THE DISMAL TURNBULL YEARS: THE DEMOCRATIC CONTRACT IS BROKEN
Mt Semeru East Java Jac Vidgen
The dismal Turnbull years rolled on.
The democratic contract was broken, under his watch.
Work hard, do the right thing, you will get ahead. Your life will get better.
Conform, at least to the extent of getting up and going to work every day, and you will be rewarded.
A place in the world. Achieved by labour.
Not anymore.
The public watched as the least creative, least inventive, least hard working of them all rose to the frothy top.
They watched as their country was sold out from under them.
They watched as members of the Chinese Communist Party bought the best homes in Sydney.
While the professions were taken over by foreigners.
While their suburbs were swamped with strangers.
I guess if you live on the harbour in Darling Point, the urban stresses that mere mortals in Sydney and Melbourne face on a daily basis are hard to understand.
The reality is the Turnbull government has two chances to win the next election: do something dramatic about electricity prices and cut the immigration program. Both decisions would differentiate the Coalition from Labor. At budget time, the government has a real chance to secure some political advantage by recasting the migration program, both in terms of numbers and composition.
Treasury needs to keep its nose out of the immigration debate, Judith Sloan, The Australian, 10 April, 2018.
They watched as the oligarchy ran rampant.
Instead of getting ahead, people worked hard and watched their incomes being depleted by ravenous taxation levels and ludicrous over-regulation. The most expensive electricity in the world. The most hopeless internet. Poor quality transport. The dream of your own home out of reach for many.
Coal-fired stations have closed in South Australia, Victoria and NSW; gas plants have been mothballed; and wholesale prices have been forced up. It has been terrific for risk-free renewables investors and other suppliers taking advantage of the constricted market. But it has been disastrous for consumers. The world’s highest prices, a statewide blackout and the promise of more shortages — this has been the impact of bipartisan policies. The planned closure of Liddell in NSW’s Hunter Valley in 2022 has prompted warnings from the Australian Energy Market Operator about further price increases and supply shortfalls.Private companies can’t invest in thermal generation when it cross-subsidises renewable competitors and they could be hit with a carbon price, increases in the RET or other regulatory burdens at any time. Given all this, it is hardly surprising — no matter how far it is from the ideal — that politicians who usually argue pro-market positions are suggesting public investments to ensure sufficient baseload generation.They are simply placing a higher priority on energy affordability and security than on economic purity — in a market already corrupted by interventions.Turnbull could ease energy crisis, Chris Kenny, The Australian, 7 April, 2018.
Every hope destroyed.
The country lay in ruins, multiculturalism a spent farce.
And still the rich trumpeted. Gobble turkeys the lot of them.
The insane levels of immigration and complete mismanagement of the entire arena, which began under John Howard as yet another sop by craven politicians to the big end of town, continued apace under the disastrous leadership of Malcolm Turnbull.
As he passed his 30th losing Newspoll.
It was a landmark in many ways, and the press made the most of it.
Some of the analysis was good. Commentators got as lyrical as they could in a straitened medium.
There’s a common whinge that Turnbull’s office is loaded with Liberals who live in the eastern suburbs of Sydney — people of Turnbull stock; not the types to know what hits people in the mortgage-belt suburbs.
One minister warned The Australian of the pitfalls of this piece: “Have you ever written a story about the Turnbull prime ministership before? Watch out.
“Malcolm’s office is very Sydney eastern suburbs ... so of course they hear different things from what we’re concerned about — which is energy prices and immigration.
To examine Turnbull and the reason for his 30 consecutive Newspoll losses, the focus really comes on the man — not his staff or the influence of his wife. And how he is outplayed at politics constantly by Labor.
After all, he could have better advice — but what is the point when you tend not to take advice you are given in any case.
Don't play with the big boys, Andrew Clennell, The Australian, 9 April, 2018.
Migration, identity politics, diversity, continued to dominate the media's so-called "conversation".
What a polite term for destroying the country and obliterating debate.
And all the while Malcolm Turnbull never shut up. Even on that eventful Monday when he passed the 30 negative news poll tests, he did what was optimistically described as a "wide ranging interview", the usual pap and self-justification and bullshit he always dished out, for The Daily Telegraph.
If you are flogging a product which is not selling, you might think you would alter the product.
If you faced constant negative polling you might think you would throw up your hands in a mea culpa, we have heard the voices of the people, we have heard the voices of discontent, we have listened, we will spend every working hour of our lives to make your lives better.
Nothing of the kind, of course, happened under this appalling government.
The worst the Liberal Party had to offer.
Greedy, self-flattering, uninspiring. Appalling and indifferent managers. Above all, greedy.
THE BIGGER STORY:
So much for the claims religious freedoms would be protected:
The NSW Justices Association Inc has received the following communication from the Appointments Services, Department of Justice. A copy of this communication has been sent via email to all NSWJA members and is posted here for your information.
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JPs appointed in NSW can witness the Commonwealth Notice of Intention to Marry document pursuant to s42 of the Marriage Act 1961 (Cth).
Refusing to witness a Notice of Intention to Marry on the basis that the two signatories on the form are of the same sex even if that refusal was on religious grounds, would amount to unlawful discrimination under anti-discrimination legislation.
The Code of Conduct for JPs provides that a JP must not ‘unreasonably refuse to provide a justice of the peace services.’ In this context, any refusal that breaches the law would be considered an unreasonable refusal under the Code of Conduct.
Accordingly, JPs appointed in NSW must not refuse to witness a Notice of Intention to Marry on the basis that the two signatories on the form were of the same sex. Any such refusal would be a breach of the JP Code of Conduct and constitute grounds for review of that JP’s appointment which may lead to their suspension or removal as a JP.
Regards
Bruce Sanders| Assistant Appointments Officer
Appointments Services| Ministerial and Parliamentary Services | Department of Justice.