Turn Back The Boats!

Posted on June 27, 2012 by patriciawa

Tony Abbott knows he has authority
To give commands, to turn the tide of history.
He can ignore advice, needn’t wait for votes.
Of course he can turn back those boats!

He has a sacred pledge or covenant
With God. He knows that government
Is rightly his….or soon will be. It must.
His blood oath on that just needs our trust.

For non-believers like Julia Gillard
And godless men of the old Red Guard
Who claim a democratic right to rule
He rightly has contempt and ridicule.

Businessmen must now make plans ahead
Heeding what this visionary has said.
Ignore those laws about a carbon price!
He’s warned them once! He will not say it twice!

That climate crap’s all hypothetical.
Believing it is now heretical.
Pretending to he once himself risked hell
Till shriven of his lie by Cardinal Pell.

Knowing himself to be pure of soul,
And with a clear mandate from Newspoll,
He demands again an immediate election.
Gillard must obey, with appropriate genuflection.

As if King Canute’s direct descendant,
He condemns her and any Independent,
Or Liberal who dares defy his orders,
To exile on Nauru outside Australian borders.

COMMENTS:

archiearchive FCD,     27/06/12,     Oh Yes! I have been watching the HoR all afternoon and have begun swearing at the TV. My twitter feed is becoming impatient and my stress is rising.    How dare this worm of a man claim to be compromising when he wouldn’t know a compromise if it bit him on his backside!  GRRRRRRRRRRRRR ( I feel so much better now :)

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Working Class Girl

Posted on June 21, 2012 by patriciawa

Hear about that ranga sheila,
Fighting the big end of town?
Boofhead Abbott says he’ll beat her.
“No worries mate! She’ll soon lie down!”
But oh no! She’s a working class girl!

Raised in a working family
She believes in a fair go,
But she’s no revolutionary,
She would be if she had to though.
Oh yes, she’s just a working class girl.

Made friends around the neighbourhood,
Went to school on the local bus,
They keep in touch as old mates should.
“She’s great!” they say. “Still talks like us.”
‘Course she would, she’s a working class girl.

Her Dad worked hard, his shifts were long,
Nursing oldies in their pain.
He taught his kid how to be strong
But helping others is no strain.
Yes, for sure, she’s a working class girl.

Learned too as her mother’s daughter
A woman’s work aint ever done.
And never paid how much it oughta
As if she’d been her father’s son.
That’s life for a working class girl.

So now she’s gonna change all that
Help working folk like me and you,
Who always had to pass the hat
For battlers without a brass razoo.
She knows, cos she’s a working class girl.

julia gillard

Apologies to Jimmy Barnes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwIdbN1QW24

Now our polliepomes version can be found in Windows Media Library Music if you link for Working Class Girl.  My thanks to the singer who recorded but even today (09/06/2016) has not identified themselves!  Love to hear from them!

NOTES:    Julia Gillard’s voice and accent are often criticised by her detractors.  For me it is one of her great assets.   It is both distinct and distinctive.   When you listen to that voice you hear what she has to say.  Every word is crystal clear.  Nor is there any doubt as to who is speaking.   At the same time it distinguishes her as an Australian, of working class origin.

She has been well educated in our state school system, gone to university and become a lawyer.   No doubt she has often been counselled to moderate the tone of her voice and to soften her accent.  But throughout her legal career which often required courtroom advocacy and her years of political activism which involved much public speaking she has resisted such counsel.  Her accent is immediately recognisable as South Australian,  from suburban Adelaide,  and with a hint of Welsh.  That she gets from her mum and dad who were born among the colliery workers of Glamorganshire in Wales.  Their coming to Australia as ten pound poms in the 1960’s was for clean air and sunshine to heal tiny Julia’s weak chest.

Now she has grown up to become our Prime Minister and mixes with the most powerful in the land. She is a forceful speaker in Parliamentary debate and eloquent at public functions.  She is listened to with respect when she speaks for Australia in international forums.     She is as effective on the world stage as any national leader.   Yet she is always herself.  And one of us – a working class girl.

COMMENTS

Talk Turkey,       20/06/12,     Patricia,  I haven’t tried to sing it, yet, because I don’t know the tune well enough, yet, it’s more complex than the bush ballads which are about my limit, but I can say already that this particular effort would stand even as a piece of prose, it is splendid as verse, I’ll just assume it’s potentially perfect musically too. If not just go through it a few times with the music in your head and make any adjustments. It is the simple common touch, both hers and your own, that comes through and makes this powerful – especially to women, where powerful means having the potential to change minds.   You are doing noble work Comrade Patricia, this is some of your best.

Ad Astra,     20/06/12,    Patriciawa That is good verse and well matched to the Jimmy Barnes song.

Gravel,     21/06/12,    Your pome is just fantastic, well done again.

Talk Turkey,    21/06/12,   Gravel said and I second  PatriciaWA.  Your pome is just fantastic, well done again.    Bard(ine) of the Blogosphere

outside left,     21/06/12,   Well done Patricia, love it.

Catching up,    21/06/12,    The PM still has that nice smile!

archiearchive,    21/06/12,    Oh how wonderful! We have been lacking new Labor songs and this should become a classic!

Sue,     09/07/12,    I think what worries Abbott the most is that Julia Gillard is not attached to the title of PM. Rather the values derived from her upbringing and the position she holds means as PM she has the opportunity to drive progress for all Australians.

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Why Leave The West?

Posted on June 14, 2012 by patriciawa

Young Christian Porter has come out in the west,
To say that in Canberra his chances are best.
His decision could bring his Premier undone
‘Cos up until now he’s been Liberal top gun.
In the East the search for a champion so far
Has yielded no one to compare with this star.

He stands tall and strong with a beautiful wife,
All things a plus for the political life.
He is fighting fit for the battles to come
Armies are gathering to the beat of his drum.
He has rivals in Perth and in Sydney, what’s more,
Who’d like to unseat him as he rides off to war.

There’s jovial Joe Hockey and sad Andrew Robb,
Mad monk Tony too; they all fear for their job.
But Tony has told him there’s plenty of room
In his ‘team Abbott’ with its message of doom.
He’s promised to welcome him, and what is more.
He’s written that promise in his very own gore.

So alike, these two blokes. Who’d tell them apart?
This Christian, like Tony, is no bleeding heart.
Hard on boat people who dare cross our border,
He’s always calling for more law and order.
He wants to help ‘good’ folk to feel more secure,
With little concern for the young and the poor.

But poor Tony Abbott is losing his grip
So Porter’s a favorite for Fed leadership.
That makes pre-selection much easier for Pearce
Competition for which has always been fierce.
Now if Barnett makes offers of doors left ajar
He can smile ever so sweetly and say, “Au revoir!”

Where’s the fair damsel in this quest for glory?
There’s heroine and hero in every story.
Though he has a wife and no plans to un-marry,                There’s engagement to come with much thrust and parry.
Yes!  More than his match, she will challenge. “En garde!”
“You’re on!”   Oh, why leave the West to take on Gillard!

 

 

NOTES:    The media buzz and speculation around Christian Porter’s decision to resign his positions of Treasurer and Attorney General in Colin Barnett’s WA state government has many people here puzzled. His so called ‘star’ quality reputation comes simply from being a clever and articulate individual who stands out amongst a team of comparative duds.  He has shown no team building capacity and little leadership potential in his meteoric rise to senior state cabinet positions since first winning a by-election for Murdoch in 2007 and then gaining the newly created seat of Bateman in 2008.

A lawyer, however, with a brilliant academic background and workaholic habits he was the obvious candidate for Attorney General when Colin Barnett had a surprising resurrection to Liberal Party leadership and election as Premier in 2008.  Treasurer Troy Buswell’s fall from grace over his affair with Greens MLA,  Adele Carles,  handed Porter his second senior cabinet position on a plate.  From then on he became Premier Barnett’s ‘go to’ man.   The zeal with which he has taken on his responsibilities should not be confused with progressive reformist vision.   Conservative Liberal Party blood runs in his veins back to before his grandfather, Charles Porter,  in Queensland became one of Robert Menzies foundation members of the party.   Family and Liberal party connections here explain the ease with which he has so far won pre-selection for safe seats.  

His academic achievements and experience in political law are outlined in Wiki.  A more colorful picture of Porter,  is shown on Aerchie’s Archive where his career is outlined by a progressive leftie.  I’m a rusted on Labor supporter too so I shudder to think this man could fall into the leadership of the federal Liberal Party at a time when Tony Abbott’s popularity remains so deservedly low.  This could happen when at the same time the Coalition seem undeservedly electable.   If Malcolm Turnbull remains unacceptable to the right faction of the Liberals, with Andrew Robb washed out and Joe Hockey having lost credibility,  Christian Porter could well rapidly fluke his way into a top job federally as he did in WA .    Before that can happen, of course,  the Coalition have to win the election in 2013.   Whatever the polls are saying now,  commentators like Peter Van Olsenen are pointing out that the Liberal and National parties need a lot more talent than they have at present.   Party organisers know that too.  Hence the talent quest.   To a lot of observers Christian Porter looks like a winner.  Is he really?

He is personable and forthright and,  as the media keeps saying,  has a beautiful wife.   That said, although no one could have quite the agressive pugnacity of a Tony Abbott but there are similiarities.  His religion is unknown, not declared, so I can’t accuse him of being an Opus Dei member, but in other ways he looks to me like a younger version of Tony Abbott.   I see from his About Christian blog that he’s no mean sportsman, a football player and a keen runner like Abbott;  they both have that fanatically fit, athletic look about them.  (Not that I should hold that against either of them, but as a one time distance runner myself I know the obsessive selfishness that requires!)    His blog confirms all that I read and hear about him in State news.  He wants to protect me, keep the streets safe around me and maintain law and order by giving a ‘modernised’  police force more power to help them better control drunkenness and drug addiction.  He is advocating changes to the legal definition of a ‘child’ for troublesome teenagers.  Oh, and it’s not on his site, but he does not like brothels at all and wants them banned from all suburban areas.

PS   I hope my pome introducing these notes has echoes of Sir Walter Scott’s Young Lochinvar who came out of the west.   If young Christian Porter who comes out of the West does find fame and fortune in Canberra and the Liberal Party I am sure it will be short lived when Julia gets at him.  Hence my title’s inference,  “Why bother,  Christian?”

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Tony Abbott And The Prophets Of Doom!

Posted on June 10, 2012 by patriciawa

“We’ll all be rooned!” said Tony Abbott,
Attacking government as per habit,
Trying to bring the economy down,
Applauded by the big end of town.
Indeed, some managers and bosses,
Well able to bear short term losses,
Saw a good chance to shed employees,
Later replace them with cheaper trainees.

As Tony, Julie, and Joe spread ‘the facts’
About carbon pricing’s dire impacts,
Worried Aussies, supporting a family,
Cut down on spending, unsurprisingly.
Nonetheless the economy boomed.
The world didn’t think that Oz was doomed.
Towns weren’t destroyed or industries dying,
But in some big stores people weren’t buying.

“Of course they won’t if they’ve lost their job,”
Sneer Barnaby Joyce and Andrew Robb,
“And for that they can blame this PM!”
Rubbish!”  Wayne Swann shoots back at them.
The respected World’s Best Treasurer,
He’s backed by another good measurer –
Of growth rates,  the Reserve Bank boss!  He blames……
Guess who?  He makes it clear…..without naming names…..

It’s Tony Abbott and his prophets of doom!
Without them we could go full bore….vroom…..vroom….Vroom….VROOM….VROOM!

NOTES:   Lots to write about as I consider all the negativity and destructiveness of Tony Abbott and how much more Australia could achieve without his prophesies of doom.  His party too could be more productive without his leadership.

The photo I’ve used as the header for this p0me is from the official Liberal Party site’s page The Abbott Team.  These seven people are all former Howard government ministers.   Perhaps their loss of former ministerial status explains their somewhat gloomy demeanour here and not their current status in opinion polls which should have them all smiles.  Are they trying to suggest it’s serious work being shadow ministers in an Opposition supposedly ready to take over from a  government they describe as our  worst ever,  causing economic ruin with its unsustainable levels of debt?  That’s their message.  Unless this Gillard government goes the country will never recover from its reckless spending and radical reforms which are destroying whole towns and major export industries like mining.

So they’ve chosen an image which they hope will present them as strong, determined and serious politicians who mean business.  I think they look miserably stressed rather than strong, and likely to find overwhelming the burdens of governing a country they claim is in such dire straits!  Any  one of them could crack at any minute and who is likely to succeed them?  What can we learn about the rest of the Coalition twenty or so shadow ministers listed only here and not immediately visible.?  I have to click further to get pictures and biographical data.

Every Liberal MP’s page has a standard format dominated in large red print by news of the Labor government and its latest failures with even bold blue Liberal news invariably about bad things caused by Labor.  Biographical details of the member is in smaller paler print.  Check out Malcolm Turnbull’s page and see how similar it is to Sophie Mirabella’s.  They are all the same with standard stories about Labor failures and messages of doom and disaster. Even policy (mostly PDF 2010 downloads) and community pages are dominated by these formatted columns in heavy red about Labor’s disastrous doings.  Always alongside is Tony Abbott’s clean-cut image and now his very latest Twitters of Doom!

Nationals, though using different colors and more distinctive presentation,  still focus on the same thing – The Labor Party and how bad it is for country people and the nation generally.  Barnaby Joyce if he get’s Warren Truss’s job will simply be a louder more strident voice with same message.  Labor is bad.  They have to go or we will all be ruined!

I didn’t check out every one of the Coalition backbencher pages, but those I did have the same format with their pages dominated by the standard lines about the Labor party’s failures and sins.   I wonder if any of them are weighed down at all by the complaints and carping, the accusations of criminality and scandals in large letters and headlines alongside the comparatively small print details on themselves?   Haven’t they have heard it already over and over in the tirades from Tony Abbott in Parliamentary debates and his sloganeering speeches on his tireless tours of factories and community halls in their own constituencies?  Do they flag at all repeating the same old message again to their constituents via local newspapers and radio interviews. What could be worse than saying it all over again in face to face conversations with alarmed pensioners and parents of little children worried that their lives could be blighted forever if the hated Gillard government does not go.

Many of these Coalition MPs can surely see that Julia Gillard and her government will not go, as Tony Abbott has been promising. In Canberra they see first hand how strong her leadership is and how successfully her team steer legislation through Parliament and enact reforms, some of which they privately would want to support.   But Tony says “No!” to everything and despite all his shouting and Parliamentary shenanigans the “Ayes” always have it, and he fails every time.  The PM has survived a massive ongoing media blitz echoing his predictions of gloom and their own best efforts at spreading his word at grass roots level.  Are any of them close to burn-out or depression after working for so long in an atmosphere of unrelenting negativity?  And failure too!  They know that is the reality, despite the polls and media hype.    How stressful do these MPs find the undermining of  local business and consumer confidence – the essence of Tony Abbott’s strategy against carbon pricing and the mining tax legislation?  His frenetic pace and overweening confidence that victory was weeks, then months and now perhaps years away, must be wearing, particularly for those on a knife edge in marginal seats.

When Parliament is in recess and they are away from Abbott’s driven persona  how do they sustain the myth of imminent doom with their constituents who live in the real world?  How can they sustain the party message when that reality is confirmed by the facts of low unemployment, low interest rates and sustained growth?  We have watched Joe Hockey’s facade fragmenting in press interviews, as he at last faces questioning about the facts of that reality. After all the numbers are the numbers!    He surely is in mental turmoil.  Less experienced backbenchers with even a little imagination will be having similar doubts.  It must be increasingly difficult to sustain gloomy predictions with worried and often angry constituents.  Their messages of d0om are being gainsaid daily by more and more good news about our economy which has to be published by the media however biassed till now.  They cannot ignore the comments of the Reserve Bank Governor, Glenn Stevens, about their own role in “the public discussion” which had become “unrelentingly gloomy which has intensified over the past six months …… grimly determined to see our glass as half empty.”

And if they aren’t convinced by the RBA Governor to persuade themselves and their constituents that their glass is more than half full perhaps they will read what Peter Hartcher had to say about the message their leader has sent them out to convey.  He describes that message as predictions of doom,  spread by them for so long now.

…”There is doom for families, doom for pensioners, older people, younger people, babies, the middle-aged – they are all doomed. And none of it is true. No one over on that side of the House believes him either. No one believes him. They put their money where they think the markets are really going.”   

Journalists like Peter Hartcher have of course been spreading their own prophesies of doom about the likely fate of Gillard’s ’embattled’ government, its many gaffes,  woes and poor chances of survival.   His major theme and that of fellow journalists like Michelle Grattan has been about how disliked Julia Gillard is,  the most unpopular PM the country has had and how her leadership is doomed.

So surely at the ALP site I would find some evidence of stress and strain.  But no, they looked a pretty cheerful lot in spite of all the jeers and sneers from team Abbott and the insults directed at the PM herself.  There was no group photo of Julia Gillard’s front bench of senior ministers.  showing her as leader. She is pictured like all of them,  perhaps as first among equals.  A click on every individual smiling thumbnail snap on that first page brings up lots of information about Members,  and if Ministers their individual portfolios and related policies, with stories and pictures of apparently relaxed MPs interacting with their constituents.  I loved Wayne Swann’s site page.  His smile suggests a man deservedly bursting with pride in the work he does and the achievements of Labor.  Sometimes the Prime Minister is photographed at functions, or making policy announcements relevant to particular ministries or localities.  On her own page she tells us a lot about herself in a pleasantly conversational tone.  There is no angry rebuttal of all the slander and insults Tony Abbott has thrown at her.  In fact I don’t think the Coalition rate a mention at all on her page or elsewhere except occasionally in terms of policy differentiation.  There is lots of information everywhere on the Labor site about policies;  policies which are in the pipeline, policy goals achieved and community consultation about new policy plans and  development.

It is with policies I’ll finish because this is what Australians need and want to know about and discuss with politicians instead of all these scandals and prophesies of doom.  I have two favorite blogsites, Cafe Whispers and The Political Sword.  At Cafe Whispers we saw only recently how there are many people who admire our PM and her government.  They are sick of all the slander and negativity and they want to know about how the country is being run and about plans for our future.

Blogger NormanK  (June 8. 2012 11:18 PM)  at the Political Sword  said it for me when he talked about Labor’s vision and capacity for policy on huge infrastructure projects like the NBN.  At the same time Labor keeps working and consulting on policies about all sorts of things like researching intellect-intensive industries…… desalination technology……  food production sustainability…… novel and innovative ways of growing food…..floating farms near desal plants…….vertical farms where water gets re-used three or four times……….

Read his comment and you’ll understand his despair when we get no policy development or discussion from the Opposition.  Instead they have been deluded into talking about DEBT, DESTRUCTION and DOOM.  Tony Abbott is not leading them into imaginative and constructive thinking for their party and country.  Instead the Abbott team are obsessed with the imagined failings of the Labor Party and Julia Gillard.  It is on their official website for all to see.   There is more written about the Labor Party than about their own plans and  policies!   What could they and this country achieve without Tony Abbott  and his prophesies of doom!  Thank God we have Julia Gillard as Prime Minister to lead Australia into a greatness beyond its dreams.

COMMENTS:

Gravel,     11/06/12,    Another great pome.  Vroom vroom vroom says it all about our economy.  I hadn’t realised that Swanny got two Best Treasurer Awards, only thought he had one.

Miglo,   11/06/12,    Brilliant as usual, Patricia.

LOVO,    11/06.12, Your a tide turner Patricia, I love reading your poems and posts.

Roswell,    12/06/12,     What a miserable looking mob in the top picture.Great post again Patricia.   You   just can’t photoshop the totally miserable to look remotely happy.

NormanK,   12/06/12,    Hi Patricia,  Thanks for the plug.
What a great set of notes you have put together! You’re correct about the colour and lay-out of the two sites. The Liberal site is obsessive/compulsive about the ALP. How refreshing it would be if they actually came up with some novel and imaginative ideas instead of build more dams and dig more mines.
I have had cause to remark a few times recently that the demeanour of the Coalition, if taken in isolation, would suggest that the opinion polls are actually the reverse of what they currently are – is there something that their own polling is telling them?

deknark,   12/06/12,  Liked the blog, but will you kindly stop putting horrible picture of the NO Coalition up on your site. I prefer not to see grossly unpleasant pictures first thing in the morning!

Silkworm,      12/06/12,      That picture of Julie Bishop captures her death stare so well.

Bilko,     12/06/12,   Pat WA  Only 5 vrooms but they finish off the poem excellently, well done another masterpiece plus the fine words following. What a miserable lot the nopossition look. A smile would crack their faces. No new talent, only old rodent hacks, to lead us into the future, oops sorry lead us back to the future in fact to 1956, picket fence Holden (not a DeLorean) in the drive. May the force be with us.

Truth Seeker,      20/11/12, Patricia, nice one, Cheers!

bob macalba,      01/03/13, Patriciawa..dont remember reading that pome before, nice one…..Vroom Vroom Vroom!

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The Warrior Who Won’t Lie Down And Die.

Posted on June 4, 2012 by patriciawa
 
Tony Abbott who said those words,
Is always looking for a fight.
Now he’s at war with a woman
He thinks has what is his by right.
Hell bent on having that top job,
He said,  ‘cos she lives by a lie,
He would win by hook or by crook,
And she’d soon lie down and die.
 
Whatever dirty tricks he’s tried
On this woman, Julia Gillard,
She has outwitted him, stood firm,
As he attacks with no holds barred.
It’s been no use, his verbal abuse,
The insults and lie upon lie.
She stays calm, makes jokes, and she smiles,
Refusing to lie down and die.
 

Both have their troops to support them,
Their armies with banners unfurled.
Hers have their plans battle ready,
Drawn up by the best in the world.
He has relied on powerful friends,
But some are now starting to sigh
And ask if he has it in him
To force her to lie down and die.

Tony too often loses it.
That banging on the Chamber door,
Mad run and all,  reminding of
Smashed plate glass panels years before.
Old mining mates are wondering if
Julia’s a more likely ally.
They have heard her and assessed her
Not the type to lie down and die.

Public opinion’s changing too.
There are reports that is because
Folk see the life and fight in her
And how she shares their love for Oz.
Her war’s for them; his for himself.
Good things she’s done he will decry,
Not caring if that harms them too.
“Thank God!” they’re saying, “She won’t lie down and die!”

230112_julia_gillard

Julia Gillard has a “fire in her belly coupled with a reasoned, quietly angry determination.”    Source:  The Australian, 31/03/2012. 

NOTES:     I was interested in Tony Abbott’s choice of words in his pep talk the other day to his Coalition colleagues.   Had he really thought them through, or was he smarting so much from all the bad press about his undignified dash from the House of Reps that he didn’t realize their implication? (Erratum here – it seems I have these two events in the wrong order.  See Sue’s comment below!  So if he was smarting it was about his ratings drop in the Newspoll published the day before)   Was he aware that he was ackowledging Julia Gillard to be a warrior?  Not only that,  but one who would not lie down and die?  As a former shadow spokesperson for Indigenous Affairs and with his personal interest in Aborginal advancement,  he must know of Richard Trudgen’s groundbreaking work,  “Why Warriors Lie Down And Die” now in its sixth printing. 

It would be nice to think that phrase came to mind  because he was considering joining Nicola Roxon, Tony Windsor and the Greens in discussions about ways to improve the Mabo legislation whose passage twenty years ago was being celebrated this week.  It is possible,  I suppose,  that matters indigenous were pre-occupying him.  After all,  it’s the perfect opportunity for him to shift gear into positive mode and begin to say,  “Yes.”   That seems unlikely, however, since he made no mention of it when addressing his troops in the Coalition party room when it could have been a credible circuit breaker for him in the current media hype over his leadership ratings in the polls.  No, I think it was a subliminal awareness that in Julia Gillard he has a  formidable opponent.  One who has plenty of life and fight left in her………….a warrior?   Well, he didn’t actually use that word, did he?    But the association of ideas is pretty obvious.

As Ad Astra of the Political Sword pointed out in the Pugilistic Politician  fighting is Abbott’s essential metaphor.  His threat to give Julia Gillard’s government the ‘fright of its life’  was typical of the aggressive and combative Abbott renowned for his boxing and sporting exploits.   Eighteen months on and Ad Astra is able to assess what a failure Abbott has been in frightening either Gillard or her government.  He has proved a poor performer in comparison to the Prime Minister in the parliamentary arena.  He has had no wins at all in blocking significant and reformist legislation in spite of his venomous rhetoric and obstructive tactics.   The recent running from the House of Reps and banging on the closed chamber door in an effort to negate Craig Thomson’s unexpected vote of support for the Coalition is a symptom of his growing frustrated rage.  Supporters fear it threatens to explode as it did in his student days when he kicked in a glass panel door after losing a student union election.  

Julia Gillard meanwhile has performed all the duties of Prime Minister with aplomb and shows no signs of wilting in the face of Abbott’s continuous onslaughts.  Even The Australian has given rare and  grudging acknowledgement of her courage.  The very prime ministerial photograph above appeared in The Australian with the article by Nikki Gemmell  about the admiration being expressed for her out in the community, particularly amongst women.  This seemed to give the lie to all the news reports and polls demonstrating how personally unpopular she is.  Yes, there is a climate of hate which has been promoted by extremist shock jocks and encouraged by main stream media.  Together with right wing vested interests they have been anticipating,  hoping and no doubt planning for regime change since the hung parliament was first returned and Julia Gillard so surprisingly formed her minority Labor government.  The odds seemed against her from the start.   Tony Abbott’s confidence that the he would soon be hosting drinks at the lodge  were well founded,  given the massive support he’s been able to depend on from media and big business. 

But Julia Gillard still occupies The Lodge.  Abbott’s belligerence and media stunts are beginning to pall with the public and he seems increasingly compulsive and erratic.  Who knows if he will even survive as Liberal Party leader?   With or without him,  what will the Coalition and their supporters try next in their campaign against the Labor minority government and its reformist agenda?  One thing we do know, and so does he.   Julia Gillard will be no pushover.   She has strong support within ALP Caucus and among ministerial colleagues.  One of them,  Nicola Roxon,  today described her as “incredibly strong, incredibly decent.”  

Julia Gillard has plenty of enemies and detractors, as would any national leader prepared to develop progressive policies and make unpopular decisions.    That in itself confirms she has the courage and conviction which she has told Caucus Labor will need if they are to win the next election.  I have quoted above a colleague’s description of her and another from The Australian newspaper.  So reliable sources tell us she is incredibly strong, incredibly decent and a woman with fire in her belly coupled with a reasoned, quietly angry determination.  No wonder Tony Abbott has admitted  to himself, unconsciously at least, that Julia Gillard is a warrior who will not lie down and die.

COMMENTS:

Ad Astra,     05/06/12,   Patriciawa, your pome was delightful, so apt, so clever. Thank you.

Patriciawa,     05/06/12,  Hello Ad Astra.  Thank you for that compliment.  I hope you had time to read my notes too, which explain how I reached the title of my post which Lyn so kindly linked to.

Ad Astra,    05/06/12,   Yes, I did read your narrative, and fully agree with it and your conclusion.    Thank you for your kind comment and your stirring pome.  That is one of JG’s greatest attributes: “She won’t lie down and die’.

Catching up,    05/06/12,  “Julia Gillard is a warrior who will not lie down and die.” Yes indeed she is. What she is not, is an amazon. This lady does not treat politics as a pugilist battle but as the means to hold society together, while governing to for the good of all.   This PM is carrying out the role in a calm and considerate manner. This PM can dish it out, if it becomes necessary. This PM can take all that is dished out to her. Take it with a smile and grace.  This PM does not brown nose to the polls or the media chiefs as her opponent does.  The PM is a buildr, not a demolisher.

I believe it will be her singing at the end of the day, “I did it my way”, not Abbott as many think.    Well done Patricia.

Victoria,    05/06/12,    Wonderful. Perhaps it should be forwarded to the PM. She might enjoy it!

Janice,      05/06/12,     Love it. And I agree with Victoria, send it off to the PM and make her day :)

Patriciawa,    05/06/12,    Thanks guys, I’ll follow up on your suggestion.

Sue,    05/06/12,    the dash from the house was on the wednesday, the pep talk happened on the tuesday. so my thinking was that abbott was just reacting to the newspoll that had him falling from preferred PM. with all the rubbish he had dished out the previous week i feel his ego got a massive hit by the rejection from the electorate to him saying he was “human” about thomson.

thanks for writing such a wonderful pome about the PM and i bet Nicola’s comments will be food for thought on another pome.

On Nicola, what a fight she took on with the cigarette companies, i hope she suceeds in the High Court .

Patriciawa,    05/06/12.   Thanks, Sue.  I’ll need to sort that ASAP.

Fiona,   05/06/12.     Patricia, a wonderful pome as always, and I completely endorse the sentiments in your notes.    DEFINITELY send it to JGPM!

Victoria, 24/11/12/ Thanks Patricia. Very enjoyable

C@atmomma, 24/11/12, PatriciaWA, Absolutely beautiful pome. Could you please send it to the PM’s office? I’m sure they’d love to read it.

BH, 24/11/12, Patricia,Just read your thoroughly enjoyable and pertinent poem. xx

briefly, 24/11/12, Great work, Patricia.

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Thomson’s Gazump. Or Was That A Gazelle?

Posted on June 1, 2012 by patriciawa

http://www.leahy.com.au/leahy/view_comic.cfm?comic_id=1926

It was the Member for Dobell,
Deciding he would cross the floor,
Who sent Tony Abbott pell mell
Running for the chamber door.

Delicious irony! Farewell,
Keys to The Lodge, for evermore!
That’s a story pollies will tell
For many years to come, for sure.

The man condemned to living hell
In a cruel, relentless war
Fought back, unexpectedly so well
He brought his enemy to the floor.

Time will come for the final bell,
There’s a bit of action still in store.
But will anything this tale excel
In Aussie parliamentary lore?

POST SCRIPT 22/03/13/ – sure enough

Now when he’s not doing too well
And he’s hungry for an extra vote
Abbott gives Craig Thomson a bell
And even greater cause to gloat.

NOTES:     Reading about Tony Abbott’s undoing in his undignified dash in the House of Representatives in a panic reaction to Craig Thomson’s decision to cross the floor and vote with the Coalition has been very satisfying indeed.   Even more  satisfying  for the writer of polliepomes has been the satire it gave rise to.  Aside from the irony of it being Craig Thomson who triggered the rush to the doors and Tony Abbott,  famed athlete of the House not making it before the doors were locked,  unlike Prissie “Poo” Pyne who was so proud of his achievement and described himself as running like a gazelle!   What an opportunity that was, with Thomson’s Gazelle  (It is truly spelt without a ‘p.’) and its bringing to mind  gazump which can mean trickery or a bit of one-upmanship,  aside from its real estate connotations.

My political view, once I had stopped laughing,  was encapsulated by Ad Astra at The Political Sword that this was all typical of Tony Abbott’s increasingly irrational behaviour in his obsessive quest for the Prime Ministership.

Evidence of this unhinging was starkly displayed when he attempted to scurry from the House on Wednesday to avoid having to count Craig Thomson’s vote among the Coalition’s on a gag motion, all to justify his unconstitutional insistence that the vote of the member for Dobell’s vote should not count, even although this would disenfranchise voters in that electorate. It looked childish; it was. It further damaged his credibility and that of the Coalition.

POST SCRIPT 22/03/13 Craig Thomson reports that Tony Abbott has phoned him, brazenly seeking his vote in a motion of No Confidence against the the government.


COMMENTS:

Min,     01/06/12,   Patricia, brilliant as always.

Patriciawa,    01/06/12,    responding to Sue’s chicken and egg comment I’m sure we can come up with more!

Sue,      01/06/12,    great pome.   the poster with the chicken /egg comment is good.     

Ad Astra,    01/06/12,     Patriciawa,    First, thank you for your kind remarks and your delightful pome, so apt.  I’m glad that you enjoyed the piece, and that you read it on your Think-Pad.  Beware, such devices are addictive!

I too looked for the author of the cartoon, but for the life of me could not work out the ‘signature’ in the bottom right of the cartoon.  But as that signature was there, I felt that attribution was being made although I couldn’t make out who it was.   Here is the URL of the Facebook page where I found it: www.facebook.com/photo.php

Talk Turkey,     01/06/12,    Pefectionist tragic Paticiawa said   Thomson’s Gazump. Or Was That A Gazelle?

I say Bravo Craig of Dobell!
Yes indeed, you gazzumped ’em so well!
And wouldn’t that Poo-Poo
Look cute in a tu-tu
Performing as Thomson’s Giselle!

And Patricia you have cracked the rhyming barrier now haven’t you, I know because I did that myself lang syne, and it really makes you appreciate the wealth of words in English, there’s hardly anything that you can’t rhyme (or at least wing it with). Your rhymes are ever more hilarious and clever, (the best ever I think may have been Ogden Nash,  just to keep us humble.)

Catching up,    01/06/12,   “He brought his enemy to the floor”

I believe he failed to do this. Patricia, you are being kind, giving credit were it is not due.   In fact he has failed to lay one glove on the female opponent.  Woe is Abbott, one that can never obtain that goal he was told in his nappies, was his to take.    It could not be right, that the females in his life were so wrong.

Pikiranku,     01/06/12,   PatriciaWA, if you haven’t found this out already, I think that cartoonist is Sean Leahy.

billie,      03/06/12,     Thanks PatriciaWA for another wonderfulpoem.

Sean Leahy,     07/06/12,     Hi Patricia.  I enjoyed your post and thanks for the attribution.      The correct page for the full cartoon is from the archives is: http://www.leahy.com.au/leahy/view_comic.cfm?comic_id=1926    Though www.leahy.com.au is fine. If you are interested in other cartoons and the comment streams my publicly accessible Facebook link is:  www.facebook.com/leahycartoons Kind Regards,   Sean Leahy.

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Good News For Oz, Bad News For Tony

Posted on May 29, 2012 by patriciawa

http://images.smh.com.au/2012/05/28/3330397/Petty_cartoon2-620×0.jpg

Here’s good news that’s not been aired.
Of anywhere to live Oz is now the best.
An OECD Report’s declared
Australia beats Norway and U.S.
Would you believe our personal wealth
Of all the world’s amongst the highest,
Plus education and general health?
“No,” says Andrew Robb, “That report is biassed.”

Joe Hockey too comes out to claim
That someone in United Nations
Gave wrong info with the obvious aim
Of making Oz the ideal destination
For people smugglers everywhere.
“They’ll bring their hordes across the seas
Who all believe that we must share
With them, just because they’re refugees.”

Tony Abbott kicks in a door,
Runs out half naked to the beach,
There lets out an angry roar
And makes a loud impassioned speech.
“These statistics are Julia Gillard’s lies!
No one should believe in them!
True happiness for Oz cannot arise
Till she is gone!   And I’m PM!

NOTES:   Bruce Petty’s cartoon says it all for me.   Australia can’t hear itself being acknowledged as the world’s best country to live in!  There seems to be no good news In our newspapers and  radio and TV.  All we’ve been hearing is scandal,  rumors of leadership challenges,  government ineptitude and continual crises threatening to push Australia into endless debt and misery.   All this in a country which has a triple A international credit rating and miniscule government debt.  As well for the first time in many decades we have miraculously low levels of unemployment, RBA cash rate and inflation – key economic indicators, all reported to be less than five per cent.   Internationally our treasurer, Wayne Swann has been acknowledged the world’s best.  This month the OECD named Australia as the world’s most prosperous in terms of economic well being,  personal wealth and health and other social indicators.  

We have a government, albeit working with a hung parliament,  which is managing our economy well,  balancing our budget,  encouraging massive resource and maintaining business confidence and yet we whinge.   Julia Gillard seems to have the country’s best interests at heart with her reforms for the environment,  aged care,  national disability insurance and expenditure on education.  Still she is criticized and denigrated in news reports all suggesting her government is unstable with Tony Abbott and his Coalition party likely to win government if an election were called soon.  His continuous negativity and whingeing has encouraged the same frame of mind in the country at large.

He has achieved that by fomenting an atmosphere of scandal and unrest in the national capital, with the support of mainstream media who headline the bad news and sideline the good.   But perhaps he has gone too far in threatening the Member for Dobell with continued pressure unless he resigns.  As well, the Aussie sense of a fair go is coming into play here.  Abbott is increasingly seen as a bully,  kicking a man who is already down.  Today’s Newspoll shows that he is losing ground in the leaderships stakes and that Julia Gillard is holding her own.

The reporting of this Newspoll has so far been astonishingly straight for News Limited and other mainstream media.   It does seem that they are coming to terms with the good news about this country and its government.  Even after their media blitz,  helping Tony Abbott do his worst,  Julia Gillard is holding her own as Prime Minister.  She is still there and leading a government  which is showing the world how to run an economy.

I wonder how Tony Abbott feels today?

POST SCRIPT 04/01/13 at http://pbxmastragics.com/2013/01/02/a-2013-wish-list/ Victoria and bushfirebill report on yet another report placing Australia second only to Switzerland in the world as the best place to live.

COMMENTS:

billie,     30/05/12,    Crikey’s First Dog on the Moon has a great cartoon today Wednesday illustrating this
http://media.crikey.com.au/dm/newsletter/dailymail_191d755a4e8c8b159d0b02eeb46ad533.html

Patriciawa,     30/05/12,    Thanks, billie.    Brilliant, isn’t it?   Somehow satire gets to the the point of an argument so much more easily than any news column commentary.

Gravel,     23/05/12,    Excelled pome again, you do have the gift.

Talk Turkey,   23/05/12,    Speaking of Pomes – Patricia –

Your rhymes get better all the time –
I always love that double rhyme!

BH, 04/01/13, Love that poem Patricia.

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Yes, I do believe him………..but have doubts about her!

Posted on May 23, 2012 by patriciawa

 

I believed him, thought what he said was true.
His story’s unchanged. He’s said nothing new.
But the lady protests so oft, methinks,
Increasingly the air around her stinks.

Her stories change and are embellished
In many interviews, each one relished
By her audience, the peoples’ jury!
So why is he the focus of her fury?

What did he do to deserve this hell,
The unhappy member for Dobell,
When her entitlements have swollen
To far outweigh the sum she claims he’s stolen?

Isn’t it time we really got to know her,
This ‘heroine’, this ‘whistleblower’?
Who are her friends, lovers, connections?
Why for her so much media protection?

Why do editors find it so very hard
To spot an extra ‘p’ on a phony credit card?
If investigative journos checked out his alibis
Couldn’t they prove which of them is telling lies?

NOTES:   The response of mainstream media to Craig Thomson’s statement to the House of Representatives on Monday has been one of derision and almost universal denial of his charge that most of them were responsible for his plight.  Not surprisingly the Opposition have used the explanation for which they have  been calling for so long as an opportunity to expand their already extended trial and condemnation of him.

I regret that the title of my pome suggests that I think I have the right to judge Craig Thomson’s guilt or innocence and would much prefer to support the Prime Minister’s efforts to leave this matter to the  courts, if indeed a charge is ever brought against him which so far there has not.   Now, however,  the public debate is about his  personal credibility  when weighed against the huge disbelief expressed by the Opposition in Parliament,  most media commentators and apparently,  public  opinion,  if on-line polls are anything to go by.

Not surprisingly, at my favorite blog sites at Cafe Whispers, The Political Sword and the Poll Bludger there is a substantial amount of support for the Member for Dobell, informed by and linked as they all are to the research done by Peter Wicks or Wixxy and published by Independent Australia.    I think that comments by people like Psyclaw are typical of those sites.  i.e. that in his opinion Craig Thomson was telling the truth.

Having ‘nailed our colors to the mast’  as he put it, in terms of our belief in Thomson’s personal credibility there are many other questions that need answering.  For myself the most important is about the media’s failure to follow up with normal investigative journalism a story they believe to be of such wide interest .    Given that somehow access has been given to credit card vouchers with addresses of brothels and hotels Craig Thomson is supposed to have visited why have none been contacted or efforts made to track down at least one woman who might be willing to sell her story of having met, and indeed serviced, the not unattractive Mr. Thomson?   As well, there is plenty of material in the printed media and on recorded broadcast interviews which show how determined Kathy Jackson is to blame Craig Thomson alone for corrupt practices at the Health Services Union which seem to predate his tenure there from 2002 to 2007, and have certainly continued since he left.  Remember too that even during the past month HSU members have brought charges against Kathy Jackson herself and which cover her entire tenure there.   Though reported prominently in the Australian at the time  they seem to have sunk from sight. 

Today, 24/05/12,  Fair Work Australia have set in train proceedings against three HSU officers, not including Craig Thomson, but naming Jeff Jackson, ex-husband of Kathy Jackson, and who figured in a scandal around ‘adult services’ almost identical to that allegedly involving the member for Dobell.

Update 25/05/12,  Further to those initiatives by FWA yesterday Peter Wicks has written a further exposé on the HSU saga  confirming that Kathy Jackson has a lot more questions to answer about moneys she and her now ex-husband Jeff had been withdrawing from the Union funds for years before Craig Thomson took up his position as National secretary. 

Update 07/09/14, http://wixxyleaks.com/answers-the-craig-thomson-interview/. Hindsight, two years passing and evidence unfolding at the Royal Commission into Trade Unions, are proving my gut response to Kathy Jackson justified. Peter Wicks has written an excellent overview of the HSU affair in introducing his interview with Craig Thomson.  

COMMENTS: 

Gravel,          23/05/12,     Thanks a million for another of your brilliant pomes.  So many questions, but as we know the media are too busy running the Noppositions side that they won’t look at any inconsistency by any one other the Labor.  This total rubbish about Craig Thomson misleading parliament is a whole lot of b–ls–t.  That was clear from the start that the media and opposition were going to run that line from the minute Craig T said he give a statement to parliament

Victoria,   23/05/12,    PatriciaWA,   Wonderful. Really enjoyed it!

Dee,     23/05/12,     Patricia,   I thoroughly enjoyed your polliepome.  Well done!

Pip,     23/05/12,     Hi patricia, excellent post as usual. :smile:

Nasking,    23/05/12,    You are a good poet Patricia.   Frankly, I don’t believe either of them. Jackson nor Thomson.   I do worry about the man’s health. And Jackson’s ego. It might eat her alive.   I reckon both have brought the reputation of the union down…both have probably exploited their positions……

Panda,    24/05/12,   I believe him, but that is beside the point. We have judicial processes…….Our Parliament is not to be turned into a Kangaroo Court

  Posted Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 11:49 am | Permalink   Who was it yesterday who said they’d donate to Thomson’s legal fund. I’m joining in. If he’s guilty or innocent I couldn’t care less but the rules of justice are being trashed and I’m not letting that go by.

 

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“I Don’t Believe Him! Do You? He’s Guilty!”

Posted on May 15, 2012 by patriciawa

“No, I don’t believe him!” said Reverend Tim,
As if weight of judgement lay with him.
Thousands watching shared his thought,
Nationwide jury in a kangaroo court.

Outrage required a penalty paid,
To be decided once a charge was laid.
Meanwhile the rack would do or pillory
Watched by his friends and family.

His accuser, once colleague, is feted,
Whistleblower, congratulated,
With much to gain and nothing to lose
She stars in media interviews.

She had long sought that in years before,
Has no need now to seek it for sure.
So why have journalists no suspicions
As she’s taken up by politicians?

We need research, more facts on this lady.
Her partner’s role for a judge seems shady.
The public should know if they’ve broken the law.
Isn’t that what a free press is for?

POST SCRIPT 17/05/12 added for Cafe Whispers.

With that Fair Work Report now proven wrong,
Will the media sing a different song?
Are all his critics going to eat crow?
If they follow their leader, the answer is “NO!”

POST SCRIPT 22/08/12 added after the KPMG review of the FWA report

With the Fair Work Report described as ‘deficient’
Will the media at last think that’s proof sufficient
For all of his critics now have to eat crow?
Eric Abetz is leading the field with a very loud, “NO!”

NOTES:    I have been appalled and angry watching the story of Craig Thomson distract the government from the business of running this country.   I have been particularly angry as the media have ratcheted up the story of his denial of wrong doing, turning it into a ‘scandal’ as if the whole government was somehow involved in covering up his crime.   As indeed Tony Abbott declaims it is day in day out. The government has in fact appropriately referred the matter to police and he has been accused of no crime.  Craig Thomson persistently maintains his innocence of the accusations made against him.

There have been many press and television interviews given by his accuser, Kathy Jackson, and much media hype has followed. Readers know the implications of this story for the numbers in a hung Parliament as the Prime Minister has responded as calmly as she could to Abbott’s demands that she suspend the Member for Dobell. The political, legal and constitutional ramifications of this story are many.  The failure of the media to tackle those issues in any serious way while continually referring to it as ‘the sleaze factor’  of Julia Gillard’s government  is disturbing.

Since the story is largely exploited for its ‘sleaze’ appeal it seemed surprising that few journalists asked the obvious questions about whistleblower, Kathy Jackson.  She is a very colorful and combative individual, in comparison with the rather dour, even dull,  Craig Thomson. A quick google search showed me that one or two journalists had indeed done that.   News Ltd had even published in the Australian Weekend Magazine a long, well researched story by Cameron Stewart  which has some very interesting and colorful information about Kathy Jackson’s character, her personal ambition and her long and combative career in the Health Services Union.  All of which could make Craig Thomson’s claims of innocence rather more credible. I am not suggesting they are proof of his innocence but the Australian public needs that information for balance. I doubt that there would be the hysteria of condemnation we see around us if they had it.

Astonishing to me is the information in that article about her former husband Jeff Jackson and current partner , Michael Lawler. The former had been accused of  ‘crimes’ or offences of the kind that Kathy Jackson accuses Craig Thomson. The latter is Vice President, Fair Work Australia, since his appointment to it in 2002 by Tony Abbott then Minister for Employment, when FWA was the Industral Relations Commission.   No one has asked if he has had any input at all into the recently produced FWA damning report about Thomson which has given Tony Abbott more ammunition in his publicity onslaught on Julia Gillard’s government. Even more recently it emerges that Michael Lawler is a long term friend of Abbott’s through Opus Dei.  No one has mentioned that Kathy Jackson and Michael Lawler decided together over ‘several bottles of wine’  to eventually refer Craig Thomson with formal complaints to the police.

My little pome is in a sense about all of that information I know is out there and should be written about,  and it should be written about with integrity.  Even more importantly it is about the challenge we are facing in our country to our governance and justice system. We have judges, juries and courts to try people for crimes.  People are assumed to be innocent until tried and found guilty within that system.  We have policemen to decide if people should be charged and sent to court for trial if they seem to have broken laws. We have Parliament where politicians make the laws which rule our country.  All of that is subsumed under the term the separation of powers.     On top of all that we have a free press which reports on all those levels of government and much else besides.  Our multi-media press is supposedly our democracy and freedom’s watchdog.

I was truly alarmed to witness the Reverend Tim Costello with other reputable citizens pass judgement on a man, not yet charged with any crime on a current affairs program produced by senior journalists of our National broadcasting service.  All but one of these responsible citizens were encouraging their audience in the studio and out on the air waves to agree with them.  Judgement was passed on a man not accused of any crime.

POST SCRIPT!   At last we have some real facts published in a story which confirms my gut feelings    It’s well worth reading and I see it has been reproduced by its author, Wixxy at Cafe Whispers so now I have the satisfaction of knowing that I’m, not obsessively identifying with someone I see pilloried and falsely accused.

Today, 16/05/12,  the Australian Electorial Commission has cleared Craig of accusations of electoral fraud which Kathy Jackson accused him of and which the Fair Work Australia report had confirmed as true.  Well, that’s a start on almost $300,000 of nearly half a million dollars!  Let’s see what emerges next!

The day after that,  17/05/12, I waited to see if any of his critics would eat crow, admit they were wrong.  Fat chance!   I ended up re-writing this pome for Cafe Whispers as Will They Eat Crow? and Miglo posted it between Wixxy’s posts about the Speaker and HSU scandals which the Liberal party seem to be stirring up to embarrass the government.

POST POST SCRIPT! 26/04/13 Big win for Craig Thomson today!

Today in court the case against Craig Thomson weakened, as it would seem that Fair Work Australia backs away from its allegations against the Federal MP. Fair Work Australia has decided to adjourn the hearing on virtually all of its civil matters against Thomson, these include allegations around travel, accommodation, meals, cash withdrawals, and of course the allegations of brothel use.

When will we see an apology from Tim Costello?

COMMENTS

Gravel,     16/05/12,   Another great pome, well done.  I am also enthralled with your explanation of where you are coming from.   You write very well and clearly.  Thank you.

Ad Astra,      16/05/12,    Your poem is apt and clever.  Perhaps some of Thomson’s accusers will experience some uneasy  peelings!

Catching up,    16/05/12,     We only need to recall Lindy Chamberlain and the dingo did not take the baby. Another example is that Aboriginal man that the purplish was so sure was guilty, that served many years for a murder he did not commit in Perth.   Kangaroo courts and trial by public and media opinion are more likely to be wrong than right.  Even if the two men are guilty, we have no idea of what. We have no idea of the seriousness of crimes they committed.  There could be reason to be a little wary, in the length of time the accusations have been going on, and still no charge.  I do wonder that the charges are identical to those leveled by Mr. Thomson, against Mr. Jackson. That in itself, puzzling to me, that a man would commit crimes, that he had earlier accused another of.   Something in the woodpile does stink. What the smell is coming from, I for one have no idea.  Also what is clear, if this was not a minority government with a Opposition leader that is willing to do anything, except wait to win, we would not be hearing much about the matter.   Deciding the truth of allegations, and yes findings, is best left to the courts, set up to deal with such matters.   The only thing that media campaigns that now occurring, is that they are in danger of tainting the evidence and leading to miss trials.  One is also entitled to a fair trial.

Pip,    16/05/12,    Well done patricia. I was very concerned at the easy way that the discussion on Q&A turned on the guilt of Craig Thomson.   “Rev”. Tim Costello suddenly reminded me of his egotistical brother!  An odd but not surprising turn; the panel included Finance Minister Penny Wong and Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey,but the wait was long for a question on the Budget.

Thanks to Sue @ Cafe Whispers for spotting this, which is the conclusion to be read into the headline:-

Most of Thomson’s spendings ok: AEC  Adam Carroll | 16th May 2012 6:30 PM

MOST of the money spent by the Health Services Union on Craig Thomson’s 2007 election campaign in the seat of Dobell did not breach electoral guidelines, the Australian Electoral Commission has found.

Now. Skip to the last sentence for the truth.

While most of the $71,000 the union spent on Mr Thomson’s campaign was found to have complied with the act, the AEC said in a statement on Wednesday is was seeking “further information about four items of expenditure which total $17,014.88″.

“… some items of expenditure that have been identified would have been required to be incorporated into the total of all amounts received or paid in the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 annual returns of the HSU National Office and of the ALP NSW Branch. Inquiries have been made to establish whether that has occurred,” the AEC’s statement read.

The items in question, all of which were below the reporting threshold set out by the act, relate to the establishment of Mr Thomson’s campaign office ($4,826.99), payments to the Dobell Federal Electoral Council ($3500), campaign bus costs ($1,277.96) and payments to LBH Promotions ($7,409.93). The disclosure thresholds that were in place during the period covered by the FWA report were $10,300 for the 2006-2007 financial year and $10,500 for the 2007-2008 financial year

In a statement released late on Wednesday Mr Gray noted “the AEC has not identified any breaches of the Electoral Act by Craig Thomson

Pip,     15/05/12,   Patricia, in your link to Michael Lawler. partner of Kathy Jackson, regarding a member of staff who tried to resign in disgust, and was greeted with this….allegedly…

You can f . . k off and take sick leave if you don’t want to do the work and still be paid, but you can’t resign,” Mr Lawler allegedly told her.

A few days after Mr Giudice approached Mr Lawler about Ms Glen’s complaint, Mr Lawler wrote to NSW Police making allegations of criminal conduct against her. In his letter to the head of Strikeforce Carnarvon, which is investigating alleged corruption in the HSU, Mr Lawler claims Ms Glen and HSU East acting assistant general-secretary Gerard Hayes may have engaged in a criminal conspiracy. Ms Glen and Mr Hayes strenuously deny Mr Lawler’s allegations.

Mr Lawler claims Ms Glen may have been given an inducement to give false evidence, noting that in a private email exchange with her partner in December, she had referred to a cheque she was going to pick up.

“I had ordered a bank cheque to pay my rent,” Ms Glen said, questioning how Mr Lawler had obtained her emails. She says she finds it extraordinary that Mr Lawler, the second highest industrial judge in the land, would engage in such a campaign.

Mr Lawler’s associate said it would be inappropriate for him to comment.

In the end, Ms Glen’s disillusionment is complete. “I thought union leaders were supposed to look after members, but these ones look after themselves.”.”

A bully, just like his mate Tony! [allegedly]

Patriciawa,     17/05/12,    I wouldn’t mind betting that he and Tony couldn’t believe their luck when the relationship with Kathy began.  I’m sure there’s real attraction there, but how useful!   I found his agreeing to her sectioning somewhat odd, so unwise,  but they do seem to get into folie a deux situations over a bottle or two!

Lyn,     17/05/12,     Excellent work, each pome is better than the last,

well done.

Victoria,     18/05/12,    Lovely!

Fiona,     18/05/12,     Lovely pome.  Thank you.

Ad Astra,     18/05/12,    Patricia WA,   Your pome Will they eat Crow is apt and perspicacious.  Thank you.     When we know all the details of the Craig Thomson affair, I believe Thomson will not be the only one that will be suspect.

Lyn,     20/05/12,     Hi Patriciawa,  Did you know Polliepomes has featured at Blogotariat:  http://www.blogotariat.com/node/366739

Ad Astra,   20/05/12,    Congratulations, Patricia WA!

Talk Turkey,   20/05/12,  Patricia,  FAME!  Well done.  But we on TPS recognized you first. Smile

Patriciawa,     22/08/12,   KPMG did an independent review of the FWA report on HSU and found it ‘deficient’ particularly in failing to investigate beyond Craig Thomson’s activities.    Watching Craig Thomson yesterday defending himself yet  and listening to the abominable Eric Abetz justifying the attacks on him still, I had to remind myself that the Coalition along with baying media hounds may have led the HSU witchhunt but plenty of supposedly non politically aligned citizens had willingly joined the fun. Will they have anything to say about the latest review of the FWA report and Thomson’s ever increasingly credible staunch self defence? I so clearly remember this edition of Q&A.

.

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The Antipodean Budget Reply Process

Posted on May 11, 2012 by patriciawa

Friday, May 11, 2012.

Our Antipodean Budget Process
Has rules as in the game of chess.
Tradition says he must make The Reply.
Can Tony do it and not tell a lie?

Could he perhaps have more success
By starting his speech with,  “I confess
That unlike Swannie I’m no Grand Master.”
That might help him avoid disaster.

A compliment or two would show finesse,
Would help his image in the press.
But he and Joe, his chief fact checker,
Think it’s better to be a wrecker.

Aussies just don’t care for politesse.
He knows that!  The best way to impress?
To shout and rant about the carbon tax!
It hurts us all!      Who cares about the facts!

This is also a chance for him to obsess
About scandals and slime and Labor’s excess.
Slipper and Thomson!  They’ve helped by stealth
To destroy Australia and steal our wealth!

Yeah!   That should work, but nevertheless,
Tony does regret the need for full day dress.
He’s spent hours with Joe and number jugglers,
If he could only wear his budget speech smugglers!

NOTES:     First I must acknowledge Alan Moir and his kind permission for me to use his hilarious,  but oh so apt,  interpretation of Tony Abbott’s Delivery of his Speech in Reply.  http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/opinion/cartoons/alan-moir-20090907-fdxk.html?selectedImage=0 .  He also said he “loved the verse!”
Last night’s Budget Reply Speech from Tony Abbott left me dumbfounded.  I went to various other sites and found a silence which I think spoke of the same wordless horror that I felt.   An act of contempt had been performed on our public stage.   Other people clearly felt something similar.   No one had much to say.   I usually deal with my rage at Abbott’s excesses with a bit of light verse and part of me regretted that I had already used the metaphor of Budget Smugglers and published it here,  since I just did not want to write anything new about Tony Abbott at all.
Then this morning I woke up to find that Alan Moir, as so often,  had said it all for me.  This time the metaphor was chess, and when it comes to running our country’s economy, then Wayne Swann is a Grand Master.   Tony Abbott doesn’t stand a chance against the World’s Best Treasurer.  And he knows it.   And doesn’t it make him mad!
Besides Alan Moir’s cartoon there is now other very good  commentary and criticism on Abbott’s reply speech I have been reading today.  Probably the earliest, was an article by Stephen Koukoulas. economist, writing that same evening to put Abbott straight on some of the few economy related references he did make.   There are also two excellent critical analyses at The Political Sword – the first by regular contributor, NormanK, and the other by Blogmaster, Ad Astra.  Let’s hope that our mainstream media pick up the many failings in this travesty of oratary in weekend editions.
COMMENTS:

jane,     11/05/12,   Great pome as usual, patricia.  I didn’t watch Liealot’s farce. You only need to watch their ABC to get the gist.

BSA Bob,    11/05/2,     “Wordless horror” nails it for me. I usually get angry when Abbott’s on but I felt pretty numb during this, sort of resigned.  From his first sentence it was all obvious, just talk at top speed to get as many talking points as possible in.   I must say I was taken by Julie Bishop’s feigned laughter at Abbott’s “witticisms”. A serial loyalist there.

Min,     11/05/12,   That ‘s wonderful.  Love that line..can Tony do it and not tell a lie.

Miglo,     11;05/12,     Brilliant.

Pip,     11/05/12,     Wordless horror indeed patricia. and Bob.  “Budget Smugglers” gave the journalists nothing except the foreign language idea, and today the former PM and Foreign Minister is onto him.

nasking,     11/05/12,    Top stuff Patricia.   Poem, political cartoon, comment…all spot on!

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