The final sitting day in the parliament yesterday provided a timely reminder that Labor has a long and illustrious history of finding itself in golden situations only to totally stuff them up.
Forget the next three years, Bill Shorten and Labor could turn the dumpster fire that is Canberra at present into an inferno that could engulf it and everyone in the general vicinity in less than 12 weeks.
In other, brighter circumstances it might be the kind of efficient service delivery the punters expect from government.
Presuming Shorten and Labor win the next election (and that requires a sizeable leap of faith if not logic after yesterday’s shenanigans), one can only speculate what disasters will come its way in government. My best guess is Shorten will do a Nick Greiner, establish a federal anti-corruption commission only to find multiple members of his cabinet and ultimately himself, ensnared in it, providing an alternative meaning to the term “conviction politicians”.
In what stands as an extraordinary political achievement, Labor managed to disappoint everyone across the political spectrum yesterday — people who vote Labor, people who don’t and people who were thinking of voting Labor but now probably won’t.
It was as if the tactics committee met, handed Shorten a ball-peen hammer and told him to belt himself over the head with it, on the basis that it would feel better when he stopped.
The telecommunications access and assistance bill became law yesterday, passing through the Senate 44 votes to 12, after being waved through the House with bipartisan support.
It is, of course, a bill of the government’s making. It is a disaster, created by legal minds with little or no apparent expertise in technology. The problems with it are numerous but the biggest lies in the fact the law would require technology companies to target a single device or small number of devices, but only in a way that does not introduce a “systemic weakness” that impacts all users.
The techs I have spoken to say this is all but impossible and may lead to tech companies feeling obliged to leave the country rather than run afoul of this putrescent law. One of our most prolific and profitable industry sectors may leave our shores in droves. Well done, everyone. Throw another log on the dumpster fire.
The other major problem with the bill is it is yet another intrusion into the privacy of the citizenry. Predictably the response from the government and the opposition is of the tedious, “if you done nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about” kind.
Labor’s favourite urger on Twitter, member for Gellibrand, Tim Watts, lectured a clearly unnerved Twitterdom on Tuesday night in an effort to bring some calm. “Wait and see our amendments,” the young MP promised. In the end Labor dropped its amendments altogether and waved the bill through.
It is a dreadful piece of law and by Labor’s own admission will need to be amended early next year, leading to the obvious question, and one that remains unanswered, why wave it through the lower house at all?
Timidity and cowardice
The old maxim that any day when the political debate turns to border security is a bad day for Labor seems to have Bill Shorten and his front bench spooked.
Labor is everywhere and nowhere on this issue. Jelly nailed to a wall.
Timidity and political cowardice are never far away with this mob.
The day started with Prime Minister Morrison facing a humiliating defeat in the parliament, with Labor and the Greens supporting a crossbench bill which would leave the decision on refugee repatriation to Australia entirely in the hands of those with medical expertise. Instead it was Shorten and Labor who were left pink-faced in embarrassment as the bill was filibustered to within an inch of its life in the Senate.
Everything Labor sought to achieve did not happen and everything it did not want to happen came to pass.
News reports today indicating Labor has softened its policy stance on refugee policy lends strength to the prevailing view that Labor is soft on border control while Shorten et al have simultaneously upset Labor voters who were hoping for a more humane policy response.
Faced with the prospect of multiple triumphs in the parliament in the morning session, all Shorten could do was lament the scoreboard at the end of the day. Win-win had become lose-lose.
As the House adjourned for the Christmas break, it was difficult to determine who felt more relieved — Scott Morrison or Bill Shorten. The only good news for both men is the parliament will sit so rarely in the New Year, they may as well call in the caterers and hire out both chambers for weddings, parties, anything. Maybe a funeral or two.
The focus in recent times has naturally been on the Morrison government and its travails. There appears to be no way out for the government, that is until we pause and turn our gaze to Bill Shorten and the Labor opposition.
And when we do, we are drawn to the conclusion that it would be madness to underestimate Labor’s capacity for political self-harm.
This column was first published in The Australian on 7 December 2018.
Just waiting for the Federal government to state the NSW coalition government is not reflective of Australia. The problem with the feds, like the cons here, is they continue to put far right out there ideology ahead of the National interest. We see by the continued defunding of Research and Education what the cons are about. No surprises Fair dinkum delusional’s.
A couple of weeks back I was whingeing about not being able to nail the term that described the majority of the Coalition’s inability to face the truth. I’ve decided that the word simply doesn’t exist but after some more thought, I have realised that it’s actually ‘wilful ignorance’. Spot on. And the phenomenon continues with some of the statements that Andrew Broad has made and also Frydenberg’s claim that voters will ‘overlook’ various egregious failings of his benighted coalition. However, I have found a site which cites a synonym ‘Tactical Stupidity’. Brilliant, and it deserves the capitals. That’s what we are being served by our alleged masters: Tactical Stupidity.
Yes, excellent.
One can’t help but be impressed by Graham Richardson on Sky at night (Richo) how well he looks, Mr. Insider. As we all know he had huge invasive Surgery a while back but has he let that stop him – no!
A wealth of Political knowledge he is a joy to watch and he’s off on a months holiday from today (Wednesday) so we look forward to his return the end of January.
So APRA reverses the levers! I suspect they understand the devastation Labors negative gearing policy will have on the property market and are trying to balance things up prior to electricity bills election. Good luck with that!
So what do they do about the share market? Franking credits plus the capital gains changes. Some people do not realise the capital gains changes also equally apply to shares as they do property.
Another monumental ideologically driven failure costing the taxpayer almost a $1 billion. As expected business is taking the taxpayer subsidy and not putting on full time staff. No surprises fair dinkum idiocy of the coalition.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/fewer-than-one-in-10-interns-scores-a-job-raising-doubts-over-government-program-20181214-p50mf9.html
Now this is 502 comments and the further I go back I hit 520! Somethings changed it is usually the other way around. Not necessarily for the better but something has changed.
Interesting remarks here re Climate Change, Mr. Insider re the Pacific Island of Tuvalu.
https://tinyurl.com/yd3qux7z
Some deliberately misleading remarks Henry.
I read that the Nationals are seeking a female to replace Mr Broad. Surely he would be qualified to assist them in their search.
Hardly, he used a dating site.
But then again, some bimbo from Hong Kong with an interesting name would probably do just as well as that nong.
And…
and what?
As Hindi is my second language I’ve been both appalled and embarrassed at some of the on field comments during the last test. Surely 7 should be censoring this stuff or move the cricket coverage to an age appropriate time.
A wonderful test I thought. Ashwin was a huge loss for the Indian’s impressive bowling attack, though they weren’t sending them down to Smith or Warner.
Ashwin provided the highlight of the 1st Test. Bowling to Head on 47, he pitched a beautifully flighted nut into the footmarks that turned at right angles and went over middle stump. As good a ball as I’ve seen from any spinner including Warne’s Ball of the Century. Another coat of varnish and Head would have been in the Pavilion. The lowlight of the Test was the uncountable No Balls the Umpires missed. I hope the match referee had a word with them. I could see them from the Members Bar, so I can’t accept they were unaware. Another highlight of the trip south was a charter trip from Ceduna targeting King George Whiting. Landed several between 60cm and 68cm, as much fun as game fish on light line. Blue crabs galore too, right off the jetty. Threw the Whiting back but ate plenty crabs. First time I’d been to Adelaide. No blackouts while I was there.
I don’t think they even look any more until they are forced to with a replay
Well agree JS. But seriously, if you are a politician I’m sure your electorate would expect you to have some intelligence -surely?
The Peter Principle reigns supreme.
If they had to work in the private sector, most of them would be on a park bench with a sign: “will pontificate for food.”