-
@Rembrandt said in Aussie Politics:
So I'm new to aussie politics, what's the general opinion on this Mark Latham character? I see he has just joined the Liberal democrats so maybe another punt in politics perhaps? He's started his own show on facebook after being fired, it's worth checking out.
https://marklathamsoutsiders.comHe wrote a book about parliament called " a conga line of suckholes"
Also I f memory serves me correctly he also got into a scrap with a taxi driver and broke the blokes arm and put him out of work for quite a while. He went on to claim that taxi drivers all call him sir now.
Strikes me as an A grade wankbiscuit .
-
I like him....
-
@Baron-Silas-Greenback that was pretty awesome.
-
He's been interesting to watch.
On a good day, actually a decent kind of politician with strong opinions, and a willingness to stand up for what he believes, and debate as per the clip above.
But the bad days are the ones that would prevent him getting into leadership again I think. The assault. The ravings. Something you might point to as mental illness or instability.
Then the moments of clarity come back and you wonder who he is.
-
@NTA said in Aussie Politics:
He's been interesting to watch.
On a good day, actually a decent kind of politician with strong opinions, and a willingness to stand up for what he believes, and debate as per the clip above.
But the bad days are the ones that would prevent him getting into leadership again I think. The assault. The ravings. Something you might point to as mental illness or instability.
Then the moments of clarity come back and you wonder who he is.
Pretty much this, a real shame.
-
That was everything a discussion from a politician should be. Excellent, and well done that guy.
Shame the journalists spent more time trying to demonise him than ask the crucial, unasked question - those being being the suspected reasons for violence, what can we do to reduce it further?
That would be a discussion worth the air time.
-
Peripheral to core Politics:
ATO official Michael Cranston 'unwittingly' caught up in alleged fraud
Australian Taxation Office deputy commissioner Michael Cranston has been “unwittingly” caught up in a major tax evasion scheme allegedly involving his son and daughter.
Cranston, 58, has been issued with a court attendance notice for allegedly publicly abusing his position as a senior official of the commonwealth, Australian federal police said on Thursday. He is due to face Sydney central court next month.
Four ATO officers are also being investigated, according to the AFP.
Cranston’s 30-year-old son, Adam, and 24-year-old daughter and seven other people have been arrested as part of a $165m tax fraud investigation.
The arrests were made after an eight-month investigation, codenamed Operation Elbrus, with assistance from ATO, the AFP said on Thursday.
“The scale of this alleged fraud is unprecedented for the AFP,” said a deputy commissioner for operations, Leanne Close.
The acting commissioner of taxation, Andrew Mills, said: “We do take it extraordinarily seriously and … it is of concern that a longstanding officer has been alleged to have been involved in this.”
The ATO was conducting an internal investigation into four officials, examining whether they had looked at material they were not authorised to access.
“If you are an officer within the ATO, you have access to those matters only to which you actually are required for the purposes of your job,” he said. “If you seek to obtain information which is outside that scope, you actually are in breach of the code of conduct.”
Close said the AFP would allege that Cranston’s son had asked him to access some information. “We don’t believe that at this point that he had any knowledge of the actual conspiracy and the defrauding,” she said.
Assets seized in the past two days by the AFP include 25 cars – luxury, vintage and racing vehicles – 18 residential properties, 12 motorbikes, in excess of 100 bank accounts and share trading accounts, two aircraft, firearms and jewellery, artworks, vintage wines and at least $1m located in a safety deposit box.
Adam Cranston, 30, is due to face Sydney’s central local court on Thursday morning charged with conspiracy to defraud the commonwealth, while his sister is due to face a Sydney court on 13 June.
Adam was arrested in Bondi while his sister was arrested in Picton during 27 raids on homes and businesses across the greater Sydney area on Wednesday.
A further six search warrants were to be executed on Thursday, the AFP said.
-
@Kirwan said in Aussie Politics:
That was everything a discussion from a politician should be. Excellent, and well done that guy.
Shame the journalists spent more time trying to demonise him than ask the crucial, unasked question - those being being the suspected reasons for violence, what can we do to reduce it further?
That would be a discussion worth the air time.
It was. It was also very refreshing and pretty much sums up the general sentiment here on the fern.
Facts and mature approaches to issues versus ridiculous and petty outrage fishing - that clip had examples of both.
I refuse to watch traditional tv, (except for live sport) and as a consequence my brain is substantially more free of fuckwit nonsense, 'cause terrestial tv basically caters for dullards (all about advertising and consumption innit?)
-
I see they're looking to change the words to Advance Australia Fair.
I don't see a problem including a verse recognising the Aboriginies, but they can fuck off removing "we are young and free".
-
@Rancid-Schnitzel what is the argument against that phrase?
-
@No-Quarter said in Aussie Politics:
@Rancid-Schnitzel what is the argument against that phrase?
The argument is that "young" excludes aboriginals because they have been in Australia for thousands of years. The fact that this line refers to the indisputably young nation state of Australia is apparently irrelevant.
-
@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Aussie Politics:
@No-Quarter said in Aussie Politics:
@Rancid-Schnitzel what is the argument against that phrase?
The argument is that "young" excludes aboriginals because they have been in Australia for thousands of years. The fact that this line refers to the indisputably young nation state of Australia is apparently irrelevant.
That's absolutely superb. I was racking my brain trying to find something offensive about that - the way they can take offense to just about anything is quite a skill.
-
D@No-Quarter said in Aussie Politics:
@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Aussie Politics:
@No-Quarter said in Aussie Politics:
@Rancid-Schnitzel what is the argument against that phrase?
The argument is that "young" excludes aboriginals because they have been in Australia for thousands of years. The fact that this line refers to the indisputably young nation state of Australia is apparently irrelevant.
That's absolutely superb. I was racking my brain trying to find something offensive about that - the way they can take offense to just about anything is quite a skill.
Don't forget, it's also highly offensive to old people and those in prison. We can't have that.
-
So after a religious nutjob Senator was disqualified, a Greens Senator and deputy leader posted the following on Twitter:
Ironically, it turns out he never rescinded his New Zealand citizenship so he has had to resign.
A week later, another Greens Senator decided to check her status (having been born in Canada) and found she too was ineligible as she was still a Canadian citizen.
-
@antipodean said in Aussie Politics:
So after a religious nutjob Senator was disqualified, a Greens Senator and deputy leader posted the following on Twitter:
Ironically, it turns out he never rescinded his New Zealand citizenship so he has had to resign.
A week later, another Greens Senator decided to check her status (having been born in Canada) and found she too was ineligible as she was still a Canadian citizen.
Check her status? She had to check whether she had dual citizenship? Bullocks, she knew the whole time and realised she was about to get outed so front-footed it. You don't not know if you have dual citizenship. Two passports is a bit of a giveaway. I've had a pretty clear idea of my own British and NZ citizenship since I was about 4.
-
@No-Quarter said in Aussie Politics:
@antipodean said in Aussie Politics:
So after a religious nutjob Senator was disqualified, a Greens Senator and deputy leader posted the following on Twitter:
Ironically, it turns out he never rescinded his New Zealand citizenship so he has had to resign.
A week later, another Greens Senator decided to check her status (having been born in Canada) and found she too was ineligible as she was still a Canadian citizen.
Check her status? She had to check whether she had dual citizenship? Bullocks, she knew the whole time and realised she was about to get outed so front-footed it. You don't not know if you have dual citizenship. Two passports is a bit of a giveaway. I've had a pretty clear idea of my own British and NZ citizenship since I was about 4.
Exactly. I actually think this is a stupid rule, but it is a very clear and (obviously) strictly enforced rule that you can't hold office if you are a duel citizen. At the very least they should have had it checked out. Now I hope Ludlam pays compensation for defrauding the taxpayer for 9 years. Knobhead.
Aussie Politics