tcpip: (Default)
Diary of a B+ Grade Polymath ([personal profile] tcpip) wrote2007-11-22 02:59 pm

A day is a long time in politics

There was a hint a few days ago that the Coalition was going to play a little grubby. First they attempted to claim that a number of Labor candidates were ineligible to stand. That fell apart quite badly. Then there was the hysterics about if Labor wins socialists and unionists will corrupt the minds of the youth.

But now they've really screwed the pooch. It would seem that NSW Liberal Party State Executive member Jeff Egan and the retiring candidate's husband and the candidate's husband, Greg Chijoff, for the marginal seat of Lindsay, Gary Clark, have been caught trying to distribute fake election material from the "Islamic Australia Federation" to support Labor. A copy of the leaflet is available. Worse still, Jackie Kelly has tried to work her way out of it in a (MP3 file ABC radio interview and on television. I don't think I have ever seen Laurie Oakes so angry.

Paul Keating gets his revenge on moral grounds. Bob Hawke gets his on economic grounds. Even Malcom Fraser - a little more carefully - gives his considered opinion. Finally, Catherine Deveny really does have a way with words.


If we do not seize this opportunity for change we will go down in history as the most greedy, gullible, mean-spirited, selfish, short-sighted, tight-fisted generation in the history of Australia. How will it feel sitting in front of that $5000 plasma TV watching reruns of American reality shows, wearing clothes manufactured in a sweat shop and sitting on a sofa made by Third World slaves? How will that feel when our public education and hospitals have been gutted and our environment corroded to a point of no return? How will it feel knowing we have turned our back on people who need us most: the poor, the broken, the scared, the sick, the elderly and the vulnerable? How will it feel when you turn to your children and say, "I believed him"?


There is no way any decent human being could vote for the Liberal Party, or even give them a major party preference, after the events of the past twenty-four hours.

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 12:16 pm (UTC)(link)

It was a more than a bit of a disaster. It dovetailed very nicely with Mike Willisee's birthday cake interview (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthday_Cake_Interview)

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 12:24 pm (UTC)(link)

Surely we could all chip in and build a block of flats on the grounds :-)

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 12:26 pm (UTC)(link)

Yep, caught that. I'm surprised they didn't get Whitlam to write an article as well.. Mind you, he's probably getting a bit long in the tooth..

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 12:30 pm (UTC)(link)

Actually me too... It seemed fairly sensible. Whatever happened to it?

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 12:32 pm (UTC)(link)

Just remembered another reason why I had fond memories of it. I used to sell it at the Fremantle markets on Saturday mornings! Across me was an old member of the Communist Party who would sell Tribune..

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 12:33 pm (UTC)(link)

That final line of Keating's is a classic...

Yeah, centre-right thirty years ago is centre-left now. :(

Re: Laurie Oakes ...

[identity profile] imajica-lj.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 01:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes yes and yes.

[identity profile] ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 09:03 pm (UTC)(link)
I totally agree...but then I was involved in student politics and have often been a scrutineer and therefore already know that a section of the Liberal party is like this.

They game the population, and have respect for no-one.

I won't put 'in my view' as I regard this as a fact not an opinion.

[identity profile] ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Nielson poll(s), and the swing meter has been pulled last I looked, but yeah.

[identity profile] ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 09:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Where are the sixties of yesteryear?

Ummm....

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 10:35 pm (UTC)(link)

I suspect we're the lot that fall into the "children of the revolution" category...

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 10:38 pm (UTC)(link)

The New South Wales right ("the Uglies") are particularly bad, as are their friends in Western Australia who associated with Mr. Noel Criteon-Browne-Handy-With-His-Fists-In-Domestic-Matters.

Not to say that the NSW Right or the WA Right of the Labor Party are particularly charming people either...

[identity profile] zeemverse.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 10:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Love your journal. Am referring people here for election coverage. Hope this is okay.

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 10:42 pm (UTC)(link)

Wow, I'd almost completely forgotten they had those...

I remember when they decided to supplement their page 3 girl with a page 19 boy, with a strategically placed football.

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 10:44 pm (UTC)(link)

Please go right ahead. Glad I can write something that's vaguely interesting.

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 10:47 pm (UTC)(link)

Also we must talk more about science-fiction writing in the near future.. *nods*

[identity profile] ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 11:07 pm (UTC)(link)
:-/

I'm old enough that I remember lots of 'the sixties', part of which were in the seventies of course.

Mistakes were made and there was great naivety, but also hope.

[identity profile] ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 11:08 pm (UTC)(link)
...no, they are not.

:-/

Still, better Labor than the Coalition, tomorrow.

[identity profile] zeemverse.livejournal.com 2007-11-23 12:06 am (UTC)(link)
Heck yes! Really heck yes!

Re: Laurie Oakes ...

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2007-11-23 01:00 am (UTC)(link)

We've decided the Open Zoo trip; it's going to be cool, overcast and 24 on Saturday - not exactly African savanna weather. We're likely to spend the day at home, unless someone comes up with an incredibly exciting plan.

Re: Laurie Oakes ...

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2007-11-23 02:02 am (UTC)(link)

But dammit, given that bom.gov.au said that troday would be 21...

Hmmm.. Call us after 9am...

Re: Laurie Oakes ...

[identity profile] imajica-lj.livejournal.com 2007-11-23 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
Will do ... hitting a decent pub and watching the call also appeals ... anyone else?

[identity profile] angel80.livejournal.com 2007-11-23 03:31 am (UTC)(link)
What! and spoil the view?

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2007-11-23 03:36 am (UTC)(link)
It's like he's ready to throttle someone.

He's looking a lot thinner and quite older these days as well.

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2007-11-23 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
I'm pretty sure the view from Kirribilli wouldn't change :-)

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