49. 499
    Arbie Jay
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 11:33 pm | Permalink

    Apres

    Nelson desrves a lot of credit, we have spoken for years of the heartlessness of the libs, and yet when someone like Nelson, who has a touch of humanity like Hewson appears he is set upon.

    Nelson expressed some reservations over the apology, but in the end the motion was supported without any amendments or dissentions, and the motion was the motion put forward by Rudd, with not one voice, not one voice against it. That is the significance of yesterday.

    Not one member of parliament can now express reservations about the motion now, they are elected to put their views in parliament, if they cannot do that in parliament they should not be there.

  50. 500
    gusface
    Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 11:35 pm | Permalink

    Arbie@499
    hear hear

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