Tag: election

S.A. Punters De-Feathered Downer.

Now the dust has settled on Super Saturday and the combatants have each claimed victory according to their spin doctors the one battle played out in South Australia highlighted the fact the electorate will not be taken as fools and judged accordingly.

The absolute arrogance of the Downer dynasty to imply that the reason she was defeated by the independent was because new blow in electors did not realise the family name and its history was the reason for schelacking.

The born to rule DNA was even more entrenched when she declared she would recontest instantly totally extinguishing any party preselection process, in her mind.

The fact she was parachuted in from her gifted IPA appointment, and not living in the State was totally disregarded when questioned about why the electorate rejected as her arrogance ran roughshod.

My faith in the democratic process delivering justice was elevated with this result as it demonstrated the punters do know if they are being treated as fools and hope the rest of the nation looks at policy and not people when we head for the next federal election.

This about nails the article.. Thanks The Guardian..

first dog on the moon..

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/31/meet-the-humble-downers-a-family-of-self-proclaimed-nation-builders?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

The Power of the Editor

Opinions are abundant when it comes to the fate of the ICC depending on who you choose to give a ear but one thing is absolutely clear, ipswich needs and deserves better but I’m finding it difficult to accept the selective memory of some in regards to past history.

Up front I was one who felt the wrath of the punter when he people of ipswich rejected politics in council however one would be totally naive to believe politics stopped and has ever stopped since.

Looking at the track record of new blood in council it’s pretty clear the inner network worked well under the popularity of the former mayor right down to having the partnering electoral signage sites, advertising, of sitting members each feeding off the his popularity, so it was convenient to forget at times for the alleged independents until elected , then the old chestnuts reappear after. Look at me .. I’m independent!!

Choosing Public Life and service is a choice and a accountability not only to your electorate but to your entire Council and the real question is why things went unchallenged until the Red Pyjamas then it was shock, horror? Why were the uncomfortable questions not asked in council or complaints investigated?

The standard you choose to ignore is the standard you accept.

For the new inductees of the council my heart goes out as they walked in on a existing landmine of not of their making but and if the ccc investigation is still ongoing the state government cannot act if sub judiciary concerns apply.

In the eyes of many, dismiss or not, the old principle applies, you fly with the crows you will be shot as a crow.

The Youth 16 Vote Comes with Conditions.

With the suggestion of the voting age being dropped to 16 I’m sure we will hear the arguments of maturity and political awareness be put to suit the whoever think they will profit or loose from its expansion.

Looking back in my life as a baby boomer I was a apprentice bat 15, a union member at the same age and yes with the education from my parents I was pretty well versed on both sides of the divide and it was up to me to decide and like many our kitchen table became great parliaments at times..

Fast forward to today how we have changed and I was part of the problem we have with todays youth.

Like all boomers we put our kids first when it come to our family priorities and Parents we secondary unlike the our parents who struggled through the war and depressions with nothing other than survival in mind. We had to share when we acquired, our parents were the most important for our survival and we knew that and respected it.

We thought we were doing the right thing changing the family priorities for the kids sake but we did them and our culture a terrible injustice. We lost that respect we gave to our parents over time and now we cry our kids have no respect, they know nothing about life, government,or they live in a technological bubble.

We boomers took our eye off the ball, handed them everything we never had, sparing our youth the experience of working and waiting, and in many cases handed over parenting to schools and our protective services.

So yes if we can use this voting age change as a catalyst to claw back self responsibility earlier, if we can encourage big picture dialogue and civic responsibility then it must be a debated, but we as the grown ups need to improve our parliamentary behaviour as that example again does nothing for the case of maturity by example.

Capped Political Campaigns Stems Corruption

At what point is it when government becomes a servant to lobbyists, foreign nations, and big business?

The Australian Labor Party, exPrime Ministers, Current Opposition Leaders and Unionists have been subject to Royal Commissions, Federal Raids, and Ministerial sackings all in the hope that corruption can be proven either personal or institutional with Dastayari being the casualty of basic stupidity he will probably admit to.

Saturday we witness the Poker Machine industry and the Gun Lobby sponsor a campaign but we are not allowed to see to what extent until 6months after the election. So what was the deal struck? No one gives money without payback.

Chinese government investors have pumped cash into South Australian Liberals for the upcoming state election the same offence Dastayari got rolled for and the media is silent but are very vocal if union cash from Australian workers want representation. And nothing more has to be said about where the fossil fuel industry’s cash ends up.

My point is all elections state ,federal, local should have capped campaigns, full live political donations broadcast across all media outlets not just web site releases available only to those who are tech savvy.

Media outlets should not be exempt and “in kind” advertising in lue of cash reveals to what extent they are balanced or slanted in political opinion or factual copy.

Yes “Live Fact Check” re launch and legislated in total as a independent authority as is the electoral commission.

The world is witnessing the extent of power the NRA has over politicians in America and it’s going that way here if we do not act now and I’m sure all parties will give lip service to the above but the extent they act is totally dependant on to what extent our government and media is committed to the real deal or is playing their piper’s tune

Please be aware the copy in Bold Print was left out of the Queensland Times Letters to the Editor.

Voter Ignorance stymies Democracy. 

Democracy is tough and gauging the limits of ignorance of the electorate was clearly demonstrated when that punter was shattered when they could not vote for a person that was not on the voting form and didn’t care or know the structure of the party they were so passionate to support. As the count continues that ignorance is highlighted across all electorates as the informal vote in the 3 seats contested in Ipswich is over 4301 (no it’s not a post code) but it’s people who for one reason or another distance themselves from the responsibility that people have given their lives for and others that are dying to have the right. 

You can be sure those who copped out are the same who whinge that politicians are useless, the same, and the countries going backwards or just blame Joanne Miller. 

The fact is that informal vote can change governments, a state or nations direction, employment and health outcomes and it’s a wonder as most of us were surprised that last Friday was Black Friday that no one contacted the QT and complained Trump was not on the voting slip.   

Ethical Standards Check on The Miller Burning.

As a 2 time failed candidate in a council election I understand how the wanna bee’s for Mayor feel when running against a experienced sitting councillor, however when you decide to get inside the ropes you have the accept you have to work harder as you do not have the tool box of contacts, media, knowledge, and interaction with businesses and authorities acquired over time by the sitting member. However when circumstances change drastically as it has in Ipswich we have to look back and see how that tool box was used and was it used ethically.

I’m on the record for asking what was the issue when Joanne Miller wanted to centralise police communications away from Ipswich as I believe all essential services should be within arms length for quicker response time especially now when we have GPS, Instant video, Helecopters, mobile, ect. so having a individual outpost like Yamanto was a little odd especially if no employee would be relocated or displaced, in fact as I recall Ipswich would have a slight increase in staff as a result.

But, as we witnessed a open war was declared by the Mayor and the media on Millar in one of the most vindictive, vile and personal attacks ever seen in my time in this great city. Yes politics is tough and when your inside the ropes that comes with the territory, but when attacks extend to family and even down to a jeans belt, I think we in Ipswich deserved better balanced journalism.

Time has moved on, editors change, circumstances change, as well as the political landscape, so I feel it’s time to ask why that issue exploded as it did, and why the viscous ness?

I get very sceptical when I see politicians and media combining to close down a individual from doing his or her job with such venom so I believe this issue should be investigated by a Ethical entity Under Oath., so we the punters can be sure we have no skeletons that may revisit us later from former are administrations.

Footnote.

Serious questions lay here of the closeness and availability of confidential information regarding police operationns to Council.

All may be in order however as I have stated the joining of media and Mayor to destroy a Minister and MP locally raises questions that should be answered Under Oath.

Edited by QT on  print. 

Pauline Trump

Out of the aftermath of the West Australia election was the fact that truth and accountability are expendable in the political world. One Nations leader stated Queensland should take a GST cut to subsidise West Australia then blatantly denied saying it even though she was recorded nationally.

Then encouraging non immunisation, spruking a non existent test, then denying she said it, then being forced to apologise for her ignorance and stupidity. 

Unfortunately the most worrying thing is the fact she banned the ABC from questioning after the election result came down. 

When a politician regardless of any party cannot stand the scrutiny of the media scrum is a clear indication they have something to hide. In this case it was the incapacity to understand the election, it’s result, and what impact she had or didn’t have in getting the Liberal government annihilated. 

It would be sad if Australia fell into the Trump philosophy of lying then only talking to the media who will ask the questions they want to answer.

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