It might have made for an amusing office sweep. Three politicians clinging perilously to power. One wondered who would be the first to drop off the branch and by early this morning we had the answer.
If you had South African President Jacob Zuma in the sweep, you’d be a winner today. Zuma’s own political party, the African National Congress, had pledged to vote for a motion of no confidence in him. There was no way out and at several minutes to midnight in political terms (around 10.00pm South African time) and with no alternatives left, Zuma walked away.
Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, grimly hangs on to his job despite Israeli Police recommending his indictment on fraud and bribery charges while our very own Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce, stands defiant in the face of a scandal that would see any normal person wander off into the sunset.
Full column here.
Can ANYBODY name the leader of the Un Nationals without looking.
I can’t. He is certainly a sleeping mouse. Joyce is hoping to get back as
leader. Keeps saying to colleagues ‘I am broke’.
The fate of this Looting government rests on two unproven assumptions. That the NEG will result in lower
electricity prices and that the huge tax concessions to big business will result in higher wages for workers.
Taxpayers would like to see the modelling or proof for these assumptions before they
commit to giving this lot another tick.
A new alternative to a holiday in Bali………cruising in Australia!
Kung Hee Fat Choi to you all, yeah, even unto the lovers of intermittent electricity among you.
let’s hope we all have a good year of the dog, rather than a dog of year.
time for a hike, or should i call it a game drive, we had a wild pig in a kids playground yesterday, a bit over a meter tall and as ugly as, no better not say that.
the pig is knocking over a rubbish bin and ripping the bags apart to get at the rubbish while mums and helpers and toddlers and infants are playing on the jungle gym about three meters away.
I had to put on my Martin voice, i.e. my fathers special voice, low and slow with just a hint of sterness, and direct them to leave the playground forthwith.
amazing, it still works, even if the folks were grumpy about being told to leave.
the cops turned up a bit later and cordoned off the area etc, six or seven cops, riot shields, the usual pig squad.
some people seem to have fluffy bunny syndrome, they think every wild animal is Bambi.
this pig did not look suitable for a petting zoo.
probably too gamey for char sui, but might go OK in dumplings
cheers
Sounds like it might be in a few tomorrow, mate.
Oh yum Jack, special roast pork rice. I was watching Australia Plus tonight and they were covering the aftermath of Cyclone Gita in Tonga. In all the footage there were pigs walking around the city unscathed. All I could think of was that there was tonight’s dinner but no one seemed to want to catch them. Maybe they are sacred in Tonga.
Glad your stern voice still works, mine came in handy working in the Middle East.
I have a question for you JTI, which surely has occurred to others as well. If Barnaby does end up resigning from Parliament, will it be the first time in Australia’s political history that the same member has put taxpayers to the expense of two by-elections for the same seat during the life of the same Parliament?
Good trivia question. My guess is yes but I could be wrong.
The National Party could always go into coalition with the Sex Party , they are up in arms regarding Malcolm’s no sex ruling , is it really that bad in the Nats. party rooms , sex parties , orgies , debauchery ? …
James Jeffrey can be bloody funny..
“While his ministerial colleagues were squished up against each other in an uncomfortable way, as the green leather around him emptied …”
It was like the business class of the front bench”
He is a very funny man and a wonderful writer. So glad he is at The Aus.
Agree JTI, he is one of The Oz’s highlights… even if he does drink strange looking black beer
He does and it is disconcerting.
All power to him Penny! There is no such thing as a bad black beer!
It’s on for young and old in the Coalition.
It’ll be interesting to see if Malcolm Turnbull can stare down Barnaby (from the US of A!).
I reckon both “leaders” might be terminal as, even if the Barnaby issue is sorted, the trust between the Coalition partners seems to be gone.
Wishful thinking TO. No real appetite to get rid of Malcolm.