=== Todays Toon ===
Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 1st Viscount Novar KT GCMG PC (6 March 1860 – 30 March 1934), the sixth Governor-General of Australia, was probably the most politically influential holder of this post. - lauded for being too close to the ALP - ed.
=== Bible Quote ===
“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”- Romans 8:32=== Headlines ===
Dueling Rallies Emerge In Ground Zero Mosque Debate
Hundreds of people on both sides of a controversy over a proposed mosque near Ground Zero take to the streets of lower Manhattan to air their feelings.Iran's 'Ambassador of Death' Drone Unveiled
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurates Tehran's first domestically built unmanned bomber, saying that while powerful, it will be used defensively to 'keep the enemy paralyzed'
Egg Recall Linked to Embattled Supplier
Two Iowa farms that together recalled more than half a billion potentially salmonella-tainted eggs are linked to the same businessman Austin 'Jack' DeCoster who's no stranger to violations
Miracle In Chile: 33 Miners Found Alive
Chile's president Sebastian Pinera confirms that rescuers find all 33 Chilean miners alive deep underground after a gold and copper mine collapsed more than two weeks ago
Breaking News
Another election, Oakeshott warnsA KEY player in negotiations for a minority government has warned another election might be needed if agreement can't be reached.
Westpac reports cash earnings of $1.4bn
WESTPAC reports cash earnings for the third quarter to June of about $1.4 billion and warns of continuing economic uncertainty.
Teen babysitter 'punched, burnt'
THREE women will face court charged over an alleged attack on a 14-year-old babysitter who they allegedly burned with a cigarette butt.
True Blood stars tie the knot
ANNA Paquin and Stephen Moyer were married on Saturday night at a private beach residence in Malibu, California.
SWAT team uses tear gas at crafts festival
POLICE and SWAT teams were faced with a rioting crowd of about 400 people during a music and crafts festival.
Four decapitated bodies hung from bridge
THE decapitated bodies of four men were hung from a bridge today as a city was besieged by fighting between two drug lords.
Matador seriously injured after goring
A SPANISH matador was seriously injured today after being gored during a contest in the northern city of Bilbao.
Police arrest 80 at rave party, three ill
AN overnight rave ended with the arrests of 80 people and several calls to emergency medical services.
Dollar opens lower on election uncertainty
THE dollar opened lower today as uncertainty remains over the Federal Election result.
Anna Bligh is safe, says Peter Beattie
PETER Beattie says his successor's job is safe despite criticism that the State Government's performance affected Labor at the Federal Election.
NSW/ACT
'Safe' seats punish LaborLABOR'S lost its heartland vote in NSW, with its second-safest seat in Australia in a recount today.
Nappy change dads kings of cringe
IT'S a moment most of us dread - you're in public with your father and he tells a joke.
Baby dummies recalled
A RANGE of babies' dummies is being recalled after fears of teat separation.
Thomas steams the safe line
THOMAS the Tank Engine has entertained kids for 65 years - and he'll try to keep them safe.
Iemma's call for Bitar end
FORMER NSW Labor premier Morris Iemma called for Labor's party boss Karl Bitar to be sacked.
Queensland
MPs punished over Rudd and BlighVANQUISHED Labor Party MPs believe they were "punished" for Kevin Rudd's demise and took a fall for the unpopular Bligh Government.
Teen babysitter 'punched, burnt'
THREE women will face a Brisbane court charged over an alleged attack on a 14-year-old babysitter who they allegedly burned with a cigarette butt.
Drunk falls through nightclub roof
A DRUNK booted out of a nightclub has fallen through the ceiling trying to sneak back in. Three people were injured.
Policewoman bashed sitting in car
POLICEWOMAN repeatedly punched in the head through an open car window in Brisbane before attacker subdued with pepper spray.
Axe rampage in failed robbery
TRIO armed with axes try to hold up motel and try to chop down door of room where female worker barricaded herself before fleeing empty-handed.
Horror weekend on roads
A CHAOTIC seven-car pile-up capped a horror weekend on the roads in which four people were killed and several left fighting for their lives.
Motorist dead after single car crash
A 24-year-old man has died after a single-vehicle crash in Princess St, Bundaberg, about 6pm Sunday.
Snapper surgery call to anglers
WITH half of all fish caught returned to the sea, anglers have been urged to perform minor surgery on snapper so they are capable of swimming to deeper water.
Big Brother getting bigger
COUNCILS around the state plan to dramatically expand their numbers of closed-circuit TV cameras, sparking a debate over their risks to privacy.
House seizures to recoup rates
SOUTHEAST Queensland homes are on the line as local councils move to recover tens of millions of dollars in unpaid rates by selling them off.
Victoria
Traffic chaos after truck rollsA TRUCK rollover is causing peak-hour traffic chaos on the Eastlink Freeway in Frankston.
Missing teen found 'safe and well'
UPDATE 6.20am: A GEELONG teenager that went missing over the weekend has been found "safe and well".
Dad's plea as death, injuries increase
AUSTRALIA's commitment to Afghanistan is under fire after two more soldiers were killed and another four seriously wounded.
Melee leaves two in hospital
AN all-in brawl involving players, officials and spectators at a junior football final has left two players in hospital.
Govt gets tough on knives
PEOPLE in Victoria caught illegally carrying knives or other controlled weapons face a $1000 on-the-spot fine from today.
Bull crushes woman in accident
UPDATE 1:01pm: A BULL has sandwiched a woman against a fence in Kinglake.
Northern Territory
Nothing newSouth Australia
70 stranded in William CreekABOUT 70 people have been stranded in William Creek after heavy rain made the roads too wet to travel on.
Frenchman Loeb wins German Rally
SEBASTIEN Loeb of France won the Rally of Germany last night, tightening his grip on a seventh straight world title.
Barnesy has another two daughters
ROCKER Jimmy Barnes has two previously unacknowledged daughters living in Adelaide.
Clean-up after napthalene leak on ship
HAZMAT crews have been called to Outer Harbor ,where a container onboard a ship is leaking napthalene oil.
Two killed in SA crashes
TWO people have been killed in separate crashes on South Australian roads this weekend.
Knife-wielding thieves hit hotel
THIEVES armed with knives this morning robbed the Marina Hotel at Port Lincoln before fleeing in a stolen car.
Western Australia
'Mentally ill don't belong in jail'MENTALLY ill prisoners don't belong in jail and should be transferred into secure residential facilities instead, WA Labor MP Paul Papalia says.
Speed possible cause of fatal crash
A MAN has died after the car he was travelling in rolled near Karratha yesterday evening.
Labor 'delayed' news of asylum boat arrival
LABOR has been accused of delaying the announcement of an asylum boat intercepted yesterday to avoid jeopardising its chances in crucial marginal seats.
Arson squad probes fatal house fire
A WOMAN has escaped a house fire in which her partner died in Dianella early this morning.
Mourners to remember shark victim
A COMMEMORATIVE service will be held today for 31-year-old Nicholas Edwards, who died after being attacked by a shark near Gracetown.
Tasmania
Nothing new=== Comments ===
A Brother's Ultimate Sacrifice -- A Story of Faith Amidst SufferingBy Rev. Bill Shuler
This month as a nation took note of novelist, Anne Rice “Quitting Christianity” a less seen story on a less grand stage emerged to show forth the true value of faith.
In Denver, Colorado two brothers embraced before going into surgery for a liver transplant. Ryan Arnold, age 34, was donating a part of his healthy liver so that his older brother Chad Arnold, who had an incurable liver disease, could live.
This type of surgery is rare and not without risk. After what seemed to be a successful surgery complications arose. Within four days, the donor Ryan Arnold died while his brother Chad lived.
Ryan and Chad’s father fought back tears as he broke the news to Chad with the simple words, “I have some bad news. Ryan’s gone but we still serve a good God.”
When someone goes through unbearable pain and emerges with faith intact something in all of us takes notice. Faith emerges as less of a debate and its sacred nature becomes illuminated. The words in scripture, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends,” (John 15:13) are merely noble words until modeled in a hospital room where a brother’s life hangs in the balance or on a cross 2,000 years ago.
The Bible does not pretend that suffering doesn’t exist. The eleventh Chapter of Hebrews is known as the “Faith Chapter.” Within its contents are recorded mighty exploits and miracles. Also within its contents are those who took a stand and whose lives were marked by suffering even to the point of death. The Bible notes that ALL were commended for their faith.
The following are thoughts on faith amidst suffering:
1. “Strange how people who suffer together have stronger connections than those who are most content.” -- Bob Dylan
2. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” -- Hebrews 11:1
3. God allowed his own son to suffer so that we might be saved.
4. The book of Job contains some 300 questions and ultimately answers them all with God’s presence.
5. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God…” -- Deuteronomy 29:29
6. “I am he who comforts you.” -- Isaiah 51:12
7. “Moses persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” -- Hebrews 11:27
8. “Where oh death is your victory? Where oh death is your sting?” --I Corinthians 15:55
9. “The will of God is never exactly what you expect it to be. It may seem to be much worse, but in the end it’s going to be a lot better and a lot bigger.” -- Elizabeth Elliot (wife of a missionary who was killed on the mission field)
10. “In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” -- John 16:33
In a world in which faith is often ridiculed or marginalized, Ryan Arnold, husband of Shannon and father of their three children ages 6, 4 and 1, simply lived out his faith. His words, spoken minutes before his surgery to his brother telling him that he was “worth it” caused us all to catch a glimpse of how God views us. His faith told him that love has the power to forever change the life of another.
God clearly had a purpose for Ryan’s life and he has a purpose for Chad’s life that is worthy of his brother’s sacrifice.
The family has set up a link for contributions toward scholarships for the education of Ryan Arnold’s sons. It can found at ryanarnold.org. And here is a video link to the story as well (scroll to the bottom of the page for the video).
Rev. Bill Shuler is pastor of Capital Life Church in Arlington, Virginia. To learn more, visit CapitalLife.org.
===
JULIA’S NEW FRIENDS
Tim Blair
Just how many Julia Gillards are there?
===
TRADITION BORN
Tim Blair
Eight years ago, a young NSW Labor identity faced criticism from a fellow party member. Along with other Labor brawls, it caused chaos on the south coast:
Six Illawarra ALP members are in the firing line as the party prepares to put its tough new “anti-rat” regime to the test.The committee subsequently expelled Denton. If all ALP members currently denigrating Arbib faced similar outcomes, the Labor party could hold its annual conference in a fridge. Some senior types are now moving against the Labor wrecker and his partner in mayhem:
They have been cited by other party members for bringing the party into disrepute, primarily for publicly attacking MPs or criticising party policy …
Two who have been summonsed to face the committee are Scott Denton (Mt Keira) for allegedly denigrating assistant State secretary Mark Arbib at a branch meeting, and Bellambi pharmacist Munir Hussain (Balgownie) for writing letters to the Mercury editor.
“It won’t be knives coming out, it will be axes. We need to take an axe to Bitar and Arbib so that Labor can find its way again.”In your own time.
===
DRUNK AND DISREPUTABLE
Tim Blair
History’s greatest newspaper apology:
Sadly, compositors aren’t around any more. Nowadays we just blame the online guys.===
ELECTION 2010, BLOOD PHASE
Tim Blair
Welcome to Ausflorida, where it’s always November 7, 2000:
Australians will have to wait up to 10 days to learn if Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott will be able to form government.One million votes remain to be counted, while both major parties seek a deal with independents:
Julia Gillard is asking that Australians look not to Labor’s recent history but to her personality as the basis for a stable federal government.Sure thing, Sybil. Which personality are we talking about? Loyal deputy Julia or stabby Julia? The Julia who wanted to “clear the factions out of the system” or the Julia who relied on them to gain power? Fake Julia? Real Julia? No-notes Julia? Notes Julia? The Julia who wears pearls as a joke or the Julia who doesn’t? Not seeing a lot of stability here myself. On with the bloodfest – having previously slammed Labor’s election campaign under Gillard, Kristina Keneally now blames Kevin Rudd:
Kevin Rudd’s failure to invest in infrastructure in NSW contributed to voter condemnation of Labor in the state, the Premier, Kristina Keneally, said.Kevni’s electorate isn’t so concerned with NSW investment, but voters there were also dismissive:
The primary vote swing against Labor in Queensland was about 8 per cent. Against Mr Rudd in Griffith, it was closer to 9 per cent.And they’re his friends. Back to NSW:
The former NSW premier Morris Iemma has publicly repudiated Labor’s federal campaign director Karl Bitar, saying if he had a ‘’conscience’’ he would hand his resignation to the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.According to an unnamed NSW Labor insider, Gillard’s anti-immigration views were a factor in the government’s collapse:
In a blistering attack on Labor’s five-week campaign, Mr Iemma described it as ‘’the most inept in living memory’’.
One said that entire ethnic communities had abandoned Labor and put it down to three things: the removal of Mandarin-speaking prime minister Kevin Rudd, Labor’s anti-immigration policies and Julia Gillard’s admission that she was an atheist.They seemed fine with Tony. Blood is promised:
“In our attempt to go after the white bread conservative vote in Lindsay, we have lost entire ethnic communities, our traditional base. It’s a disaster,” the source said.
“In 25 years, I have not seen people of Chinese background walk past people with Labor how-to-vote cards. As soon as she started talking about too many immigrants, we lost every ethnic vote.”
‘’They’ll be blood on the walls over this,’’ said one senior Labor source from New South Wales. ‘’We are now headed for a meltdown.’’The tense in that last sentence may be inaccurate. Shaun Carney on the carnage:
The grim portent for Labor lies not in the mere fact of its loss of a parliamentary majority, but the way in which that loss has been inflicted, with many of its own people saying after only three years, ‘’no more’’.If they don’t want government, maybe they shouldn’t have it. One seat could be decisive:
The West Australian seat of Hasluck could hold the keys to The Lodge for either Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott.Something to consider during all of this: in 2007, late counting nationwide went to the Coalition.
===
HOT WAR
Tim Blair
The stolen lake was just a test:
As Muscovites suffer record high temperatures this summer, a Russian political scientist has claimed the United States may be using climate-change weapons to alter the temperatures and crop yields of Russia and other Central Asian countries.However:
In a recent article, Andrei Areshev, deputy director of the Strategic Culture Foundation, wrote, “At the moment, climate weapons may be reaching their target capacity and may be used to provoke droughts, erase crops, and induce various anomalous phenomena in certain countries.”
In an telephone interview with RFE/RL, Areshev appeared to back off from claims he made in the article …Smart move, Areshev. Certain, er, powerful interests have been notified.
(Via Dan F.)
===
PRO-PALLIES PUNKED
Tim Blair
John Lydon – formerly Johnny Rotten – responds to critics of his planned concert in Tel Aviv:
I really resent the presumption that I’m going there to play to right-wing Nazi jews. If Elvis-f-ing-Costello wants to pull out of a gig in Israel because he’s suddenly got this compassion for Palestinians, then good on him. But I have absolutely one rule, right? Until I see an Arab country, a Muslim country, with a democracy, I won’t understand how anyone can have a problem with how they’re treated.Hot-for-Palestine British leftists are furious, of course. Lydon began his career by offending fussy old monarchists, and now he’s found an even more hidebound and traditionalist bunch to upset.
===
CAN’T BE TOO CAREFUL
Tim Blair
Further to those withdrawn sex accusations against moon-tanned Wikileaks apparition Julian Assange:
Mr Assange rejected the molestation accusation and said he has never – in Sweden or elsewhere – “had sex with anyone without the full consent of both parties”.He seeks consent from himself?
UPDATE. Iowahawk: “Boy, Wikileaks must be embarrassed that they got scooped.”
===
Labor implodes: who hates who in this zoo
Andrew Bolt
It’s getting ugly in Labor, as scores get settled.
Defeated MP Maxine McKew on Labor’s faction chiefs and strategists:
Well, you cannot have a Labor leader removed within two months of an election for it not to have significant ramifications, so clearly that was a factor…Former NSW Premier Morris Iemma on Labor campaign director Karl Bitar:
We kept the nation working - that’s an extraordinary achievement. But that was not the central message of our campaign - it should have been built more around jobs.
As the campaign director, Karl Bitar ought to have by now fallen on his sword and he just doesn’t have the principle to do it.Karl Bitar on Iemma:
Iemma’s attacks on me have nothing 2 do with the fed campaign and all about his attempts to privatise electricity in NSW in 2008.Iemma on Labor power broker and frontbencher Mark Arbib and others of the NSW Right:
They have debased the political process in NSW, they have taken their disease and infected the federal Labor Party.Anonymous Labor figure on Treasurer Wayne Swan:
Swan f..cked this government from the beginning. He fought inflation instead of deflation, he couldn’t say deficit and own that policy. He created the disastrous mining tax, he wanted public money for advertising, and failed to nail (Shadow Treasurer) Hockey in the campaign. A bad Treasurer is a bad government.Labor members on Arbib and ally Bitar:
Labor members in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Western Australia defied the directive, openly scoffing at ALP national secretary Karl Bitar’s explanation that leaks by supporters of Kevin Rudd early in the campaign had crippled an otherwise strong effort by the party.Labor candidate and former state minister Allannah MacTiernan on the Labor party machine:
“The idea that the campaign was good but the leaks were the problem doesn’t take account of the fact we lost the last week, we had no consistent message, and our advertising didn’t mesh with what Gillard was saying,” said a senior NSW Labor minister.
“It won’t be knives coming out, it will be axes. We need to take an axe to Bitar and (Senator Mark) Arbib so that Labor can find its way again.”
We do all the hard work with policy, and then we hand it all over to these so-called professionals, who do us a disservice by all this negative campaigning. Until we have a change in that whole culture about the way we run campaigns, until we transcend the reliance on a set of political cliches that come from the Westwing brigade going over to America doing their courses and coming back all wise about politics . . . we’re not going to get anywhere.NSW Premier Kristina Keneally on Kevin Rudd:
What I would say that very clearly reflects is people’s frustration that the mandate they had elected Kevin Rudd to deliver, they felt had not been delivered.Queensland Premier Anna Bligh on Labor’s NSW Right faction bosses - like Arbib:
I don’t intend to let the NSW disease that sees leadership as a revolving door undermine a democratic mandate in Queensland. It hasn’t worked in NSW and it failed miserably federally.Arbib skips more criticism on the ABC’s Q&A postmortem tonight:
Senator Arbib, who helped organise the numbers against Kevin Rudd in favour of Julia Gillard in June, was due to appear on ABC TV’s Q&A program on Monday night. But just hours before the show goes to air his spokeswoman told AAP the federal senator wouldn’t be appearing as scheduled.
===
Our election, as seen by Taiwanese TV
Andrew Bolt
(Thanks to reader I think and I vote.)
===
What do the three independents actually want?
Andrew Bolt
The three ex-National independents will decide who forms government, should Labor not win all the four seats still in doubt. So what might they want?
Bob Katter:
Mr Katter said he would like to see the end of the “duopoly” of major retailers Woolworths and Coles as well as “serious government take-up of biofuels” such as ethanol (to assist his sugar producers in the north). He also thinks the nation should consider banning foreign food imports such as bananas if there is a disease risk.And on global warming:
As well, he wants the return of agricultural and subsidies to protect Australian primary producers, and a stop put to “the erosion of personal rights and freedoms”.
Mr Katter yesterday blasted senior Nationals, including leader Warren Truss and Senate leader Barnaby Joyce, for what he said were personal attacks on him during Saturday night’s television election coverage…
Significant in Mr Katter’s maverick past was his opposition to the firearm control scheme introduced by John Howard in the wake of the April 1996 Port Arthur massacre…
“If you come and see my house, it’s built like a fortress. You retreat through one set of locked doors and another set of locked doors and there’s a siren and three locks on the door and every bed has a rifle, so if we’re out and the kids are at home, they can protect themselves....”
I describe myself not as a sceptic but as an ‘anti’.... So there is a much more serious problem that can arise, a much more immediate problem. I am not saying that the problem is there at the present moment…Rob Oakeshott:
Where does electricity come from? Electricity comes from coal. And if you say that electricity should not come from coal, God help you, because you will not have an aluminium industry.
Mr Katter, Mr Windsor and Mr Oakeshott all listed broadband yesterday as one of their policy priorities, putting pressure on Tony Abbott to dramatically improve his widely derided scheme. Mr Oakeshott also listed his support for an emissions trading scheme, something the Coalition flatly rejects.Tony Windsor:
In a mid-August interview with The Age, Mr Windsor described broadband as the most important piece of infrastructure that could be built for rural Australia.Good luck reaching a deal with that lot. The agenda fits better with Labor’s, keaving aside Katter’s climate scepticism, but the three all have conservative electorates to placate.
‘’It is more important than rail,’’ he said.
But it is health and aged care that he is most concerned about. He wants to keep smaller hospitals open in rural communities and has concerns that Labor and Coalition plans for local board control could close them.
Water is another big issue. He has campaign tirelessly for a proper study of the effects of a proposed coal mine on water systems on the Liverpool Plains.
But like the other independents, stability of government will be the key factor in his choice to form the next government.
UPDATE
My solution: Have the Liberals make Kevin Rudd Speaker.
UPDATE 2
The one WA National elected on Saturday offers his vote to Labor - at a huge price:
NEWLY-elected WA National Tony Crook could back a minority Labor government if the ALP scraps the controversial minerals resources rent tax.UPDATE 3
Mr Crook defeated long-serving Liberal MP Wilson Tuckey to claim the seat of O’Connor… The Western Australian branch of the National Party is fiercely independent, although as Mr Crook pointed out, it is still conservative-leaning.
Reader Peter Katsambanis warns of another possible twist, as Anthony Albanese struggles to beat off another Greens candidate in Grayndler.
===
Punters back Shorten to topple Gillard next
Andrew Bolt
Replacing Rudd with Gillard is paying off for at least one Labor MP:
Bill Shorten, the former union boss who orchestrated the execution of Kevin Rudd from the Labor leadership, has been backed by punters to lead the party to the next election… Leading betting agency Centrebet has Mr Shorten, a Victorian Right figure who is married to the daughter of Governor-General Quentin Bryce, a $2.70 favourite, with Ms Gillard at $4.10.If the independent MPs want stable government from Labor, they might do well to ask for a guarantee from Shorten that he won’t replace Gillard like he replaced Rudd.
(Thanks to reader Michael.)
UPDATE
Reader Bob suggests another twist. Rudd resigns to go off to the UN, forcing a byelection. In this atmosphere, who knows if Labor will retain it, despite holding it at the moment with 58 per cent of the vote.
===
Seals slaughtered by green fanatics
Andrew Bolt
Would never had happened with a coal-fired power station:
Scientists investigating the deaths of dozens of seals whose mutilated carcasses have washed up at a beauty spot believe the construction of an offshore windfarm is probably to blame.(Thanks to reader Andrew.)
===
Could sceptics debate Cameron’s Avatar instead?
Andrew Bolt
Avatar director and warmist hypocrite James Cameron (right) just couldn’t wait to debate some sceptics: I want to call those deniers out into the street at high noon and shoot it out with those boneheads.But Ann McIlhinney, director of Not Evil Just Wrong, discovers that Cameron is actually rather gun-shy, after all:
Well, a few weeks ago Mr. Cameron seemed to honor his word.(Thanks to readers Gary and Magnus.)
His representatives contacted myself and two other well known skeptics, Marc Morano of the Climate Depot website and Andrew Breitbart, the new media entrepreneur.
Mr. Cameron was attending the AREDAY environmental conference in Aspen Colorado 19-22 August. He wanted the conference to end with a debate on climate change. Cameron would be flanked with two scientists. It would be 90 minutes long. It would be streamed live on the internet.
They hoped the debate would attract a lot of media coverage.
“We are delighted to have Fox News, Newsmax, The Washington Times and anyone else you’d like. The more the better,” one of James Cameron’s organizers said in an email…
Everyone on our side agreed with their conditions. The debate was even listed on the AREDAY agenda.
But then as the debate approached James Cameron’s side started changing the rules.
They wanted to change their team. We agreed.
They wanted to change the format to less of a debate—to “a roundtable”. We agreed.
Then they wanted to ban our cameras from the debate. We could have access to their footage. We agreed.
Bizarrely, for a brief while, the worlds most successful film maker suggested that no cameras should be allowed-that sound only should be recorded. We agreed
Then finally James Cameron, who so publicly announced that he “wanted to call those deniers out into the street at high noon and shoot it out,” decided to ban the media from the shoot out.
He even wanted to ban the public. The debate/roundtable would only be open to those who attended the conference.
No media would be allowed and there would be no streaming on the internet. No one would be allowed to record it in any way.
We all agreed to that.
And then, yesterday, just one day before the debate, his representatives sent an email that Mr. “shoot it out “ Cameron no longer wanted to take part. The debate was cancelled.
===
Only in Darwin
Andrew Bolt
Nowhere else in the world would the juxtaposition even occur to an artist:A DARWIN photographer who mixes crocodiles with naked women says he doesn’t mind the controversy he generates.
===
An omm from the man who commands the balance of power
Andrew Bolt
A shiny-eyed Greens leader Bob Brown celebrates the big Greens vote - by confirming his party is for mystics, not practical politicians:A couple of days ago a baby whale was born in the Derwent [River] for the first time in 200 years, two days later we’re seeing the new birth [of a party].
===
Too happy for prayers
Andrew Bolt
The Age defines the new measure of euphoria:
The mood at the green-streamer-festooned Victoria Hotel was so euphoric that the Greens made a very uncharacteristic faux pas - they forgot to acknowledge the Kulin Nation.The ABC’s Kerry O’Brien uses his standard measure for political swings on his election night coverage:
A SLIGHT swing to the ABC, er, I mean ALP, that’s the second time I’ve done that in 10 years.
===
Green weasels
Andrew Bolt
Greens candidate Adam Bandt before the election, when there’s votes to be won, says he’d back a Labor Government if elected:
...my approach to the situation where my vote was to matter is a clear preference for a Gillard Government.But after the election, when there’s goodies to gain:
…a vote for the Greens is a vote to keep Tony Abbott out...
New Melbourne MP Adam Bandt today said he was more inclined to support Labor in a hung parliament, where the Greens and independent MPs would hold the balance of power.But is Brown the last word on the Greens’ policies, now that the party is being overrun by militant Lefitsts such as former Stalinist Lee Rhiannon?
But his stance appeared to be at odds with that of Greens leader Bob Brown, who said negotiations were ongoing and the party was yet to decide who it would throw its support behind.
Greens MP Adam Bandt won’t support a minority coalition government, the party’s NSW Senate hopeful Lee Rhiannon says…So who is cheating whom here?
“What Adam has been very clear about in the campaign (is) his concerns about how Mr Abbott has conducted himself (and) the policies of the coalition and that he wouldn’t be supporting an Abbott government,” she told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.
===
Swan gets his
Andrew Bolt
The highlight of the TV election coverage. (Thanks to readers for this extended version.)
UPDATE
James Jeffrey:
CONGRATULATIONS to the Nine Network for pulling off a mighty feat on election night: making us feel sorry for Wayne Swan. Swan normally strikes us as being big enough to take care of himself, but we felt a tinge, however fleeting, of pity as the Liberal Party’s Michael Kroger and Nationals leader-in-all-but-name Barnaby Joyce joined up for a game of tag-team assault on the federal Treasurer, and it got a bit shouty. “Who is this lunatic you have on your panel?” Swan pleaded, and eventually, as the pummelling went on uninterrupted, asked plaintively “Do I have to put up with this?”Glenn Milne:
He was meant to be Gillard’s economic battering ram against Tony Abbott. He failed utterly. Leaving aside for the moment the role of the compromised Gillard ascendancy in this debacle, there will be many inside the Labor Government who will be putting Swan’s role in this catastrophe under the microscope as well.(Thanks to reader Pira and others.)
As one Labor figure put it last night: “Swan f..cked this government from the beginning. He fought inflation instead of deflation, he couldn’t say deficit and own that policy. He created the disastrous mining tax, he wanted public money for advertising, and failed to nail (Shadow Treasurer) Hockey in the campaign. A bad Treasurer is a bad government.”
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