leading from way behind...

way behind

Indeed, the only concrete policy issue touched on on Monday night was to confirm the Abbott regime's whacky "Direct Action" climate policy. It looks like Malcolm has learned from his mistakes as it was his commitment to an emissions trading scheme (ETS) that allowed Abbott to take his job as opposition leader by one vote.

That is a slight worry – an early example of Liberal Party politics trumping policy from the get-go of his prime ministership. Analyse Turnbull's first public words as PM and they were as much about hosing down his party's right wing as promising the nation better government.

After all that the coalition has invested in demonising the pricing of carbon, it shouldn't be a surprise that an ETS won't be adopted any time soon – never mind that a much higher proportion of economists recommend carbon pricing than dentists use whatever that brand of toothpaste is.

That means those of us who pay income tax will continue to directly subsidise carbon polluters. You might call that a warped form of carbon tax.

In the never-never-land section of the climate change policy Environment Minister Greg Hunt and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop will take to Paris, there is indeed the opening for Australian carbon emitters to take part in an international ETS down the track – just don't tell broadcaster Alan Jones and friends.

The reality is that, in concrete, measurable terms, there is actually extremely little Australia can do to reduce global carbon emissions. As far as CO2 concentrations go, if we went totally sustainable overnight, the atmosphere would barely notice.

The only genuine difference Australia could hope to make is in policy leadership – dragging the rest of the world into action. But that can't be done from the back of the pack.

So the new Prime Minister's first leadership decision has been for Australia not to lead. Depending on who's spinning it, we're either in the middle of the pack or at the back. We're irrelevant to international policy.

There will be plenty of people happy with that – those who were sucked into the carbon tax chants, and especially those worrying souls who seem to view the climate change issue as a matter of conservative religious values: a belief that somehow God wouldn't do that to us and therefore the scientists must be wrong.

By Gus Leonisky at 15 Sep 2015 - 6:43pm
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meanwhile at news corpse...

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch keeps a close eye on Australian politics

News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch: "Sad to see such a decent man as Abbott toppled. Now Turnbull needs a November election before Labor sacks Shorten."

Australian Marriage Equality director Rodney Croome: "This is the first time in Australia's history that both the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition have supported marriage equality, giving us an unprecedented opportunity to achieve the reform."

Leichhardt MP and Liberal Warren Entsch, who introduced a gay marriage private member's bill to parliament earlier this year told AAP he didn't think Mr Turnbull would overturn a party room decision to have a national vote on marriage equality rather than a free vote in parliament.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-34254015

By Gus Leonisky at 15 Sep 2015 - 7:53pm
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each accusing the other of misrepresentation...

Analysts say the change of treasurer and the priority placed by Mr Turnbull on building economic efficiency through innovative, wellexplained policy augurs well for confidence, and could open the way for changes in taxation, industrial relations and retirement income policies.

Mr Hockey is the most prominent minister in a brace of senior Abbott government figures tipped to be dumped or demoted when Mr Turnbull, who was sworn in as the nation's 29th prime minister on Tuesday, unveils a new frontbench team on the weekend.

The bizarre situation saw Mr Turnbull and Mr Hockey jointly defending the government's economic policy record in Parliament less than 24 hours after the pair publicly clashed, with each accusing the other of misrepresenting the government's performance.

By Gus Leonisky at 16 Sep 2015 - 6:34am
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we are screwed, with more optimism though...

“Well if he runs the country like he ran the NBN we are screwed,” wrote robinvir.

“Turnbull offers optimism and a change of tone in Australian politics/society,” said bronski66, who commented on his progressive social policy. “I feel like I’ve shucked off an ugly, awkward weight...and I am, by no means, a conservative.”

“As an optimist, I can’t see that things could be any worse under Turnbull and I hope they improve,” commented katega. “As a realist, I’ll sit back and wait for the results.

“Either way, I think we’ll all miss the “suppository of wisdom” ... mindless, brain fart gaffes. Turnbull is, if nothing else, eloquent and capable of nuance – two skills totally devoid in Captain Clownshoes.”

“I won’t miss being embarrassed every time the prime minister takes the international stage,” replied TonyDun.

Aside from the comments of those who subscribed to the “anyone but Abbott” school – and there were many – there was a general sense that changes in leadership of the Liberal party were little more than window dressing. Asked how Turnbull’s ousting of Tony Abbott would change politics, centreline replied, “Very little other, than expanded vocabulary. The king is dead. Long live the King.”

By Gus Leonisky at 16 Sep 2015 - 6:49am
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gone before dinner...

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has failed to endorse a pledge made by Attorney-General George Brandis to hold a same-sex marriage plebiscite, and change the Marriage Act, by the end of 2016.

Speaking on Sky News on Sunday, Senator Brandis said the government would hold a plebiscite on same sex marriage before the end of the year if it won the federal election expected late this year.

And if there was support for it, Senator Brandis said,the Coalition government would quickly introduce changes to the Marriage Act that he expected would become law "by the end of the year".

Mr Turnbull's office, however, distanced itself from Brandis' comments that a plebiscite would be held by the end of the year.

A spokeswoman for Mr Turnbull said only that the government was committed to holding the plebiscite "as soon after the election as can be done".

Labor leader Bill Shorten said the comments showed the government's "chaos and division" had reached new heights.

"This is a new land speed record for a broken promise – made over breakfast and gone before dinner," he said.

By Gus Leonisky at 7 Mar 2016 - 8:25am
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trust malco? yar gotta be kiddin'

Gareth Hutchens

@grhutchensemail

Friday 24 June 2016 22.16 AEST Last modified on Saturday 25 June 201602.17 AEST

Malcolm Turnbull has offered a bizarre explanation for why he will now allow Coalition MPs to have a free vote on same-sex marriage after the plebiscite, a move that will let them ignore its result.

He says there was “probably not support” for same-sex marriage in the last parliament, on a free vote basis – implying he thinks support for same-sex marriage will increase among parliamentarians after the election.

But he then admitted he does not know what the next parliament will look like.

He encouraged voters not to worry, saying he “knows parliamentarians well enough” to know that they will respect the will of the people – a view that contradicts his original point about MPs in the former parliament.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jun/24/it-will-sail-through-turnbull-explains-allowing-free-vote-on-same-sex-marriage

Turnbull learned to smile innocently at the Sadistic Investment Bankers School. You smile while you pickpocket....

By Gus Leonisky at 25 Jun 2016 - 9:01am
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malcolm — afraid of his own party tight-arses...

Nick Xenophon has confirmed his party will vote against the legislation to enable a same-sex marriage plebiscite, leaving the Coalition to seek Labor's support in the Senate or face the possible demise of the public vote.

Key points:

Nick Xenophon Team and Greens to vote against bill for plebiscite
They want a free vote in Parliament on the issue
Fate of the bill now rests with Labor as Shorten signals continuing concerns

Labor is yet to reveal how it will vote, but over the weekend the party indicated it was prepared to block the legislation.

The Greens and senator Derryn Hinch have already confirmed they will also vote against the bill, and the Nick Xenophon Team (NXT) announcement ensures the Government cannot secure enough crossbench support.

Senator Xenophon told reporters at Parliament House that his party's position, held by all three senators, was to vote against the bill to set up a plebiscite.

He said there were many problems with the proposed plebiscite and instead advocated for a free vote on directly legalising same-sex marriage through an act of Parliament.

"The quickest path to resolving this issue would be a vote in the Parliament and that's what we will be seeking to do," he said.

"We believe that having a plebiscite is unnecessary. The Parliament ought to determine this. We are elected by the voters to make decisions. We are paid well, very well to make those decisions.

"This is a decision that the Parliament ought to be making rather than spending $160 million on a plebiscite."

The Opposition will now essentially decide whether to kill off the plebiscite.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-29/xenophon-wont-back-same-sex-marriage-plebiscite/7793908

see toon at top...

By Gus Leonisky at 29 Aug 2016 - 2:42pm
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when advertising will do it for you...

advertising...

By Gus Leonisky at 30 Aug 2016 - 8:16am
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no guts... nor convictions... nor balls. "why-bother"...

Australia's prime minister has long supported same-sex marriage, but does he possess the influence - or the will - to make it happen? The BBC's Greg Dunlop investigates.

When Malcolm Turnbull ascended to power in 2015, many Australians hoped the new prime minister would take action to legalise same-sex marriage.

A year to the day later, he introduced a parliamentary proposal for a national vote. The bill was ultimately doomed to fail.

Mr Turnbull had inherited the plebiscite idea from his predecessor, Tony Abbott, and it faced opposition from the start. Those people argued the vote was unnecessary, expensive and would expose gay and lesbian couples to abuse. They wanted a free vote in parliament.

But the new leader enshrined the plebiscite as an election pledge, aware changing tack would divide his conservative party.

"It is an issue of conscience for millions of Australians," Mr Turnbull would later say in defence of the bill. "From the bottom of my heart - our society would be stronger if more people were married."

In August, a survey of 5,500 LGBT Australians by lobby group Just Equal found that 85% opposed holding the referendum. Three months later, the bill was defeated in the Senate.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-38059672

See toon at top...

By Gus Leonisky at 30 Nov 2016 - 7:12pm
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a legal black hole...

Longtime marriage equality campaigner Warren Entsch has poured cold water onPeter Dutton’s call for a voluntary postal plebiscite on same-sex marriage.

While he welcomed the immigration minister’s engagement, the Queensland LNP MP said a postal plebiscite would not be binding and would create a legal black hole that could be challenged from all sides.

“The fact that a plebiscite of any form, whether it be postal or otherwise, is not binding I think really puts the final nail in the coffin in relation to any concept of a plebiscite and that’s not going to change with a ... postal plebiscite,” Enstch said.

He said he had considered postal plebiscites in the past as a cheaper method that would not require parliamentary approval, but “the reality is it is a legal black hole”.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jul/24/warren-entsch-sho...

By Gus Leonisky at 24 Jul 2017 - 11:48am
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