Meet the latest PM of Australia

[Belle]

A decent, down-to-earth man with big challenges ahead of him. And he has an excellent second-in-charge in the PMO!!

https://twitter.com/ScottMorrisonMP/sta ... 72/video/1

[John F]

We in the US should be so lucky. On the other hand, maybe we've got what we deserve.

[Belle]

We in the US should be so lucky. On the other hand, maybe we've got what we deserve.

This country is looking ridiculous throughout the world because we've had so many PMs in the last decade!! Shaping up like Italy, without the scandals and mistresses.

Australia is a first world, energy-rich nation with a high standard of living, which exports coal and other energy resources. There was always going to be political instability in our nation with demands to reduce emissions and the consequent increase in the cost of energy - and you can chart the start of all our turmoil right to the very year that was mooted.

The Australian people are reluctant to squander their standard of living and damage the economy for no material benefit to global climate mitigation. There's no energy certainty for business here and our company taxation rates actively discourage foreign investment. We have become a laughing stock. I expect our political instability to continue if these matters are not addressed. Soon.

But we have a kind of environmental extremism here through the Green Left and it's getting very frightening and polarizing indeed. My own sister sms recently that we should meet for lunch but that 'no politics should be discussed'. You get along with them very well as long as you're not permitted to speak or, if you do, you adhere to the ideological line. Failure to do so and you're treated like a pariah. Let that be a perfect metaphor for a national predicament. Meanwhile, many of the people advocating all this have had or do have safe occupations on the public purse; not for them the trepidation and stress of putting everything they own on the line for a business enterprise.

My husband and I knew all too well what it was like to be in the brink of losing everything in our agricultural business, much of the time and largely 'thanks' to government regulations and environmental controls. We were told we were not allowed to have dust or odours from our farm crossing the fence line into the neighbouring properties yet each night in winter we would look out across the town and see all the smoke from indoor fires stretching the entire length of the valley. One rule for them, another for us. The reason? "You're making money".

[Holden Fourth]

Belle, I would have to agree with you about the Australian Greens. Their extreme dogmatism and an “I am right, you are wrong” approach makes them loathed by many. While environmental issues are important, careful research should be done before action is mooted. The greens do not do this and seem to have the belief that if they think it’s bad for the environment then it must be. One political commentator described them as left wing fascist and while it’s an oxymoron it’s also an excellent description.

[Belle]

Belle, I would have to agree with you about the Australian Greens. Their extreme dogmatism and an “I am right, you are wrong” approach makes them loathed by many. While environmental issues are important, careful research should be done before action is mooted. The greens do not do this and seem to have the belief that if they think it’s bad for the environment then it must be. One political commentator described them as left wing fascist and while it’s an oxymoron it’s also an excellent description.

We are living in authoritarian times such that I do not remember any equivalent in my more than 60 years on this planet. And my own sister is one of these - an unthinking slave to fashion. She would not even acknowledge our son's wedding invitation in March this year because our Federal Treasurer was going to be a guest, as were other political people!! There was much merriment and fun but not a single political statement from anybody. Time and place.

[jbuck919]

We in the US should be so lucky. On the other hand, maybe we've got what we deserve.

As I posted once on Facebook, those who voted for Trump are getting what they deserve. Unfortunately, the rest of us are also getting what they deserve. (I think that Switzerland is the only country in the world with two chief executives, and most people there can't even name both, while naming the President of the US is a classic question to test for Alzheimher's disease.)

[John F]

The rest of us aren't off the hook, because too many refrained from voting at all because they disliked Hillary Clinton. The same kind of progressive purists who voted for Ralph Nader in 2000 and together with the Supreme Court, gave that election to George W. Bush. Feh.

[Holden Fourth]

Belle, I would have to agree with you about the Australian Greens. Their extreme dogmatism and an “I am right, you are wrong” approach makes them loathed by many. While environmental issues are important, careful research should be done before action is mooted. The greens do not do this and seem to have the belief that if they think it’s bad for the environment then it must be. One political commentator described them as left wing fascist and while it’s an oxymoron it’s also an excellent description.

We are living in authoritarian times such that I do not remember any equivalent in my more than 60 years on this planet. And my own sister is one of these - an unthinking slave to fashion. She would not even acknowledge our son's wedding invitation in March this year because our Federal Treasurer was going to be a guest, as were other political people!! There was much merriment and fun but not a single political statement from anybody. Time and place.

We are living in authoritarian times such that I do not remember any equivalent in my more than 60 years on this planet.

There is a climate of fear that has developed in the modern workplace here in Australia. In many cases the hierarchy no longer respect or want to hear your opinion as it might undermine what they want to do. This is authoritarianism but it can't be seen as such.

To ameliorate this, employers do things like hire 'Staff Wellness' consultants, hold 'toolbox meetings', organise supposedly anonymous online staff welfare surveys..... the list is endless. The bottom line that is any criticism, constructive or not, isn't welcome and if you do this on a regular basis then your 'loyalty' is questioned. It's about as right wing as you can get and that is where the western world sits at the moment. We are no more enlightened than supposedly dogmatic Chinese. We just present it in a different way.

[lennygoran]

Australia is a first world, energy-rich nation with a high standard of living, which exports coal

Coal, our president is an expert on that-can we send him your way! Regards, Len

[Belle]

Belle, I would have to agree with you about the Australian Greens. Their extreme dogmatism and an “I am right, you are wrong” approach makes them loathed by many. While environmental issues are important, careful research should be done before action is mooted. The greens do not do this and seem to have the belief that if they think it’s bad for the environment then it must be. One political commentator described them as left wing fascist and while it’s an oxymoron it’s also an excellent description.

We are living in authoritarian times such that I do not remember any equivalent in my more than 60 years on this planet. And my own sister is one of these - an unthinking slave to fashion. She would not even acknowledge our son's wedding invitation in March this year because our Federal Treasurer was going to be a guest, as were other political people!! There was much merriment and fun but not a single political statement from anybody. Time and place.

We are living in authoritarian times such that I do not remember any equivalent in my more than 60 years on this planet.

There is a climate of fear that has developed in the modern workplace here in Australia. In many cases the hierarchy no longer respect or want to hear your opinion as it might undermine what they want to do. This is authoritarianism but it can't be seen as such.

To ameliorate this, employers do things like hire 'Staff Wellness' consultants, hold 'toolbox meetings', organise supposedly anonymous online staff welfare surveys..... the list is endless. The bottom line that is any criticism, constructive or not, isn't welcome and if you do this on a regular basis then your 'loyalty' is questioned. It's about as right wing as you can get and that is where the western world sits at the moment. We are no more enlightened than supposedly dogmatic Chinese. We just present it in a different way.

I agree with your comments but some of these 'initiatives' are quite ancient now. And I don't agree they are 'right wing'. I struck some of it in the union-dominated teaching profession. This includes, but is not limited to, affirmative action/quotas (like in the old days of cinema), so-called anti-bullying, Orwellian language, assuaging feelings and protecting from insult and outrage, labelling men as aggressive/sexual predators whose behaviour needs to be modified to feminize them and the last outrage - men in the military needing to be more feminine; these are all part of the SJW mix. Martin Parkinson, Head of the Dept. of Prime Minister, has made it his business to mandate much of this in the public service. At least "tool box talks" are about the company and not 'feelings'; these were instigated under the aegis of occupational health and safety. And when you have pictures of male Australian soldiers wearing nail polish, sanctioned by the former Head of Defense, you know things have gone mad - all on the watch of the female Minister for Defense, Marise Payne. And we have 'bullying' in politics now - apparently. This is something new!! Not that the stakes are so high that people are ruthless and unscrupulous, as depicted in Machiavelli (or anything ). The narrative now must be that YOU behave as I WANT you too. I call it "Rip van Winkle Syndrome"; the modern world has been asleep for centuries and is only recently 'finding out' that we live in a harsh, cruel and often difficult world.

I got a newsletter from the Australian Shareholders' Association which contained a 'for' and 'against' article about loss of imputation credits for superannuation funds/retirees. They used language like 'stakeholders', 'responsibility for the next generation' and other PC verbiage. I immediately withdrew my support for the association, saying I didn't pay them to advocate on behalf of social justice issues or activists - that their core business is representing the interests of shareholders and they are of zero use to me. Our sharemarket is under significant pressure and I don't want lectures about 'stakeholders'.

The ordinary, hard-working and decent citizen who is bringing up kids and paying off a mortgage absolutely detests this kind of stuff. You speak to people in the street and they're totally appalled and want an end to it.

[Belle]

Australia is a first world, energy-rich nation with a high standard of living, which exports coal

Coal, our president is an expert on that-can we send him your way! Regards, Len

Oh, Old King Coal!!!

You do realize that the antidote to all the political rubbish is, of course, the US Open - which I'm thoroughly enjoying right now!!

[lennygoran]

Oh, Old King Coal!!!

You do realize that the antidote to all the political rubbish is, of course, the US Open - which I'm thoroughly enjoying right now!!

Belle I agree when trump is on the golf course he doesn't Tweet-if only he could be sent to Australia away from us and play golf for the rest of his life! Regards, Len

[Belle]

Oh, Old King Coal!!!

You do realize that the antidote to all the political rubbish is, of course, the US Open - which I'm thoroughly enjoying right now!!

Belle I agree when trump is on the golf course he doesn't Tweet-if only he could be sent to Australia away from us and play golf for the rest of his life! Regards, Len

Well, thanks a lot!! Actually I meant the tennis, not the golf!! Thank god our dreadful feral Nick Kyrgios is eliminated. A national embarrassment. In our household his nickname is "The Pinhead".

[lennygoran]

A national embarrassment. In our household his nickname is "The Pinhead".

Well Trump is our national disgrace but we haven't decided on whether his nickname should be moron or idiot! Regards, Len