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Reflections on the Miracle of Democracy at Work in the Greatest Nation on Earth
Forty-second parliament: open thread
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701 Comments
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For those of us who had to work (well, me anyway), what did Chris Pearce actually say or do?
Never thought I would ever say anything that might even remotely justify anything Tuckey did, but wasn’t the guy he assaulted in the process of burgling Tuckey’s pub?
135 BMWofVictoria
I do believe the mp above Yvette D’Ath was julie Collins mp for Franklin. Jodie Campbell mp fro bass was also in view to D’Aths right i believe.
I did enjoy Tuckey being kicked out. Shame those usless greens can’t even read their how to vote cards so we have to put up with him.
Queensland Parliament’s Opposition Leader Springborg and Liberal Member for Currumbin Jann Stuckey were on their usual suspect behaviour during Question Time today too.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/13/2161858.htm
JWH has only himself to blame for being in the dustbin and completely irrelevant. If he swallowed whatever he had to swallow and made it to the Sorry Ceremony, he could have had his own little reconciliation. I am sure if he did that, they would accept his gesture. Having the last 5 PMs there, Whitlam, Fraser, Hawke, Keating and Howard would be an even more powerful symbolism. Of course, we all know that JWH has always been a petty, small hearted politician.
Fulvio, obviously the court didn’t take that to account, they convicted Tuckey. I seem to recall something about taking the law into your own hands from somewhere
Basil, you are absolutely right, whether someone was trying to rob you or not is in no way an excuse for cold bloodedly assaulting him with a weapon. But hey, it is the type of thing commonly raised in mitigation of penalty in Courts all over the country.
Although in this case the victim probably could argue that he was only taking back what was stolen from him in the first place!
151
Fulvio Sammut Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
For those of us who had to work (well, me anyway), what did Chris Pearce actually say or do?
Fulvio he had the arrogance ALL through Rudd’s appology statement to read a magazine & make funny faces to his next door colleague
Doubt whether any of his Electorate Liberal voters would condone such bad manners & gross disrespect
I was struggling to sleep last night and therefore turned on NewsRadio around mid-night and the Liberals were still crying foul about the new Friday sittings. Except that they did know why they were upset. Half where crying foul about not being in there electorates but the other half were sooking in that there would no question time. It was like they didn’t get it, they are no longer the government.
with a PM like Kevin Rudd , perhaps we are the lucky country after all
(with due respect to Donald horne)
because yesterday for the first time Aborigines welcomed Australians to Canberra
and today Aborigines feel they are respected and are PART of Australia
Scotty,
That seems to be correct. Well-spotted!
This is the seating plan in the new Reps.
http://www.crikey.com.au/Media/docs/seatingplan-26de94f4-c365-435f-b6b8-251b8e3cc8f8.pdf
On the matter of Howard having Protective Services coverage: He will have protection for as long as the AFP feel that therse are groups who might want to do him physical harm. And it probably makes sense too; if someone was to attempt to kidnap or kill him it would cost a lot more than giving him a guard.
Ron
“with a PM like Kevin Rudd , perhaps we are the lucky country after all”
Spot on, Rudd may well turn out to be one of Australia’s true great leaders.
He is like Gough with his many plans to bring equality and fairness back to Australia, yet without the flair, impatience and arrogance, like Keating with his determination and political skills, a touch of Hawke with the way he reaches out to all people and he has not forgotten Chifleys “light on the hill”. Yet he also has his own way of getting things done quickly and efficiently.
BS Fairman, why do you assume there would be anyone willing to pay the ransom?
As a Green I am impressed and relieved to see Rudd’s performance and obvious sincerity on this issue. He has performed far better than I was expecting, adn has the air of a true statesman.
The opposition on the other hand….
I must admit to being a little surprised – I was outside parliament house and after seeing the reaction to Nelson’s speech was worried that the real message of today would be lost. But it appears as though the positives are shining through.
Makes me question myself a little, am i looking for negatives that aren’t actually there???
Maybe it didn’t come across as badly on tv as it seemed to where i was – i dunno
Either way, it’s a great day for the country and hopefully we can move on from here
Womble, it was just as bad on tv but we are all trying very hard not to let it rain on the parade. And be bi-partisan
Maxine should be sitting in one of the seats behind the despatch box as a constant reminder/irritant to Coalition supporters.
166 Womble- No, Nelson’s speech was absolutely dismal. What a pathetic, mealy-mouthed, mean-spirited speech which summed him up perfectly and the pitiful wreck of a party the Rodent has left behind. Turnbull cannot replace that slimebag soon enough.
Rant over.
169
Rant agreed with. Abysmal and destructive effort.
Mayo, perhaps we can have subliminal images of her flashing on the screen as they are broadcasting parlt, really get up their noses!
So good Nelson insisted on all those flagpoles at schools. Made it so much easier to fly the flag today.
I hope one and all enjoyed the one hour slideshow of Canberra presented by the “Parliament of Australia” posing as a ” Sorry” presentation hoping you have broadband and not a dial up connection.
I should add on a brighter (and perhaps more sexist) note that I was very pleased to see that Kate Ellis was still placed in the “poll position” behind Kevin in the new parliament. That’s good politics.
Greetings all.
I wonder whether anyone is prepared to say what this apology will do to the Aboriginal child who’s been abused, molested and assaulted? To the egregious poverty in remote Aboriginal communities? To the rampant alcohol and drug abuse?
I would suggest nothing at all. Symbols are meaningless. Practical reconciliation, as the great Sir John Howard advocated, is of far superior value.
After all of those years looking at the 2 Trishes, I can assure you that the Member for Adelaide is a good look!!!!!
Diogs,
the lovely Kate does not make up for the pole position Julie Bishop holds on camera. Hopefully the opposition won’t be in frame very often.
welcome Generic Person from the dark side
with a television set you’d be able to see the eyes of the people in the Parliament gallery , in the Great Hall , in federation Square & in anyother public place
……see the eyes of both black & white Australians and that will beyour answer
if after looking , you are umoved then perhaps you wish to reflect humanity
GP
-no doubt you’re right that “symbols are meaningless”
Should get rid of funerals, weddings, crucifixes, birthday cakes, engagement rings, Easter eggs, headstones…
Perhaps both symbolism and practical measures are required. As Kevin Rudd said.
And perhaps you are a troll. Or Wilson Tuckey.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23207713-5013871,00.html
Explanations from those who weren’t there.
The usual garbage (do I mean the excuses or the MPs??)
Generic Person….honestly, if you aren’t educated on this issue by now, you aren’t even trying.
…and if you don’t think symbols are important, I hope you do not have the hypocrisy to salute the flag, celebrate Christmas, go to church or send people birthday cards – let alone expect someone to apologise to you if they accidentally bump into you on the train.
and Jen ….’diogs’ ?
I thought you only reserved some informallities for your ‘George” (Clooney) ?
Ron -
saves on bad typing. I call George Sweetheart.
No 178
I do not discount the emotional value of an apology, however, my view is that there must be real outcomes not symbolism.
What did the walk across the Harbour Bridge in 2000 achieve for Aboriginal people? Nothing.
Compare and contrast with the NT emergency intervention, and there is a world of difference. Thousands of children being medically checked, made to go to school and lives changed forever. Education and health are key to removing the enormous divide between indigenous and white Australians.
…which is, of course, why Rudd coupled the apology with an outline for action on all of these issues.
No 184
As long as the emergency intervention is not dismantled hastily, I will await with interest the outcome of this so-called “bi-partisan war cabinet”. One would be inclined to think the relationship between Abbott and Macklin to be cursory at best.
So what’s your gripe, then? You accept that it’s more than symbolism, and that action has been proposed.
Again, Rudd made it clear today that (rightly or wrongly) the intervention will run for at least a year. I really can’t see why something which was cobbled together in such a rush needs careful consideration before dismantling, but he’s the PM and I’m not.
One would hope that Macklin and Abbott can put aside their differences in a greater cause. If they can’t, then who’s to blame – the government who made the gesture or the individuals who couldn’t co operate?
GP, I have the feeling you’re carping for the sake of it.
183
Generic Person
Are you perhaps confusing two very seperate issue here?
No one doubts what you are saying about practical responses to immediate and dire problems, but what today was about was what happened some years ago to people who are either dead, or, very old now.
We cannot change the past, but to those whose lives were torn apart by policies of seperation and cultural ‘assimilation’, we can, and must, and just have, said sorry.
It was a cathartic moment for us all, for those who were were damaged by this process and for those of us who share a vicarious shame for what was done to these people.
Trying to pretend, like Howard did for the last decade, that somehow it did not matter, that saying ’sorry’ was not important to either them, or us, is to diminish the humanity of bringing these acts into the daylight, acknowledging the incalculable misery it caused, and extending a hand in compassion.
Nobody can undo what happened in the past. Nobody can undo the great transfiguration of Australia that happened today with one simple word:
“Sorry”
nothing
Cobbled together. Hmmmm, let me see. A speech in parliament fulfilling a party policy and election promise, or a sudden, unilateral intervention including suspension of aboriginal land tenures and rights in the eleventh year of the Howard era and just before an election.
Tell me again, what was cobbled together? I’m a little confused.
189
I think Zoom was referring to the NT intervention, which was put together on the back of an envelope (as so many policies were last year).
I was, as the context of my remark makes perfectly clear.
Thanks, Dangerous.
I move that Australia Day be relocated from 26 Jan to 13 February. I’ve a feeling that this is the day we first came together as a nation.
GP:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/rights-watchdog-proposes-overhaul-of-howards-emergencyintervention/2008/02/11/1202578694335.html
Thank the heavens that Howard’s racially divisive, morally corrupt reign is over.
Rudd has done more in 2 months then Howard has done in 11 years.
Howard’s legacy will be as a miserable old man, bigoted and with an inflated sense of self importance that doomed his party to political oblivion.
Good riddance.
I agree Ferny Grover re our National Day. Whatever happens we should remember 13 February as a truly special day.
There is a seating plan (pdf) for the House at http://www.aph.gov.au/House/work/index.htm#hcsp
No. 193
Asanque, it is all well and good quoting HREOC, but the reality is that Aboriginal policies have failed for the last thirty years.
What about the rights of the abused child?
The right to an education? The right to live with dignity? Ah, that’s right, such “rights” are conveniently forgotten so long as there is an undertone of anti-Howardism.
Generic Person, the walk over the Harbour Bridge and other bridges around the country did achieve something. Those walks were also powerfully symbolic and led to today. Clearly you didn’t listen to what Rudd said about 4-yr-old kindergarten for Indigenous kids, and housing. If anyone’s practical about what symbols mean, he is.
nothing
An observation. If you go by the vote on Ninemsm web page – “Do you agree with text of Kevin Rudd’s Sorry Apology”,52341 Yes and 92791 No, saying sorry may not be as popular as most on this site think. Seems we could still be a nation of rednecks despite today.
I see Generic Person is back with all their deeply thought out positions advanced. Good to know the liberals are in such good hands..
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