Comments on: Guest Post by Nick Evans: The Coonan leaks continue

By: marklatham

marklatham — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 06:47:52 +0000

Fancy an ex real estate salesman like keenan being involved in something shonky?

By: Frank Calabrese

Frank Calabrese — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 04:23:15 +0000

And in Breaking news, yet another piece of Rudd Mud Slinging has failed to hit it's target.

THE workplace watchdog has cleared federal Labor leader Kevin Rudd's wife Therese Rein of deliberately underpaying workers.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 01:55:45 +0000

I just love all this mock indignation…..

Paul Walter answered his own implied question “Yet the electorate, after all this time, can’t seem to grasp why this sort of behaviour is grounds for suspicion of the government and justification for its removal”

with this answer
“Fair enough, the ALP has not been proven to be much use in opposition, but then we don’t know if a hypothetical decade under Labor in government might have been transformative for it and the country. After all, Hawke and Keating at their worst were no worse than Howard!
True, too, that some of the Labor state governments have been vile.”

It’s politics team – get over it! Politicians lie, are sneaky, use any tricks they can to push their own agenda – and don’t think the Greens or Democrats are holier than thou…. Bob Brown has been known to pull off a few stunts in his day!

To get re-elected, Howard needs to get voters thinking about just two things when they enter the ballot box – the economy and national security. That means neutralising any debate on side issues such as broadband, education, environment etc So low and behold – we have a broadband plan to follow the $5bn Uni trust fund and the carbon trading system…. for the average punter – Howard is acting on broadband, education and the environment…..

The the regular punter it’s now back to regular programming – have I got a job, what are interest rates doing, who’s going to keep the troublesome aboriginals in line and out of the city, and who’s going to keep radical Islam out of Australia….hmmmmmm….. maybe I’ll vote for Howard again.

By: Kim

Kim — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:28:41 +0000

Thanks for trawling Hansard for us Nick! Somebody’s got to do it!

By: Anna Winter

Anna Winter — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:01:26 +0000

Interesting. It shows that there must be a bunch of this stuff happening that no-one ever hears about.

The defence force pamphlet, and now this – and that’s only one seat!

By: philiptravers

philiptravers — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 12:06:52 +0000

Maybe,the Australian population didnt give Howard power at all,but rules governing this so-called democracy did,and how many Australians have left the shores before during and after elections,and those from other countries arriving,but,not via a few little islands.This isnt being anti-stranger,but more,did they know!? I prefer the hueristics of the elections because I already carry some emotional pain,and foul language isnt an immediate right here or elsewhere. I may have mis-spelt heuristics!?

By: Evan

Evan — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 11:58:11 +0000

That Michael Keenan. What a bloke. He’s even a better clairvoyant than that American guy in The Dead Zone.

Did someone hit him in the head recently?

By: paul walter

paul walter — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 08:42:17 +0000

Isn’t the above a small example of the sort of utter untrustworthiness we have seen for eleven years now, week in, weekout; day in, day out?
Yet the electorate, after all this time, can’t seem to grasp why this sort of behaviour is grounds for suspicion of the government and justification for its removal.
Fair enough, the ALP has not been proven to be much use in opposition, but then we don’t know if a hypothetical decade under Labor in government might have been transformative for it and the country. After all, Hawke and Keating at their worst were no worse than Howard!
True, too, that some of the Labor state governments have been vile.
Personally, I prefer the Greens or even Democrats over certain elements within Labor). What I can’t see is how the electorate can be justified for its rewarding of Tory bad behaviour for nearly a dozen years?
Could Labor have been or be any WORSE?
If Rudd proved to be a fraction as bad as the other mob, I’d applaud his removal after three years!
That would be eight years less than Australians have given the Coalition. In the meantime, at least the country would have the chance to break the vice-like grip the Howardist vested interests have on qangos, lobbying and bureaucracy.

By: Carl

Carl — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 06:38:29 +0000

Great pick up there Nick, unfortunately this isn’t the least bit surprising. (sigh)