Headlines Sunday 4th October 2009

Rudd doesn't have to answer questions
OPPOSITION leader Malcolm Turnbull has no intention of resigning from the leadership of the Liberal party or from politics, Liberal front bencher Scott Morrison said today.

Evening Standard now a free newspaper

LONDON'S Evening Standard newspaper will become a free sheet this month after 182 years as a paid-for title, as its new Russian owners seek a new strategy in a tough market. The tabloid, acquired by former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev for a nominal £1 ($1.84) in January, will drop its 50 pence (92c) cover price from October 12.

Letterman's lover outed as 'Girl Friday'
A FORMER Late Show intern named as host David Letterman's lover may have dated the man trying to bribe him.

Japan's ex-finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa found dead
JAPAN'S former finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa, who was forced to resign over his apparently drunken behaviour at a meeting of world powers, has been found dead at his home, police and news reports say. - he probably did a lot of good before that misjudgement which caused him endless humiliation from the press. - ed.

Villages 'obliterated' by quake
"DON'T bother trying to bring aid up there," Afiwardi said, pointing past a landslide that cut off a road. "Everyone is dead."

Sacked when they wanted to be mums
MATERNITY leave complaints spike with women sacked, denied time off and marginalised.

'New Stonehenge' unearthed near original
A "NEW Stonehenge" uncovered near the original famous monument could be one of the most important finds in decades.

Shark's ex wife 'knew it wouldn't last'
GREG Norman's marriage to Chris Evert was doomed from the start says his former wife.

Daylight savings begins in four states
Clocks went forward one hour in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT and South Australia at 2am today.

AFL star turned away at LA gates
FORMER AFL star Wayne Carey kicked out of the US and sent packing back to Australia.

Does an age gap matter?

DISGRACED medic Geoffrey Edelsten and his fiance Brynne Gordon - 40 years his junior - appeared on television to show their love is the real deal. - anything is possible for the rich and uncompunctioned - ed.

Dr David Kaye accused as fraud psychologist

A CONMAN posing as a psychologist was able to fool NSW health authorities with a PhD bought for $250 on the internet, police say.
=== Comments ===
Jobs are key for Coalition
Piers Akerman
OPPOSITION Leader Malcolm Turnbull will not be quitting any time soon.

- As Tim Blair said today

“The politics are tough now because conservatives years ago allowed the debate to get away from them; frightened of being labelled nature-haters, they declined to attack anti-progress green arguments as they were being formed. Result: in 2009 they’re dealing with a full-blown religion, and they’re discovering that logic isn’t much of a weapon against faith.”

vince_OZ of Northern Rivers, NSW

DD Ball replied to vince_OZ
I respect Tim and his stated position, but I think he is wrong headed on the issue. I don’t think that Tim’s stated methods would allow him to achieve his goals, whereas Mr Turnbull has some sound advice which would achieve the same ends Tim claims to be desirous of. I get Tim’s frustration.
ALP respect realities, but it isn’t the realities which others respect. ALP do not care about the environment, poor, workers or constituents. ALP care about their pork barrels and kick backs. The things that got them elected. There are those among the media who have a vested monetary interest in promoting the ALP and the cost is supporting them in holding on to the teat of public funding. False dichotomies are drawn to achieve that goal. So that Mr Turnbull is decried for a principled stance on the environment while Rudd is praised on what is hailed as being the same position, but which in fact is far worse for all. Mr Turnbull can justify what he suggests, Rudd has never had to defend what he demands.
I used to feel that journalists like Tim were playing some game which would change when the election was called and in which they would magically take a sensible position. But instead I have come to believe that this antagonistic view of anyone in conservative leadership and the false dichotomies which seem to promote ALP mythology do not waver. - ed

“they must acknowledge that political gain can be made by accommodating those who think they need to do something about the environment”

And that’s the kicker isn’t it?

Turnbull and most of the Libs know that Greenhouse Global Warming Climate Change is a load of crap. They also know that much of the electorate has heard nothing but one side of the debate and is genuinely concerned about the potential harm to the planet. So the debate in the Liberal Party is not so much about GWGHCC but rather strategy to win the next election.

The question then becomes - Do we sell out to win a few extra votes or do we stand on principle and look ‘old hat?’ For mine not enough experts will come out in time to stop the insanity that is about to happen - And once the Carbon Credit Fraud is switched on it will be virtually unstoppable. The fourth estate is rock solid behind GHGWCC and the financial elites smell a profit. The Libs would be fearing they will end up like Labor UK when L.U.K. spent years in the wilderness because of their silly nationalization policies.

GHGWCC will collapse as all frauds do but not in time to save the Libs at the next election. Turnbull’s main error was making this issue a big one and then attaching so much significance to it. But this is all just scenery - Voters want to give Labor another 3 years as the Libs have not created any traction with the electorate, they have also not done enough to counter Labor’s massive media initiative.

Side point: This maybe completely off the wall but someone may like to comment on it - The other day it occurred to me that people voted in Labor because they wanted a bit of destruction. After all we had 11 years of solid growth and what can best be described as a ‘long golden era.’ Maybe at some level voters needed to see the other side in order to get a sense of ‘contrast’ or something???? This could be the reason why Rudd’s stuff ups actually register as successes in the polls.

party on

Tim of Reality
doc replied to Tim
Tim, I thought Rudd won the last election on two major points. First he snookered the voters by saying he was the same as JH economically, which was an outright lie according to his own philosophical essays since. Secondly, he ran on the back of the union campaign against Work Choices - the lies in that campaign to be shown in the next couple of years as union activity explodes regardless of the job and business losses they cause.

Additionally, Rudd had and still has a totally compliant media. I notice on Insiders today that Malcolm Turnbull pointed this out and the response was, from that program, that this was the oppositions fault for not acting effectively to get Rudd’s ETS etc discussed ie it isnt the media’s job to point out to the public what these policies have in store for the livelihoods of the voters.

Now I might be blind, deaf, dumb and stupid but I think these people just condemned themselves out by their own selfjustifying statements. They virtually admitted to being an arm of the Labor Party and the practicalities of what legislation means to the living standards of the public is not the business of the press.

As I say, I’m just stupid; I thought good journalism was supposedly based on following the trail, exposing news and corruption in an unbiased fashion and print the truth. It appears I am just paying for hacks to sprout the party line and get the news from Reuters, read the comics, do the crosswords and get on with a robotic life. In particular therefore, I resent paying taxes to keep the ABC hacks in the manner to which they have become accustomed while they sprout out ‘love Kevin’’ campaigns because they do. It makes us all paid up non voting members of the ALP.

Doc, the workchoices mouthings of Rudd were a sham which went unchecked by the media with public blessing. Channel 7's Sunrise took on the job of spruiking and the result was important questions were not asked. Perniciously, similar things happened elsewhere, including 2GB which aired a debate and had conservative commentators nodding their heads sagely with what was being said and unchallenged by Rudd. I have experienced Rudd's system. I am currently working sweatshop conditions under the NSW state government for federal funds. I get no sick leave, holiday pay or any standard conditions in my unionised environment, although I work full time. I will have to apply for the dole from Centerlink these holidays although I have worked full time for some 17 weeks. There is the possibility of a full time contract, but that has been denied me because I have been unofficially illegally black listed by the NSW State Government. I have done nothing wrong and there is no legal impediment for my work. I am paid less than the minimum wage when I am paid. I believe if I can get myself before the IR court the NSW Govt will be screwed .. worse.
Tim, the press got the ALP into power through the persistent repetition of lies over the years. Dan Rather could learn a lot about how to lie in Australia. That the press could run with lies like Children Overboard, Timor negligence, Sieve X, Johny say sorry, incompetent foreign affairs and so on is beyond the expectation of a reasonable person and so it is natural that the average person would support the ALP after all the successes .. the successes were not reported and the failures were inflated beyond all recognition. A similar situation is developing here with Mr Turnbull and GWGHCC. GWGHCC is not the fault of Mr Turnbull, and he has not inflated it. Many in the press are trying to tether Mr Turnbull to radicalized constituents with the hope of blowing him up over global concerns. Yet the same concerns are not being raised about Rudd and the ALP who really have tabled something very stupid and dangerous. - ed
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WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
Tim Blair
NSFW, soundwise:

When your rear wheels are lit up with 500 or so horsepower – on a road that is either semi-repaved or partially wet – it pays to keep the front wheels dancing a little. Lock into straight-on mode and you’re a passenger.
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TEDDY II
Tim Blair
The noble spirit of Edward Kennedy lives on.