=== Todays Toon ===
ONE MINUTE TO MIDNIGHTWe have been told that this weekend will be the last one we need to wait through before we will know just who will be running our country and economy for the next three years. - ZEG
=== Bible Quote ===
“Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”- John 14:23=== Headlines ===
Obama Takes Aim at Economic Woes — and GOP Foes
In a Labor Day speech alternating between policy prescriptions and campaign-style pitches, president vows to spend $50 billion on long-term infrastructure projects, while GOP counters that Americans 'are rightly skeptical' of new Dem stimulus initiatives.U.S. Tells Turkey to Cut Ties With Iran
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Mike Mullen, tells Turkey it must join the international coalition seeking to contain Iran
Character Counts: Gibbs in Tweet War
White House press secretary dukes it out in little reported Twitter back-and- forth with Weekly Standard senior writer Stephen Hayes, generating dozens of tweets — you decide who won this this round
Labor Day Surge for GOP in Ohio
Polls in Ohio suggest voters are angry with Democrats, as incumbent governor trails GOP challenger and former Rep. John Kasich, pictured, by 12 points in one recent poll
Breaking News
Travolta brings end to extortion caseA JUDGE has dropped charges against two men accused of trying to extort money from John Travolta at the actor’s request, RadarOnline reports.
Money can buy you happiness, study says
THEY say money can't buy happiness, but they're wrong at least up to a point.
Father gored to death in Spanish bull run
A MARRIED father of two was gored to death yesterday during a bull run in central Spain, a local official said.
One dead in plane crash in Las Vegas
A SMALL plane crashed yesterday morning in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, killing one person authorities said.
Teen faces castration after police beating
A RUSSIAN teenager is facing castration after being severely beaten by police in the Volga river town of Kstovo.
Obese man can't work due to injury risk
A 191KG British man who has been diagnosed by doctors as too heavy to have a job because he could fall and crush work colleagues.
Rooney 'will play' despite prostitute claim
ENGLAND coach Fabio Capello revealed Wayne Rooney will play against Switzerland today, despite recent allegations surrounding his private life.
Iran stoning could happen after Ramadan
THE adult son of an Iranian woman sentenced to be stoned to death for adultery says he fears she will be executed shortly after this week's end to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Protest forces Blair to can book signing
FORMER UK Prime Minister Tony Blair as canceled this week's London book signing after antiwar protesters threw eggs and shoes at him during a similar event over the weekend.
Cockroaches 'help fight deadly infections'
COCKROACHES could be more of a health benefit than a health hazard, as their brains contain powerful antibiotic properties which could lead to new treatments against superbugs.
NSW/ACT
Ibrahim's bodyguard granted bailA DISPUTE over parking allegedly led to John Ibrahim's bodyguard pulling out a pistol, court hears.
Driving isn't a game, cops warn
POLICE have warned young men not to treat driving like they're playing a video game, telling them there are no second chances.
Trying to build a Venice out west
PARRAMATTA challenged billionaire to transform the western city into the next Venice after he snapped up a landmark building.
Yet another CityRail hold-up
LONG-suffering rail commuters abandoned a peak-hour train again yesterday, the second embarrassing CityRail evacuation in a week.
Water inspector took cash bribes
A SYDNEY Water inspector has admitted to receiving cash bribes from contractors but said he believed they were "gifts", ICAC hears.
Young criminals' early escape
FIVE juvenile prisoners were mistakenly released early from detention centres in a series of blunders by the State Government.
Police hunt for body in bag
THE search for missing Kiesha Abrahams took a bizarre twist, with a report that a body had been found.
Uni whistle keeps wolves at bay
STUDENTS at a regional university are being issued with ear-piercing whistles in case they are attacked or robbed on campus. Good idea?
Police to probe NRL betting
THE NRL illegal betting scandal dramatically escalated with six suspicious matches now likely to be investigated by police.
Queensland
Flipped Falcon a garden ornamentA DRIVER will be blood-tested after his Ford Falcon smashed through several fences and landed on its roof in a suburban back yard.
Stuck punters await road check
THOUSANDS of tourists stranded in Birdsville after rain washed out the iconic races will find out this morning if they can leave the outback town, 1600km west of Brisbane.
Cash plan to end Japanese whaling
AUSTRALIA should pay Japan to end whaling rather than try to stop it in the courts, a Queensland academic says.
Border collies top smart dog list
THEY both have four legs, a tail and a fur coat but Fly the border collie and Chiffon the afghan hound could not be more different.
Dive death evidence to go to US
THE State Government has bowed to pressure to release key evidence to US authorities ahead of court action against Gabe Watson.
Bob's bridge may be key in decision
ONCE considered a bridge too far, an $18 million stretch of new highway in Cape York could be the project that sees Labor retain government.
Councils dishonest over water: Bligh
ANNA Bligh has accused SEQ councils of being dishonest about water and demanded they own up to their role in skyrocketing bills.
Blue-light taxis get red light
POLICE have been threatened with disciplinary action if they use "blue-light taxis" to give colleagues a lift home from the pub.
QR fat cats to pay for rail delays
QUEENSLAND Rail executives could have their pay slashed if the southeast CityTrain services do not run on time.
Suspect package was 'harmless'
POLICE have revoked an emergency situation after the discovery of a suspicious package at Enoggera near the army barracks.
Victoria
Missing man's car found near cliffFEARS are held for a missing Melbourne man whose car was found abandoned near a cliff this morning.
House fire sends man to hospital
A MAN was taken to hospital with burns to his arms and hands after fire destroyed a house in Healesville.
Man injured in house blaze
A MAN in his late twenties has been taken to hospital after a house fire in Chum Creek.
DNA is key to liberty for four
TWO people convicted of rape, one of drug trafficking, and one of armed robbery could be freed after a review of DNA evidence.
Police road blitz hits louts
THE number of people caught for loutish behaviour on Victoria's roads has soared to record levels.
Teacher's sex shame
A TEACHER received a Government award a day after allegedly having sex with a female student at his home.
Toyger's a jungle gem
CATS bred to look like toy tigers are poised to become our next must-have pet.
Grey army aimed at child abuse
A GREY army of retired policemen, school teachers and nurses may become the new front line against child abuse.
'I want to know why'
SANTO Caruso is haunted by the question "Why did my dad kill my mum?"
Killer gunman gets 21 years
A MAN who shot dead a father of six on AFL Grand Final day as the victim tried to defuse a fight between neighbours has been jailed for 21 years.
Northern Territory
Baby thrower spared jail for dangerous actMUM acquitted of charge because she lacked mental capacity to know how dangerous it was.
Kids kill school's fish in rampage
THREE young burglars, who went on a rampage at a Darwin school, were only 10, 11 and 13 years old.
South Australia
Huge bang, then town shut downTHERMAL imaging has cleared hundreds of Wallaroo residents to return home after a grain silo fire threatened to explode and engul their properties yesterday.
Floods fill Lower Lakes
IRRIGATORS and River Murray campaigners are rejoicing at news the Lower Lakes are set to fill for the first time since 2005.
Qantas flight diverted due to lack of fuel
AN ADELAIDE-bound Qantas flight was forced to divert to Melbourne because it didn't have enough fuel to circle if its landing was delayed by forecast fog.
Tragedy of firing range suicides
A FIREARMS notification was issued two weeks before a woman walked into a city shooting range and used a gun to kill herself, a court has heard.
Victoria braces for more flooding
SOUTH Australian emergency crews are resting after the weekend's wild weather but could be sent across the border to help deluged parts of Victoria.
$5000 fine for hitting whale
A VICTOR Harbor carpenter has been fined almost $5000 for following two whales so closely that he hit one with his boat.
Firefighters extinguish city blaze
FIRE caused about $30,000 damage to a vacant maisonette in the city which was being used by squatters.
Armed robber targets Subway
POLICE are hunting a man who terrorised shop staff with a knife then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash at Modbury this morning.
Thieves hold crash repairer captive
A CRASH repairer was held captive while three men ransacked his business and home last night.
Teenagers 'robbed at gunpoint'
TWO teenagers have told police they were robbed at gun-point by four men in the city yesterday.
Western Australia
Pet dog drowned in EskyA 26-YEAR-OLD Castletown man has been charged with animal cruelty after breaking his dog's leg before drowning it in an Esky.
'I wish I hadn't killed her': fiance
A PERTH man has confessed to killing his fiancee during a domestic dispute, but his lawyer says his client was insane at the time.
Weapons inspection at Christmas Island
LAWYERS and a Perth magistrate will visit Christmas Island to view the detention centre and weapons allegedly used in a riot last year.
Dutch TV crew leave without restraint
A PERTH man has failed to have a restraining order put on a high-profile Dutch crime reporter and his colleagues, with the crew leaving the country.
Girl dragged into toilets at train station
A MAN has been charged after he allegedly pulled an eight-year-old girl into the male toilets at Glendalough train station on Sunday night.
Would you work in Antarctica?
THE air is so cold it cracks teeth, getting in or out during winter is impossible but for one Perth doctor it was the coolest job in the world.
West Australians 'living in fool's paradise'
WA is the most polluting, energy-guzzling waste producer in the nation, according to a damning new study.
Applecross worst rental performer
UP-market suburb Applecross is the country’s worst performer for rental growth, with the median weekly rent plummeting 38 per cent.
Kimberley grog patrols on rise
KIMBERLEY police have ramped up sly grogging patrols after an increase in people bypassing alcohol bans in the region.
Boy, 11, shot in freak hunting accident
AN 11-year-old Cranbrook boy shot by his friend in a freak hunting accident is lucky to be alive today, with the bullet narrowly missing his heart.
Tasmania
Trio of missing rafters foundTHREE people who failed to make their scheduled return from a rafting trip in northern Tasmania have been found.
=== Comments ===
Remembering Jane Addams On the 150th Anniversary of Her BirthBy Louise Knight
Today is Jane Addams’s 150th birthday. It is a natural moment to honor her. But what should we remember her for? She is not as famous as she once was, although many people know her name. (Or think they do. No, she was not the wife of President John Adams. That was Abigail.)
Here are her most well-known accomplishments: she founded Hull House, one of the first two settlement houses in the United States, thus launching this country’s community center movement; she wrote a memoir, “Twenty Years at Hull House,” that has never been out of print; she was the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1931; she is often considered a founder of the fields of sociology and social work.
But I propose we remember Jane Addams for some other accomplishments.
For her insight that we can only understand people different from ourselves if we know them socially, as peers, and that, without that understanding, we cannot be wise citizens in a democracy.
Jane Addams was raised in a prosperous family in a town in Northern Illinois, earned a college degree, and read lots of books in her twenties that dealt sympathetically, if somewhat condescendingly, with working class people. By the time she moved into a working class neighborhood in Chicago at age 28, she thought she understood the lives of city workers because she had read so much about them.
To her surprise, she learned that if she wanted to understand the great diversity of people in her immigrant, working class neighborhood, she needed to know them socially, as human beings; she needed firsthand experience.
This is an insight that those of us who learn about the world beyond our “comfort zone” mainly through reading (books, websites), watching (TV and internet) or listening (radio and internet and MP3 recordings) would rather not hear.
Being a moral philosopher, Addams gave some thought to the price we pay if we stay cocooned. She wrote, “We are under a moral obligation in choosing our experiences, since the result of those experiences must ultimately determine our understanding of life.” It mattered because, as she explained, that understanding shapes what issues we support politically and what reforms we endorse or oppose.
For her courage in insisting on her right to that ultimate American liberty, free speech.
There are many examples. To give one, she spoke out when a man she knew – a Russian immigrant who believed in the nonviolent kind of anarchism (anarchism in the 1890s had many branches) – was wrongly charged with “co-conspiracy to commit murder.” He was arrested and charged because he had met with a known anarchist of the violent persuasion shortly before that anarchist assassinated President William McKinley. A Chicago lawyer who joined Addams in helping to get the Russian and his family out of jail wrote, “In all this great city, just one person of position and influence … dared stand with me against the popular outcry… [Jane Addams] stood like a stone wall.”
Today, we are as quick as ever to dismiss the controversial views of the independent minded. Perhaps we should think about the integrity it requires to stand one’s ground. Those people who make up their own minds and do not drift along with the winds of popular opinion merit our respect and attention. And we should also listen to our own inner voices. Addams wrote, “If you are different from others, you need to act on that difference, if society is to advance.” Or as Emerson, her intellectual mentor, put it: “Self-trust is the essence of heroism.”
For her determination to figure out what she really thought and act on it.
This seems like a truism. But how often do we talk about one set of values and perform another? And how often do we see others do that too? Jane Addams took her own ideas seriously. She chewed on them, seeking to revise them in the light of what she was learning. It was a steady, arduous process that she insisted was important. She asked, “Are we going to lose ourselves in the old circle of convention… because we fail to correct our theories by our changing experience?”
As these three points illustrate, Addams set high ethical standards for herself. She poured much of the energy she might have spent judging others into self-reform. She did this for her own sake but she was also mindful that there was great power in example. She did not always succeed in these efforts, but I think her lifelong attempts are instructive.
Louise W. Knight is the author of the forthcoming full life biography, "Jane Addams: Spirit in Action (W.W. Norton, September 2010)." For more on the her author visit her website, see www.louisewknight.com.
===
Red Rain From Space May Hold Alien Life
Published September 06, 2010 | NewsCorp Australian Papers
Alien life may already exist on Earth -- us.
There's an idea -- common, but not popular in scientific circles -- that all life on Earth was seeded from comets, asteroids or meteors which struck the planet and contained the building blocks necessary to kickstart the evolutionary process.
It's a theory called "panspermia," and it caused a tremendous debate some 15 years ago when several scientists backed claims that there was evidence of life in a Martian meteorite found in the Allan Hills in Antarctica.
It's been proven that life can survive in space, just as it's been proven that the interior of that Martian meteorite never rose above 50C during its journey to Earth. Unfortunately for alien-spotters, the cells from the meteor can also be found on Earth, so the argument remained unsettled.
Then in July 2001, the rain turned red in India.
And not just red -- The Hindu claimed witness reports of yellow, green and black rain in the months that followed.
The first theory to emerge was that it was simply sand or dust picked up from a desert, but a local physicist, Godfrey Louis, found that under a microscope, the water contained cells that looked like bugs.
Five years later, he published a theory suggesting the bugs that turned the rain red in India may have come from a comet that exploded above the Earth and seeded clouds.
Friday, after a further four years of studying the cells, joined by leading British panspermia theorist Chandra Wickramasinghe, Louis claimed that they are unlike anything found on Earth.
He said the cells -- inert at room temperature -- begin to reproduce at 121C.
Within two hours of being exposed to the heat, "daughter cells appear within the original mother cells and the number of cells in the samples increases with length of exposure," the scientists said in the new report.
While many spores on Earth can survive that kind of extreme heat, none have yet been discovered that can reproduce in those conditions, much less require it to begin reproducing.
The team also found an unusual pattern in the way the cells changed color under UV light, known as "fluorescence behavior."
They said it was "in remarkable correspondence" with red emissions from the Red Rectangle planetary nebula some 2,300 light years away, "suggesting, though not proving, an extraterrestrial origin."
While the panspermia angle is already being rejected by the scientific community at large, there's plenty of interest in the final finding of Louis's team -- the cells contain no DNA.
"As a biologist, let me assure you that a cell-sized and shaped organism that reproduces, lives off LB and doesn't appear to have any nucleic acid template (DNA or RNA) is a revolutionary discovery in and of itself," one commenter wrote at TechnologyReview.
The only lifeforms that occur on Earth without DNA, according to another commenter, are proteins known as "prions," best known on Earth as the cause of Mad Cow Disease. The team's findings are yet to be verified.
===
THE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Tim Blair
Bob Katter, possibly breaking Amigo ranks, backs the Coalition. Decisions from Oakeshott and Windsor to follow. Labor and the Coalition are currently tied on 74 seats.
UPDATE. Katter apparently “indicated that the other two independents were going the other way” – which would mean a Gillard government.
UPDATE II. Oakeshott is still talking at his announcement. Except he hasn’t announced anything yet. Windsor went with Labor, by the way.
UPDATE III. Still talking.
UPDATE IV. Still talking.
UPDATE V. This man needs to be confined.
UPDATE VI. He’s STILL TALKING.
UPDATE VII. This is what he’s going to be like for the next three years.
UPDATE VIII. Labor.
===
DECISION DAY
Tim Blair
Western Australian National MP Tony Crook hasn’t featured at all in post-election calculations, mainly because his vote was always assumed to be with the Coalition (it’s routinely included in the Coalition’s total of 73 seats). But late yesterday the three undecided independents sought urgent clarification:
The three regional independents have confirmed that they are urgently seeking clarification from the Liberal leader on whether Mr Crook would guarantee not to block supply or support no confidence motions in an Abbott government.Crook subsequently confirmed his Coalition support:With the Coalition holding just 73 seats in parliament and requiring 76 to govern, the independents said today that without clarification of Mr Crook’s position they would be unable to deliver Mr Abbott the numbers he needs to form a stable government even if they wished to do so.
The final hurdle between the trio of independents possibly supporting a Coalition government was removed late last night, when West Australian Nationals MP Tony Crook publicly confirmed he would support an Abbott government on supply and no-confidence motions.Could be a game-changer. Could be a smokescreen. We’ll likely find out today. And while the indy three are thinking about that, one of them is thinking about this:
Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor had earlier demanded Mr Crook make his position clear, saying they would have no “genuine” choice to make between the two major parties if Mr Crook did not clarify his position within a possible Coalition government.
Aboriginal leader Noel Pearson has urged key independent Rob Oakeshott to back Tony Abbott, describing the Liberal leader as a “once-in-a-generation" conservative who could lead the way on reconciliation …It certainly should do. Still difficult to see the trio going against Labor, however.
Mr Pearson told Mr Oakeshott he strongly believed Labor was unwilling to take on issues confronting Aboriginal Australia.
“We’re going to get done over by an active Greens agenda to stifle indigenous aspirations combined with a passive indifference on the part of Labor,” he said …
It is understood that of the three independents, Mr Oakeshott has been the least comfortable with the Coalition, and Mr Pearson’s move significantly changes the dynamics.
UPDATE. A decision will be announced this afternoon.
===
TEAM AUSTRALIA: WORLD POLICE
Tim Blair
Attention, US traffic felons! The next police cruiser that hauls you in might be Australian:
That’s an Australian-built, Chevrolet-badged (and engined) Holden Commodore, one of several vehicles vying for lucrative US police contracts. Having been captured many times by local police Commodores, I can vouch for their awesome licence-removing efficiency. In other automotive news, behold the conservative Prius:
This almost-unique vehicle (I know of another Obama-opposing Prius owner in the US) is a hybrid response to Al Gore’s planet-eating SUV friends.===
BASE EXPANDED
Tim Blair
MSNBC leg-thriller Chris Matthews sees a bright future for the Democrats:
Democrats have always been trusted first and foremost on the economic basics – bread and butter, looking out for people in trouble. They`re the party you vote for when you`re unemployed …And also if you want to be unemployed. As an antidote to Matthews, Mark Steyn is back online.
===
Last two independents choose…Labor. (Oakeshott offered Ministry.)
Andrew Bolt
Rob Oakeshott prances into the press conference a couple of minutes before Tony Windsor and mugs for the cameras. He’s loving it.
Windsor gets to speak first. There’s a turnup for Oakeshott. (Actually, I’ve called this wrong. Wait to see how Oakeshott milks going second.)
Windsor thanks both leaders for their kind treatment, and the press as well. (What option did anyone have?)
Windsor says stability was key. “How long could a government actually last?” Or deal with the Senate.
Both sides put “reasonable packages together”. Both sides realised regional Australia had missed out on health, education, infrastructure.
Windsor says will vote Labor. Broadband was the most critical factor. Labor’s plan “was too good an opportunity to miss.”
“Do it once, do it right, do it with fibre.” (Doesn’t this sound like a Hawker Britton line? You know, like the excuse: “Go early, go hard, go households.")
Climate change was his other big factor. It’s an opportunity, he claims. Wants to really look at it all again, including what other countries are doing. (Answer: bugger all. Your point? Windsor has bought the Left mantra.)
New England, he claims, was always taken for granted, and country people have “had enough of that”.
He says there has been a merging of philosophies allowing country people to take advantage of it by dealing with both sides. Gillard had the Coalition’s boat people policy, and Abbott had Labor’s workplace policy.
So he appeals to country voters not to see this is a vote for a philosophy.
Will reserve the right to move a vote of no confidence in the government “as I see fit”. Thank God the three-year blank cheque is gone.
Rob Oakeshott goes on and on with his thanks and wishes for good feelings. Thanks Bill Heffernan even, saying he is “fundamentally a good man” (despite earlier suggesting he was terrorising the Oakeshott children as part of a Liberal dirty tricks campaign). Says his vote is not an endorsement of anyone (sic) or a mandate. Will vote on each issue as he chooses.
Still talking, and talking without yet announcing who’ll get his votes. Calls on the other MPs to rat against their parties. Needs to bring “a few media outlets with us”.
Lineball, six-of-one decision, and has splits within his community and his family. (Please, God, get on with it.)
“When the gong is given at the end of these words...” On he goes. We must now all “bring Australia together”.
“The framing of this decision then...” (He’s STILL going.)
“It is not shaped around this political party prism...” (Still won’t say.)
“In regards to stability, we can drill down to four core areas....” (I have never seen a guy who loves the limelight this much.)
“The Senate, and we have been quite public about this...” (Yes, still won’t say.)
“And that is the fourth point...”
“...keep this parliament alive for ...”
“...the eyes of my children test...”
“...this is a 20 year decision...” (STILL, STILL won’t announce the obvious.)
“As Tony said, we’re not asking for over and above...” (God, put a sock in this man’s mouth.)
“I do want to go home tonight to my wife and kids...” (As do we all. Please.)
“We’ve got a commitment to have the Henry tax review thrown open...”
“This is not going to be a weak parliament...”
“It is important that we have managed to get a process....” For indigenous recognition in the Constitution. Nominates also broadband, global warming and a “crisis in regional education”. (Three Leftist causes out of four ain’t bad.)
“So the best interest test equals stability and outcomes...” (Yes, still going.)
“You might not like it but you cna’t knock us” for going through a medthodical procedure. Now Oakeshott is discussing all the meetings he’s had. This guy is simply shameless.
“We’ve had lunch with Andrew Forrest.” (What time of night did it finish?)
“Even if you don’t like the decision...” (What decision?)
“I’ll give confidence and supply to Julia Gillard” ... unless there is maladministration and corruption, or after a couple of years, none performance of the deal.
Only after questions does Oakeshott admit that “separate” to his decision was an offer (apparently of a Ministry) by the Government that he will discuss with his family. He’s cute: he suggests the offer might have been from Abbott. Windosr says he’ll be neither a Minister nor Speaker.
UPDATE
Oakeshott gets tetchy when reminded his electorate is conseravtive. He says there are no parties in power in his seat, and we’re all split.
(If Oakeshott is to be a Minister, how does he decide each issue on its merits as he promised?)
Question: why did Noel Pearson’s argument not persuasive, if he cares so much about indigenous affairs? Answer: there are many voters in Aboriginal Australia.
UPDATE
Reader Luke is astonished by the verbosity of the man who brokered a deal to keep answers shorter in Parliament:
Question time answers limited to 4 mintues, can’t take his own medicine?UPDATE
Oakeshott is claiming that the longevity of the government was a key point, and that a judgement call was that Labor would be less keen to rush back to the polls early. A journalist immediately picks him up: But doesn’t that mean most voters would want the Coalition in power. Oh, no, no, no.
Windsor says he heard “background noise” that some Coalition MPs wouldn’t mind putting some distance between the party and this instability anyway.
Oakeshott really is on another planet;
This is going to be a cracking parliament. It’s going to be ugly but beautiful in its uglinessUPDATE
More from reader Alan RM Jones on the admission by Oakeshott and Windsor that they’ve in fact installed the party that fewest voters want:
When asked by a journalist why he didn’t back the Coalition, Tony Windsor admitted with a grin, “because they’d be more likely to win if they did go back to the polls”.UPDATE
When asked how he could back a government that’s less likely to win, Windsor stated that they’d “be more likely to be here a longer time if they can’t go to the polls and win in a hurry”, with Oakeshot interjecting, “They’ve got more to lose”.
In other words, Oakeshot and Windsor admit they are defying what the nation (including their own conservative electorates) and propping up one of the most incompetent and unstable governments in Australia’s history, which has been massively repudiated by voters, has suffered a savage swing – in seats, first and second preference votes and its legitimacy – in order to preserve their power for as long as possible.
Reader Arthur McArthur:
Just like his astonishly poor efforts at visiting (losing) electorates, Rudd was the man who wooed Bob Katter; and Katter chose the coalition! He really is a born loser, our friend Kevin!UPDATE
From my Herald Sun column to be run tomorrow:
An early election is yet possible, and the demand for one may become irresistible. If it does, it can only be because this Government is seen as one without a mandate. As one that’s merely bartered its way into power with men deaf to the wishes of voters, but not to the siren of their own ambition. As one that’s proved to be as inept, still, as it seems illegitimate now.(A longer version will appear in the Daily Telegraph.)
UPDATE
Paul Kelly:
As far as the parliament is concerned I think there is now a real risk of a weak government delivering poor policy or not too much policy, because all Julia Gillard has got is the commitment of the independents when it comes to confidence and supply, but she has to negotiate every bill item by item…UPDATE
One of the points to highlight finally about this is, one of the points that guided the independents in their decision was stability, they went for Gillard not Tony Abbott because they felt that was the best way of getting a three-year parliament.
Tony Windsor even admitted that if there was a new election he thought the Coalition might win it. I think this does raise a question of legitimacy over the new parliament.
What’s so bad about a new election sometime over the next three years? What’s so wrong about giving the Australian people another chance rather than saying we have to have stable government for another three years?
The task is not just stable government - it’s also effective government.
Windsor spoke for 10 minutes. Oakeshott for 17, before questions.
===
Katter for the Coalition
Andrew Bolt
Bob Katter says he’s backing the Coalition. He was the one independent of the three that was most clearly conservative - socially, that is.
He denies it means that the other two will back Labor, and thus give it government, although that’s an irresistible conclusion of his go-it-alone announcement, just an hour or so before the other two make their own call.
What did Katter actually get for his constituents in exchange for his vote?
To hear him call it, nothing. No deal.
That’s either bad negotiating or an acknowledgement that a deal from the side that will be in Opposition wasn’t worth announcing anyway.
As I said, this may well suggest the other two will back Labor, since all three have suggested their preference was to act collectively. But by going early, he’ll actually be putting extra pressure on Tony Windsor, in particular.
Rob Oakeshott in particular has said that one of the three might have to sacrifice their own preference to guarantee a majority to one party, rather than a tied vote and fresh elections. Now with the votes for each side being 74 all, the two must vote together. So which gives way to the other? Who wants to be seen as the weakest? Or will both coincidentally prefer the same party?
I’d say that the one who feels most strongly about the ultimate result announce it first, and put the pressure on the other to agree or send us back to the polls.
UPDATE
Katter cites Rudd as a big factor, after spending a couple of nights during these negotiations talking to him:
Mr Katter has said the removal of Kevin Rudd has prime minister was a key factor in his decision and “it would have been a different outcome” in Mr Rudd was still Labor leader.UPDATE 3
“I was extremely angry and so was my state” when Mr Rudd was ousted, he has said, although he has also said he likes Ms Gillard and Wayne Swan and would have no problem working with them. “I like Julia Gillard and Wayne Swan, you know, I’ve been lavish in my praise for him, so I would have no difficulty in working with their government whatsoever,” he has said.
It is unclear if that means Mr Katter would back a confidence motion in Labor if Ms Gillard emerges with a workable majority. But he has insisted he will act as an Independent above all else in the next parliament.
He has denied he was offered any personal political gain from Mr Abbott in return for his backing: “I went for north Queensland, I went for my tribe, my homeland”.
He has listed the mining tax, mandated ethanol and the future of the emissions trading scheme as other factors. He has said there did not appear to be much difference between the parties on broadband, but acknowledged he was “not an expert”.
Yeah, well, you try to decipher Katter’s reasoning:
“Kevin’s thinking and my thinking are obviously very similar,” he said....Basically, I think, Katter would have been crucified by his electorate had he installed a Labor-Green alliance.
Mr Katter said ethanol had been of critical importance to him but that the parties weren’t too far apart on the national broadband network…
Mr Katter said he did feel a responsibility to provide stable government, hinting he could offer support to Ms Gillard if she formed government…
But the Queensland independent said Ms Gillard’s refusal to back his calls to scrap the mining tax and the emissions trading scheme played a major role in his decision.
Fishing, protection for the cattle industry were also big road blocks to his support for Ms Gillard, concluding that Mr Abbott had bested Ms Gillard on eight of his 20-point priority list.
UPDATE 4
David Marr, who on Sunday’s Insiders praised Katter as ”intelligent” when it seemed he’d back Labor, now accuses Katter on Sky of spouting “gibberish” and giving a “Joh Bjelke-Petersen press conference” when he announces he’s backing the Coalition instead.
Fran Kelly on Insiders on Katter:
I don’t think he’ll go as a Lone Ranger.
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Better done at home than here
Andrew Bolt
Why are they here?
HARDLINE international students have wrested control of a major NSW mosque, ousting the local cleric amid accusations the group is rapidly converting followers to extremist Islam.(Thanks to reader David.)
Up to 150 university students from Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Egypt who follow the fundamentalist Wahabbism ideology were central to the overthrow at the weekend of the executive board of the Newcastle Muslim Association.
Deposed association president Yunus Kara yesterday accused the students of pushing for new leadership of the port city’s mosque in order to advance their own extremist agenda and continue “brainwashing” local Muslims…
Newcastle Mosque’s deposed imam, Bilal Kanj, who was also voted out on the weekend, said while the students openly denied their Wahabbi beliefs and radical Koranic interpretations, they were converting people during prayer group meetings and other religious gatherings.
Mr Kara said the international students were aged between 20 and 30, and were known to make home visits to members of the port city’s 600-strong Muslim population to preach their beliefs.
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A bit of money buys happiness
Andrew Bolt
Big surprise:
People’s emotional well-being - happiness - increases along with their income up to about $US75,000 ($A82,000), US researchers reported in today’s edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
For people making less than that, said Angus Deaton, an economist at the Center for Health and Wellbeing at Princeton University, “Stuff is so in your face it’s hard to be happy. It interferes with your enjoyment."…
Happiness got better as income rose but the effect levelled out at $US75,000, he said.
On the other hand, their overall sense of success or well-being continued to rise as their earnings grew beyond that point.
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Gillard’s costing debacle far worse than Abbott’s alleged one
Andrew Bolt
The three independents, who made such a fuss about Tony Abbott’s “black hole”, may have missed Julia Gillard’s far deeper and more real one:
REVENUE from the Gillard government’s proposed mining tax faces an $8 billion shortfall, according to a confidential report, raising fears a Labor-Greens alliance would be forced to raise or expand the levy to meet budget forecasts.Yet more reason for Jennifer Hewett to warn the independents they’re naive to have relied so heavily on Treasury and its secretary, Ken Henry, whose idea this tax was and whose costings are now so questioned:
The report by global resources intelligence firm Intierra estimates the mineral resources rent tax will raise about $2.5bn in its first two years compared with the $10.5bn government forecast.
Independent mining experts last night agreed with the report, saying it backed their analysis that the MRRT faced a massive shortfall after Julia Gillard’s decision to scrap the more onerous resource super-profits tax in July. The potential $8bn revenue shortfall over two years is bigger in annualised terms than the $11 billion “black hole” in Tony Abbott’s costings over four years that was revealed last week.
Contrary to the claim of an $11bn black hole over four years taken up with such enthusiasm by Labor and independents such as Tony Windsor, much of the difference with Treasury reflects different modelling and data. Not better, just different…
As this newspaper reveals today, the independents asked the Treasury whether the mining tax would have an adverse impact on investment. Architect of the original super-profits tax Dr Henry, said the impact was “unlikely to be negative”. How surprising…
As for costings, the biggest disagreement of $2.5bn was over adjustments to the conservative bias allowance. In English, that means the Opposition believes it can be more efficient in delivering spending programs and, therefore, can reduce the percentage buffer allowed to cope with programs going over budget.
Treasury officials said they would advise against this, although conceding it was an option open to any party in government.They also declared that “waste and mismanagement” was not relevant to the determination of the correct percentage.
Naturally, the Liberals disagreed… But the Liberals’ difficulty was that the whole process has become so politicised and perverted that the Coalition was not in the room to argue its points with Treasury.
By the time they got their chance to rebut the Treasury arguments, Tony Windsor had already gone straight to TV studios to attack the Coalition’s costings and, therefore, its credibility.
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Excuse removed
Andrew Bolt
Why demand this assurance if you intend to back Labor anyway?
THE final hurdle between the trio of independents possibly supporting a Coalition government was removed late last night, when West Australian Nationals MP Tony Crook publicly confirmed he would support an Abbott government on supply and no-confidence motions.Searching for assurance or searching for an excuse?
Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor had earlier demanded Mr Crook make his position clear, saying they would have no “genuine” choice to make between the two major parties if Mr Crook did not clarify his position within a possible Coalition government.
UPDATE
The only thing Jennifer Hewett gets wrong is that it’s hard to imagine:
But although it may seem hard to imagine, the sense of hiatus in Canberra will get worse rather than better over coming months. That’s because the frustrating delay over which side will give the three independents more of what they want is indicative of the style of government that will be replayed ad nauseam between now and the next election: a recipe for reform paralysis.UPDATE 2
Terry McCrann says the independents haven’t just been snowed on broadband or been blinded to the dangers of a Greens alliance with Labor. They also haven’t worked out the numbers in the Senate:
For what’s got lost in the chatter of the past two weeks is that only a Coalition Government can actually deliver stable and functioning government over the next year.
This is because the Senate doesn’t change until July. Until then the Coalition and Family First’s Steve Fielding have the power to block legislation, with 38 of the 76 votes.
It is reasonable to expect Fielding would join with the Coalition and basic rationality in standing firm against the crazier and more irresponsible proposals from a Labor-Green government. After all he was the other big ‘hero of the hour’ on the government’s Emissions Trading Scheme insanity..
Further crucially, with anti-pokies independent Nick Xenophon, a Tony Abbott-led government would have the ability to actually get legislation through the Senate. That is something Xenophon cannot deliver on his own to Labor.
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Pearson backs Abbott
Andrew Bolt
Never mind “reconciliation”. It’s what Tony Abbott could do for Aboriginal development and self-empowerment that’s the more tangible and exciting goal:
ABORIGINAL leader Noel Pearson has urged key independent Rob Oakeshott to back Tony Abbott, describing the Liberal leader as a “once-in-a-generation” conservative who could lead the way on reconciliation.Another prominent Aborigine, Wesley Aird, warns against Labor’s alliance with the Greens:
Mr Pearson made his extraordinary last-minute intervention in a bid to convince Mr Oakeshott to back Mr Abbott, a former indigenous affairs spokesman, on the basis that a Coalition government would show more leadership on Aboriginal issues than Labor.
Mr Pearson told Mr Oakeshott he strongly believed Labor was unwilling to take on issues confronting Aboriginal Australia.
“We’re going to get done over by an active Greens agenda to stifle indigenous aspirations combined with a passive indifference on the part of Labor,” he said.
The Greens’ main policy on Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders is nothing more than shallow symbolism, welfare wrapped up in rhetoric… As far as indigenous affairs goes, Labor should have nothing to do with the Greens. There is an outside chance, rightly or wrongly, that the Rudd era will go down in history for doing two main things for indigenous people: a stage-managed apology that wasn’t backed up with action and a “Close the Gap” campaign that was well marketed but wasn’t backed up with action.(Thanks to reader CA.)
If Julia Gillard continues as prime minister any connection to the Greens’ indigenous affairs policy risks confirming Labor is more interested in symbolism than solutions… If the Greens’ policy is to be taken at face value, then a treaty and a representative body are of greater importance than the safety and health of any indigenous person regardless of their circumstances.
UPDATE
Where was the mandate for this change - and what does it say about the independents that this kind of divisive and racist symbolism is the price for their vote?
Parliament will also begin with an acknowledgment of indigenous country, to be delivered by the speaker.Shame on the Liberals for agreeing to it. At least they know better, even if they do not dare let on.
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