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neo-con, repackaged with elegance...Malcolm Turnbull projects himself as urbane, cultured, intellectual, intelligent and a devoted family man who can play the prime minister role. He has also paraded values of respecting science, man of the future and a concerned citizen. He may live at Point Piper but he is a good and decent man. Despite being filthy rich, he is here to serve. These are face-book snapshots that we are invited to like. But as for depth of conviction? This will only be revealed by actions matching rhetoric. But which rhetoric? The old or the new? Turnbull is an orator, but will he stick his neck out to save our planet, to help the poor or to release the refugees? So far nothing I have seen gives me hope of this. On a day when a refugee from West Australian Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre lies critically injured with burns to 90 per cent of his body from self-immolation, I have my doubts. The Turnbull hopeful stance – that George Brandis has praised – seems to ignore the real challenges that we face. In neo conservative mode, Turnbull speaks of economic challenges and market opportunities. Blinded and dazzled by his own success, he has at last achieved his stated ambition of becoming Prime Minister. Does he spare a thought for the Islanders in the Pacific with the water lapping at their doors? Turnbull of course would not laugh at the tasteless jokes of soon to be ex Minister Dutton. However, will the new PM do something constructive to combat or assist adaptation to climate change? Or for the millions who are homeless or displaced, as he decides between residing at his $50 million Point Piper estate or Kirribilli house? I for one am not holding my breath for Malcolm’s transformation. Lyn Bender is a trained, professional, practicing psychologist. You can follow Lyn on Twitter @lynestel.
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house improvements...
Is the change of this nation's jockey, just to get a dud neo-con horse across the line, ahead of the dud-Labor nag? Possibly.
But at least the new jockey is not riding backwards while clowning about...
The headline of the Saturday Paper: "The End of an Error".
Sure but will this change make us complacent in accepting the unacceptable?
Winning the next election is not the end of the race. Well, it could be for politicians but for us, it's only a peg in the dirt of house improvement:
What Turnbull has to do urgently:
Restore the confidence of the Aboriginal people by stopping the destruction of their settlements and working on recognition in the constitution.
Investigate the problem of global warming in earnest and propose a solution that supports renewables and eliminate subsidies to the fossil fuel industries in order to make a dint in the problem. Then eliminate fossil fuels.
Stop the Australian war planes in Syria — and for once stop listening to the double-dealing Yankees (and Saudis) on this subject.
Reinstate the Gonski reforms and boost the general confidence in PUBLIC education.
Remove the chaplaincy program.
Restore the funding to Universities to make them more democratically accessible
Improve health services and manage the influence of pharmaceuticals on the services
Restore funding to public scientific organisations.
Restore MANUFACTURING in this country — dice the FTA with China and control those made earlier with other country.
Reduce the exposure of this country to currency speculations by whatever means
Stop "stopping the boats" in a manner that stops being a shameful embarrassment to this country.
Improve working conditions (Sweden has introduced the more productive and effective 6 hour day).
Restore the NBN plan of fibre to homes.
Get the marriage equality laws passed through parliament.
Move towards an Australian Republic.
Charm the Murdoch media to approve of all good things to come...
Tell his doubtful rich mates that these first steps in a simple program is for them to benefit (profit) from a better and more confident country prepared to face the future rather than flying back to the 1950s.
And of course fund the NDIS...
It's going to be a long hall...
turd sandwich on the playground...
During one of many spirited defences of the ousted prime minister, Jones read out a message he had received from a caller.
"As a caller just wrote to me, and forgive the language, but I mean we all talk the language of the playground, and he said: 'People don't want to vote for Turnbull, and they don't want to vote for [Labor leader Bill] Shorten. We've got a shit sandwich.' And I think that's most probably it."
One talkback caller, Geoff, asked Jones: "Are we going to get all these Green lefty bloody policies rammed down our throat? That's what bothers me, you know."
Another caller, Sally, lamented: "I'm gutted by what's happened to Tony, but I'm more disgusted with Julie Bishop, how she got up and said, 'My friend of many years, Malcolm Turnbull. I said, 'Oh, you've lost me.' "Jones said Australia had a "lot of thinking to do" following the events of Monday night.
"Tony Abbott was doing a magnificent job in very, very difficult circumstances and getting results, but unlike the others, he doesn't pump up his own tyres."
Jones also spoke to conservative commentator Andrew Bolt, who said "many, many, many" Liberal voters were "absolutely appalled at what's going on".
"They've panicked at the polling," Bolt said. "They rewarded people who leaked and betrayed Tony Abbott, and they've elected a guy who, when he was last leader of the opposition, had none of the communication skills he's now promising he has and can use to save the Liberals. It's a huge call."
Bolt said many people in the Liberal Party regarded Mr Turnbull as "Malcolm Turnbull first, party second".
Bolt: "Malcolm Turnbull I think still has trouble accepting advice from people he thinks aren't quite as smart as he is, and that is going to be a huge challenge for him, when it comes to healing the Liberal Party. Huge."
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/weve-got-a-sht-sandwhich-alan-jones-defends-tony-abbott-after-leadership-spill-20150914-gjmmm7.html#ixzz3mAIHWNj2
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