Gillard drops the ball
Piers Akerman – Saturday, March 12, 11 (05:17 pm)
THE Gillard Labor Government is going to be hit by political and economic aftershocks from the mega-quake and tsunami which devastated swathes of Japan on Friday.
- Gillard has been given way too many free passes from the press, but that is an ALP story. A dramatic interrogation technique is merely to let your opponent talk. If they say something it will often have a tale to what they are thinking and attempting. So often the ALP get away with not saying anything. Frequently, when watching an ALP leader being interviewed they will dance around a question without actually answering it. Conservatives get grilled by the press in such circumstances, but the cheer squads are careful not to upset the ALP. A powerful media failure occurred when Kerry O’Brien accidentally asked Rudd a question which Rudd accidentally answered. Within weeks Rudd was replaced.
I posed a question to Gillard which channel 7 screened back in 2007. It is still publicly available on youtube, under the heading Gillard Sunrise IR Challenge. Some of her minders had a go at meeting the challenge unofficially before giving up altogether and pretending they have never seen it. Thing is, Gillard made promises about IR policies that have never been met.
Gillard has made promises about education reforms which never happened. She promised fairness for asylum seekers which never eventuated. We were assured by a gushing press that she was a policy dynamo. But it is more a policy black hole.
In running for government in Blaxland electorate (including Bankstown and parts of Fairfield in Sydney) my ALP opponent was unable to campaign as he was by Gillard’s side and the press ignored the campaign in Blaxland, local papers not covering what the candidates were doing. However Gillard took the time to talk about the dignity of those in having work .. I feel that was a clear reference to me. I have not been able to work because of ALP corruption.
Now a state election is coming by and the local press look like not covering Fairfield. I am running in Fairfield. My ALP opponent responded to two questions from me on nomination day. Guy Zangari (the Tripodi replacement) heard me about his sign being placed outside my address. He didn’t promise to remove it and I didn’t ask, but it was gone the next day. He also heard me about my testimony regarding the death of Hamidur Rahman which could exonerate his parents of blame by the coroner.
Liberal Charbel Saliba got first on the ballot for Fairfield. I hope Charbel wins. I am only running to inform others of the Hamidur issue. If I win I will follow a Liberal policy line.
Zangari hasn’t had to answer any questions and may not be asked any. Thing is the press are really scared of a total route of the ALP and they are campaigning hard to keep the ALP a lower house presence and an upper house force. The media campaign involves not talking about ALP stronghold electorates, like Fairfield. They aren’t asking the ALP questions.
Sat 12 Mar 11 (07:08pm)
Yes, Garnaut is only there to fool the true believers. And he does. Why didn’t he warn Sydney of its watery future before the desalination plant was made? That same plant will spend big on carbon. If Only Sydney had had the foresight to build another dam.
I once believed the global warming spruikers. I believed that they had done the scientific work they are entrusted with having done before they make their claims. But Garnaut is not a scientist. He is a media darling supporting corrupt business.
Sun 13 Mar 11 (03:13pm)
DD Ball it is my duty to warn you the word DAM is one of the foulest in this country today and so politically incorrect as to
be off the PC measurement scale.
Be warned.
Sun 13 Mar 11 (08:09pm)
Reality, you are right. I am done for. There are vicious scare campaigns surrounding dams. So that none may speak in favour of them without being labeled as worse than a global warming denialist.
Sat 12 Mar 11 (07:12pm)
It is hard to know what else Gillard could have done. Given that she believes in nothing and only wants to pork barrel money for her keepers, how else was she to get elected, stay in government and give away that money?
That money will not go to families, workers or business. It is a lot of money meant to suck families, workers and business dry.
I won’t despise her for lying. But it upsets me we let her get away with it.
Sat 12 Mar 11 (07:31pm)
Actually I like Japanese peoples and feel sorrow for them beyond my economic needs. I had a friend once whose great uncle was a sergeant for the Japanese at the rape of Nanking. No glory was to be found for the atrocity, but he was still my friend. Recently Japan made an apology for some of what happened in WW2. They have a long way to go. But they don’t deserve this. Japan will still have a future and will still be a trading partner. But there is a tragedy here.
But that is not how Gillard will see it. For her, the tragedy is no one is watching her on the world scene. She and Rudd are so alike. The only thing they disagree on is what they need to do to satisfy their own personal ambition.
Sun 13 Mar 11 (02:49am)
I don’t want to see anymore news from Japan. Watching so many good people dying and so many years of effort being washed away in seconds makes me throw things at my plasma.
Japan has been a bug looking for a windshield for a long time now and I think they just hit it. Japan has been in a generalized deflation since its asset sector crashed at the end of the 80s. At its height the mighty Nikkei Dow stood at 40 000 since then it has taken 20 years to fall to just 10 000. Real estate also crashed. Since then the government has incinerated the savings of the Japanese people by propping up dud banks and useless stims ....all to keep prices up and the economy ticking over. Their debt is about 200% of GDP .....The only silver lining is they owe most of it to themselves.
Japan’s poor condition will hit us and there is no way around it. Granted disasters are initially stimulatory for an economy but in the long term they sap resources. When the Japanese economy contracts they will buy less of our stuff ..that simple.
My real concern is the impact of this disaster on the re insurance industry and the derivatives system. That tsunami would have triggered a lot of credit default swaps.
One has to ask what disaster is next? My money is on alien invasion.
Party on
Sat 12 Mar 11 (07:41pm)
He was given foreign affairs for a reason .. but it isn’t because he is capable. It allows him to tout for the UN position. It also prevents him removing the vote from the lower house.
Sun 13 Mar 11 (06:59am)
DDBall. I also believe Bob Katter waited to see what Windsor and Oakshott were doing and until after his meeting with K Rudd to let people know his decision on who he was going to back. I think that between he and Rudd they made sure that only 1 person had to either leave or not side with the government because it gave Rudd much more power. They say Juliar broke her promise to him so I feel this was done to give him a bigger bargaining tool. There only needs to be a bi-election in his electorate and she would be gone. These are just my thoughts. What are yours?
Sun 13 Mar 11 (08:45pm)
Roz, I believe that Katter gave Oakshot and Windsor the opportunity of not making a mistake. But they made it. I can’t find fault with him for making the right choice. I think that re electing the government was not strictly in Rudd’s favour .. but the balance of power is. He is not stupid, but he is a cowardly bully and capable of exploiting weakness. I think if Katter had made any other decision, or jumped prematurely, then he would have threatened his legacy .. and his family’s
Sat 12 Mar 11 (07:47pm)
Can you think of a single worthwhile thing she has done in office? In parliament? She is an emily’s lister but not an achiever. There are some symbolic issues I will ignore. I still will vote for a woman in office. Just not her.
Sun 13 Mar 11 (10:40am)
DDBall: As long as you have an obsession with crass tokenism it doesn’t matter whether you vote for Gillard or not.
Gillard rode the wave of crass tokenism to her present position. Thanks.
A vote for competence is an option.
Sun 13 Mar 11 (03:31pm)
PeterD, Crass Tokenism is wrong, but not what got Gillard elected. Gillard was elected thanks to two independents who weren’t. They had promised to be conservative and weren’t. She got many votes from some who believed her promise she wouldn’t bring in a carbon tax which she is. People did not vote for the token, but for the lie.
The tokens are what are used to justify the lie.
WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?
Tim Blair – Monday, March 14, 11 (06:52 am)
Andrew Bolt’s appearance yesterday on The Insiders upset a few people, although the precise reason is difficult to detect. Yes, he did give a mistaken estimate of the crowd size at a GetUp! rally, but that wasn’t much of an issue in the overall scheme of things. His accurate call on the fatalities at Chernobyl caused an equal level of rage, so numbers can’t be the cause.
Perhaps the answer can be found in space. Network Ten press gallery chief of staff Stephen Spencer became infuriated by what he seemed to think was a lunar conspiracy between Bolt and the ABC:
insiders giving Bolt’s bullshit line about Bono and the moon landing credence is the moment it became the 2GB of Sunday TV
Soon the moon-maddened Canberra veteran was demanding answers from the ABC’s head of policy and staff development, Alan Sunderland:
you happy with this level of analysis Alan? Taking a lead from A Bolt column to ridicule a PM speech?
Unimpressed by Sunderland’s reply, Spencer tried again:
you denying that applying a U2 soundtrack to Gillard speech was not inspired by Bolt?
And again:
So are you denying that the U2 segment was a direct lift of a Bolt column?
And yet again:
What is your answer?
Sunderland seemed to enjoy the exchange. Meanwhile, a number of tweaked tweeters turned to Media Watch hostJonathan Holmes, hoping he’d take Bolt down. Sadly for our pantywaist posse, Holmes is more evidence-basedthan they’d prefer:
Plus:just seen insiders on iview. Twitter warned of dreadful stuff from Bolt but didn’t see it.
I researched Chernobyl myself for 4 Corners nuke story. Bolt is right. Also I agree with him about nuke fuss in Japan.
That cooled their jets a little. Bolt isn’t off the hook yet, however. Crikey wants him hauled before the Press Council over his treatment of a person who doesn’t exist. Obtaining a victim-impact statement may be problematic. Further on this from Caroline Overington.
COCONUT CONSENSUS CRUSHED
Tim Blair – Monday, March 14, 11 (06:45 am)
The New York Times, 1994. Coconut oil bad:
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a national consumer group that specializes in food and nutrition issues, announced that the popcorn sold in the typical movie theater absolutely drips with unsaturated fat, the kind that raises blood cholesterol and clogs arteries.
The culprit is not the popcorn itself but the superfatty coconut oil that most theaters use to pop it.
The New York Times, 2011. Coconut oil good:
In fact, it has recently become the darling of the natural-foods world. Annual sales growth at Whole Foods “has been in the high double digits for the last five years,” said Errol Schweizer, the chain’s global senior grocery coordinator.
Two groups have helped give coconut oil its sparkly new makeover. One is made up of scientists,many of whom are backtracking on the worst accusations against coconut oil.
But … the science was settled.
BEFORE AND AFTER
Tim Blair – Monday, March 14, 11 (12:12 am)
Move the slider and Japan is destroyed.
UPDATE. The death toll could run into the tens of thousands:
Prime Minister Naoto Kan said last night Japan was facing its worst crisis in 65 years, since the end of World War II.
Known and presumed deaths exceeded 2000 last night …
But all rescue work will presumably be suspended due to an urgent demand:
Mr Rudd plunged into fresh controversy yesterday over what was seen as an insensitive demand for ‘’urgent’’ information from Japan about its nuclear reactor crisis.
Mr Rudd revealed that in a telephone conversation he told the Japanese Foreign Minister, Takeaki Matsumoto, on Saturday night ‘’that we and the rest of the international community need urgent briefings on the precise status of these reactors’’.
‘’We are seeking further corroboration of the technical and safety impacts of this from the Japanese government. That’s what I raised with him [on Saturday] night.’’
I used to think Rudd was merely weird. Now I think he’s insane. Julia Gillard was compelled to rescue the bumbling oaf:
Asked whether it was appropriate to be demanding an urgent briefing from a country dealing with devastation, Ms Gillard said the two countries were exchanging information and collaborating. ‘’That’s perfectly proper, perfectly appropriate,’’ she said.
Ms Gillard said she had spoken to Mr Rudd yesterday and he had said he had had ‘’a positive conversation’’ with his Japanese counterpart.
I’m sure Mr Matsumoto says exactly the same thing.
UPDATE II. These goons are worse than Rudd:
Conservationists say Australia will be morally culpable if there is a nuclear disaster in Japan.
Dave Sweeney from the Australian Conservation Foundation says Australia has a direct moral responsibility for any nuclear fallout.
“Australian uranium is bought and burnt by this power company in Japan,” he said.
“So there are direct links between the industry here and the industry in Japan, which is causing major problems with mass evacuations, with mass dislocation of communities, with a real threat of a grave contamination event.”
Er, Dave? There was a tsunami, mate. One or two community dislocations might happen, you know.
Sack this disgrace now
Andrew Bolt – Monday, March 14, 11 (07:08 am)
As I said on Insiders yesterday, to the fury of the Twitterverse, Kevin Rudd is a disgrace, demanding answers from stricken Japan, still trying to find thousands of its citizens, about something that poses zero danger to Australians:
Mr Rudd plunged into fresh controversy yesterday over what was seen as an insensitive demand for ‘’urgent’’ information from Japan about its nuclear reactor crisis.
Mr Rudd revealed that in a telephone conversation he told the Japanese Foreign Minister, Takeaki Matsumoto, on Saturday night ‘’that we and the rest of the international community need urgent briefings on the precise status of these reactors’’.
‘’We are seeking further corroboration of the technical and safety impacts of this from the Japanese government. That’s what I raised with him (on Saturday) night.’’
Oh, you shameful, shameful man. How grotesquely self-centred.
Gillard should have disowned him:
Asked whether it was appropriate to be demanding an urgent briefing from a country dealing with devastation, Ms Gillard said the two countries were exchanging information and collaborating. ‘’That’s perfectly proper, perfectly appropriate,’’ she said.Ms Gillard said she had spoken to Mr Rudd yesterday and he had said he had had ‘’a positive conversation’’ with his Japanese counterpart.
The emperor has a new tie. It’s his cash that’s invisible
Andrew Bolt – Monday, March 14, 11 (06:51 am)
The sense of entitlement and the frantically pointless activity are summed up by this one blue tie:
KEVIN Rudd has inadvertently flown into another midair mix up, with airline staff claiming the Foreign Minister walked off without paying for a new tie.An email request from Emirates airline’s headquarters in Dubai sent ground staff in Sydney scurrying to find Mr Rudd a suitable tie to match his blue suit before he landed in Sydney on Saturday,
But staff were left shocked when Mr Rudd accepted the $45 tie on arrival and walked off without offering to pay for it. And despite the apparent rush to get the tie, Mr Rudd didn’t even wear it during a press conference he gave at the airport.
A spokeswoman for Mr Rudd said he had inquired about buying a duty-free tie during the flight but “did not request ground staff to buy him one. It was neither asked for, nor expected, and was taken as a generous gift,” the spokeswoman said.
The real disaster, not the media one
Andrew Bolt – Monday, March 14, 11 (06:32 am)
And the media coverage of some papers obsesses instead about trouble at some nuclear reactors....
More than half the 17,000 population of one coastal town, Minamisanriku, was unaccounted for....
Ziggy Switkowski counters the hype:
Most of us are exposed to about 4 millisieverts (mSv) of mainly background radiation each year. Radiation workers are allowed 50mSv per year. At the current radiation level reported at the perimeter of the damaged Fukushima plant, an individual dose would exceed 50mSv after about a week’s continuous exposure. Measurable radiation poisoning occurs at a much higher level still.
Controlled venting of excess and mildly radioactive gases is happening, will result in some community exposure to radiation, but is very unlikely to have an effect on community health. At this time, only workers on site are likely to have had elevated radiation exposures. In the context of the general devastation from the earthquake and tsunami, any health or property damage arising from the affected reactors is likely to be small.
If core cooling can be satisfactorily restored, then in the best case local residents could return to their homes in days.
Engineers have taken extraordinary steps to get coolant to the reactor of most concern, flooding the core with seawater. This is a step probably not in the playbook and reflects grievous concerns about core integrity. Still, the combination of venting and seawater flushing should stabilise the situation in the days ahead. The reactor itself is a write-off.
UPDATE
As I’ve written before, Chernobyl inspired the kind of green hype that’s led to these wild fears of nuclear armageddon:
Take, just for starters, Garrett’s fond claim that the Chernobyl accident killed “30,000 people”, or even 250,000 - a claim that, quite typically, no journalist called him on at the time. His figure is the purest tosh, of course. The known death toll from Chernobyl is just 50 or so, with many of the dead killed by the force of the blast, rather than any radiation sickness.
And, unlike Garrett, I can give a credible source for my statistic - the Chernobyl Forum, which in 2005 worked out the cost of the world’s only reactor explosion with the help of scientists from eight United Nations bodies, including the World Health Organisation and the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as of experts appointed from the worst-hit countries, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.
True, the forum chairman, Dr Burton Bennett, is no rock star. But perhaps his years of studying radiation effects might make his opinion almost as worth having as Garrett’s, and here it is:
“By and large, however, we have not found profound negative health impacts (from Chernobyl) to the rest of the population surrounding areas . . .”
But that’s not to say people weren’t literally scared sick—even to death.
The IAEA estimated that European women from as far away as Italy and Greece sought more than 200,000 extra abortions after the explosion, so sure were they from all the fear-mongering that their babies would be deformed.
Added the Chernobyl Forum: “Persistent myths and misconceptions about the threat of radiation have resulted on paralysing fatalism among residents of affected areas.” And who here did most to promote such apocalyptic “myths and misconceptions”, may I ask?
Labor on a hiding under Gillard
Andrew Bolt – Monday, March 14, 11 (12:20 am)
The good news is that Labor hasn’t lost support in the Nielsen poll since the announcement of the new “carbon tax”. The bad news is that it was already cactus, according to what was at the time played down as a rogue poll.
Age writer Michael Gordon urges Julia Gillad to stick with the carbon dioxide tax that is killing her:
Clearly, Labor has lost the first round of the carbon tax debate comprehensively. But is it the knockout defeat some have already called, or has Gillard simply been shaken by the ferocity of Tony Abbott’s ‘’bad-policy-based-on-a-lie’’ assault?
My instinct is that it’s the latter.
A perfect example of what Labor powerbroker Graham Rirchardson meant last week:
The tragedy is that, spurred on by the press gallery in Canberra, day after day, written in newspapers, everyone came to believe that unless she announced a carbon tax and did it quickly then it would look like she didn’t stand for a thing. They were all wrong. You have to look where it got her. The worst result in the history of Newspoll. The announcement of this tax has been a horrible cock-up.
No comments:
Post a Comment