It's all about the 2010 Australian Federal Election.....
August 1: FEZ Sez; BLOODY BARBARIANS; LEICHHARDT WATCH #1
August 2: THE BORING COOKS; LEICHHARDT WATCH #2
August 3: THE NATIONAL HEADACHE; LEICHHARDT WATCH #3
August 4: SOMETHING GREEN; LEICHHARDT WATCH #4; LEICHHARDT WATCH #5
August 5: THEY GOT WHAT?; LEICHHARDT WATCH #6August 1: FEZ Sez; BLOODY BARBARIANS; LEICHHARDT WATCH #1
August 2: THE BORING COOKS; LEICHHARDT WATCH #2
August 3: THE NATIONAL HEADACHE; LEICHHARDT WATCH #3
August 4: SOMETHING GREEN; LEICHHARDT WATCH #4; LEICHHARDT WATCH #5
August 6: HALF WAY; IT'S ON!; LEICHHARDT WATCH #7
August 7: MORE MONEY ANYONE?; LEICHHARDT WATCH #8
August 8: EASY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING
August 9: IT'S OVER FOR ONE BUT NOT THE OTHER
August 10: GILLARD ROCKS BACK; LEICHHARDT WATCH #9
August 11: A MIXED BAG; LEICHHARDT WATCH #10
August 12: CHALLENGE; LEICHHARDT WATCH #11
August 13: WHAT'S RIGHT WITH TV; LEICHHARDT WATCH #12
August 14: ONE WEEK TO GO; LEICHHARDT WATCH #13
August 15: ANOTHER EASY SUNDAY MORNING; LEICHHARDT WATCH #14
August 16: DECIDE ALREADY!; LEICHHARDT WATCH #15
August 17: BACK TO THE FUTURE; LEICHHARDT WATCH #16
August 18: WARNING: AN ANGRY MAN; LEICHHARDT WATCH #17
August 19: SCHWANNY'S LAST WORD; FROM THE MOTHERLAND
August 20: AUSTRALIA'S HUNG; LEICHHARDT WATCH #18
The Disgruntled Voters
Dave Schwan, Circusmouse, Precious Percy, The Flowerman & Bob Carolgees
by Precious Percy
FEZ has decided to jump on the bandwagon and spend the next three weeks putting in our 2 cents worth on what promises to be one of the tightest, dirtiest, silliest title fights ever, Gillard vs Abbott. With both weighing in fairly light on policy, the Greens have been given a chance to become a bigger pain in the ass than usual. Question is, do they have the balls to take the opportunity to mature as a political force? Our money is on 'no, they don't', but FEZ has been wrong before. How will Gillard fair, as more details gradually leak out about her involvement in the assassination of the previous Caeser? And Abbott, will he be the first person to become PM on Speedos alone? Oh yes, FEZzers, it's going to be a cracker!
As FEZ is based in Cairns, we'll also be following the battle for Leichhardt, held by Labor's Jim Turnour. Warren Entsch makes his return to politics, "not for the money, but for the people". Ha! Yeah, right! Good one, Wozzer. At least he has a sense of humour, something Jim has been accused of lacking. Let's see which one is the first to use the word "ticker". What?! They already have?! Boy, these guys are fast. For more info on this totally happening battleground, check out Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_of_Leichhardt
As FEZ is based in Cairns, we'll also be following the battle for Leichhardt, held by Labor's Jim Turnour. Warren Entsch makes his return to politics, "not for the money, but for the people". Ha! Yeah, right! Good one, Wozzer. At least he has a sense of humour, something Jim has been accused of lacking. Let's see which one is the first to use the word "ticker". What?! They already have?! Boy, these guys are fast. For more info on this totally happening battleground, check out Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_of_Leichhardt
So let's get this party started...
First up...
SPIT IT OUT, SCHWANNY!
Regular contributor, Dave Schwan, will be keeping his unique eye on things...
BLOODY BARBARIANS
Sunday, first of August, 2010... Only three weeks until the election and some of the polls are saying that the Barbarians are at the gates, again. Bloody politics, just as you begin to relax, to see light at the end of the long tunnel, they're at it again. We fought hard to put Howard and his minions in their rightful place and nearly destroyed them in the process, straining their credibility and causing them to doubt their own relevance. Howard has, for the second time lately, taken his cricket bat and balls and limped home...but still, those he left behind, those damaged and deluded leftovers, they somehow fool some of the people to vote for them one more time. There's obviously one born every minute, proving that a large percentage of Australians of voting age simply don't have the nous to tie their own shoelaces. Notice how many people are wearing slip-ons these days. I mean, shit, what can we do with them.....?
Dave Schwan
11:00 01/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #1
No. of times Jim Turnour was seen today: 0
No. of times Warren Entsch was seen today: 0
No. of times any of the other candidates were seen today: We don't know what they look like, so it's going to be hard.
The Flowerman
20:00 01/08/10
THE BORING COOKS
Ok folks, here we go, just 20 days 'till the big event. Will somebody please do or say something to add some spice to this campaign! What would they do on Master Chef? On that note, more viewers tuned into the MC final than bothered to watch the debate between our great leader and her valiant opponent. Even the worm curled up and died! It's all so dry, so poll-centric, so bloody boring. We are sick and tired of the baby-kissing, pork-barreling, mine-is -bigger-and-better-than-yours routine that is dragged from the back of the political tricks cupboard as each election approaches. The planet could be on a collision course with a killer-asteroid and the PM would still be found wandering hospital wards promising half-dead people better healthcare in the afterlife! You don't really have to watch any of the coverage this time around, it's all available on DVD in the re-runs section at JB-HiFi. At least in Pakistan they have suicide bombers and the chance that religious maniacs will get their hands on the nuclear missile launch codes if they win...Bring on the madness...
Dave Schwan
09:00 02/08/10
You can't keep the man down, even from his hospital bed. Abbott should be careful he doesn't get what he doesn't wish for.
Circusmouse
19:00 02/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #2
No. of times Jim Turnour was seen today: 1 (TV)
No. of times Warren Entsch was seen today: 3 (TV)
No. of times any of the other candidates were seen today: We still don't know what they look like, but we're working on it. Bob is out in the FEZmobile at this very moment.
The Flowerman
20:00 02/08/10
THE NATIONAL HEADACHE
10:00 03/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #3 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0
No. of times any of the other candidates were seen today: We got some NAMES! And Bob is processing his photos in his "dark" room. Ok, so here goes.
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Get all their contact details here-
http://www.aec.gov.au/election/qld/leichhardt.htm
Give 'em a call anytime, night and day, preferably night, very night.
We did see plenty of corflutes, though, but we're not going to tally up those. One thing that does stand out, is that Steve Lane seems to be going for policies over personality with his corflutes containing no mug shots. This guy obviously has no idea about modern Australian politics. Steve, personality IS everything, even the lack of it. Just ask Jim. Another thing we noticed is the Greens candidate. If Circusmouse' memory serves him correctly, this dude was a raging Tory in Magaret Thatcher's destruction of the British Working Class. Something smells here and we reckon DIMA should get on it right away. We may as well harbour Nazi war criminals. Oh yeah, we did that already. Later voters.
PS. This Friday at the Shangri-la Hotel in Cairns, Jim and Warren are going to have a "debate". "Whoopee!" you all cry. Not so fast. Advance Cairns, who "run" Cairns Forum, which is organising the event is going to charge an entry fee of $20 (to cover costs..?). Welcome to Politics Cairns "stylee". Not only do we milk the tourists for every cent we can get, we'll make money on the election, too. Democracy has always been for sale to the highest bidder, but this is just cynical.
Anyway, don't worry, FEZ will be there. Let's see if we can stir things up a bit.
The Flowerman
21:30 03/08/10
PPS Here at FEZ Central, we've decided that TV appearances don't count, because any monkey can be on TV these days, so ALL candidates public appearances have been reset to zero. Because we haven't seen any of 'em.
The Flowerman
23:45 03/08/10
BREAKING NEWS!!!
LEICHHARDT WATCH
The Hypocrisy Party is planning a stunt at the debate on Friday! Don't miss it!
Bob Carolgees
01:30 04/08/10
SOMETHING GREEN
Circusmouse
19:00 02/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #2
No. of times Jim Turnour was seen today: 1 (TV)
No. of times Warren Entsch was seen today: 3 (TV)
No. of times any of the other candidates were seen today: We still don't know what they look like, but we're working on it. Bob is out in the FEZmobile at this very moment.
The Flowerman
20:00 02/08/10
THE NATIONAL HEADACHE
As mentioned in various media today, store-bought, non-prescription Paracetamol and Codeine laced painkillers are no longer capable of deadening election-issue-induced aches and pains. There has long been a rumor of the best narcotics being available in Canberra... Two party preferred results, in today, report that Labor and the Coalition are neck and neck at 50-50 and the opposition leads on the handling of asylum seekers. Abbott will personally wring their necks and toss them back, and regardless of the way Labor led us through the Economic Crisis, many voters claim to like the way that the Coalition manages the economy! Rudd, even from his hospital bed, is still a distraction and the Greens are more and more relevant to a Labor win. Without them the above mentioned 50-50 split would be rather grimmer....I still find it difficult to believe that so many Coalition voters appear perfectly happy to allow Abbott and his rabble to drag the country backwards. Regardless of what people think of pre-election sloganeering, the forward-moving concept pushed by Labor is very relevant. A Coalition government is determined to resurrect a dodgy version of their Work Choices policy, to replace the NBN network with good, old-fashioned tin cans connected with string (Australian mines will, of course, provide the highest quality tin), to turn down the benefits to be gained from the mining profits tax and to generally smother us with many other backwards-reaching, reactionary and cheap-skate policies which will lead to the ghost of John Howard stalking the corridors of Parliament House. There may not, so far, be much to get too excited about, but, there are worries galore for those capable of thinking and of analysing, of reading between the lines. Join me on the morrow for what will hopefully be a more interesting day in the life of an election...
Dave Schwan10:00 03/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #3 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0
No. of times any of the other candidates were seen today: We got some NAMES! And Bob is processing his photos in his "dark" room. Ok, so here goes.
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Get all their contact details here-
http://www.aec.gov.au/election/qld/leichhardt.htm
Give 'em a call anytime, night and day, preferably night, very night.
We did see plenty of corflutes, though, but we're not going to tally up those. One thing that does stand out, is that Steve Lane seems to be going for policies over personality with his corflutes containing no mug shots. This guy obviously has no idea about modern Australian politics. Steve, personality IS everything, even the lack of it. Just ask Jim. Another thing we noticed is the Greens candidate. If Circusmouse' memory serves him correctly, this dude was a raging Tory in Magaret Thatcher's destruction of the British Working Class. Something smells here and we reckon DIMA should get on it right away. We may as well harbour Nazi war criminals. Oh yeah, we did that already. Later voters.
PS. This Friday at the Shangri-la Hotel in Cairns, Jim and Warren are going to have a "debate". "Whoopee!" you all cry. Not so fast. Advance Cairns, who "run" Cairns Forum, which is organising the event is going to charge an entry fee of $20 (to cover costs..?). Welcome to Politics Cairns "stylee". Not only do we milk the tourists for every cent we can get, we'll make money on the election, too. Democracy has always been for sale to the highest bidder, but this is just cynical.
Anyway, don't worry, FEZ will be there. Let's see if we can stir things up a bit.
The Flowerman
21:30 03/08/10
PPS Here at FEZ Central, we've decided that TV appearances don't count, because any monkey can be on TV these days, so ALL candidates public appearances have been reset to zero. Because we haven't seen any of 'em.
The Flowerman
23:45 03/08/10
BREAKING NEWS!!!
LEICHHARDT WATCH
The Hypocrisy Party is planning a stunt at the debate on Friday! Don't miss it!
Bob Carolgees
01:30 04/08/10
SOMETHING GREEN
18 days and counting folks and Julia has tossed out the rule book. Hopefully it will get down and dirty from here on in,eh voters? But what's with the way Tony Abbott has been speaking since this election was announced? He leaves long, gaping, pauses, between, every, word, he utters, apparently terrified of his old foe, foot-in-mouth disease and is now second guessing his way through life. It's creepy.
And now for something slightly different. Over the next couple of updates I will offer a layman's look at each of the main three parties, starting with the rank under-dogs, The Australian Greens. Formed in 1992, they are usually just called the Greens. Their origins can be traced back to the relatively early days of the environmental scene in this country, particularly to the United Tasmania Group, the UTG. This was the original Green party and they ran candidates in the 1992 Tasmanian State election. During the 1980's with lots of action surrounding the plans to dam the Franklin and Pedder Rivers, the various groups got together, and eventually, under Bob Brown and Christine Milne, who won seats in Tasmania's Parliament, they formed the Tasmanian Greens. Today they are involved at all State and Federal levels of politics and are centered around their National Council, the decision making body. They have five senators in parliament, 22 representatives in State and Territory parliaments and over 100 local councilors with nearly 10,000 party members. The five senators are: Bob Brown (Tas); Christine Milne (TAS); Rachel Siewert (WA); Sarah-Hanson-Young (SA) and Scott Ludlam (WA). As for what they stand for, they claim to be neither left nor right wing, but rather of a forward-leaning position. Their Charter states their four key pillars as being: Sustainability; Social Justice; Grass-roots Democracy and Peace and Non-Violence. Amongst the many issues that they support in pursuit of those principles are: Renewable Energy; Anti Uranium/Nuclear Power; Energy Efficiency; Opposition to the Iraq War; Support for Refugees; Increased Corporate Tax; Voluntary Euthanasia; Same-Sex Marriages and Regulated Use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes. Many other issues can be found on their website. As to the other parties, there's not much support for the Greens to be found amongst Coalition party members, not in public or the party room, anyway. Coalition members have described them as "kooky", "environmental extremists" and as 'fascists". Their preference dealings with Labor tends to gain them some support on various issues from the left side of this party, but they are not loved by all Labor members by any means. As time has passed and there is growing concern worldwide about the environment, global warming, population, energy, resources, indigenous issues, water and the status of women, amongst others, the Greens and their worldview are becoming more relevant. They must shake off the perceptions people have of them as dictatorial, reluctant to negotiate, one issue protesters, because this is not really true. As they take more votes from the other parties there will follow more of this type of scare-mongering and fear campaigns. Compared to similar parties in, for example, Europe or South America, the Greens are not at all the subversive, radical and scary group some would have us believe. Their policies on topics such as Global Warming or even Drug Harm-reduction are in line with mainstream scientific opinion and with UN guidelines. I appreciate the fact that they offer Australian voters a third choice, an alternative to the often vapid and similar policies and tactics of our two main parties. That's it for my brief brief on the Greens, come back tomorrow for a summary of either Labor or the LNP/Coalition.....
Dave Schwan
07:00 04/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #4
The debate planned for Friday between Leichhardt candidates Jim Turnour and Warren Entsch is still going ahead, but has had a venue change. Due to community rumblings against Advance Cairns' door charge of $20, Brothers Leagues Club has stepped in offering its auditorium for free, and each candidate expected to pay half each of the audiovisual costs. According to one of Jim's staffers that we spoke to this morning, Labor's man was not comfortable with Advance Cairns taking money for the event. If we were to be as cynical as Advance Cairns, we'd say that Jim probably thought his cut wasn't big enough. But we're not. I think. See you at Brothers.
Precious Percy
11:00 04/08/10
Speaking of Jim Turnour, his boss is in town promising millions of dollars for Cairns Base Hospital. Oh, and oddly, millions of dollars on stadium redevelopment at Cazaly's (like they don't make enough from the pokies already), millions on upgrading a kids' footy ground and millions on an AFL academy for indigenous communities in Cape York. You know what that says? "We've given up on trying to educate them and give them a decent place to live. We'll give them a few balls to kick around. That will keep them happy." I'd like to take this opportunity to remind all candidates of all persuasions-kids don't vote, adults do.
The Flowerman
11:15 04/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #5 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Bob Carolgees
20:00 04/08/10
THEY GOT WHAT?
If you believe the polls out yesterday, many voters in Queensland and New South Wales, as well as a number of older people, have veered towards the Coalition, some selling out their traditional party, Labor. Victoria and South Australia are still mainly on-side with Labor and much still rests with the Greens. Cairns was visited by PM Gillard yesterday and she promised $10 million for the Cairns Base Hospital and money for indigenous sports development, amongst other things, the precise details of which I am unsure at this point. I think that several areas that need support quite desperately in this area are tourism, employment opportunities and training/retraining, roads and transport/car parks in Cairns City or alternatively, a Light-Rail system to lessen the load on busier roads, mental health and more to be done for housing, for low income earners in particular. This list barely scrapes the surface and I am sure that some of it has been included in current plans.
This Friday, the 6th of August, there will be a debate between Warren Entsch and Jim Turnour,our LNP and Labor Party representatives at Brothers Leagues Club, starting at 5-30pm. Abbott may not have the balls to face up to Gillard again, but in these parts we are not afraid to have a good scrap. As far as the debates between the PM and opposition leader go, I think that they owe it to the people they expect to vote for them to get up and let us see what they have to offer. They cannot make appearances in all electorates and not all voters would see them even if they did. Therefore they should definitely make more televised appearances, regardless of the scripted nature of this format.
As difficult as life on the campaign trail may be, at least they don't have to endure what the Iranian leader has to go through. His vehicle and entourage were attacked by a roadside bomb yesterday, narrowly missing killing him.
In Australia the worst weapon our politicians can face is the occasional egg or paint-bomb. Back tomorrow with more deeply biased and mind-expanding political thoughts for your enjoyment...
Dave Schwan
09:00 05/08/10
BREAKING NEWS!!!
LEICHHARDT WATCH
Having been slapped with an exclusion order this morning, the Hypocrisy Party has called off its "action" it had planned for the debate on Friday. Disappointed members are running around looking angry.
Bob Carolgees
09:00 05/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #6 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Now look here, what is going on? We actually went out of the office more than once today, and STILL, we haven't seen any of these dippers yet. Not happy, Jan.
PS We even beat the "mainstream" bloggers yesterday with our post about the venue change for the debate. The Cairns Post announced it today. So much for their 24/7 election coverage. Amateurs.
The Flowerman
23:30:00 05/08/10
HALF WAY
We are about half way through the election run-up and things are beginning to liven up a little. Tonight, in Cairns, kicking off at 5-30 pm and finishing, I believe, at 6-30pm, is the Debate. The Rumble Near The Jungle, between Coalition heavy-hitter Warren Entsch and the reigning champion, Jim Turnour. We had PM Gillard here on Wednesday and Abbott is too scared to debate anyone outside of pre-school, so you take the action where you can and Brothers Leagues Club is the place to catch this action.
In other news, Kevin Rudd treads the campaign trail again, out of hospital and ready to rock. I hope that he can convince those of you who would otherwise carry your anger at his treatment by Gillard to the election booth, that if he can get over it and on with the job then perhaps any residual ire should be put aside and Labor given all of the support it so rightly deserves.
Honestly, Australia, the Coalition are in no state to run the country at this point in time. I am well aware that there are problems, but politics is about solving such problems and all governments deal daily with difficult issues. Tony Abbott is from the very bottom of the barrel as far as Coalition leaders go. If they had someone else they would surely have replaced Abbott with him or her. We left Howard where he belongs and to elect this man is too resurrect much of what Howard did wrong for this country. Conservative politics, big business, greed and not caring about the average person is part of what caused the recent economic meltdown and had the Coalition been in power, with their 'hide-the money-under-the-bed' ideology, as opposed to the Labor philosophy of 'spend-the-public-monies-when-and-where-they-are-needed' approach, we would be in a terrible mess at this point in time. I sometimes wish we could re-live the economic crisis with Abbott and his mates at the wheel of government just to show people what a great job Rudd and Labor really did. Very soon it will be time to get real, to get passionate and to make an important decision as to whether we, as a country, wish to advance, to 'move forward', to consign the mistakes of the Coalition-led past to the toilet-bowl of history and face up to the future. That future need not involve a man and a leader like Mr. Abbott. He is a dinosaur, a macho, religious fanatic with very little credibility who belongs alongside his old boss Mr.Howard, sitting in a pub somewhere talking shit to any drunk who will buy him a drink in return for a political anecdote and fading slowly into insignificance. Does that sound like the man you want to run your country?
This has not been a paid political announcement. It was not authorised by any particular party, especially not the Coalition. Authorised and spoken by a biased and election-crazed DJ Schwan for fezminizine and democracy or whatever it is we are ruled by.
Thank You...
Dave Schwan
09:30 06/08/10
IT'S ON!
Hello and welcome to the big one. In Leichhardt, anyway. Yes it’s debate time: Jim Turnour (ALP) vs Warren Entsch (LNP). In this blow by blow account of proceedings,FEZ
So let’s get straight into it.
23:00 06/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #7 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 1
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 1
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 1
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
FINALLY, some numbers on the board!
Precious Percy
23:01 06/08/10
MORE MONEY ANYONE?
Tony Abbott beware. Most of our politicians had best take note actually. Independent, Nick Xenophon plans to introduce a private members bill designed to deal with the issue of lies in misleading political advertising. Can all that is said once an election is announced be considered as advertising? One should hope so. It is all done with the intent of promoting a party position after all. Abbott already self-censors every word he utters, any further pressure would have him s-p-e-a-k-i-n-g, s-o c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y, a-s, t-o, b-e, i-n-d-e-c-i-p-h-e-r-a-b-l-e. Poor Tony. Imagine if the guy won the election. He'd be a nervous wreck within a few months. The country would just be a wreck. The former governor of the Reserve Bank, Bernie Fraser, has accused the Opposition of "brazen" and unprecedented scaremongering over Australia's debt levels. He also ripped into their position on the mining tax and claims that the LNP are obsessed with the debt, whilst praising the stimulus package that Labor used to ease us through the recent crisis.
Interestingly, on the ABC's news 24 show yesterday, Professor Joseph Stiglitz, a noted economic expert, said that the Australian fiscal stimulus package was the best in the world, causing a shorter, shallower period of downturn here. He also commented that the level of debt in this country was insignificant and should not be made into a big deal. Both of these issues are favorites amongst Coalition ranks, regardless of the fact that their position on both has repeatedly been pointed out to them as being wrong!
On this topic of debt and spending, I am tired of hearing little else from our political leaders other than more promises to spend more and more money. How do they tackle a problem? They simply toss more money at it. At a debate in Cairns yesterday evening, both candidates did the same thing, boasted of monies spent and promised to spend more. There should be much more substance to political debate than this obscene pork-barreling extravaganza.
The Sex Party launched their campaign this week, claiming to be a political response to the sexual needs of 21st century Australia. Tolerance, free speech and freedom of sexual expression are important to this party. Some of their policies include: On censorship, a national classification scheme for all media; R and X ratings for video games; No mandatory ISP filter--parental choice in this issue. On education: national sex education curriculum; national internet education. On health: national pregnancy-termination laws; Viagra, etc to be on PBS scheme. Many other policy issues are available on their website. When you look into this minor party they are nowhere near as weird as they may at first glimpse appear, they are serious about a range of issues that the major parties are often afraid to go near and there should be more parties with the nous to tackle the more difficult issues. I wish them the best of luck and am glad to see that they took on board the video game rating issue. There is no reason why this industry should not be treated like the movie, music and other entertainment industries have been for many years.
One foolish man was holding up this entire debate, the attorney general from South Australia, the man who claimed to feel more threatened by gamers than by biker gangs who he also attacked without thinking about how his attitude would affect other groups and individuals. This imbecile has retired now and may I say good riddance to stinking rubbish! Well that's about all the poison I can muster at this point. Join me tomorrow for more insight into the mind of a bitter and twisted man, from the man himself, me......
Dave Schwan
09:00 07/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #8 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 1 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Warren Entsch is streaking ahead!
Precious Percy
23:59 07/08/10
EASY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING
Regular readers tuning in for Dave Schwan's regular piece, don't worry, he hasn't got himself in trouble. The poor chap has been flat out all week, so we gave him the day off. Right now, we believe he's relaxing in one of the independent candidates' garden with a good book, but we don't know which one. Garden, that is. We know what he reads. So he'll be back tomorrow, refreshed, for another week in FEZ World. We hope.
Now, you're probably thinking, "so why don't you lazy bastards write something, instead of leaving it all to Schwanny?" We'd agree and say you make a very good point.
See youse later.
Precious Percy
14:21 08/08/10
IT'S OVER FOR ONE BUT NOT THE OTHER
All right already, I'm back from my Sunday off and ready for action, unfortunately there's not a lot to be found during this campaign, one has to make his own fun... At least the Coalition tried, launching their election campaign on Sunday the 8th. It was a pretty lame affair consisting of stale promises, short on policy details and aided and abetted by the likes of Johnny Howard and Malcolm Turnbull. The other Malcolm, Mr. Fraser, was nowhere to be seen, having not only quit the party he once lead, in disgust at the direction it has been headed lately, but having also been quoted recently, saying that the Coalition was not capable of governing this country at this time. Powerful words from a wise older man, words many voters would be well advised to heed. I understand how difficult it is to admit that the party you have supported for so long has lost the plot, that incompetence, arrogance, greed and not being able to cope with opposition status have torn the soul from what was once a viable alternative choice. But facts must be faced and denial resisted.
Were the Coalition to be elected merely to spite Labor, the truth would soon become obvious. That truth being that a huge mistake had been made and that Australia would suffer greatly as a result. Politics is a weird business and fanatical supporters from either side find it very difficult to admit,even to themselves, that there are times when their party is simply not capable, for various reasons, of functioning as it should. Coalition voters must face such painful realities this election. Your duty is not to blindly support your party when it is so blatantly obvious that it is inept. Your duty is to vote for the party that will best serve the country in the days and years ahead.
As proof of my sincerity, I admit that Queensland State Labor has run its race and that a new government should replace them, that new govt. being the LNP. I would be a fool to suggest that Labor in QLD has not been in power too long, just as Howard and the Coalition were way past their use-by date by the last Federal election. Hard-core Laborites would no doubt disagree, and I would expect that, but it is time for a new lease of life. The LNP is the only source of that life and I hope that they are up to the task.
But Labor deserve at least one more term in Federal govt. and to replace them with the Coalition would be wrong. For the sake of whatever it is that you all believe in when the shit is about to hit, wake up an realise what is needed here.....
Dave Schwan
09:00 09/08/10
GILLARD ROCKS BACK
I hope Australian voters ignored the usual batch of imported cop shows on Monday night and turned instead to the ABC's Q&A programme to see the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, front the people in the audience, the Australian people, and answer their every question. The fairest thing to say is 'WOW'! She really rocked. The studio audience was a carefully chosen mix of supporters and haters, with some average folk to bulk it out. They asked her any question they wanted answered and Julia gave unscripted, unprepared answers in return. She made the right decision to dump the 'usual old crap' that all politicians try to foist off on us at election time. This woman comes across much better when she is simply being herself. She faced up to all-comers, never getting rattled, even by the loony religious woman and her bible question. Anybody who doubts her sincerity and her ability to govern this country after witnessing this show is simply too far gone down the one-eyed bigot track to be bothered with any longer. This was amazing television, by far the most informative piece of political info-tainment that we will see this election. Abbott, it was announced at shows' end, has decided to follow in her footsteps and will apparently appear on next week's Q&A. I can't wait to see if he will talk like a robot or if he is capable of loosening up a lot and being human. His appearance could well be the next best piece of television to be seen this election. Quite simply, nothing else that happened today even comes close to the PM's performance tonight so I shall end this update right here...
Dave Schwan
09:00 10/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #9 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Precious Percy
23:30 10/08/10
A MIXED BAG
Not much of a day, politics-wise, yesterday folks, I'm still tripping on Julia G's amazing effort on Q&A on Monday night. Apparently, around 840,000 people tuned in to watch--Q&A's largest audience share ever. Abbott, on the same programme next Monday, promises to be equally riveting stuff, I hope. As long as he can chill, and be human we should be in for a good show. We so rarely get to see our leaders in this light; Abbott comes across like a radio-controlled muppet and Julia sometimes looks like she has a carrot up her arse...
The National Broadband Network (NBN) made a lot of news stories yesterday, supported by Labor and threatened with extinction by the Coalition. This $43 billion rollout of fibre-optics to nearly every home and business in Australia may seem expensive to some. That is a lot of money. But when one considers the advantages and benefits that today's system has provided, the wonders of this new rollout are beyond belief. Best to build it now and integrate it into our infrastructure than, in ten or twenty years when we lag so far behind the world, to decide to build it, discover that it costs ten times more and we cannot afford it. We must not be afraid to plan for a future that is beyond the understanding of many today...
As the Rudd saga continues, on today's episode he announced his appointment to a U.N. panel dealing with global sustainability and poverty reduction. Rudd will receive no pay for his role and the panel will meet once this year and twice in 2011. As expected, Mr. Abbott pissed and moaned, gibbered and whined about this issue...
On the subject of political soap opera, the fool who goes by the name of Mark Latham, serial pest and star '60 minutes' reporter, attempted to defend his recent bizarre antics. He was heard to mutter:"...revenge...bloody Howard...taxi-drivers...mumble...burp...next George Negus...burp...Logie awards...mumble", he then promptly collapsed. When prodded with the tip of a boot he farted, shat himself and fell asleep. '60 minutes assure' us there will be more to come. I can't wait...
All in all, not the greatest day for political junkies, but we do live in hope.....
Dave Schwan
10:00 11/08/10
YOU WANNA LAUGH?
Check this out from Labor. Whatever your political persuasion, it's a hoot!
Abbot's Timewarp
The Flowerman
18:00 11/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #10 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Hmm, it's gone a bit ghostly.
Bob Carolgees
23:45 11/08/10
CHALLENGE
Sometimes it all seems so petty, so trivial, our incessant bickering and yammering about election issues as millions of people in other countries starve, drown, fight, die and attempt to survive on so little as they make do with less than what we take for granted. Whoever governs Australia for the next three years or ten, very little of real import will change. Even the man in the street mutters about there being little to no difference between political parties these days. Our society, our system, shall continue to operate in the days, years and decades after this election pretty much as it has done in the past. Changes are made, some for the better, some not so clever, but basically it remains very much as it was. Economic crisis', changes in leadership, death, drought and disaster come and go, but life trundles on. We, as people, as human animals, are averse to change. The more revolutionary the change, the more resistant we tend to be. A T-shirt I mean to buy and wear states on the front:"The older I get, the better it was". This says a lot about our attitudes towards change. Referendums are called for to initiate large-scale innovations and much more often than not, we refuse to go with the new. Even being well aware of such issues does little to affect change. Knowing all of these things, we still make such a fuss at election time. I suppose this is in part due to the fact that not only are we reluctant to deviate from our current course, but we are also unable to make much of a difference beyond the personal level. By voting, and especially in changing a government, we feel that we have made an impact, made change for what we feel is the best and our decision is sanctioned by all of the other voters who voiced similar opinions. The fact that there are only two choices, one if change is desired, is accepted and rarely challenged, even though it makes a mockery of our supposedly Democratic system. Deep down, many people realise that we are being scammed but "what can we do?", they ask. One thing we could do in this election is completely ignore the Labor and Coalition candidates and elect a Green/Independent Government! This would make a difference, one way or another, breaking the cycle of two party domination. Exactly what would be different and what would remain unchanged is an unknown and also very unlikely to occur any time soon. I dare the Australian voter to try this solution, to exact real change in government! There you have it folks, a way to alter the very system that we so often bitch and moan about, cursing our inability to make a difference and bagging the politicians for being useless and pathetic clones of each other. But we all know that it will not happen, don't we voters? We are really just a bunch of spineless liars, choosing security and familiarity over possible revolutionary differences to our lives. I vote Green, though Labor desperately need my vote too, this time around. But I have often put my money where my mouth is, along with a growing army of voters who want something different. When will the rest of Australia make the change?!......
I have to mention the record breaking profits just announced by our Commonwealth Bank, a 42% increase on last year, coming in at $61 billion!!! Amid all of the suffering and pain caused by the (their) Economic Crisis, it seems obscene that a bank can increase its profits by this much. Having eliminated much of their competition as a result of the crisis, the banks are now considerably more powerful and are reaping in much larger profits. This situation supports the opinion that the Economic Crisis led to the reorganisation of financial markets, with many assets and much more wealth ending up in the hands of those who were already extremely powerful and profitable. The big banks now have people and governments over a barrel and no longer pass on Reserve Bank interest rate cuts as they should. There is talk amongst bankers of moving outside of the RBA cycle and simply doing as they please with regard to interest rates! Between the government and the people of Australia we need to somehow slap the banks back down to where they belong, demanding decent service, interest on our money and much more choice in all areas of finance. Without strong government backing, and even with it, this would be a battle not easily won. The above mentioned reluctance to change the way things are gets in the way of people making alterations to their way of life that would be of enormous benefit to so many of us. Talk is so cheap, let's see some action......
Dave Schwan
08:20 12/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #11 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Not sure how these guys think they can get your vote by putting a few posters and corflutes around town. Not even a flier from most of them. Perhaps leaving it until the final week. Seriously, though, if you want to be elected you've got to get out and cause something for the media to pick up. Entsch has been at it full-time, today promising thousands of dollars for a youth mentoring programme that allegedly started when he was MP, and was axed on Turnour's watch. I'm sick of all this hand-wringing about todays kids, and how bad they are. Gen X and Gen Y created them, and have been exploiting them ever since. If your kid is a psycho, don't expect others to pick up the pieces. You reap what you sow. Politic correctness is way, way, way out of hand. Uh-oh, sounds like a speech. "FEZ for President"? Yeehaaa!
Precious Percy
23:35 12/08/10
WHAT'S RIGHT WITH TV
Hey, hey, it's Friday the 13th and there's been much talk of Hung Parliaments. I think it's the best idea I've heard in this campaign so far, let's hang 'em all! For crimes against our sanity and acts of gross political incompetence, we, the people of Australia, do hereby sentence all members of both major parties to be hung by their necks until well and truly dead...
On the subject of dead, that dead-shit Mark Latham will appear on 60 Minutes sometime soon. Whatever you do, avoid it/him like the plague.....
On the subject of stuff on TV, and I don't want to appear to be a paid pusher of ABC's Q&A programme, but once again last night, they provided some of the best political debate yet to be seen this election campaign. After Dick Smith presented his slightly 'off ' and insular documentary on our population question, there was a Q&A panel debating what they had just watched. John Elliot was hilarious, Bob Brown made much sense, a couple of politicians talked shit and some special guests provided some very interesting views on this complicated and under-examined issue. Some serious debate is needed and this was a good place to begin.....
Continuing on the subject of what's on TV, what's happened to SBS? I hear from friends who, like myself, were once avid viewers of SBS, questions regarding a change for the worse. We put up with the advertising because they assured us of a vast improvement in programme quality, but somewhere, something went missing. There appear to be more repeats, less quality documentaries and serious investigations into important and relevant issues and a general loss of 'uniqueness'. Slowly, but surely, it looks, sounds and feels like all the rest. I mention this because SBS is, I believe, still partially government funded (I could be wrong) and because I care. With so much of our media owned by so few people, it is important that ABC and SBS keep up their standards of relatively unbiased provision of information and entertainment to all Australians, many minority ethnic communities included....
On that note I shall sign off and return tomorrow, refreshed and ready to rip into whatever takes my fancy........
Dave Schwan
08:45 13/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #12 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
We ACTUALLY saw a corflute today for St. John-Wood of the Greens. He does exist after all!
AND Circusmouse is right- Neville does look like a raging Tory from Thatcher's Britain.
Talking of corflutes, it's been pretty much wall to wall Entsch, and if the election was held on who has sent out the most fliers, literature, etc., he would win in a landslide of envelopes. How many trees died for his campaign, I wonder.
Bob Carolgees
23:55 13/08/10
BREAKING NEWS!!!
LEICHHARDT WATCH
The Hypocrisy Party's entire Executive has had restraining orders placed on them by Independent candidate Steve Lane's campaign team. The HP guys have, allegedly, outed Lane as a chronic "avgas sniffer". Lane works at the airport as a refueler. He also claims to have a sense of humour. The Hypocrisy Party has called him on that one, too.
The Flowerman
00:30 14/08/10
ONE WEEK TO GO
Only one week to go voters, until all of this pre-election bullshit is over. Then we simply have to live with our choices. For the rest of our lives we can expect weekly, fortnightly and monthly polls informing us of how long we can envisage our latest leader to last. PM Gillard refuses to answer the question as to how many 'strikes' before she is ousted, replaced by the new season's politician, with matching accessories. This trend has become more obvious as we progress-- the man on the street answering questions that the next day, give him the answers to his political questions. Our attention span shrinks, issues become poll-driven pop-quizzes and we wake up gagging for more every morning.....
Law and Order could develop into more of an election issue in Victoria following the three shooting deaths that occurred on Friday the 13th. It is quite clear that much needs to be done to tackle rampant political and police corruption in that state and now they may be in for a new episode of gang-warfare, popularised recently by the 'Underbelly" TV series......
And back to election news, this time a little further afield, in Burma. While we take the democratic process and elections and all of the shit that they entail for granted, the people of Burma have waited 20 years for this election and it will end up being a sham. Aung Sen Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, which saw her win last time before being imprisoned for two decades, has split, with some members contesting this election and others boycotting it in protest. There will be much surprise and happiness if any real change comes from this election, slated for November 7th this year. People are not holding their breath......
Back in Australia the political activist group, Get Up! have won a ruling in the Federal Court enabling people to enroll to vote online. Last week they won a case against the Howard Government's changes that closed electoral rolls on the day writs were issued. This was deemed "unconstitutional". We need such groups to help ensure that our voting system does not come to resemble the American system where bans, scams and vote rigging are a regular occurrence. Dead people and pet dogs can vote in the USA....
Let's hope for an interesting weekend of political intrigue or else a very quiet weekend with no politics at all. I think both requests are asking too much......Bye, Bye...
Dave Schwan
10:25 14/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #13 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Where is Entsch getting all his money for TV ads from? If we did this Watch on TV ads alone, Big Wozzer would be acres ahead. No-one at FEZ Central can remember seeing an ad for Turnour. As if on queue, here's an ad for Entsch on TV. He's standing on the Esplanade, looking very serious. The Cairns Post (we know, not the first place we would look for real facts and figures) has conducted a poll, and has Warren Entsch ahead, by quite a margin, too. Next Saturday is going to be very interesting.
The Flowerman
23:00 14/08/10
ANOTHER EASY SUNDAY MORNING
Well kiddies, this is it, the final week. Tomorrow, the ALP will officially launch their campaign. Some say it's too late, others, it's bang on time. Also if you're near a TV this week, there will be plenty to see: Abbott on Q&A (Monday); Gillard, Abbott and Brown appearing at the National Press Club during the week. Unfortunately, not all on the same day. That would have been cool, as Brown did well on Q&A last week.
Many pundits have ridiculed this election as boring (including our own Dave S), but to be honest, it has become so "too close to call", that there is a tangible air of anxiety creeping in. With so many undecided voters, the pollies are really starting to sweat.
We predict this week is going to be an absolute cracker, with at least one major scandal. We haven't really had one yet. It's only a matter of time.
Circusmouse
15:53 15/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #14 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Allegedly, some of the "indie" candidates got together for some kind of debate or something last week. We didn't receive an invitation. They must have been frightened by our coverage of the debate at Brothers the week before. Too bad really, as some of them need to be thinking about putting some numbers on our Watch Board.
The Flowerman
23:15 15/08/10
DECIDE ALREADY!
Ok you slack bastards, those of you who are still undecided as to whom you will vote for, it's time to get real! Apparently there are around 30% of eligible voters who have no idea who they will support on the big day. Personally, I find this difficult to understand. I mean, when DO you decide, and what is it that spurs that decision? What are such people thinking today? Politically, what were your thoughts three, six or twelve months ago? Do you eventually flip a coin or pull a name out of your arse? Are you aware that your whims can elect and destroy governments? I realise that not everybody gives a shit, that elections are years apart and that many people have more important things to worry about. But, in my experience, as uncaring and cool as some of you claim to be, you DO have opinions and tend to talk about issues and get irate about problems as you see them. So how is it that you wait until voting day to decide? Are you just a bunch of piss-weak fence-sitters. Do you have a philosophy or beliefs regarding the way things could or should be, and therefore a choice of political party who represent your thoughts as best they can? Some of you claim to wait until a 'how to vote' card tells you what to do. Well, here's my card for you: Vote for Labor! If you are still upset about Gillard's treatment of Rudd, vote Green. There you have it. Easy, isn't it. No more big, hard decisions to make. Wow, I'm glad I got that off my chest, now on to other things.....
After discussions with my editor, I have thought about my claim that this election campaign is rather dreary. I am sticking to that original position. I am not merely spouting the accepted media line. I have enjoyed certain elements of this build-up. The debate could have been more intense, but the Q&A appearance of Gillard was great and tonight Abbott appears, promising compelling viewing. The debate held in Cairns between Entsch and Turnour was good stuff and I have missed several other confrontations here and there. I think the problem, in part, is that in both parties trying to appeal to the middle ground, to placate the average voter, they are failing to offer anything really new, original, interesting or exciting. I recall them warning us of this before the campaign began, but to stand out, to appear different, something more is needed. Not necessarily noise, action or violence, but I need to feel that they are honestly doing what they believe is good for us and for the country. Rudd, initially, was on this track, with plans to kill off Work Choices and to tackle Climate Change and to tax the mining industry more, to make what he felt were positive changes, even if not all of us felt the same way. At the moment both Gillard and Abbott are merely going through the motions and until they find a way to engage the population, this election campaign lacks that element of two parties desperate to do the right thing to win. But, there is still time. Time for someone to offer to pull the troops out of Afghanistan or to put Nuclear Power on the agenda as an alternative to coal. Such issues would certainly liven up the remaining days and gain some interested comment.....
We live in rapidly fading hope.
Dave Schwan
09:34 16/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #15 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
The Flowerman
23:00 16/08/10
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Well, well, Abbott finally found his bollocks and made an appearance on Q&A. To be fair, I'd say he came across pretty much as expected--nervous and cagey, with the second-guessing pauses that have become his trademark. I hope that Australia tuned in to watch. There was nothing of any value on the commercial channels to distract viewers. Mr. Abbott relaxed a little towards the end of the show and managed to come across as human, though he was desperately trying to be funny, and failing miserably. He reacted to most questions in typical politician-speak and I do think he got off rather lightly question-wise. There were also at least two people 'planted' in the audience to ask him leading questions, one in particular got him ranting about a Judicial Enquiry into the BER scheme and the insulation issue. And he has the nerve to go on about waste and containing spending! Royal Commissions and Judicial Enquiries do not come cheaply! Wouldn't it make more sense to take the rip-off merchants in the insulation business to court. Those people who's homes were damaged can do their own suing of the companies responsible for the fires and deaths if they wish. Interestingly, we discovered that the proposed NBN is only going to cost the govt./tax-payer $26 billion as opposed to the oft-quoted $43 billion. Private sector interests will foot the remaining $17 billion, suggesting that if they are prepared to invest, so should we be. Rather bizarrely, Abbott said that he feels that govt. should not get involved in large infrastructure building, that they should get the private sector to do it all. This is Privatisation gone mad. Once completed, prices will never stop increasing in order to satisfy the shareholders, public be damned. Maggie Thatcher's England of the 80's, here we come. And Abbott denies that he wants to take Australia back to Howard's 'good old days'! The man's a lunatic, an economic degenerate. On Global Warming/Climate Change and Maternity Leave (more money for the wealthier mothers!) he came across as a failure, he has the politicians' trait of saying what he thinks people want to hear, but not the personal judgment ability to really read into deeper issues. To end this section on the Q&A programme, I must reiterate: This man is not Prime Ministerial material. He is a reasonable politician, of the old-school persuasion. The problem is, this is the 21st century, not the golden-age of conservative politics. The Neo-cons in the USA and the Coalition of Liberal/National parties in this country are dinosaur-like relics of an Economic-crisis creating, War-mongering, Big business/Corporation-loving, New World Order-supporting, Free Trade Agreement signing, Growth-Obsessed, World polluting, Colonial/racist past that we simply have no more need for in the future we intend to build for our children to live in!!! Those of you who continue to vote for such parties and people and their outdated policies are holding back the creation of a new paradigm. Change is coming people, you can either join in and become a part of the solution or you can choose to latch onto the familiar and comfortable past that Tony Abbott and his cronies so desperately want to relapse into......
There are more debates to come, possibly another Q&A sometime this week and a Press Club event on Wednesday I believe. Those who are interested can check the details on the websites or in their TV guides.....
Tonight's show proves that politics can be interesting, informative and entertaining and that public interest is rewarded, so for the sake of whatever it is you believe in, show some concern for the issues that affect you, voting may only encourage them, but it's all we've got and it's a lot more than many people in many other countries will ever have. Use it wisely...
This has been an unpaid announcement for Hope In Our Lifetime, spoken/written by a ranting, self-righteous, left-wing lunatic for the betterment of mankind or something......
Thank you.
Dave Schwan
08:22 17/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #16 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Grrrrrrrrr!
Precious Percy
23:45 17/08/10
WARNING: AN ANGRY MAN
Thankfully it's over. Yesterday had a nightmarish quality to it as far as politics was concerned, with Abbott appearing all over the media landscape, that jerky, robot-like voice of his oozing slimy propaganda in all directions. I was fortunate enough to miss his Press Club speech but from then, until I switched off our TV in disgust, the freak was everywhere. Between 6-30pm and 7pm on ABC there was a ranting, droning to be heard as member after member of the Coalition endlessly repeated their claims to fame and denounced all who dared oppose them. Lock your doors tonight, the long knives may come out. Hospitals and help-lines must have been inundated with visits and calls from distressed people pushed to the verge of suicide and madness by the nonsensical gibbering. To escape, at my place, we played a DVD movie and slowly relaxed for 90 minutes until I got up to attend to this.....
Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, spoke of a Classification Board review of its standards having a possible effect on the internet filter concept, yesterday. They shall look into what is and is not to be considered for the Restricted Category in future, and that in turn will help determine what, if anything, will not be made available for viewing. As times change, so too does community perception of what is offensive and what is permissible. Let's hope that we are not about to enter another 'dark-age' of prudish censorship....
Recently I voiced my opinion that SBS TV is not the quality station it once was. Yesterday, in The Australian, I read their claims that they are "an under-resourced public broadcaster with competing priorities". SBS warns that it "lacks the funding necessary to meet its charter". SBS Managing Director, Shaun Brown, has said " Without a considerable new investment by Australian Government, SBS will not be able to continue to deliver its unique service and is likely to be marginalised in the new digital media environment". Last year SBS received an extra $20 million for its triennial budget. ABC received an extra $167 million. So, there are indeed problems with the SBS brand and viewers are rightly concerned.....
On the employment front, an always difficult place to be, the Coalition has aped Labor in offering up to $6000 to jobseekers who are prepared to move in order to work. But, say the Coalition, should that person then lose that job within six months, they will face the suspension of their welfare benefits for up to six months. You could find yourself in the middle of nowhere with nothing to eat, nowhere to sleep, etc for six months! If, on the other hand, you manage to keep that job for two years, the Coalition will offer you a bonus of $6,500. All this from Mr. Abbott, the fiscally conservative, debt-destroying money-saver......
Did you all know that Australia has recently been before the United Nations International Convention for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination? The John Howard designed Intervention into Northern Territory Aboriginal Communities has been heavily criticised for being a blatant example of gross racial discrimination. Howard was and is a racist relic of our colonial past. Tony Abbott, a creature raised on the tit of Howard, is also a denier of aboriginal rights and any noise he makes in an attempt to gloss over such facts should be shouted down....
I have said more than enough on similar issues of late, if you haven't got the message yet......
Thank you and Good day/night.
Dave Schwan
08:21 18/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #17 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Entsch just got his last ad on Channel 10 just before the ban started. Looks like he blew a lot of money on it extolling his achievements from his previous stint as MP.
Precious Percy
23:45 18/08/10
SCHWANNY'S LAST WORD
Well dear reader, I believe that I have said more than enough throughout this campaign. I am well and truly sick and tired of the inane noises issuing from the mouths of our politicians and for me to assume that my opinions are any more, or less, valuable would be sheer arrogance. So I am calling it quits. Some of us know when to either shit, or get off the fucking pot. Elections these days are so similar, the odd issue and the faces of politicians the only things to change. Unfortunately, this time around, the issues making waves are those with the least significance. The level of debt and immigration. Both are little more than mountains made from mole-hills. The money Australia owes, $90 billion, is comparatively minor when placed beside the debts owed by many other countries, much of it due to the recent Economic Crisis. Such debt is a part of the way this country, and the world in general, operates and is not a matter to cause undue worry for the average person. As to the issue of refugees who arrive here by boat, 1% of our intake, the fuss being made over these people is shameful and ignorant and is to be expected only of crude Coalition fear-mongers and racist fools. We as a country really need to grow up and begin to deal with real issues that face us. So I intend to say no more. I leave the final say to the Australian voters. In the end, may they get what they so rightly deserve.....Thank you.
Dave Schwan
09:19 19/08/10
FROM THE MOTHERLAND
Bobby Wildside sees it from the UK
AS bizarre and confounding election years go, 2010 has certainly proved to beat all others.
With the UK's political double-act of centre right Tories and left leaning Liberals - dubbed the 'Brokeback Coalition' - breathing an uneasy sigh of relief after their first 100 days in office, the sight of Australian's Gillard and Abbott slugging it out on prime time TV has picked up a not insubstantial chunk of press and net coverage.
What first captured the imagination of the UK media is the ruthless nature of Labor's explusion of Rudd. UK commentators asked themselves how Britain's own Labour leader of the time, Gordon Brown, managed to remain in the fight for reelection, despite presiding over the worst recession in the UK since WWII, and while also allowing the banks to walk free of their debts thanks to a multi-billion tax-payer bailout.
But Labor's treatment of Rudd was nothing new for the party. Twenty-seven years ago the lacklustre Labor leader Bill Hayden was putsched by Bob Hawke on the eve of an election, sparking a frenzy of interest around the world. Hawke remained in power for a decade before Labor's Paul Keating repeated the whole process again, muscling out prime minister Hawke a decade later, in 1991.
Labor rebellions aside, the UK press is aghast that Australia looks ready to appoint its first female prime minister. Secretary general of the Council of Women World Leaders and author of Women World Leaders, Laura Liswood, blogging for The Guardian, on August 13, noted how Gillard will join the select 40 or so women who have attained leadership of their country since the Fifties. Liswood, unlike many other UK writers, makes little note of the fact that Gillard was British born, as was Abbott.
Meanwhile, the irony of two British immigrants vowing to crack down on immigrants in a country of immigrants hasn't been lost on Reuters press agency, which points out that Gillard was one of the first 10 pound Poms.
Gillard has also made the news following her comment that Australia should become a republic when the Queen dies. After a major lead story in the right wing Daily Mail, readers' comments came thick and fast. "Australia should be a republic already, and can we in Wales be allowed our independence as well, cheers? PS. I do cheer on England, unless we are playing them!"
- Chris Palmer, Cardiff, Wales, 18/8/2010.
And there was this from AWJ Shifnal of Shropshire: "Of course Wales can have independance [sic].......just one small point......how on earth would Wales survive without the annual grant of billions from British taxpayers. You can't base an economy on rugby, sheep and Charlotte Church!"
At the time of writing, the main story being picked up by the UK press is how controversial Welsh Labour spin doctor David Taylor has flown to Australia to join the re-election campaign of the country’s Barry-born Gillard. Taylor, who last year set up the short-lived Labour website Aneurin Glyndr, which lampooned Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones and Tory Assembly leader Nick Bourne, now works for Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Peter Hain.
With the loss of political identity in Britain in which there seems little difference in ideology between the Tories and Labour, the UK may have much to learn from the ALP, which promises more progressive reforms than the slash and burn politics of the Conservative-Liberal coalition.
Bobby Wildside
19:54 19/08/10
AUSTRALIA'S HUNG
Well, FEZzers, that's the bold prediction by Channel 7 News this evening. A hung parliament. Possibly. It's quite a frightening thought, especially after all we've been through the past 3 weeks. It will certainly make Gillard and Labor's backroom look pretty foolish, when the coup was supposed to give them outright victory. Think of the dilemma for Rudd. Outwardly, he wants to see Labor returned to government, but inside, somewhere, in a small dark corner, there will be a hope that Labor gets wiped out, giving him the opportunity for a private gloat.
Labor has fucked up, and they know it, and if they win, there'll be such a sigh of relief, that South America will suffer hurricane winds for weeks afterward.
Anyway, more later.
PS If you're looking for Schwanny, he's had enough. Poor guy just knows too much and it has taken its toll. But it will all be over soon. Unless Abbott wins. Then Dave will have to leave the country.
Circusmouse
19:40 20/08/10
FLYER OF THE CAMPAIGN
The Flowerman
22:10 20/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #18 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Welcome, FEZzers, to the last Watch. As you can see, a pretty poor turnout. Is this a reflection of the digital age? But if it is, then why did the main protagonists spend so much time zipping all over the country? At FEZ Central, we received more crap in the post box from the Coalition and Entsch than the ALP, and even one leaflet from a Family First candidate for the senate. Call us old fashioned, but we want to see candidates out pumping handshakes.
Anyway, who am I going to vote for? Jen Sackley. Why? Because of the "controversy" the other day about her leaflet that couldn't be printed because it was "offensive". It was the biggest laugh I'd had all month. Thanks Jen, and thanks to the people who were offended. You knobs!
Ok kiddies, we're signing off. We could have a whole new world of pain on Monday when we come back to the office.......................
Precious Percy
24:00 20/08/10
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE
We would like to give a big FEZ thankyou to our main man, Dave Schwan, for his sterling efforts during the past few weeks. The guy has spun himself inside out with apoplexy, mainly, because he cares.
To all our other contributors, cheers, and many thanks.
Precious Percy
24:00 20/08/10
And now for something slightly different. Over the next couple of updates I will offer a layman's look at each of the main three parties, starting with the rank under-dogs, The Australian Greens. Formed in 1992, they are usually just called the Greens. Their origins can be traced back to the relatively early days of the environmental scene in this country, particularly to the United Tasmania Group, the UTG. This was the original Green party and they ran candidates in the 1992 Tasmanian State election. During the 1980's with lots of action surrounding the plans to dam the Franklin and Pedder Rivers, the various groups got together, and eventually, under Bob Brown and Christine Milne, who won seats in Tasmania's Parliament, they formed the Tasmanian Greens. Today they are involved at all State and Federal levels of politics and are centered around their National Council, the decision making body. They have five senators in parliament, 22 representatives in State and Territory parliaments and over 100 local councilors with nearly 10,000 party members. The five senators are: Bob Brown (Tas); Christine Milne (TAS); Rachel Siewert (WA); Sarah-Hanson-Young (SA) and Scott Ludlam (WA). As for what they stand for, they claim to be neither left nor right wing, but rather of a forward-leaning position. Their Charter states their four key pillars as being: Sustainability; Social Justice; Grass-roots Democracy and Peace and Non-Violence. Amongst the many issues that they support in pursuit of those principles are: Renewable Energy; Anti Uranium/Nuclear Power; Energy Efficiency; Opposition to the Iraq War; Support for Refugees; Increased Corporate Tax; Voluntary Euthanasia; Same-Sex Marriages and Regulated Use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes. Many other issues can be found on their website. As to the other parties, there's not much support for the Greens to be found amongst Coalition party members, not in public or the party room, anyway. Coalition members have described them as "kooky", "environmental extremists" and as 'fascists". Their preference dealings with Labor tends to gain them some support on various issues from the left side of this party, but they are not loved by all Labor members by any means. As time has passed and there is growing concern worldwide about the environment, global warming, population, energy, resources, indigenous issues, water and the status of women, amongst others, the Greens and their worldview are becoming more relevant. They must shake off the perceptions people have of them as dictatorial, reluctant to negotiate, one issue protesters, because this is not really true. As they take more votes from the other parties there will follow more of this type of scare-mongering and fear campaigns. Compared to similar parties in, for example, Europe or South America, the Greens are not at all the subversive, radical and scary group some would have us believe. Their policies on topics such as Global Warming or even Drug Harm-reduction are in line with mainstream scientific opinion and with UN guidelines. I appreciate the fact that they offer Australian voters a third choice, an alternative to the often vapid and similar policies and tactics of our two main parties. That's it for my brief brief on the Greens, come back tomorrow for a summary of either Labor or the LNP/Coalition.....
Dave Schwan
07:00 04/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #4
The debate planned for Friday between Leichhardt candidates Jim Turnour and Warren Entsch is still going ahead, but has had a venue change. Due to community rumblings against Advance Cairns' door charge of $20, Brothers Leagues Club has stepped in offering its auditorium for free, and each candidate expected to pay half each of the audiovisual costs. According to one of Jim's staffers that we spoke to this morning, Labor's man was not comfortable with Advance Cairns taking money for the event. If we were to be as cynical as Advance Cairns, we'd say that Jim probably thought his cut wasn't big enough. But we're not. I think. See you at Brothers.
Precious Percy
11:00 04/08/10
Speaking of Jim Turnour, his boss is in town promising millions of dollars for Cairns Base Hospital. Oh, and oddly, millions of dollars on stadium redevelopment at Cazaly's (like they don't make enough from the pokies already), millions on upgrading a kids' footy ground and millions on an AFL academy for indigenous communities in Cape York. You know what that says? "We've given up on trying to educate them and give them a decent place to live. We'll give them a few balls to kick around. That will keep them happy." I'd like to take this opportunity to remind all candidates of all persuasions-kids don't vote, adults do.
The Flowerman
11:15 04/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #5 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Bob Carolgees
20:00 04/08/10
THEY GOT WHAT?
If you believe the polls out yesterday, many voters in Queensland and New South Wales, as well as a number of older people, have veered towards the Coalition, some selling out their traditional party, Labor. Victoria and South Australia are still mainly on-side with Labor and much still rests with the Greens. Cairns was visited by PM Gillard yesterday and she promised $10 million for the Cairns Base Hospital and money for indigenous sports development, amongst other things, the precise details of which I am unsure at this point. I think that several areas that need support quite desperately in this area are tourism, employment opportunities and training/retraining, roads and transport/car parks in Cairns City or alternatively, a Light-Rail system to lessen the load on busier roads, mental health and more to be done for housing, for low income earners in particular. This list barely scrapes the surface and I am sure that some of it has been included in current plans.
This Friday, the 6th of August, there will be a debate between Warren Entsch and Jim Turnour,our LNP and Labor Party representatives at Brothers Leagues Club, starting at 5-30pm. Abbott may not have the balls to face up to Gillard again, but in these parts we are not afraid to have a good scrap. As far as the debates between the PM and opposition leader go, I think that they owe it to the people they expect to vote for them to get up and let us see what they have to offer. They cannot make appearances in all electorates and not all voters would see them even if they did. Therefore they should definitely make more televised appearances, regardless of the scripted nature of this format.
As difficult as life on the campaign trail may be, at least they don't have to endure what the Iranian leader has to go through. His vehicle and entourage were attacked by a roadside bomb yesterday, narrowly missing killing him.
In Australia the worst weapon our politicians can face is the occasional egg or paint-bomb. Back tomorrow with more deeply biased and mind-expanding political thoughts for your enjoyment...
Dave Schwan
09:00 05/08/10
BREAKING NEWS!!!
LEICHHARDT WATCH
Having been slapped with an exclusion order this morning, the Hypocrisy Party has called off its "action" it had planned for the debate on Friday. Disappointed members are running around looking angry.
Bob Carolgees
09:00 05/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #6 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Now look here, what is going on? We actually went out of the office more than once today, and STILL, we haven't seen any of these dippers yet. Not happy, Jan.
PS We even beat the "mainstream" bloggers yesterday with our post about the venue change for the debate. The Cairns Post announced it today. So much for their 24/7 election coverage. Amateurs.
The Flowerman
23:30:00 05/08/10
HALF WAY
We are about half way through the election run-up and things are beginning to liven up a little. Tonight, in Cairns, kicking off at 5-30 pm and finishing, I believe, at 6-30pm, is the Debate. The Rumble Near The Jungle, between Coalition heavy-hitter Warren Entsch and the reigning champion, Jim Turnour. We had PM Gillard here on Wednesday and Abbott is too scared to debate anyone outside of pre-school, so you take the action where you can and Brothers Leagues Club is the place to catch this action.
In other news, Kevin Rudd treads the campaign trail again, out of hospital and ready to rock. I hope that he can convince those of you who would otherwise carry your anger at his treatment by Gillard to the election booth, that if he can get over it and on with the job then perhaps any residual ire should be put aside and Labor given all of the support it so rightly deserves.
Honestly, Australia, the Coalition are in no state to run the country at this point in time. I am well aware that there are problems, but politics is about solving such problems and all governments deal daily with difficult issues. Tony Abbott is from the very bottom of the barrel as far as Coalition leaders go. If they had someone else they would surely have replaced Abbott with him or her. We left Howard where he belongs and to elect this man is too resurrect much of what Howard did wrong for this country. Conservative politics, big business, greed and not caring about the average person is part of what caused the recent economic meltdown and had the Coalition been in power, with their 'hide-the money-under-the-bed' ideology, as opposed to the Labor philosophy of 'spend-the-public-monies-when-and-where-they-are-needed' approach, we would be in a terrible mess at this point in time. I sometimes wish we could re-live the economic crisis with Abbott and his mates at the wheel of government just to show people what a great job Rudd and Labor really did. Very soon it will be time to get real, to get passionate and to make an important decision as to whether we, as a country, wish to advance, to 'move forward', to consign the mistakes of the Coalition-led past to the toilet-bowl of history and face up to the future. That future need not involve a man and a leader like Mr. Abbott. He is a dinosaur, a macho, religious fanatic with very little credibility who belongs alongside his old boss Mr.Howard, sitting in a pub somewhere talking shit to any drunk who will buy him a drink in return for a political anecdote and fading slowly into insignificance. Does that sound like the man you want to run your country?
This has not been a paid political announcement. It was not authorised by any particular party, especially not the Coalition. Authorised and spoken by a biased and election-crazed DJ Schwan for fezminizine and democracy or whatever it is we are ruled by.
Thank You...
Dave Schwan
09:30 06/08/10
IT'S ON!
Hello and welcome to the big one. In Leichhardt, anyway. Yes it’s debate time: Jim Turnour (ALP) vs Warren Entsch (LNP). In this blow by blow account of proceedings,
So let’s get straight into it.
And WE’RE OFF!
Candidates are introduced. Entsch gets biggest reaction, both positive and negative. Melanie sticks it to Gillard and Abbott. Explains the rules. Entsch won the toss, sends Turnour in first. 10 mins for opening statement.
Well folks, that’s what
23:00 06/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #7 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 1
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 1
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 1
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
FINALLY, some numbers on the board!
Precious Percy
23:01 06/08/10
MORE MONEY ANYONE?
Tony Abbott beware. Most of our politicians had best take note actually. Independent, Nick Xenophon plans to introduce a private members bill designed to deal with the issue of lies in misleading political advertising. Can all that is said once an election is announced be considered as advertising? One should hope so. It is all done with the intent of promoting a party position after all. Abbott already self-censors every word he utters, any further pressure would have him s-p-e-a-k-i-n-g, s-o c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y, a-s, t-o, b-e, i-n-d-e-c-i-p-h-e-r-a-b-l-e. Poor Tony. Imagine if the guy won the election. He'd be a nervous wreck within a few months. The country would just be a wreck. The former governor of the Reserve Bank, Bernie Fraser, has accused the Opposition of "brazen" and unprecedented scaremongering over Australia's debt levels. He also ripped into their position on the mining tax and claims that the LNP are obsessed with the debt, whilst praising the stimulus package that Labor used to ease us through the recent crisis.
Interestingly, on the ABC's news 24 show yesterday, Professor Joseph Stiglitz, a noted economic expert, said that the Australian fiscal stimulus package was the best in the world, causing a shorter, shallower period of downturn here. He also commented that the level of debt in this country was insignificant and should not be made into a big deal. Both of these issues are favorites amongst Coalition ranks, regardless of the fact that their position on both has repeatedly been pointed out to them as being wrong!
On this topic of debt and spending, I am tired of hearing little else from our political leaders other than more promises to spend more and more money. How do they tackle a problem? They simply toss more money at it. At a debate in Cairns yesterday evening, both candidates did the same thing, boasted of monies spent and promised to spend more. There should be much more substance to political debate than this obscene pork-barreling extravaganza.
The Sex Party launched their campaign this week, claiming to be a political response to the sexual needs of 21st century Australia. Tolerance, free speech and freedom of sexual expression are important to this party. Some of their policies include: On censorship, a national classification scheme for all media; R and X ratings for video games; No mandatory ISP filter--parental choice in this issue. On education: national sex education curriculum; national internet education. On health: national pregnancy-termination laws; Viagra, etc to be on PBS scheme. Many other policy issues are available on their website. When you look into this minor party they are nowhere near as weird as they may at first glimpse appear, they are serious about a range of issues that the major parties are often afraid to go near and there should be more parties with the nous to tackle the more difficult issues. I wish them the best of luck and am glad to see that they took on board the video game rating issue. There is no reason why this industry should not be treated like the movie, music and other entertainment industries have been for many years.
One foolish man was holding up this entire debate, the attorney general from South Australia, the man who claimed to feel more threatened by gamers than by biker gangs who he also attacked without thinking about how his attitude would affect other groups and individuals. This imbecile has retired now and may I say good riddance to stinking rubbish! Well that's about all the poison I can muster at this point. Join me tomorrow for more insight into the mind of a bitter and twisted man, from the man himself, me......
Dave Schwan
09:00 07/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #8 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 1 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Warren Entsch is streaking ahead!
Precious Percy
23:59 07/08/10
EASY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING
Regular readers tuning in for Dave Schwan's regular piece, don't worry, he hasn't got himself in trouble. The poor chap has been flat out all week, so we gave him the day off. Right now, we believe he's relaxing in one of the independent candidates' garden with a good book, but we don't know which one. Garden, that is. We know what he reads. So he'll be back tomorrow, refreshed, for another week in FEZ World. We hope.
Now, you're probably thinking, "so why don't you lazy bastards write something, instead of leaving it all to Schwanny?" We'd agree and say you make a very good point.
See youse later.
Precious Percy
14:21 08/08/10
IT'S OVER FOR ONE BUT NOT THE OTHER
All right already, I'm back from my Sunday off and ready for action, unfortunately there's not a lot to be found during this campaign, one has to make his own fun... At least the Coalition tried, launching their election campaign on Sunday the 8th. It was a pretty lame affair consisting of stale promises, short on policy details and aided and abetted by the likes of Johnny Howard and Malcolm Turnbull. The other Malcolm, Mr. Fraser, was nowhere to be seen, having not only quit the party he once lead, in disgust at the direction it has been headed lately, but having also been quoted recently, saying that the Coalition was not capable of governing this country at this time. Powerful words from a wise older man, words many voters would be well advised to heed. I understand how difficult it is to admit that the party you have supported for so long has lost the plot, that incompetence, arrogance, greed and not being able to cope with opposition status have torn the soul from what was once a viable alternative choice. But facts must be faced and denial resisted.
Were the Coalition to be elected merely to spite Labor, the truth would soon become obvious. That truth being that a huge mistake had been made and that Australia would suffer greatly as a result. Politics is a weird business and fanatical supporters from either side find it very difficult to admit,even to themselves, that there are times when their party is simply not capable, for various reasons, of functioning as it should. Coalition voters must face such painful realities this election. Your duty is not to blindly support your party when it is so blatantly obvious that it is inept. Your duty is to vote for the party that will best serve the country in the days and years ahead.
As proof of my sincerity, I admit that Queensland State Labor has run its race and that a new government should replace them, that new govt. being the LNP. I would be a fool to suggest that Labor in QLD has not been in power too long, just as Howard and the Coalition were way past their use-by date by the last Federal election. Hard-core Laborites would no doubt disagree, and I would expect that, but it is time for a new lease of life. The LNP is the only source of that life and I hope that they are up to the task.
But Labor deserve at least one more term in Federal govt. and to replace them with the Coalition would be wrong. For the sake of whatever it is that you all believe in when the shit is about to hit, wake up an realise what is needed here.....
Dave Schwan
09:00 09/08/10
GILLARD ROCKS BACK
I hope Australian voters ignored the usual batch of imported cop shows on Monday night and turned instead to the ABC's Q&A programme to see the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, front the people in the audience, the Australian people, and answer their every question. The fairest thing to say is 'WOW'! She really rocked. The studio audience was a carefully chosen mix of supporters and haters, with some average folk to bulk it out. They asked her any question they wanted answered and Julia gave unscripted, unprepared answers in return. She made the right decision to dump the 'usual old crap' that all politicians try to foist off on us at election time. This woman comes across much better when she is simply being herself. She faced up to all-comers, never getting rattled, even by the loony religious woman and her bible question. Anybody who doubts her sincerity and her ability to govern this country after witnessing this show is simply too far gone down the one-eyed bigot track to be bothered with any longer. This was amazing television, by far the most informative piece of political info-tainment that we will see this election. Abbott, it was announced at shows' end, has decided to follow in her footsteps and will apparently appear on next week's Q&A. I can't wait to see if he will talk like a robot or if he is capable of loosening up a lot and being human. His appearance could well be the next best piece of television to be seen this election. Quite simply, nothing else that happened today even comes close to the PM's performance tonight so I shall end this update right here...
Dave Schwan
09:00 10/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #9 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Precious Percy
23:30 10/08/10
A MIXED BAG
Not much of a day, politics-wise, yesterday folks, I'm still tripping on Julia G's amazing effort on Q&A on Monday night. Apparently, around 840,000 people tuned in to watch--Q&A's largest audience share ever. Abbott, on the same programme next Monday, promises to be equally riveting stuff, I hope. As long as he can chill, and be human we should be in for a good show. We so rarely get to see our leaders in this light; Abbott comes across like a radio-controlled muppet and Julia sometimes looks like she has a carrot up her arse...
The National Broadband Network (NBN) made a lot of news stories yesterday, supported by Labor and threatened with extinction by the Coalition. This $43 billion rollout of fibre-optics to nearly every home and business in Australia may seem expensive to some. That is a lot of money. But when one considers the advantages and benefits that today's system has provided, the wonders of this new rollout are beyond belief. Best to build it now and integrate it into our infrastructure than, in ten or twenty years when we lag so far behind the world, to decide to build it, discover that it costs ten times more and we cannot afford it. We must not be afraid to plan for a future that is beyond the understanding of many today...
As the Rudd saga continues, on today's episode he announced his appointment to a U.N. panel dealing with global sustainability and poverty reduction. Rudd will receive no pay for his role and the panel will meet once this year and twice in 2011. As expected, Mr. Abbott pissed and moaned, gibbered and whined about this issue...
On the subject of political soap opera, the fool who goes by the name of Mark Latham, serial pest and star '60 minutes' reporter, attempted to defend his recent bizarre antics. He was heard to mutter:"...revenge...bloody Howard...taxi-drivers...mumble...burp...next George Negus...burp...Logie awards...mumble", he then promptly collapsed. When prodded with the tip of a boot he farted, shat himself and fell asleep. '60 minutes assure' us there will be more to come. I can't wait...
All in all, not the greatest day for political junkies, but we do live in hope.....
Dave Schwan
10:00 11/08/10
YOU WANNA LAUGH?
Check this out from Labor. Whatever your political persuasion, it's a hoot!
Abbot's Timewarp
The Flowerman
18:00 11/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #10 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Hmm, it's gone a bit ghostly.
Bob Carolgees
23:45 11/08/10
CHALLENGE
Sometimes it all seems so petty, so trivial, our incessant bickering and yammering about election issues as millions of people in other countries starve, drown, fight, die and attempt to survive on so little as they make do with less than what we take for granted. Whoever governs Australia for the next three years or ten, very little of real import will change. Even the man in the street mutters about there being little to no difference between political parties these days. Our society, our system, shall continue to operate in the days, years and decades after this election pretty much as it has done in the past. Changes are made, some for the better, some not so clever, but basically it remains very much as it was. Economic crisis', changes in leadership, death, drought and disaster come and go, but life trundles on. We, as people, as human animals, are averse to change. The more revolutionary the change, the more resistant we tend to be. A T-shirt I mean to buy and wear states on the front:"The older I get, the better it was". This says a lot about our attitudes towards change. Referendums are called for to initiate large-scale innovations and much more often than not, we refuse to go with the new. Even being well aware of such issues does little to affect change. Knowing all of these things, we still make such a fuss at election time. I suppose this is in part due to the fact that not only are we reluctant to deviate from our current course, but we are also unable to make much of a difference beyond the personal level. By voting, and especially in changing a government, we feel that we have made an impact, made change for what we feel is the best and our decision is sanctioned by all of the other voters who voiced similar opinions. The fact that there are only two choices, one if change is desired, is accepted and rarely challenged, even though it makes a mockery of our supposedly Democratic system. Deep down, many people realise that we are being scammed but "what can we do?", they ask. One thing we could do in this election is completely ignore the Labor and Coalition candidates and elect a Green/Independent Government! This would make a difference, one way or another, breaking the cycle of two party domination. Exactly what would be different and what would remain unchanged is an unknown and also very unlikely to occur any time soon. I dare the Australian voter to try this solution, to exact real change in government! There you have it folks, a way to alter the very system that we so often bitch and moan about, cursing our inability to make a difference and bagging the politicians for being useless and pathetic clones of each other. But we all know that it will not happen, don't we voters? We are really just a bunch of spineless liars, choosing security and familiarity over possible revolutionary differences to our lives. I vote Green, though Labor desperately need my vote too, this time around. But I have often put my money where my mouth is, along with a growing army of voters who want something different. When will the rest of Australia make the change?!......
I have to mention the record breaking profits just announced by our Commonwealth Bank, a 42% increase on last year, coming in at $61 billion!!! Amid all of the suffering and pain caused by the (their) Economic Crisis, it seems obscene that a bank can increase its profits by this much. Having eliminated much of their competition as a result of the crisis, the banks are now considerably more powerful and are reaping in much larger profits. This situation supports the opinion that the Economic Crisis led to the reorganisation of financial markets, with many assets and much more wealth ending up in the hands of those who were already extremely powerful and profitable. The big banks now have people and governments over a barrel and no longer pass on Reserve Bank interest rate cuts as they should. There is talk amongst bankers of moving outside of the RBA cycle and simply doing as they please with regard to interest rates! Between the government and the people of Australia we need to somehow slap the banks back down to where they belong, demanding decent service, interest on our money and much more choice in all areas of finance. Without strong government backing, and even with it, this would be a battle not easily won. The above mentioned reluctance to change the way things are gets in the way of people making alterations to their way of life that would be of enormous benefit to so many of us. Talk is so cheap, let's see some action......
Dave Schwan
08:20 12/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #11 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Not sure how these guys think they can get your vote by putting a few posters and corflutes around town. Not even a flier from most of them. Perhaps leaving it until the final week. Seriously, though, if you want to be elected you've got to get out and cause something for the media to pick up. Entsch has been at it full-time, today promising thousands of dollars for a youth mentoring programme that allegedly started when he was MP, and was axed on Turnour's watch. I'm sick of all this hand-wringing about todays kids, and how bad they are. Gen X and Gen Y created them, and have been exploiting them ever since. If your kid is a psycho, don't expect others to pick up the pieces. You reap what you sow. Politic correctness is way, way, way out of hand. Uh-oh, sounds like a speech. "FEZ for President"? Yeehaaa!
Precious Percy
23:35 12/08/10
WHAT'S RIGHT WITH TV
Hey, hey, it's Friday the 13th and there's been much talk of Hung Parliaments. I think it's the best idea I've heard in this campaign so far, let's hang 'em all! For crimes against our sanity and acts of gross political incompetence, we, the people of Australia, do hereby sentence all members of both major parties to be hung by their necks until well and truly dead...
On the subject of dead, that dead-shit Mark Latham will appear on 60 Minutes sometime soon. Whatever you do, avoid it/him like the plague.....
On the subject of stuff on TV, and I don't want to appear to be a paid pusher of ABC's Q&A programme, but once again last night, they provided some of the best political debate yet to be seen this election campaign. After Dick Smith presented his slightly 'off ' and insular documentary on our population question, there was a Q&A panel debating what they had just watched. John Elliot was hilarious, Bob Brown made much sense, a couple of politicians talked shit and some special guests provided some very interesting views on this complicated and under-examined issue. Some serious debate is needed and this was a good place to begin.....
Continuing on the subject of what's on TV, what's happened to SBS? I hear from friends who, like myself, were once avid viewers of SBS, questions regarding a change for the worse. We put up with the advertising because they assured us of a vast improvement in programme quality, but somewhere, something went missing. There appear to be more repeats, less quality documentaries and serious investigations into important and relevant issues and a general loss of 'uniqueness'. Slowly, but surely, it looks, sounds and feels like all the rest. I mention this because SBS is, I believe, still partially government funded (I could be wrong) and because I care. With so much of our media owned by so few people, it is important that ABC and SBS keep up their standards of relatively unbiased provision of information and entertainment to all Australians, many minority ethnic communities included....
On that note I shall sign off and return tomorrow, refreshed and ready to rip into whatever takes my fancy........
Dave Schwan
08:45 13/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #12 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
We ACTUALLY saw a corflute today for St. John-Wood of the Greens. He does exist after all!
AND Circusmouse is right- Neville does look like a raging Tory from Thatcher's Britain.
Talking of corflutes, it's been pretty much wall to wall Entsch, and if the election was held on who has sent out the most fliers, literature, etc., he would win in a landslide of envelopes. How many trees died for his campaign, I wonder.
Bob Carolgees
23:55 13/08/10
BREAKING NEWS!!!
LEICHHARDT WATCH
The Hypocrisy Party's entire Executive has had restraining orders placed on them by Independent candidate Steve Lane's campaign team. The HP guys have, allegedly, outed Lane as a chronic "avgas sniffer". Lane works at the airport as a refueler. He also claims to have a sense of humour. The Hypocrisy Party has called him on that one, too.
The Flowerman
00:30 14/08/10
ONE WEEK TO GO
Only one week to go voters, until all of this pre-election bullshit is over. Then we simply have to live with our choices. For the rest of our lives we can expect weekly, fortnightly and monthly polls informing us of how long we can envisage our latest leader to last. PM Gillard refuses to answer the question as to how many 'strikes' before she is ousted, replaced by the new season's politician, with matching accessories. This trend has become more obvious as we progress-- the man on the street answering questions that the next day, give him the answers to his political questions. Our attention span shrinks, issues become poll-driven pop-quizzes and we wake up gagging for more every morning.....
Law and Order could develop into more of an election issue in Victoria following the three shooting deaths that occurred on Friday the 13th. It is quite clear that much needs to be done to tackle rampant political and police corruption in that state and now they may be in for a new episode of gang-warfare, popularised recently by the 'Underbelly" TV series......
And back to election news, this time a little further afield, in Burma. While we take the democratic process and elections and all of the shit that they entail for granted, the people of Burma have waited 20 years for this election and it will end up being a sham. Aung Sen Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, which saw her win last time before being imprisoned for two decades, has split, with some members contesting this election and others boycotting it in protest. There will be much surprise and happiness if any real change comes from this election, slated for November 7th this year. People are not holding their breath......
Back in Australia the political activist group, Get Up! have won a ruling in the Federal Court enabling people to enroll to vote online. Last week they won a case against the Howard Government's changes that closed electoral rolls on the day writs were issued. This was deemed "unconstitutional". We need such groups to help ensure that our voting system does not come to resemble the American system where bans, scams and vote rigging are a regular occurrence. Dead people and pet dogs can vote in the USA....
Let's hope for an interesting weekend of political intrigue or else a very quiet weekend with no politics at all. I think both requests are asking too much......Bye, Bye...
Dave Schwan
10:25 14/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #13 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Where is Entsch getting all his money for TV ads from? If we did this Watch on TV ads alone, Big Wozzer would be acres ahead. No-one at FEZ Central can remember seeing an ad for Turnour. As if on queue, here's an ad for Entsch on TV. He's standing on the Esplanade, looking very serious. The Cairns Post (we know, not the first place we would look for real facts and figures) has conducted a poll, and has Warren Entsch ahead, by quite a margin, too. Next Saturday is going to be very interesting.
The Flowerman
23:00 14/08/10
ANOTHER EASY SUNDAY MORNING
Well kiddies, this is it, the final week. Tomorrow, the ALP will officially launch their campaign. Some say it's too late, others, it's bang on time. Also if you're near a TV this week, there will be plenty to see: Abbott on Q&A (Monday); Gillard, Abbott and Brown appearing at the National Press Club during the week. Unfortunately, not all on the same day. That would have been cool, as Brown did well on Q&A last week.
Many pundits have ridiculed this election as boring (including our own Dave S), but to be honest, it has become so "too close to call", that there is a tangible air of anxiety creeping in. With so many undecided voters, the pollies are really starting to sweat.
We predict this week is going to be an absolute cracker, with at least one major scandal. We haven't really had one yet. It's only a matter of time.
Circusmouse
15:53 15/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #14 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Allegedly, some of the "indie" candidates got together for some kind of debate or something last week. We didn't receive an invitation. They must have been frightened by our coverage of the debate at Brothers the week before. Too bad really, as some of them need to be thinking about putting some numbers on our Watch Board.
The Flowerman
23:15 15/08/10
DECIDE ALREADY!
Ok you slack bastards, those of you who are still undecided as to whom you will vote for, it's time to get real! Apparently there are around 30% of eligible voters who have no idea who they will support on the big day. Personally, I find this difficult to understand. I mean, when DO you decide, and what is it that spurs that decision? What are such people thinking today? Politically, what were your thoughts three, six or twelve months ago? Do you eventually flip a coin or pull a name out of your arse? Are you aware that your whims can elect and destroy governments? I realise that not everybody gives a shit, that elections are years apart and that many people have more important things to worry about. But, in my experience, as uncaring and cool as some of you claim to be, you DO have opinions and tend to talk about issues and get irate about problems as you see them. So how is it that you wait until voting day to decide? Are you just a bunch of piss-weak fence-sitters. Do you have a philosophy or beliefs regarding the way things could or should be, and therefore a choice of political party who represent your thoughts as best they can? Some of you claim to wait until a 'how to vote' card tells you what to do. Well, here's my card for you: Vote for Labor! If you are still upset about Gillard's treatment of Rudd, vote Green. There you have it. Easy, isn't it. No more big, hard decisions to make. Wow, I'm glad I got that off my chest, now on to other things.....
After discussions with my editor, I have thought about my claim that this election campaign is rather dreary. I am sticking to that original position. I am not merely spouting the accepted media line. I have enjoyed certain elements of this build-up. The debate could have been more intense, but the Q&A appearance of Gillard was great and tonight Abbott appears, promising compelling viewing. The debate held in Cairns between Entsch and Turnour was good stuff and I have missed several other confrontations here and there. I think the problem, in part, is that in both parties trying to appeal to the middle ground, to placate the average voter, they are failing to offer anything really new, original, interesting or exciting. I recall them warning us of this before the campaign began, but to stand out, to appear different, something more is needed. Not necessarily noise, action or violence, but I need to feel that they are honestly doing what they believe is good for us and for the country. Rudd, initially, was on this track, with plans to kill off Work Choices and to tackle Climate Change and to tax the mining industry more, to make what he felt were positive changes, even if not all of us felt the same way. At the moment both Gillard and Abbott are merely going through the motions and until they find a way to engage the population, this election campaign lacks that element of two parties desperate to do the right thing to win. But, there is still time. Time for someone to offer to pull the troops out of Afghanistan or to put Nuclear Power on the agenda as an alternative to coal. Such issues would certainly liven up the remaining days and gain some interested comment.....
We live in rapidly fading hope.
Dave Schwan
09:34 16/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #15 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
The Flowerman
23:00 16/08/10
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Well, well, Abbott finally found his bollocks and made an appearance on Q&A. To be fair, I'd say he came across pretty much as expected--nervous and cagey, with the second-guessing pauses that have become his trademark. I hope that Australia tuned in to watch. There was nothing of any value on the commercial channels to distract viewers. Mr. Abbott relaxed a little towards the end of the show and managed to come across as human, though he was desperately trying to be funny, and failing miserably. He reacted to most questions in typical politician-speak and I do think he got off rather lightly question-wise. There were also at least two people 'planted' in the audience to ask him leading questions, one in particular got him ranting about a Judicial Enquiry into the BER scheme and the insulation issue. And he has the nerve to go on about waste and containing spending! Royal Commissions and Judicial Enquiries do not come cheaply! Wouldn't it make more sense to take the rip-off merchants in the insulation business to court. Those people who's homes were damaged can do their own suing of the companies responsible for the fires and deaths if they wish. Interestingly, we discovered that the proposed NBN is only going to cost the govt./tax-payer $26 billion as opposed to the oft-quoted $43 billion. Private sector interests will foot the remaining $17 billion, suggesting that if they are prepared to invest, so should we be. Rather bizarrely, Abbott said that he feels that govt. should not get involved in large infrastructure building, that they should get the private sector to do it all. This is Privatisation gone mad. Once completed, prices will never stop increasing in order to satisfy the shareholders, public be damned. Maggie Thatcher's England of the 80's, here we come. And Abbott denies that he wants to take Australia back to Howard's 'good old days'! The man's a lunatic, an economic degenerate. On Global Warming/Climate Change and Maternity Leave (more money for the wealthier mothers!) he came across as a failure, he has the politicians' trait of saying what he thinks people want to hear, but not the personal judgment ability to really read into deeper issues. To end this section on the Q&A programme, I must reiterate: This man is not Prime Ministerial material. He is a reasonable politician, of the old-school persuasion. The problem is, this is the 21st century, not the golden-age of conservative politics. The Neo-cons in the USA and the Coalition of Liberal/National parties in this country are dinosaur-like relics of an Economic-crisis creating, War-mongering, Big business/Corporation-loving, New World Order-supporting, Free Trade Agreement signing, Growth-Obsessed, World polluting, Colonial/racist past that we simply have no more need for in the future we intend to build for our children to live in!!! Those of you who continue to vote for such parties and people and their outdated policies are holding back the creation of a new paradigm. Change is coming people, you can either join in and become a part of the solution or you can choose to latch onto the familiar and comfortable past that Tony Abbott and his cronies so desperately want to relapse into......
There are more debates to come, possibly another Q&A sometime this week and a Press Club event on Wednesday I believe. Those who are interested can check the details on the websites or in their TV guides.....
Tonight's show proves that politics can be interesting, informative and entertaining and that public interest is rewarded, so for the sake of whatever it is you believe in, show some concern for the issues that affect you, voting may only encourage them, but it's all we've got and it's a lot more than many people in many other countries will ever have. Use it wisely...
This has been an unpaid announcement for Hope In Our Lifetime, spoken/written by a ranting, self-righteous, left-wing lunatic for the betterment of mankind or something......
Thank you.
Dave Schwan
08:22 17/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #16 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Grrrrrrrrr!
Precious Percy
23:45 17/08/10
WARNING: AN ANGRY MAN
Thankfully it's over. Yesterday had a nightmarish quality to it as far as politics was concerned, with Abbott appearing all over the media landscape, that jerky, robot-like voice of his oozing slimy propaganda in all directions. I was fortunate enough to miss his Press Club speech but from then, until I switched off our TV in disgust, the freak was everywhere. Between 6-30pm and 7pm on ABC there was a ranting, droning to be heard as member after member of the Coalition endlessly repeated their claims to fame and denounced all who dared oppose them. Lock your doors tonight, the long knives may come out. Hospitals and help-lines must have been inundated with visits and calls from distressed people pushed to the verge of suicide and madness by the nonsensical gibbering. To escape, at my place, we played a DVD movie and slowly relaxed for 90 minutes until I got up to attend to this.....
Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, spoke of a Classification Board review of its standards having a possible effect on the internet filter concept, yesterday. They shall look into what is and is not to be considered for the Restricted Category in future, and that in turn will help determine what, if anything, will not be made available for viewing. As times change, so too does community perception of what is offensive and what is permissible. Let's hope that we are not about to enter another 'dark-age' of prudish censorship....
Recently I voiced my opinion that SBS TV is not the quality station it once was. Yesterday, in The Australian, I read their claims that they are "an under-resourced public broadcaster with competing priorities". SBS warns that it "lacks the funding necessary to meet its charter". SBS Managing Director, Shaun Brown, has said " Without a considerable new investment by Australian Government, SBS will not be able to continue to deliver its unique service and is likely to be marginalised in the new digital media environment". Last year SBS received an extra $20 million for its triennial budget. ABC received an extra $167 million. So, there are indeed problems with the SBS brand and viewers are rightly concerned.....
On the employment front, an always difficult place to be, the Coalition has aped Labor in offering up to $6000 to jobseekers who are prepared to move in order to work. But, say the Coalition, should that person then lose that job within six months, they will face the suspension of their welfare benefits for up to six months. You could find yourself in the middle of nowhere with nothing to eat, nowhere to sleep, etc for six months! If, on the other hand, you manage to keep that job for two years, the Coalition will offer you a bonus of $6,500. All this from Mr. Abbott, the fiscally conservative, debt-destroying money-saver......
Did you all know that Australia has recently been before the United Nations International Convention for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination? The John Howard designed Intervention into Northern Territory Aboriginal Communities has been heavily criticised for being a blatant example of gross racial discrimination. Howard was and is a racist relic of our colonial past. Tony Abbott, a creature raised on the tit of Howard, is also a denier of aboriginal rights and any noise he makes in an attempt to gloss over such facts should be shouted down....
I have said more than enough on similar issues of late, if you haven't got the message yet......
Thank you and Good day/night.
Dave Schwan
08:21 18/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #17 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Entsch just got his last ad on Channel 10 just before the ban started. Looks like he blew a lot of money on it extolling his achievements from his previous stint as MP.
Precious Percy
23:45 18/08/10
SCHWANNY'S LAST WORD
Well dear reader, I believe that I have said more than enough throughout this campaign. I am well and truly sick and tired of the inane noises issuing from the mouths of our politicians and for me to assume that my opinions are any more, or less, valuable would be sheer arrogance. So I am calling it quits. Some of us know when to either shit, or get off the fucking pot. Elections these days are so similar, the odd issue and the faces of politicians the only things to change. Unfortunately, this time around, the issues making waves are those with the least significance. The level of debt and immigration. Both are little more than mountains made from mole-hills. The money Australia owes, $90 billion, is comparatively minor when placed beside the debts owed by many other countries, much of it due to the recent Economic Crisis. Such debt is a part of the way this country, and the world in general, operates and is not a matter to cause undue worry for the average person. As to the issue of refugees who arrive here by boat, 1% of our intake, the fuss being made over these people is shameful and ignorant and is to be expected only of crude Coalition fear-mongers and racist fools. We as a country really need to grow up and begin to deal with real issues that face us. So I intend to say no more. I leave the final say to the Australian voters. In the end, may they get what they so rightly deserve.....Thank you.
Dave Schwan
09:19 19/08/10
FROM THE MOTHERLAND
Bobby Wildside sees it from the UK
AS bizarre and confounding election years go, 2010 has certainly proved to beat all others.
With the UK's political double-act of centre right Tories and left leaning Liberals - dubbed the 'Brokeback Coalition' - breathing an uneasy sigh of relief after their first 100 days in office, the sight of Australian's Gillard and Abbott slugging it out on prime time TV has picked up a not insubstantial chunk of press and net coverage.
What first captured the imagination of the UK media is the ruthless nature of Labor's explusion of Rudd. UK commentators asked themselves how Britain's own Labour leader of the time, Gordon Brown, managed to remain in the fight for reelection, despite presiding over the worst recession in the UK since WWII, and while also allowing the banks to walk free of their debts thanks to a multi-billion tax-payer bailout.
But Labor's treatment of Rudd was nothing new for the party. Twenty-seven years ago the lacklustre Labor leader Bill Hayden was putsched by Bob Hawke on the eve of an election, sparking a frenzy of interest around the world. Hawke remained in power for a decade before Labor's Paul Keating repeated the whole process again, muscling out prime minister Hawke a decade later, in 1991.
Labor rebellions aside, the UK press is aghast that Australia looks ready to appoint its first female prime minister. Secretary general of the Council of Women World Leaders and author of Women World Leaders, Laura Liswood, blogging for The Guardian, on August 13, noted how Gillard will join the select 40 or so women who have attained leadership of their country since the Fifties. Liswood, unlike many other UK writers, makes little note of the fact that Gillard was British born, as was Abbott.
Meanwhile, the irony of two British immigrants vowing to crack down on immigrants in a country of immigrants hasn't been lost on Reuters press agency, which points out that Gillard was one of the first 10 pound Poms.
Gillard has also made the news following her comment that Australia should become a republic when the Queen dies. After a major lead story in the right wing Daily Mail, readers' comments came thick and fast. "Australia should be a republic already, and can we in Wales be allowed our independence as well, cheers? PS. I do cheer on England, unless we are playing them!"
- Chris Palmer, Cardiff, Wales, 18/8/2010.
And there was this from AWJ Shifnal of Shropshire: "Of course Wales can have independance [sic].......just one small point......how on earth would Wales survive without the annual grant of billions from British taxpayers. You can't base an economy on rugby, sheep and Charlotte Church!"
At the time of writing, the main story being picked up by the UK press is how controversial Welsh Labour spin doctor David Taylor has flown to Australia to join the re-election campaign of the country’s Barry-born Gillard. Taylor, who last year set up the short-lived Labour website Aneurin Glyndr, which lampooned Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones and Tory Assembly leader Nick Bourne, now works for Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Peter Hain.
With the loss of political identity in Britain in which there seems little difference in ideology between the Tories and Labour, the UK may have much to learn from the ALP, which promises more progressive reforms than the slash and burn politics of the Conservative-Liberal coalition.
Bobby Wildside
19:54 19/08/10
AUSTRALIA'S HUNG
Well, FEZzers, that's the bold prediction by Channel 7 News this evening. A hung parliament. Possibly. It's quite a frightening thought, especially after all we've been through the past 3 weeks. It will certainly make Gillard and Labor's backroom look pretty foolish, when the coup was supposed to give them outright victory. Think of the dilemma for Rudd. Outwardly, he wants to see Labor returned to government, but inside, somewhere, in a small dark corner, there will be a hope that Labor gets wiped out, giving him the opportunity for a private gloat.
Labor has fucked up, and they know it, and if they win, there'll be such a sigh of relief, that South America will suffer hurricane winds for weeks afterward.
Anyway, more later.
PS If you're looking for Schwanny, he's had enough. Poor guy just knows too much and it has taken its toll. But it will all be over soon. Unless Abbott wins. Then Dave will have to leave the country.
Circusmouse
19:40 20/08/10
FLYER OF THE CAMPAIGN
Courtesy of our favourite madman in the senate, Barnaby Joyce (and his mates), this is the winner. It's a beauty, and the only one that wasn't a waste of a tree. We like it because of the tagline. It can be applied to any of the parties/candidates in this election. Sad, isn't it?
22:10 20/08/10
LEICHHARDT WATCH #18 (Public Appearances as witnessed by FEZ personnel only)
No. of times Jim Turnour (ALP) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Warren Entsch (LNP) was seen today: 0 (2)
No. of times Yodie Batzke (IND) was seen today: 0 (1)
No. of times Jen Sackley (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Steve Lane (IND) was seen today: 0
No. of times Neville St. John-Wood (GRN) was seen today: 0
No. of times Shannon Royce McSweeney (FF) was seen today: 0
Welcome, FEZzers, to the last Watch. As you can see, a pretty poor turnout. Is this a reflection of the digital age? But if it is, then why did the main protagonists spend so much time zipping all over the country? At FEZ Central, we received more crap in the post box from the Coalition and Entsch than the ALP, and even one leaflet from a Family First candidate for the senate. Call us old fashioned, but we want to see candidates out pumping handshakes.
Anyway, who am I going to vote for? Jen Sackley. Why? Because of the "controversy" the other day about her leaflet that couldn't be printed because it was "offensive". It was the biggest laugh I'd had all month. Thanks Jen, and thanks to the people who were offended. You knobs!
Ok kiddies, we're signing off. We could have a whole new world of pain on Monday when we come back to the office.......................
Precious Percy
24:00 20/08/10
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE
We would like to give a big FEZ thankyou to our main man, Dave Schwan, for his sterling efforts during the past few weeks. The guy has spun himself inside out with apoplexy, mainly, because he cares.
To all our other contributors, cheers, and many thanks.
Precious Percy
24:00 20/08/10
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