Nick Minchin’s “Truth”

We hear Senator Nick Minchin,
One time Liberal party linchpin,
Retiring now, long in the tooth,
At last thinks he must tell the truth
About his doubts and what he saw
As Howard took Oz into war.
In politics timing is everything.
Why now would this extreme right wing
Faction leader, Howard supporter,
Decide that finally he oughta
Spill the beans? Has Afghanistan
Stirred his conscience? Or has ‘that man’
Promoting his acclaimed memoir,
Fawned on by the media choir,
Somehow given him the peeves,
Praising him less than he believes
Long years of service make his due?
So now, he says, he’s speaking true.
Is his ‘honest truth’ then absolute?
Or will it bring into disrepute
Other ‘ truths’ that once were spoken?
Could Liberal ranks be further broken
As former loyalists see what a con
Was pulled on them by ‘honest’ John?

Comments:

nasking,  27/10/10,  Good stuff, Patricia!  Minchin mud pie anyone?

joni,  27/10/10,  Most excellent Patricia… and has anyone noticed how many are now (not) in the media sticking up for either Howard or Costello?

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Lazarus Rising – With Memoirs!

John Howard’s much heralded re-arrival
On the national scene with memories archival
Will give cause for more than one old rival
To curse the dessicated coconut’s survival.

One can imagine how that last election night
Must have brought joy and so much untold delight
To pollies on the left, and many on the right,
To see him down, undone, defeated in that final fight.

Now here he is with memoir, “Lazarus Rising,“
His usual self-promotion and old foes patronizing,
Self-satisfied and smug.  It’s even said he’s been devising
With publicists a plan to achieve his own canonizing!

He smirks and smiles as if already in that blissful state
And seeks from Cardinal Pell through Abbott, a mutual mate,
To ask the Pope, without conversion or undue wait,
To confer the title of “St. John of Oz, the Great!”

Meanwhile old acquaintances look on in fascination.
Former foes now see a way through past frustration.
They say Howard’s sainthood would serve the nation.
Forget past enmities!  They’ll achieve his canonization –
Through martyrdom and Australia’s first political assassination.

COMMENTS:

nasking, 26/10/10,   ROFL. Good stuff Patricia! “Must give cause for more than one old rival to curse the ‘dessicated coconut’s’ survival.” !!

Miglo,  26/10/10,   I agree with Nas, Patricia, that was gold.

Ad Astra, 28/10/2010  You really are a stylist poet. What a delectable piece about our Honest Johnny – St. John of Oz – the Great!  Thank you.

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John and Peter Together Again! Isn’t This Rich?

(Apologies To Mr. Sondheim – Just keep humming when this misses the beat.)

Isn’t this rich?
Aren’t they a pair?
John here at last on open ground,
With Peter out there.
Both looking like clowns.

Isn’t this bliss?
Old mates disapprove,
As once ‘honest’ John keeps shifting his ground.
Peter won’t move,
Backed by more clowns
Putting John down.

Just when we’d stopped discussing his flaws,
Out he comes firing to settle old scores.
Making an entrance – not quite in wheel chair –
But mumbling his lines.
Do you think he can hear?

John!  Old enemies have been opening doors
To give Pete a job hoping, like you, he would never have yours.
So here he is now to respond to your dare.
More sure of his lines,
This time he is clear.

We all love a farce!
And political smear.
So tell us what you said ‘n he said …. ‘n you said….
Just make it clear!
You’ve written it down?
We can buy it in town?
Don’t be a clown!
Just tell us!   We’re here!

Your mates now seem sparse.
There aren’t many here.
Minchin and Reith,
Even Brough, now appear,
To give Peter thumbs up
And one final cheer.

Isn’t it rich?
Isn’t it queer,
Losing your timing this late
In your career?
But ‘Lazarus Rising?’
At your age!   My dear!
That would be surprising!
It’d give the new clown
One more thing to fear
And wish you weren’t here.

Well…. Maybe next year……

COMMENTS:

Ad Astra, 23/10/10,  What an appropriate song – Send in the clowns – and what clever words you have written. Thank you for yet more pertinent verses.

Gillian, 23/10/10, Fantastic! Well done – again xxxx

TalkTurkey,
  23/10/10,   OH You Patricia! Your Rhymes are Delicia!

nasking,  23/10/10,  Nice one, Patricia.

Min,  23/10/10,   Patricia..truly inspired. How apt ‘losing your timing this late in your career.’

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Questioning Times! Faith & Affirmations!

Am I alone in thinking it odd
That our very sane Prime Minister
Who does not believe there is a God
Be asked to publicly administer
Reproof to a trade union official
Who believes ‘9/11’ was a conspiracy.
If true,  that could be prejudicial
To the cause of our democracy
And of America with whose troops
We’re fighting a long and bloody war.
It could well mean we all are dupes
And it’s a lie our sons are dying for.

His view was challenged in our Parliament
In a question from the Opposition
On his right to voice such strong dissent.
This is coming from a Coalition
Whose leader has described as ‘crap’
Worldwide consensus on climate science!
He opposes policies to solve the weather trap
With what many see as ignorant defiance.
He also has faith in the beatitude
Of a newly ordained Australian saint.
Many do not share his attitude
Of reverence and think his faith is quaint.

Thank God, I say, he is not our national
Leader on this other matter to express a view,
But rather it is a woman who is rational
Enough to question if that belief is true.
That she disagrees with it she has confirmed.
The right to hold that view she has also forthrightly affirmed.

COMMENTS

Miglo,  22/10/10.  Another gem, Patricia. With all the media inspired gloom and doom surrounding us it’s so good to take it with a good splashing of humour. Whenever I go into the stats I can see that out of every eight people who read a post, only one will leave a comment. So there are more people out there reading your poetry than you think.

Min,
22/10/10, I would second that Migs…..Patricia is indeed a gem Exactly what is mostly missing from politics. Can you imagine a Mavis Bramston Show happening these days with the current bunch of dour and sour commentators.

nasking,  22/10/10,  Agree Patricia,  the union fella has the right to his views.

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Poor Andrew Robb! Caught Between Abbott & Turnbull!

When I think of Andrew Robb
I want to cry, suppress a sob.
He always looks so very sad.
I see now why he feels so bad,
Out of sorts and feeling blue,
Having to choose between those two.
Caught twixt Machismo and Narcism?
Either way he’s stuck with Masochism.

MY NOTE  This was a PS to thoughts in my pome re Hockey, this idea of Robb caught between Abbott and Turnbull.   Imagine being a diagnosed depressive trying to work with, between or around those two, much less three if you include Hockey!

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Joe Hockey, Tony Abbott’s ‘Little’ Mate!

I think the media are too kind
To  Tony Abbott’s not so little mate,
Suggesting he’s just disinclined
To malice and therefore too straight
To efficiently repeat the line
The Liberals have on interest rates.
Let me explain what’s on my mind.
Hockey’s a man I learned to hate
As he once nastily declined
When asked,  at an Amnesty stall,
For a petition to be signed.
He took me aside in that shopping mall
As he let loose with ‘f’s ‘n blinds’
Which showed him not just overweight
But as big a bully one might find.

THAT IS WHY……..

I loathe Joe Hockey!
He’s not just fat
And not just sloppy.
He’s a nasty rat
Who gets me stroppy.
I’d love a bat
To wham that floppy
Big bully flat.
So, don’t be soppy.
Don’t be a prat.
Send in your copy.
Let’s wallop him and Abbott  SPLAT*!*!*!

Is Joe Hockey Australia’s most misunderstood politician?

POSTSCRIPT,     11/09/12,    I reposted this pome at The Poll Bludger and TPS this evening after being reminded of why I wrote originally.  It was a follow up to a discussion of stories emerging about Tony Abbott’s bullying of women in his past and a suggestion that more women might come forward with similar stories.   I thought it a great opportunity to repeat again my reasons for loathing the man……

“Confessions and Poroti, here’s a woman prepared to come forward with a bullying story – sorry it isn’t Abbott, but his little mate Joe Hockey. My attention was drawn over at TPS to Christopher Joye’s article about Joe Hockey. I thought it was a load of rubbish particularly the idea that “the problem with Hockey is that his humanity and authenticity are both an asset and a liability. In contrast to many peers, he struggles to subjugate his integrity to the political altar of opportunism.”

I had a nasty encounter with Joe in the late nineties when I tackled him about interest rates whilst chatting over a petition at an Amnesty stall in his Sydney electorate. He was basking in the flattering comments of some of his Lane Cove lady constituents and he didn’t take too well to an unexpected and critical question from me. I’ve told the story many times over the years since I was both affronted and intimidated by his rude response to me. I’ve always been amazed at the media’s opinion of him as a genial giant of a man when every time he appears on TV or in a newspaper photo I see that ‘bully’ or ‘thug’ which to this day I think is written into every inch of him. So when he made that claim in 2010 about interest rates always being lower under the Coalition I was happy to try to express that opinion in my newly developing talent for verse.

POST POST SCRIPT, 04//01/13, I was reminded yet again of his malice and sloppiness by Michael at the Political Sword who pointed out the wild exaggeration of Hockey’s tweet about the PM’s surplus promises. “I see PM has broken her holidays to go to a folk festival. Shame the PM didn’t front up to apologise for breaking 400 promises for a surplus”

COMMENTS:

jane,    22/ 10/10,    Great stuff as usual, Like you, I think Hockey’s a dolt, probably not as dangerous as Smuggles, but an unpleasant dolt nonetheless.

Gravel,   22/10/10 Patricia I enjoy your poetic ways, I got a bit of a giggle from you trying to be tough.

Lyn,     24/10/10,    Hi Patricia You are magic, you made a belly laugh on me, love your words, you are very talented our Pretty Patricia.

Talk Turkey,     24/10/10,      Gee Folks, this is getting so good! Patricia WA on Joe Hockey, WOW, I dips me lid!

Ad Astra,     24/10/10,   Your poetry conjures up such enchanting images. Just imagining the scenario you paint is enjoyable.

jane, 04/01/13, Patriciawa, obviously Mr Joye didn’t read Hockey’s spiteful tweet about the PM spending Christmas with her widowed mother. Or perhaps Mr Joye thinks that sort of thing is exemplary behaviour. As far as I’m concerned, that tweet showed the true character of that revolting pile of blubber and your experience of his “integrity”, “humanity” and “authenticity” is confirmation that he is a very nasty piece of work indeed, devoid of decency, empathy and morals.

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Arms And The Man.

If Tony Abbott had his way
He’d mix with uniforms every day.
Policemen in their blue and gray,
Khaki clad soldiers far away,
As long as guns are on display.
He loves to hold them.  ‘Just for play!’
That’s what his PR guys all say.
I don’t believe that!   No way, Jose!
I’m doing a routine survey
To check him out from day to day.
Yes, I”ve set up a dossier!

He’s married, so he can’t be gay!
Still that’s a long disproved cliché!
Manly beach sees him on display,
Chest bared to sun, as if to say,
‘Come and get me, solar ray!’
Yet he’s not one to flirt or stray
Or toss around his DNA!
His sense of humor’s not risqué.
He doesn’t gamble away his pay,
Or drink, except café au lait.
Somewhere there must be feet of clay!

So why the passion for gun play?
Influence of the USA
Where being armed has such cachet?
Was his youth’s hero soldier,  Che?
As ‘martyr of the left’ lost sway,
To the right,  he’d find Pinochet,
Gun toting ‘saviour’ of Chile.
Does he dream of his own ‘Victory’ day?
There’d be a fireworks display!
Cannons roaring!   A band to play!
Australians shouting,  ‘Tony!  Ole!’

Talk Turkey, 19/10/10,  at TPS PatriciaWA, I have taken the cheeky but I hope not-resented-by-you liberty of reposting your AAAAA poem from Mungo’s blog, because it deserves the widest publication it can get.   Verse takes more time by far than rave, and it’s meant for others more than for oneself, and it is there for the betterment of communication in this war we must fight against the Rotten Right. SO I hope you don’t mind my presumption. 

NormanK,
19/10/10 Patricia WA  Thanks for your poems, they’re great.

Miglo,  19/10/10 Brilliant, Patricia. Just brilliant.

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What’s Wrong With Right And Left?

Yes, it is confusing – that word ‘wrong’ –
So too, don’t you think, is that word ‘right’
When differences in politics are strong
And the ‘liberal’ left has taken up a fight?

It’s right to say Gillard is of the Left.
But there is surely nothing sinister
In that?   Has Australia been bereft
Since she has been Prime Minister?

Rightist Abbot keeps on yelling, “Theft!”
Pulling tricks to show his Manly might.
All those lies!   Just one conclusion’s left.
As PM Tony Abbott would not be right.

PS Dorothy Parker’s ‘bon mot’ seems appropriate here for the Australian Liberal Party, “It serves them right for putting all their eggs into one bastard!”

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Grog Has Returned!

Dear Grog,
I love your blog.
The way you flog
Pollies when irrational
You clear the fog
Of dialogue
In the daily nationals.
The way you dog
The demagogue
Is truly inspirational

 

Comment

Anonymous, 15/10/2010,   Nicely put!

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Areopagitica – John Milton’s Cry For Freedom Of the Press!

‘True Liberty Is When Free-born Men Speak Free!’

Those few words above
Paraphrase what’s best
In Milton’s Areopagitica.
Crying freedom for the press
In 17th century England
Against monarchy’s excess,
His tract was a mighty weapon
In democracy’s progress.
Modern beneficiaries
Of his eloquent address
Now use that hard won freedom
As a weapon to oppress.
‘Freedom’ is their ’license’
To name and to suppress
A writer who dares question
How one man can possess,
World wide, as private property,
The power of the press.

MY NOTE: These references to Milton’s Areopagitica seemed appropriate to me because of a News Ltd. paper, The Australian, ‘outing’ the previously anonymous ‘Grog’ as a public servant and threatening his ability to continue with his blog site, “Grog’s Gamut.”  This was after he had questioned the monopoly ownership of so much of the world’s media by News Ltd’s proprietor, Rupert Murdoch.

POST SCRIPT:  Murdoch has not changed,  in spite of many others in mainstream media being critical of his interference political issues worldwide, e.g.in the US  presidential election of 2012 through Foxtel.

In Australia he makes no secret of his role as mentor, one might even say even controller, of  Prime Minister, Tony Abbott.

Mike Secombe doesn’t mention Murdoch or News Litd this weekend, but he talks about ….the growing view that the Abbott government is deep in the pocket of a dirty and declining industry that poses a threat to the planet…..

https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2015/09/05/abbotts-rules-distraction-lawfare-and-chafta/14413752002342

COMMENTS:

Nasking, 11/10/10  Patricia, I really dig: ‘True Liberty Is When Free-born Men Speak Free.’ Speaks to me. Motivatin’.’

Hillbilly Skelton, 11/10/10  Hear! Hear!   The pen is indeed truly mightier than the sword!   However, keep sharpening your pen, it is as sharp as any sword.

Ad Astra,  11/10/10  Patricia WA,  Your second poem is even more germane.   The manipulative power of the media is a threat to us all, as we have so starkly seen with Grog’s ‘outing’

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