I guess we’re not getting a Morgan poll tomorrow, so a stand-alone post is required to note recent developments. To wit:
• Antony Green has crunched the numbers from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ latest state and territory population figures and concluded that yet another new seat will need to be created in Queensland next year, again at the expense of New South Wales. Queensland will thus have boomed from 26 seats to 30 in little over a decade, having earlier gained Blair in 1998, Bonner in 2004 and Flynn in 2007. New South Wales lost Gwydir in 2007.
• The Australian Electoral Commission has announced that the finalised new federal boundaries for Western Australia will be gazetted on December 18, and maps published henceforth.
• Possum reckons “it’s time to rethink political demographics”, and explains why across a two-part epic here and here.
• A constitutional crisis is brewing in Canada that has some excited observers invoking the example of Australia in 1975. The election on October 14 saw Stephen Harper’s Conservative minority government re-elected, but again requiring the support of Bloc Québécois. However, Bloc Québécois has now signed an accord with the Liberal Party and leftist New Democrats due to dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the financial crisis. Harper reportedly plans to ask that Governor-General Michaëlle Jean prorogue the parliament so it will not sit until the budget is presented in January. This would avert a sitting on December 8 at which Harper’s government would likely be defeated on a no-confidence motion, and allow him time to pick apart the Liberal-Bloc-NDP deal. This raises the question of whether Jean ought to grant a prorogation to a Prime Minister who might not have the confidence of the House.
UPDATE (5/12/08): Jean agrees to prorogue parliament until January 26. Ben Raue at The Tally Room expresses his displeasure, and proposes reforms to the appointment of prime ministers (citing the practice in the Australian Capital Territory), the scheduling of parliament and the timing elections. I am a little more sympathetic to Jean’s decision, on account of the Liberals’ evident state of disarray – although I can buy the idea that it’s not the Governor-General’s role to make such judgements.
1,278 Comments
Pages: « 1 … 2 3 [4] 5 6 … 26 » Show All
Diogenes, the first suicide I was involved with was of a young woman who doused herself with petrol and set herself alight. She took 3 days to die, and it was truly awful. Are you doing a burns unit?
vera
Posted Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 10:58 pm | Permalink
“Ron there have been a few backdowns in past couple of days by them Libs”
Looks like they’ve invented a new back step shuffle dance Vera
Bidgood was already in Rudd’s bad books. It turns out that he described Rudd’s actions in Phonegate as “indiscreet”. He retracted that a few hours later.
Julia Gillard just said “A silly set of propositions by the opposition” about 16 times in a row.
A good interview with her but she stacked it at the end.
And the Canberra Times journalist who also took photographs?
Shocking footage on Lateline concerning dental health in nursing homes.
The Minister has urged the dentist who took the photos to send his report directly to her, but I think Rudd should intervene.
The Editor of the Telegraph which first ran the story & pictures tells a different story than that.
I think this one can go into the same box as Rudd’s dog, nanny and butler. Libs grasping at any feeble thing.
news.com denied that he asked for money, just that he wanted a donation made to charity
HSO
Yep, I’ve been in the Burns Unit here for five years. I should point out that the police or security guys did a great job in that case, not just from a bravery point of view. You can actually die without setting fire to yourself if you’re covered in petrol. It can cause a chemical burn and lung damage. They washed him off with water and saved him.
She is the wife of Tony Wright
WOW I didn’t know that Clare Martin was now CEO of ACOSS.
In other news, Barnaby Joyce thinks the economic stimulus package is going to result in an increase in rape.
ron
Dancing with the pollies? Isn’t that a TV show?
Name a political reporter more boring than Tony Wright…
GO!
HSO and william… I’d love to argue all night with youse, but I said I’d had enough of the Bidgood Affair and I have to stick with that.
Suffice it to say that my argument cares not either way for Bidgood’s religious beliefs. They’re irrelevant to my mind. And as to the morality of his situation, HSO, you should know better than to judge others by your own beliefs as to what is proper and decent.
Now it really is “to bed” for me.
G’night all.
This is unusual, the media accusing the media of inciting terrorism. Makes some very telling points too and well backed up. Well worth a read.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24747361-7583,00.html
Dario
“If you are minding your own business outside Parliament house and someone chucks a mental, it’s not paparazzi-like to take a photo, it’s human nature”
Bullsh.t
.
Human nature is to instinctively either try to stop th guy or alternatively seek to find Security/police to prevent someone torching themselves
I suppose its human nature to witness a head on car crash and pull out your nippon camera , rather than instinctively try to render assistance
And yet he kept quiet about all of Johnny’s handouts… does that make him a rape accomplice?
The police had already stopped him torching himself. Look at the photo.
Ronster, read more about human nature. Those words put in that order actually mean something.
Don’t be racial now Ronster, you mean Nikkon.
Oh I see so I suppose its human nature to witness a head on car crash and NOT pull out your nippon camera , rather than instinctively try to render assistance….and only do so after th medics hav arrived
Only an indecent person takes photos of tragedys , and th victim is one
Why’s he keep calling it a “nippon” camera?
“Sino” reflects more on accurately on where it’s manufactured.
Human nature existed well before cars and cameras was my point.
This is completely absurd! Some of the most famous photos in history have been of people being killed, or killing themselves, such as:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f9/Nguyen.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguyen_Ngoc_Loan
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/05/The_Falling_Man.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falling_man
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/78/Burningmonk.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%ADch_Qu%E1%BA%A3ng_%C4%90%E1%BB%A9c
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT IN ALL OF THE ABOVE LINKS
Are you honestly saying that none of these photos should’ve been taken? Or are you just saying they shouldn’t be published?
I think it was extremely important for the photos to be taken and for them to be distributed.
I assume it is a typo. I think he means Nikon.
I don’t think he is deliberately being racist, it just sounds like it.
Or a photographer, or former photographer. How else would we have photos of tradegies the world over?
I think we should call it a ‘Ronno’
And so to bed for me, as well. Bushie, there is a difference between being judgmental and making an informed judgement, as I think you well know.
Dario, taking photos of someone in an invidious situation is, just, well distasteful at the very least.
Barnaby reckons the economic stimulus package is going to result in more rapes? No, c’mon, surely not, what a day for stupid comments!
How? Why? It’s not a full moon is it?
Another religious loooony tune, no doubt.
This was his reasoning – More money means more people buy alcohol, more people buy alcohol the more they want to have sex, the more they want to have sex, the more likely they are to rape someone.
Barnaby obviously hasn’t considered the possibility that people will just take the cash and spend it on a prostitute! Thus saving the need to buy alcohol, and commit a criminal offense.
I’m sure many professional photograpers in war zones around the world would agree with you
As I said earlier, I wonder what his view on Johnny’s handouts over the years was…
It’s human nature to run away from potential danger, it’s either brave or callous to stand there and photograph it. Bigood made a smallbad by being callous, but it’s not a hanger, however, my human nature tells me to ran as far away from end-of-timers as I can, and I hope they disendorse him.
To be fair, I think he broke ranks and said the Coalition should hand the baby bonus out as quarterly payments, rather than as a lump sum.
So I guess he is just trying to make the same point. But I don’t think he helped himself by linking the payments to rape.
I’m glad I’m not the only one that finds end of timers scary.
I mean, why should we care about the world and the future of humanity if the world is about to end and we can’t do anything about it?
It just makes me thankful Obama / Biden won, instead of Palin and that old guy.
No, I can’t imagine that was mentioned about the baby bonus… although the comparison would have been quite amusing!
What would you make of this healine inthe SMH? lol
Isn’t that where a certain ex PM lives?
http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/mosman-ready-for-rat-invasion/2008/12/03/1228257139088.html
He was a professional photographer in the past apparently
Can’t argue with that
This was his reasoning – More money means more people buy alcohol, more people buy alcohol the more they want to have sex, the more they want to have sex, the more likely they are to rape someone.
Um…wouldn’t lowering taxes on alcohol produce the same outcome? Particularly, if the alcoholic product was being marketed to the young, i.e. hormones on legs, a demographic not renowned for exercising restraint whilst p*ssed as newts?
This is Barnaby we are talking about… logic rarely comes in to it
Well we hav 3 red herrings going all at once to camoflage Bidgood’s indecent cold blooded action
you will find Kevin Rudd agreeing with me , thats why Bidgood got a well deserved roost from his rh man Unlike yous guys Rudd’s team didn’t hav partisan glases on , it was a non natural distasteful action , and he was told that bluntly , and i’m sure no other MP would hav done Labor or Liberal , so yous defenses look quite lame
As to ‘paid’ photographers , those that give us pictures of tragedys before rending assistance ar also indecent I tink , and most people would prefer assistance given …and happy to miss out on th tragedy photo if there is a choise , exceept strange minds What sort of people would feel otherwise
Whats this racial herring , so its not nippon but nikkon is a brand , just missed out a few letters along th way Reel point is he pulled out a camera and it has a brand name , and his camera should not hav been pulled out , and also he is an MP not a news photogrpgher anyway
when yous guys back yourself into an over partisan corner , you look quite inconsistent criticising oppositions like Bishop’s foolish hand signal to julia for also doing stupid things
Dario @ 179. As I’m sure you’re aware, there are prices to be paid. And there’s a discussion to be had, if William would allow. I suspect William would want it to relate even tangentially to psephy stuff.
Really have to exit stage left and catch up with you tomorrow.
Oooohhh, if people have got money, then they can party, drink alcohol, feel horny, and have sex.
What a scream! Barnaby can go where the goodies go, we’ll go where Paris, Lindsay and Brittany go LOL.
On the end of timers – have you noticed them consistently advertising in the financial section of the News Ltd websites?
I mean, why should we care about the world and the future of humanity if the world is about to end and we can’t do anything about it?</i.
Even more scary is that some of the End of Timers want to hasten the End by encouraging the wars, etc, that are supposed to trigger the Rapture.
ShowsOn @ 172
Would it not be a good idea to put the graphic content warning above the links not below them?
Argument from authority. Try again.
How do you render assistance to a person who has jumped from the World Trade Center when you are standing on the ground?
I proposed that you WEREN’T deliberately being racial, but it would’ve been good if you corrected yourself earlier to dispel that impression.
You’re the one being partisan, you are agreeing with whatever Kevin Rudd says.
It’s a photo of a person being saved.
Since when has it been morally wrong to take a photo of someone being saved? What was he supposed to do, grab the bucket of water off the copper and tell him he’s doing it all wrong? Move closer so that he’s in the way and asked to move back? Grab a police radio and start screaming mayday into it?
Emotional response to witnessing someone saved from mortal danger: releif – joy – happiness? isn’t that likely to have been Bidgood’s state of mind at the time he took the picture?
SNIP: You know this won’t do, Dario – The Management.
SNIP: +1 – The Management.
Are you saying that the following text wasn’t enough of a warning in itself?
If you are worried the internet may offend you, don’t click ANY links under ANY circumstances.
Oh of course. This is why fundamentalist Christians support certain extremist elements in Israel, because they think that their success will lead to nuclear conflict with Iran.
Liberals’ second-in-charge needs to lift her game and soon – Michelle Grattan
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/liberals-secondincharge-needs-to-lift-her-game-and-soon-20081204-6rhc.html
The heat is on.
Pages: « 1 … 2 3 [4] 5 6 … 26 » Show All