Open Thread – Weekend 11 Jun 2022


First Snow, Ivan Shishkin, 1875

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Adam
June 11, 2022 12:34 am

Looks like you lot are all asleep.

jupes
jupes
June 11, 2022 12:46 am

Not me Adam. I’m just below you in Ghent.

John Sheldrick
June 11, 2022 1:14 am

Just woke up for some reason and now watching a good film on TV . All about a virus that is transmitted between animals and humans with no known cure so far into the film. However, Hollywood must have found a cure as Dustin Hoffman, Morgan Freeman and Donald Sutherland are still with us………….lol

John Sheldrick
June 11, 2022 1:17 am

That’s a nice painting by the way. Could have been painted here in SE Australia this week. Such nice weather for all those ski people. Global Warming (Climate Change) anyone?

Adam
June 11, 2022 1:19 am

Not me Adam. I’m just below you in Ghent.

No, you’re not. I’m in Saudi Arabia, been here the past eight months.

A pity, because if I was still in the Netherlands we could have caught up again.

Megan
Megan
June 11, 2022 1:40 am

Looks like you lot are all asleep.

I wish. My internal body clock has developed a severe glitch. Not recognising the connection between darkness and sleep. Needs a reboot.

jupes
jupes
June 11, 2022 1:40 am

A pity, because if I was still in the Netherlands we could have caught up again.

Yeah bummer. Maybe next time if you move back to Europe.

Adam
June 11, 2022 1:53 am

Yeah bummer. Maybe next time if you move back to Europe.

Are you visiting or living there?

JC
JC
June 11, 2022 1:58 am

Get a load of this.

Essentially, it means social security pensions are going up by over 8% next year. Nearly all seniors suck on this tit.

Social Security beneficiaries are projected to receive a 8.6% raise for 2023, the biggest annual boost in more than 40 years, according to estimates released Friday morning. But even that may not be enough to counter stubbornly high inflation.

Pegged to the consumer-price index, or CPI, the cost-of-living adjustment is designed to help Social Security benefits keep pace with rising prices.

jupes
jupes
June 11, 2022 2:09 am

Just visiting. Off to Poland next to visit my step son.

John Sheldrick
June 11, 2022 2:18 am

Essentially, it means social security pensions are going up by over 8% next year. Nearly all seniors suck on this tit.

Social Security beneficiaries are projected to receive a 8.6% raise for 2023, the biggest annual boost in more than 40 years, according to estimates released Friday morning. But even that may not be enough to counter stubbornly high inflation.

Pegged to the consumer-price index, or CPI, the cost-of-living adjustment is designed to help Social Security benefits keep pace with rising prices.

LOL. By 2023 inflation will be well over 10% pa so an 8.6% increase won’t do it. Also, what modeling or projection system is being used here? This is still 2022. What crystal balls does the LayBore Gov’ment have? It reminds me of the old joke………………..”Why do Gypsies have crystal balls? So they can see what’s coming”…………………………………

JC
JC
June 11, 2022 2:25 am

I cannot believe this worthless piece of shit, this fraud is in the White House. He’s only there because they cheated. How the country can withstand another 2.5 years of this demented lemon is beyond me.

If in November, the GOP doesn’t begin immediate impeachment of the malignant Kunt, then it’s all over.

JC
JC
June 11, 2022 2:27 am

John

I’m talking about the US. Cost of living adjustment is always done looking backwards .

jupes
jupes
June 11, 2022 2:41 am

How the country can withstand another 2.5 years of this demented lemon is beyond me.

Well it’s him or the cackling hag. I reckon the demented version of him is still smarter than her.

Top Ender
Top Ender
June 11, 2022 2:51 am

Stand by to repel boarders across the borders:

The Sri Lankan navy has revealed it is now regularly intercepting boats trying to leave the country as people-smugglers dupe desperate people into believing they will be allowed into ­Australia, despite warnings they will be sent back.

A leading Colombo-based human rights lawyer has also said Australia should expect many more boat arrivals in the next few months driven by the ­collapse in Sri Lanka’s economy, which has caused a shift in public attitudes towards those who seek asylum abroad.

Lakshan Dias, who has represented countless returned ­asylum-seekers over the years, told The Weekend Australian: “It used to be that Sri Lankans who tried to get to Australia were looked upon as traitors tarnishing the image of the country, but with the current situation it’s not seen as shameful anymore. Today, everybody is saying ‘You must allow us to go to Australia’.” Mr Dias made the comments a day after sitting in on a court hearing for 76 asylum-seekers ­deported from Australia in May.

“These boats are not going to stop,” he said. “If they’re intercepted today, they will go tomorrow. It’s very, very hard to live here.”

Another 15 people, all young men between the ages of 20 and 30, were deported from Christmas Island early on Thursday while a third boat is understood to have left Sri Lanka in late May with at least 42 people on board.

JC
JC
June 11, 2022 3:49 am

Well it’s him or the cackling hag. I reckon the demented version of him is still smarter than her.

LOL

Gyro Cadiz
Gyro Cadiz
June 11, 2022 3:52 am

Adam and Jupes, greetings from the Caribbean

Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:01 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:02 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:03 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:05 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:06 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:07 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:09 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:09 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:10 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:13 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:14 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:15 am
DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
June 11, 2022 4:27 am

Thanks Tom.

Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:29 am

Cat went offline while I was posting ‘toons. Here’s the rest …

Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:31 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:32 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:33 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:34 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:35 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:36 am
Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 4:36 am

The end.

Ed Case
Ed Case
June 11, 2022 4:37 am

Some fule aksks:]

On the subject of teeth. Are we having teeth issues because

1. we’re living longer than we’re supposed to and the teeth wear out?
2. the crap we eat?
3. Evolution didn’t focus on making teeth hardier?

1. Unless you’re an Eskimaux chewing up walrus hides, teeth don’t wear out.
2. Nup.
i drink Coke like it’s water, dentist the other day said
“No cavities”
3. There’s nothing harder than teeth.
The problem is MouthBreathing, particularly at night.
The mouthal cavity is intended to be an Anaerobic Zone.
Once air gets in there, bacteria goes nuts and starts boring holes in the teeth.
Once they get to the nerve, incredible pain ensues, the nerve dies, Flamer does a RootCanal, 3 years later you’ve got Cancer.

Ed Case
Ed Case
June 11, 2022 4:41 am

Addendum:
Eating vegetables is going to wear teeth down, since all the sand and grit can’t be washed out, not to mention bacteria and catshit.

Ed Case
Ed Case
June 11, 2022 4:43 am

All those people who had cancer:
Still got those RootCanals?
Get ’em out before you get it again.

JC
JC
June 11, 2022 4:53 am

Lordie

If only it works.

This week it was revealed that a pioneering vaccine developed by researchers at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in the U.S. could prevent pancreatic cancer from returning after surgery — raising hopes of a cure.

It comes in the same week as an even more exciting cancer breakthrough, where patients really did appear to be cured.

Twelve patients with rectal cancer were told their disease had ‘vanished’ after they took part in a clinical trial using a drug called dostarlimab.

The drug is a form of immunotherapy — designed to stimulate the immune system to fight cancer. Dr Luis Diaz, one of the lead authors, declared: ‘This is the first time this has happened in the history of cancer.’

Although the trial, also from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, was small, it has triggered so much optimism there are now plans for those with other forms of the disease, including stomach, prostate and pancreatic cancer, to be trialled on the drug.

Adam
June 11, 2022 4:55 am

Adam and Jupes, greetings from the Caribbean

That might be my next port of call.

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
June 11, 2022 4:57 am

Thanks Tom for the second time! 😉

bespoke
bespoke
June 11, 2022 5:13 am

1st

bespoke
bespoke
June 11, 2022 5:17 am

If in November, the GOP doesn’t begin immediate impeachment of the malignant Kunt, then it’s all over.

Sick of the side shows the get no results.

bespoke
bespoke
June 11, 2022 5:23 am

The end of the thread was very fruity let’s hope never happen again.

Dot
Dot
June 11, 2022 5:28 am

1. Unless you’re an Eskimaux chewing up walrus hides, teeth don’t wear out.
2. Nup.
i drink Coke like it’s water, dentist the other day said
“No cavities”
3. There’s nothing harder than teeth.
The problem is MouthBreathing, particularly at night.
The mouthal cavity is intended to be an Anaerobic Zone.
Once air gets in there, bacteria goes nuts and starts boring holes in the teeth.
Once they get to the nerve, incredible pain ensues, the nerve dies, Flamer does a RootCanal, 3 years later you’ve got Cancer.

Okay Graeme Bird.

Dot
Dot
June 11, 2022 5:33 am

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigilanol_tiglate

JC

That is the drug derived from the blushwood berry (native to Queensland) I used to bang on about, EBC 46. EcoBiotics/QBiotics are in partnership with Merck (MSD, Merck Sharpe Dome) to develop it into a drug for humans. You can only get it for pets (dogs) now.

Dot
Dot
June 11, 2022 5:35 am

Sorry

Merck Sharp Dohme

rosie
rosie
June 11, 2022 5:52 am
rosie
rosie
June 11, 2022 5:55 am

If we’d stuck to good old clean safe reliable coal would there even be an energy crisis right now?
Why no, no there wouldn’t.

Chris Bowen takes aim at gas companies as Allegra Spender blasts ‘crisis in fossil fuel prices’

Dot
Dot
June 11, 2022 6:07 am

Morriswine ended offshore exploration in NSW, the Greens want to end onshore exploration, plus we have the PRRT. Wayne Swan wanted the MRRT. Hmmm…Dickhead Andrews is banning natural gas in the domestic setting in Vicco (snow season is already booked out, LOL).

What we can and should do is rather obvious.

Will Australia ever be a net oil exporter again? Where is the next Golden Fleece as a retailer?

Nope. Have to have $2.20/ltr diesel to appease the spirits of the forest.

Dot
Dot
June 11, 2022 6:09 am

Peanut Head was the same in question time a few years ago as Federal opposition leader.

He reminded me literally of Hitler with his shrieking.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
June 11, 2022 6:57 am

That’s a nice painting by the way.

It is. It’s like one of those Monet snow paintings. Different style of course, but same theme.
The beauty of cold snowy winter. Which continental Australia also experiences in places.

Those places where we are killing our sick and aged with cold in the land of bountiful energy.
It doesn’t even have to be snowing, just very cold indeed.
Thanks for that, Teals. Enjoy your day.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
June 11, 2022 7:01 am

Formic acid and milk with small struggling black dots, miniature mountaineers scaling the pristine heights of my spooned on yoghurt.

Arrgh. Small black ants have got into my brekkie flakes.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
June 11, 2022 7:09 am

I wondered why my son minding Attapuss while we were away had got through two kilos of brown sugar when he had been waxing lyrical about his sugar-free diet. All is clear now. The ants have arisen from winter hibernation and come into the warmth of the kitchen. He probably flushed it all down the sink.

Yesterday, Hairy morning flushed a total hive of ants down the sink as they clustered on a cutting board gobbling at drops of stickiness I had left them from my nightime ambrosia of milk and honey.

The current crop in my brekkie today included many smaller baby ants, due I surmise to lack of adults bringing back food for them. I felt bad about that, before killing them.

132andBush
132andBush
June 11, 2022 7:13 am

Ramirez with a “proper functioning society” toon this morning.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
June 11, 2022 7:17 am

Attapuss will not leave me be, he is constantly wailing for attention and smooching. As soon as I sit down anywhere, he’s up on me. He’s taken to sleeping on the end of our bed, on my legs, so I wake with cramps from lack of normal movement. Attapus is over seven kilos now, and hard to shift, especially when he is determined and my resolve is diminished because I am only half-awake.

I am however up to his game. No wookita widdle face all upset, didums, missing mummy-kins.

This is neurotic over-dependence masquerading as a companion animal.

Bloody animal behaviourists ruin it all, don’t they?

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
June 11, 2022 7:26 am

I went to my first dance class in nearly six weeks yesterday. Don’t even feel stiff today. Extraordinary. Must be all of those stairs in ancient abbeys and rickety-stairs cottages in Britain.

I loved being back dancing. There is nothing like it for invigorating the spirits and taking twenty years off your age. It’s a mental as well as a physical thing.

Like sex. 🙂

Vicki
Vicki
June 11, 2022 7:33 am

Lizzie – enjoy. I am a dope for animals. We had an Abyssinian cat years ago. She ran in front of a car when middle aged, lost an eye & was coddled ever after. She lived to almost 20 years, & I hate to confess this – but in her final years she insisted on being under the covers in our bed, laying lengthways like a human! She was much loved, although she became a crotchety old lady in her old age. She wouldn’t eat if left in a cat kennel so we took to taking her on holidays – smuggling her into Kosciusko National Park (under a blanket) through the ranger checkpoint, & into our apartment in Thredbo. She would sit by the fire all day, but we would have to drag her away from the window if birds landed on the balcony. Husband had to hold her when she was finally euthanised by the vet when she was suffering too much in her very advanced age. I grieved for weeks.

MatrixTransform
June 11, 2022 7:39 am
Real Deal
Real Deal
June 11, 2022 7:51 am

From last night’s thread

P at 10.02pm
Real Deal,

I’ve seen what you have seen, but have you ever had a loved one die of cancer and been with him every step of the way?
If you had you would I believe be not so judgemental

The answer to your question P is yes and yes. A number of times. Two years ago I lost most of my left lung to lung cancer, and shuffled around hospital with the IV stand bombed out on endone. I don’t smoke, and enduring much workplace passive smoking may have been a factor in my cancer.

I have sat by beds with people gasping for breath, putting nose lines back in when they turn blue. I’ve buried my own father who died of smoking related disease.

Don’t be so judgemental yourself.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
June 11, 2022 7:55 am

Maybe they could be called “svelte”?

British Health Researchers Call For Term “Morbidly Obese” To Be Memory-Holed (10 Jun)

In the latest example of science and health being overruled by woke nonsense, researchers on obesity have called for ‘hurtful’ terms such as ‘morbidly obese’ to be scrapped so as not to harm the feelings of fat people.

The Daily Mail reports that researchers published in the journal Obesity, which describes itself as ‘the premier source of information for people with obesity’, conducted a study on how often ‘negative terminology’ was used in connection with obesity.

Well they don’t know what a woman is either, so I suppose this is just being consistent.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
June 11, 2022 7:55 am

On our bed, my side only because reasons, is my Ancient Briton rug purchased from a cottage museum at the hamlet mill-site of Flatford where Constable did his major paintings, their cloudscapes that still roil over the site only now recognised as a forerunner to the impressionists. This redolant rug’s scratchy hand-spun and wonkily hand-woven wool has warp and weft in different muted checks using vegetable dyes. Very original. Extremely cosy as the loose weave gathers warm air pockets.

Survivalist stuff in ye olde days of tribal yore around the shoulders of an emboldened Boudicca leading the rage against the Romans in her wicker chariot, or her tribesmen hunkering down during frozen nights of guerilla warfare

Would be good for warming up OAP’s in rural Australia too. It may even come to that.
Thanks again, Teals, making everything old new again. Dangerously so.

Cassie of Sydney
June 11, 2022 7:55 am

“Vickisays:
June 11, 2022 at 7:33 am”

Lovely story Vicki. I’m reminded of our family Burmese, who lived to be 20.

I’m also a dope for animals. They’re angels.

2dogs
2dogs
June 11, 2022 7:56 am

Regarding this, how is it that mercenaries violate international law, but conscripts are ok?

Why is slavery better than prostitution?

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
June 11, 2022 7:59 am

Like sex. ?

back that truck up, Nanna

lol, Matrix. You old guys are such a laugh.

John Sheldrick
June 11, 2022 8:02 am

John

I’m talking about the US. Cost of living adjustment is always done looking backwards .

OK JC and I should have realised when you said Social Security that your comment was talking about the USA.

JC
JC
June 11, 2022 8:04 am

Uncle Fester

We know the bible precludes from responding to some of these really awful people, but just walk us through this as I’m confused as other people are) after seeing what they’ve written on private chat boards.

Yesterday you self-described as a chemist, which presumably means trained in industrial chemistry. Other times, you’ve said you were a metallurgist. As you are aware, those two disciplines aren’t the same.

Is this self- description dependent on the topic you’re posting ? Just curious.

Just pretend it’s not me asking but Harold Scooby or someone, which ought to give Titus a little comfort.

calli
calli
June 11, 2022 8:05 am

Areff, my method to remove blood stains from a crime scene…

DO NOT use hot or warm water. Strictly cold. Hot water sets the stain.

Soak the garment in a bucket of cold water overnight to soften everything up. You may find that in the morning all you are left with is a “halo” where the stain once was.

If your shirt is white and you aren’t worried about bleaching, dab the remainder with peroxide. I’m slack and just use normal bleach in solution in a bucket of cold – leave for an hour or two.

If your shirt is coloured, try “Exit” bar (a little yellow bar of soap you can find in the supermarket). There are also a few good enzyme type spray ons, but I prefer soap.

If the car seat is leather, a wipe with a baby wipe should do the trick. If it is cloth, I would use a product called “Spot Wiz”, it lifts organic stains in upholstery and carpet (also excellent for pet disasters). Again, cold water is your friend.

Be warned. None of these methods will stop a blue light detecting the blood. You might wish to expedite your passport renewal.

JC
JC
June 11, 2022 8:06 am

OK JC and I should have realised when you said Social Security that your comment was talking about the USA.

Yea John. No problem.

——-

Areff, we’re going to get at least an 8%+ pay increase next year.

John Sheldrick
June 11, 2022 8:07 am

3. There’s nothing harder than teeth.

How about a diamond?

bespoke
bespoke
June 11, 2022 8:07 am

You cannot treat British citizens in this manner

Really!

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
June 11, 2022 8:08 am

Thanks, Vicki. Of course I am doting on him. Stupid animal who can do no wrong, mostly.
We too had a special cat who lived to eighteen years, a Burmese. When we moved interstate we took her with us, sneaking her into motel rooms and she journeyed in the car on my lap. She had terminal cancer at the last. The day at the vet’s when we finally decided to let her die easily was just terrible, seared into the memories of both of us. As with our fourteen year old family dog.

I treat my pets like people. I don’t know any better. Bugger the scientists.
They aren’t always right, and an animal’s eyes reveal souls too.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
June 11, 2022 8:09 am

How about a diamond?

Yes please! 🙂

Bourne1879
Bourne1879
June 11, 2022 8:09 am

From Courier Mail.

A judge hearing a legal challenge by police and ambulance officers to mandatory Covid-19 vaccination directives said he would not make findings about the efficacy of approved vaccines.

Justice Glenn Martin has heard evidence from infectious diseases and a vaccination experts during the civil trial in the Supreme Court in Brisbane.

On Friday, Justice reserved his decision on applications to overturn vaccination mandates, by more than 70 police officers and staff and 12 ambulance officers, after 10 days of hearings.

“If anyone thinks I’m going to decide the efficacy of vaccines they’re very mistaken, that is not my task at all,” Justice Martin said.

Michael Hodge QC, for the Police Commissioner, criticised the applicants’ witness, Professor Nikolai Petrovsky, a vaccine developer, over his “conspiracy theories’’ regarding current approved vaccines.

He said Prof Petrovsky’s evidence should be rejected as he had manifestly failed to demonstrate he had brought an independent mind to his evidence in court.

Mr Hodge said Prof Petrovsky had not revealed in his reports to the court that he believed in a series of “bizarre conspiracy theories’’ about approved vaccines in use in Australia.

Dr Christopher Ward SC, for the ambulance applicants, said Mr Hodge’s comments about Prof Petrovsky, a medical professor and recognised scientist, went way beyond what was acceptable.

Mr Hodge said decision makers for the police and ambulance vaccination directions had considered information showing the benefits of vaccination to those receiving vaccines and to others.

He said they had considered the benefits of vaccines preventing symptomatic infection or serious disease, so that the prospect of losing a proportion of their workforce at unknown times was reduced.

Mr Hodge said if there was any limited interference with human rights by a vaccination directions, the judge could be satisfied it was a reasonable, proportionate and justifiable one, with regard to the benefits of vaccination.

Scott McLeod QC, rejected criticism by Dominic Villa SC, for some police applicants, that Commissioner Katarina Carroll was “an unimpressive witness’’.

Mr McLeod also said there was no basis for Mr Villa’s claim that her approach to the task of making mandatory vaccination directions was an abject failure of public administration.

He also rejected the suggestion that her regard for the human rights of those under her command was perfunctory.

Mr McLeod said the Commissioner had been candid and open when cross-examined about her decision-making process.

He said there was no basis for the court to conclude that she had not given proper consideration to human rights before making her vaccination directions”.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
June 11, 2022 8:11 am

Went to school with an Irish kid called Titus.
Titus O’Carpsarse.

bespoke
bespoke
June 11, 2022 8:11 am

Harold Scooby 

?

2dogs
2dogs
June 11, 2022 8:11 am

those two disciplines aren’t the same

Those managing the OPP at a mine might describe themselves as either.

MatrixTransform
June 11, 2022 8:13 am

3. There’s nothing harder than teeth.

cryptic crosswords

Cassie of Sydney
June 11, 2022 8:13 am

With Sri Lanka verging on economic collapse, thanks to government enforced Greenism, how long will our Labor government keep turning the boats away? How long before Albanese starts talking about “compassion” and so on? We’ve already seen, just over the last few days, his cravenous and meekness when dealing with NZ’s Horse Face (which is actually an insult to horses) over NZ criminals here in Oz facing deportation.

And it isn’t just economic collapse that is driving this, I suspect pictures of the Nadesalingam family, being jubilantly welcomed back to Biloela with open arms, are already doing the rounds in Sri Lanka, those pictures are like postcards, luring others to come to Oz, people are no doubt being told that there’s a new “compassionate” Labor government, a government that is happy to ignore the law. Don’t worry, hop onto a leaky boat, get to Oz, claim refugee status, then you’ll be able to come back and visit Sri Lanka annually, just like the Nadesalingam father did, more than once. All hunky dory. What’s a High Court decision mean, nothing.

What a fucking joke.

Bourne1879
Bourne1879
June 11, 2022 8:15 am

Also from todays CM

Disciplinary action’: Queensland Education gives suspended teachers 14 days to get Covid jab
More than 1000 suspended Education Queensland staff have been issued a 10-page letter threatening disciplinary action if they don’t get vaccinated in the next two weeks.

More than 1000 suspended school staff have received a terse 10-page letter today threatening them with “disciplinary findings” if they did not get Covid vaccinations within the next 14 days.

Education Department Early Learning and Development executive director David Miller wrote to the suspended staff asking them to provide reasons for not being vaccinated.

The letter said that without adequate reasons for not getting the vaccine, staff would face a “disciplinary process” which was not detailed.

Staff who received the letter were alleged to have breached a government health directive with 17 points of evidence listed including that the role of a teacher required working in a “high risk” setting.

“I am providing you with a period of 14 calendar days from the date of this letter to show cause why disciplinary findings should not be made against you,” Mr Miller wrote.

“If you do not respond, or your response is received later than the required timeframe, I will make a decision on the material currently available to me.”

A Toowoomba high school teacher, who did not want to be named, said the letter would not deter suspended teachers from responding and giving their side of the story.

“It was in legal jargon and at no time in the 10 pages did it spell out what the disciplinary action would be,” he said.

“This is another punitive letter that is trying to coerce me into getting the Covid vaccination.

“I have not had the vaccine as I am still waiting for the Education Department to show me the long-term safety data and associated risk assessment.”

Seventy police and health workers are challenging the mandates in a civil Supreme Court trial, which included the Human Rights Commission and Attorney-General but teachers are yet to launch their own case.

Queensland Education said as of June 8, 573 state school teachers and 674 non-teaching staff in state schools were currently suspended for failing to comply with the health direction.

“The department has consistently advised each of these staff that if they continue to fail to comply with the direction, that they may face disciplinary action.”

This month, the Northern Territory and Western Australian government announced their mandatory vaccination directions for most workers would end on Wednesday, June 15.

New South Wales and the ACT dropped their mandates for teachers in May and SA axed their vaccine rule in March.

More than 1000 school staff are believed to have been suspended without pay across the state since January for not being vaccinated against Covid, triggering fears of a classroom ‘ramping’ crisis and teacher shortage”.

WTF is the Teachers Union doing and how many jabs do they think their members should take at risk of their jobs ?

John Sheldrick
June 11, 2022 8:16 am

Sorry

Merck Sharp Dohme

Merck Sharpe and Dohme…………………………..

Apologies for being a nitpicker. One of the best external audits that I worked on when working for AA & Co in Sydney in the early 1980s. In those days the main production facility was at Granville in western Sydney.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
June 11, 2022 8:16 am

Another indication that there will be a revolution in the US soon.

FBI ‘Purging’ Employees With Conservative Views: Rep. Jordan (10 Jun)

FBI arrests GOP candidate for Michigan governor in connection with Jan. 6 (9 Jun)

I have no idea what is going to happen in the mid terms, but with moves like these from the FBI they and the Democrats seem awfully complacent about the Republicans having a massive majority in Congress. Last time they were this complacent was when Biden was getting 6 people to rallies and Trump 60,000. And we all know how the 2016 turned out.

JC
JC
June 11, 2022 8:17 am

Dogs

Definition of industrial chemistry
: chemistry in its industrial applications especially to processes in manufacturing and to commercial production of chemicals.

and

The branch of science and technology concerned with the properties of metals and their production

plus

The science of obtaining metals from their ores and preparing them for use.

It’s not the same.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
June 11, 2022 8:19 am

What happened to Big Yellow Twuck and Little Red Car guy.
Arrived in a flurry then disappeared.
Was it something we said?
Maybe he’s changed dealer and is adjusting the dosage.

JC
JC
June 11, 2022 8:21 am

Sancho Panzer says:
June 11, 2022 at 8:11 am

Went to school with an Irish kid called Titus.
Titus O’Carpsarse.

The dude who does Bosch on Prime is named Titus in real life.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
June 11, 2022 8:26 am

Isn’t the big guy on Gutfeld! also called Titus?
And there’s Titus O’Reilly of course.

John Sheldrick
June 11, 2022 8:29 am

A Toowoomba high school teacher, who did not want to be named, said the letter would not deter suspended teachers from responding and giving their side of the story.

“It was in legal jargon and at no time in the 10 pages did it spell out what the disciplinary action would be,” he said.

“This is another punitive letter that is trying to coerce me into getting the Covid vaccination.

“I have not had the vaccine as I am still waiting for the Education Department to show me the long-term safety data and associated risk assessment.”

And bloody well said too. The Education Department cannot give you “the long term safety data and associated risk assessment” as this does not exist. Your body and your choice. “Informed consent please” is the logical legal defence for all of us unvaccinated. QED

JC
JC
June 11, 2022 8:32 am

I’m guessing , the old Yugoslavian commie prez , Tito, is Titus in the English translation.

Interesting that Real Deal reckons Uncle Fester is lying that Titus is the Christian equivalent of the Woke cancelling folks they don’t like. I suspect Real Deal is correct and Fester is sanctimoniously bullshitting as usual.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
June 11, 2022 8:33 am

One for Dover.

Ukraine running low on ammunition (10 Jun)

As the conflict continues into its fifth month, Ukraine is close to running out of ammunition as the country’s forces continue to fight against Russian troops.

According to Fox News, Ukrainian deputy head of Military Intelligence Vadym Skibitsky told the Guardian that the war has used up most of Ukraine’s ammunition.

“We have almost used up all of our [artillery] ammunition and are now using 155-calibre NATO standard shells. Europe is also delivering lower-caliber shells but as Europe runs out, the amount is getting smaller,” he said.

I said this right at the start, that ammunition is the serious problem since it’s easy to underestimate the sheer amount of the stuff a few guys with rifles can get through, let alone several regiments of artillery. Same goes for all the countries supplying Ukraine – they’re all running out. No one ever keeps enough in store, except perhaps Russia*, and I suspect this is even cramping Russian activities too (they are seemingly only using dumb contact fuses for their shells, which suggests long stored stock).

* Russia had severe problems with inadequately planned ammunition production in WW1, that appears to have led to a culture of squirreling huge amounts of it away ever since.

Salvatore, Understaffed & Overworked Martyr to Govt Covid Stupidity

We’re so fortunate to have someone on the Cat who looked up “scientist” on wikipedia & thus knows more than … actual scientists.

Like I mean, how hard can it be to know all about science? A few minutes googling, throw in a few gratuitous personal insults, call an actual scientist a “homosexual” or a “sack of shit” & hey presto! You know more than someone who’s been doing it their whole life.

bespoke
bespoke
June 11, 2022 8:37 am

Speculation aside, there isn’t goings to be another revolution in the US. Just increased activity between the hard core nutters .

Real Deal
Real Deal
June 11, 2022 8:40 am

Don’t forget Titus Oates. He of the famous “I’m just stepping out for a moment, I may be sometime.” I’ve used that quote at the pub when its my turn to shout. I was called Titus by my mates, or at least it sounded like Titus.

Real Deal
Real Deal
June 11, 2022 8:41 am

“Come back, you lousy cheap Titus!”

JC
JC
June 11, 2022 8:45 am

Drills

No no, we’re fortunate to have someone in FNQ posting comments here directing traffic on who is and isn’t a weal Astrayn.

Go eat some pea and ham soup, you drunken wanker.

Also, you used to defend Marcus Adonis’ plagiarism whenever someone brought it up. No shame.

flyingduk
flyingduk
June 11, 2022 8:48 am

Michael Hodge QC, for the Police Commissioner, criticised the applicants’ witness, Professor Nikolai Petrovsky, a vaccine developer, over his “conspiracy theories’’ regarding current approved vaccines.

Given the ever shortening time for ‘conspiracy theories’ to mature into established facts, this means they will be proven right in about 3 months.

Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 8:48 am

Isn’t the big guy on Gutfeld! also called Titus?

Nope. It’s Tyrus, who used to be a pretend-wrestler with WWE.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
June 11, 2022 8:48 am

Interesting that Real Deal reckons Uncle Fester is lying that Titus is the Christian equivalent of the Woke cancelling folks they don’t like. I suspect Real Deal is correct and Fester is sanctimoniously bullshitting as usual.

I think Real Deal is on the money.
In any case, we know where we stand. We can treat future sciency pronouncements with some scepticism, knowing they will have to be run past Titus for approval first.
I could be wrong, but I think “modern scientific method” might be an away game for Titus.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
June 11, 2022 8:50 am

Real Dealsays:

June 11, 2022 at 8:41 am

“Come back, you lousy cheap Titus!”

Titus O’Troutsarse?

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
June 11, 2022 8:51 am

Tirus.
Thanks Tom.

JC
JC
June 11, 2022 8:51 am

Titus’ing the science method.

flyingduk
flyingduk
June 11, 2022 8:51 am

* Russia had severe problems with inadequately planned ammunition production in WW1, that appears to have led to a culture of squirreling huge amounts of it away ever since.

Musta learned that from me 😉

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
June 11, 2022 8:51 am

Tyrus!

Zipster
June 11, 2022 8:52 am

What a fucking joke.

relax., this clusterfuck hasn’t even warmed up yet

JC
JC
June 11, 2022 8:54 am

All the syllables that rhythm with Titus.

syllables:

actitis, arthritis, artritis, bolbitis, bronchitis, bulbitis, bursitis, caecitis, cecitis, cheilitis, chondritis, chorditis, cloacitis, cocytus, conchitis, corditis, corneitis, coxitis, cryptitis, cyclitis, cytitis, dartitis, delightous, dermitis, desmitis, detritus, discitis, diskitis, fascitis, faucitis, gastritis, glossitis, gonitis, ileitis, invite us, lienitis, lymphitis, mammitis, mastitis, mazaitis, mephitis, metritis, moraitis, myitis, nephritis, neuritis, nymphitis, ophritis, orchitis, osteitis, ostitis, otitis, petraitis, phallitis, phlebitis, phrenitis, phyllitis, posthitis, pouchitis, proctitis, pruritis, rachitis, rectitis, rhabditis, rhachitis, rhinitis, salitis, samitis, scleritis, scrotitis, sinuitis, steatitis, strumitis, struvite us, tarsitis, thecitis, tinnitis, trachitis, trichitis, typhlitis, unitas, uveitis, vagitus, villitis, vulvitis, zemaitis

Vagitus sounds ominous.

lotocoti
lotocoti
June 11, 2022 8:54 am

Ladies podium photobombed by somebody’s Dad.
A knee to his lady goolies might shift that smirk.

JC
JC
June 11, 2022 8:55 am

Whoops

Rhyme

Dot
Dot
June 11, 2022 8:58 am

Tigilanol tiglate.

Thank me later.

Tintarella di Luna
Tintarella di Luna
June 11, 2022 8:59 am

There is a very long article in the Australian about the follically challenged shit-lips: though I have no sympathy for the blasphemous former PM I putting it up in full just so we can all see the inmates in the political zoo which is the Liebrals — the Liars zoo would resemble more the bestiary of old – sorry about the length but it is what it is:

Re-elect PM? Turns out some weren’t so Kean
SHARRI MARKSON
INVESTIGATIONS WRITER
It was less than two weeks from election day when Matt Kean, the second most senior Liberal in NSW and the state’s Treasurer, inserted himself into the political campaign against Scott Morrison’s re-election.

Kean shot a message to a young journalist on the road with the then-prime minister, encouraging her to ask questions around the political controversy over Katherine Deves. The Warringah candidate had backtracked on her apology over comments about transgender children being “surgically mutilated’’ the night before in an interview with Sky News host Chris Kenny.

Kean, 11 days out from polling day, messaged the Ten Network’s Stela Todorovic, urging her to ask questions about the issue.

Morrison was standing with Liberal state minister Natalie Ward announcing an extension of the Epping Road Bridge in Sydney’s north.

Kean pushed Todorovic to draw Ward into the furore over Deves, who was lying low on the orders of the national campaign.

“We definitely pushed it along. I tried to get Natalie on it – and she seemed keen to chat but Morrison ended the presser and she was forced to leave,” the ­reporter wrote to the Treasurer over Twitter’s Direct Messaging platform.

“You should pap her,” Kean responded, according to photographs of the exchange seen by The Weekend Australian.

News that Kean, who declined to comment, was encouraging journalists to pursue the issue made its way to the prime minister and his senior team.

They were astounded that one of the most senior figures in the NSW Liberal government was trying to sabotage Morrison’s election prospects. While Labor premiers Mark McGowan, Annastacia Palaszczuk and Daniel ­Andrews were campaigning to help Anthony ­Albanese win, a top politician from one of only two state Liberal governments was seemingly working against the prime minister.

Kean had been leading calls for the Liberal Party to disendorse Deves. His stance was at odds with that of Premier Dominic Perrottet, who sent Morrison a text message on the weekend of April 16 to offer his support on the substantive issue of women competing against women in sport.

Morrison’s principal private secretary, Yaron Finkelstein, phoned Kean that day, but he missed the call. They finally spoke the following morning and it is understood Finkelstein said he had become aware of Kean’s contact and messages with journalists.

A second source close to Morrison raised the issue separately with Kean, who strongly denied the allegation and claimed he was doing everything in his power to help Morrison’s re-election.

Liberal rivals

There was no love lost between Kean, the leader of the moderate faction in NSW, and Morrison.

Kean had reinvented himself as a green warrior championing ­action against climate change and more renewable ­energy after a major personal ­crisis. He had fretted whether his political career was over after an ex-girlfriend leaked messages he had sent to a female MP, propositioning her for sex. His ex-girlfriend worked for prime minister Malcolm Turnbull at the time.

While Kean and Turnbull had an acrimonious start to their relationship, the Treasurer has confided to friends that the pair worked through their differences and were in contact.

The 40-year-old first spoke publicly against Morrison in February 2020 when he told this ­author on Sky News that some of Morrison’s senior cabinet ministers wanted him to take stronger action on climate change.

Mr Morrison retorted the next day: “Most of the federal cabinet wouldn’t even know who Matt Kean was.”

The remark, reported widely, ironically elevated the little-known MP’s profile.

As the years went on, the animosity between the pair grew. But the war Kean waged against ­Morrison was ultimately self-­defeating. Many of his moderate colleagues would end up losing their seats, including his close friend Trent Zimmerman and federal treasurer and potential future prime minister Josh Frydenberg.

The wipe-out of ambitious and talented Liberals in blue-ribbon seats delivered Peter Dutton the Liberal leadership and has given Kean’s rival conservative faction the power and the numbers in Canberra.

On the surface, Morrison was battling Labor and the teals during the election campaign, but he was also facing division from disgruntled Liberals.

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg, who worked with pollster Crosby Textor during a short period at the federal Liberal Party ­before entering the Senate in 2019, was one of the strongest internal dissenters. During the campaign, Bragg was vocal about his distaste for the way Morrison had operated as prime minister, describing him to colleagues as ­unprincipled.

Scott Morrison had to ‘eat some humble pie’ in return to parliament
Former prime minister Scott Morrison had a “tough day” upon returning to parliament, says Sky News Political…
“If he wins, he will need to change the way he operates,” Bragg said during the campaign.

He was angry and freely ­expressed his view that Morrison would cost moderates, such as Frydenberg, their seats. Bragg was a strong supporter of Frydenberg and was canvassing support for him to take over the opposition leadership after the election.

As such, he was not awarded a frontbench position in Dutton’s shadow ministry reshuffle.

Political strategist Isaac Levido, credited with Boris Johnson’s 2019 win, was working in the Coalition’s Brisbane campaign headquarters and, as a close friend of Bragg, was chosen as the emissary to try to pull Bragg into line on several ­occasions during the campaign.

“They sent him out to talk to me when they wanted to send a message,” Bragg says.

“They didn’t want me to talk about the transgender issue, but I said if I was asked I would give an honest answer because I didn’t agree with Morrison’s position.

“They also didn’t want me to speak about expanding the superannuation policy, opening up super for mortgages and other things. That was the final week of the campaign and I agreed in general terms not to inflame things.”

In the final week of the election campaign, The Australian’s columnist and Ten reporter Peter van Onselen claimed to have “leaked internal Liberal polling” that showed the Liberals were on track to lose three NSW seats: Reid, Bennelong and Parramatta. He also said Deves was “still in the hunt to win the seat” of Warringah with a two-party-preferred vote of 47 per cent to Zali Steggall’s 53 per cent. It was the second set of polling van Onselen had broadcast.

Senior Liberal figures scratched their heads, wondering where it had originated. The precise numbers did not reflect what was emanating from the party’s ­official poster, Crosby Textor.

An internal probe discovered that Bragg had submitted ­expenses to the NSW Liberal division of about $35,000 to $40,000 to conduct his own alternative polling in many NSW seats.

There is no suggestion that Bragg leaked the polling to van Onselen, which he denies. It was not in his interest to depress the prospects of candidates he was fighting hard to help win.

It’s not even clear whether the polling Bragg commissioned was the same polling broadcast on Ten. However, Morrison’s team ­believed it was.

Bragg had circulated the polling he commissioned to many Liberals – an action one source described as “sloppy” – and the suggestion is a recipient subsequently leaked it to the media.

Questioned about the research for this article, Bragg admits he commissioned alternate polling and is scathing about the way ­Liberal headquarters and Crosby Textor treat Liberal candidates, who he says are kept in the dark about how they are faring.

“The Liberal Party and Crosby Textor treat the candidates like absolute shit and don’t give them the information they need,” Bragg says. “The candidates, who are often members of parliament, all they are given is a phone briefing and if they’re lucky they might get a piece of paper. Crosby Textor omit key things like the favourability of the leader because they’re worried that will leak to the media. If you know the party leader is massively unpopular you’ll differentiate so you can hang onto the seat. But if you’re not told that how are you supposed to know? It’s conflicts galore.”

Battle for Wentworth

In Wentworth, Bragg’s robo-polling during the campaign showed Dave Sharma was on track to win his seat with a primary vote in the high 40s. Crosby Textor’s polling painted a vastly different story, showing Sharma’s primary was about 38 per cent, closer to the 40 per cent he achieved.

“In our mind we needed 43 or 44 at least to win and the CT track never had us there,” a Wentworth insider said.

Another internal Liberal source said Bragg’s alternate ­research had the effect of giving Sharma false confidence his position was stronger than the reality.

“When you start having duelling polling wars going on and different methodologies, that’s never helpful,” a senior Liberal said.

There was also a sense the published polls got it wrong in 2019 and Sharma was encouraged by the positive reception at pre-polling booths. “It feels more like 2019 than 2018,” he said during the campaign, referring to the by-election he lost to Kerryn Phelps in the wake of the federal leadership spill in late 2018.

While Sharma and Bragg remain good friends, others involved in the Wentworth campaign want to ban him from interfering in ­future elections by muddying the waters with conflicting research.

The alternative polling was ­“inevitably described as ‘official’ polling and had the effect of creating ­overly pessimistic or overly optimistic result scenarios and ­impacted upon subsequent campaign activities, fundraising and ­momentum”, says the Wentworth FEC submission being prepared for the Liberal Party election ­review led by Brian Loughnane.

It recommends: “No longer allow patron senators to commission polling, research or demographic data analysis without the specific approval of the relevant state director.”

Bragg says he commissioned the research not only to give candidates more information but to guide which seats he should invest in from the $350,000 he had fund­raised for the NSW division of the Liberal Party.

“Obviously if I’m going to spend $300,000 on an election campaign from money I’m raising from people, a lot of dinners and lunches, you want to make sure you’re going to put that money into seats where you have the best chance of winning,” he says.

Bragg, who was flatmates with Sharma and former Reid MP Fiona Martin in Canberra, is also blamed for encouraging Martin to cross the floor on the religious freedoms legislation, which he didn’t support. Bragg strongly urged Sharma to cross the floor.

Martin was the only MP not to afford Morrison a heads-up that she wouldn’t be supporting the government’s bill – a betrayal that was held against her.

Senior campaign sources say the move cost her the otherwise cohesive Maronite Christian vote in her electorate. It’s understood Archbishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay let it be known he was disappointed in her actions.

The Prime Minister’s unpopularity was certainly a factor in seats won by the teal independents.

In Wentworth, Sharma’s ­favourability was plus 13 while Morrison’s favourability was negative 26, according to polling in the first week of May.

Albanese was the preferred prime minister in Wentworth on 50 per cent, while Morrison had the support of 35 per cent.

In the wake of the election, Morrison has expressed an idea to some of his confidants about a possible strategy to deal with the independents in future elections: establish the Liberal National Party brand Australia-wide as the main conservative political movement.

Instead of the Nationals being the Coalition partner, he has ­suggested setting up a new ­progressive Liberal movement as the Coalition partner. It could run a different brand in the inner-city seats.

Campaign flaws

Aside from Morrison’s unpopularity, particularly with female ­voters, there were other major structural issues with local campaigns.

An excerpt from a draft submission by party officials to the Liberal campaign review, obtained for this article, claims there were a number of first-term MPs who ultimately lost their seats after they “failed to meet minimum benchmarks for community engagement and voter contact either through traditional doorknocking, direct mail or social media”.

The recommendation is that new MPs and senators need to undertake formal training by political professionals.

There was also the problem of inadequate candidate vetting. External agencies were hired to vet candidates including Deves and the Liberal candidate in the Victorian seat of Scullin, who came unstuck amid controversy around his real estate business.

The extent of Deves’s controversial remarks on the transgender issue was not discovered during the vetting process. While the external agencies employed had a good record of vetting board appointments, they underestim­ated the scrutiny political candidates would be subject to.

In Wentworth, campaign officials decided they couldn’t compete with independent Allegra Spender’s enthusiastic team of volunteers who were putting corflutes up around the electorate. ­Instead they tried to get Ausgrid to force her to pull them down, in ­accordance with the law.

“A view taken was because we couldn’t match the volume of her corflutes, getting Ausgrid involved evened the playing field,” a campaign insider said.

This didn’t happen and the ­result was that Spender’s face populated the electorate. Her name recognition rose while Sharma had very little visible presence.

Sharma was also outmatched in volunteers by an estimate of four to one. It was a struggle to staff polling booths from 8am to 6pm during the pre-polling weeks.

Polling shortfalls

The Crosby Textor research may have accurately captured the Liberal and Labor primary vote in most of the seats it tracked, but there is criticism it vastly under­estimated the independent vote, ­severely masking the threat to the Liberals from the teals, and it failed to detect the size of the swing against the Liberals in Western Australia.

The WA research indicated Swan and Pearce were in trouble, but those close to Morrison predicted potentially only one seat would be lost in the state.

They were even hopeful of picking up Cowan, held by Labor MP Anne Aly.

Senior Liberal MP Ben Morton felt relaxed enough about his seat of Tangney that he stopped campaigning in his electorate halfway through the campaign, instead hopping on the Prime Minister’s plane to travel with him, as he had done in 2019.

It was a shock to Morrison on election night when Morton lost his seat. Sources say he felt terrible for both him and former Robertson MP Lucy Wicks, close friends now out of a job.

“It was pretty stupid, to be honest,” one senior Liberal source said of Morton’s move to leave his seat for the travelling campaign.

“To be frank, I don’t think he wanted to do three or six years in opposition as well, so I don’t think he’s too bothered.”

The optimism the Liberal Party had about Western Australia proved to be utterly wrong, with the state recording the biggest swing against the party nationwide. “I don’t think we expected to lose seats like Tangney, Curtin; we didn’t expect Menzies to be as close as it was in Victoria,” a senior source said.

The seats contested by independents were not included in the nightly track, a deliberate decision because the track measured the Liberal-­versus-Labor contest.

The seats ultimately won by the teals were instead subject to spot polls at occasional points during the campaign.

Frydenberg was well behind ­independent candidate Monique Ryan when his seat was polled several weeks out from election day. As May 21 drew closer, it looked like his position had improved.

“I don’t think there was a CT poll that had Josh ahead,” a senior Liberal said. “The assumption was made that he was improving his position and that come polling day people may have been flirting with Monique Ryan but returned to Frydenberg.

“There was a hope that very ­effective members like Josh and Dave Sharma would get over the line because voters in these seats are sensible.”

The fact the Crosby Textor ­research underestimated the ­losses in Western Australia and the impact of the teals gave Morrison more confidence about his prospects on election day.

No Liberal strategists anticipated the Coalition’s seat total to plunge from 76 to 58.

“I wasn’t expecting us to win but wasn’t expecting our seat count to be so low,” a senior campaign source said.

The Liberal Party’s final polling in the 20 marginal seats it was tracking nightly was accurate – just 0.8 per cent out from the two-party-preferred result.

That final tracking poll was 72 hours from the close of polls.

Misplaced confidence

Undeterred, Morrison remained “relentlessly disciplined in his confidence” and upbeat in the final days of the campaign. At that point, there were high hopes at senior levels of the Liberal team that the 5 per cent of undecided voters could fall their way.

Morrison’s confidence was also attributed to how Labor’s primary vote had plummeted in the final weeks of the campaign, according to Crosby Textor research. Morrison’s view was understood to be that Labor couldn’t form majority government with a primary vote that had crashed so low.

At midday on election day, Fink­elstein was downcast about their chance of success, confiding to his colleagues that Albanese would win. “He thinks the undecided started to fall the way of change on Thursday night and last night,” a source said at the time.

Federal Liberal campaign ­director Andrew Hirst was also pessimistic and was bracing for a loss, although not as brutal as the scenario that eventuated.

The prime minister, however, dismissed Finkelstein’s dire ­prediction.

“Yaron is just tired, he’s exhausted after a long campaign,” Morrison said early in the afternoon to a close confidant.

‘True conservatives’ felt ‘ripped off’ by Morrison government
Sky News host Chris Smith says the Morrison government “did nothing but head to the centre” on “so many…
Those close to Morrison say he was “quietly confident” that he could win minority government; that he could pull off a miracle once again.

On election night, Sky News host Paul Murray was reporting from the Liberal function at the Fullerton hotel in Sydney’s CBD.

He recalls that at the start of the night there was no sense of the scale of the impending defeat.

“There are times when you’re going to lose so everyone walks in going ‘how bad is this going to be’,” he said.

But that wasn’t the mood in the room on election night. Instead there was an initial sense of hope.

“The whole scenario is they weren’t supposed to win last time,” Murray said.

“They all had muscle memory of winning against the trend.

“On election night, everyone saw Labor’s vote was down so they assumed this was happening again. Even in the second hour when it started going against the Libs, they were very much of the view that pre-poll hasn’t been counted yet.

“Then there was the final ­realisation that the train is not going to arrive.”

At Kirribilli House, Morrison remained hopeful and upbeat as he bundled into his study with his closest friends, advisers and strategists, including David Gazard, ­Andrew Carswell, Finkelstein, Adrian Harrington and John Kunkel. Morrison sat at his desk, ­examining the raw numbers as they were coming in from the Australian Electoral Commission.

Outside, Jenny Morrison, ever-positive and smiling, entertained about 20 of the couple’s friends from the Shire.

The first hour looked to be a ­repeat of 2019, with early polling showing Labor’s depressed primary vote.

Then there was a view in the room, about 7.30 to 8pm, that there wouldn’t be a definitive result that night.

Nail in the coffin

But then it changed.

“The pre-poll voting, which we would have thought favoured us, it just didn’t,” said one source from the room.

“When those results started being dropped, it cemented the trend. And then it changed really quickly.”

Morrison left the room to take a long call from Frydenberg, who a source said was “in a pretty bad way”.

During the half-hour that he was out of the room, the size of the teal problem crystallised.

Morrison walked back in and said: “How is it looking?”

“It’s not good,” an adviser said.

“I know it’s not good,” Morrison replied.

“It’s got worse,” a friend replied.

Then the Mackellar numbers started flowing in. “Jason (Falinski) is in trouble,” Morrison said.

A source in the room said that “when Jason’s results became clear, that’s when hope was abandoned”.

Finkelstein was the one who called it, according to those present. “We will be conceding ­tonight,” he said.

Not long after that, Jenny and the Morrisons’ daughters, Abbey and Lily, came in and gave the outgoing prime minister a hug.

“It was a night of mixed emotions for Jenny. She had a sadness for Scott but it was tinged with a different emotion, which is that now she will get some sense of ­normality for her and her girls,” a source said.

Morrison was disappointed but not overtly emotional. Pragmatic, he started working on his concession speech with his team before calling Albanese to concede just after 10pm.

SHARRI MARKSON
INVESTIGATIONS EDITOR

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
June 11, 2022 9:01 am

Vagitus sounds ominous.

I’m more worried about cloacitis.
But I’ll check with Titus.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
June 11, 2022 9:04 am

I’m sad for my relos in Jamaica.

Queen to be booted as head of state in Jamaica as nation ‘formally commences’ separation (10 Jun)

THE QUEEN is set to be booted as the head of state in Jamaica as the island nation has “formally commenced” its separation from the British monarchy, a senior minister on the Caribbean island has said.

We’re saved! (again) Biden White House announces international efforts to ‘combat climate change’ at Americas summit (10 Jun)

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are announcing new initiatives Thursday at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles that aim to combat climate change while creating jobs throughout the hemisphere.

Harris will be launching an effort with Caribbean countries to help them fight the effects of climate change while developing cleaner energy alternatives and reducing emissions. The U.S.-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis 2030 will help improve access to development financing in the area and invest in clean energy projects, the White House said.

Biden keeps on trying to get Kamala to do stuff. And every time she actually does stuff it’s a disaster. So now Jamaica has gone lefty and ditched Elizabeth, they’ve received Kamala in her place, and Kamala wants to save them all from global warming. I foresee a sudden outbreak of “bad luck” in the Caribbean.

(Btw this video from Puerto Rico illustrates one tiny problem with “cleaner energy alternatives” in the Caribbean. Ouch, especially the solar farm at the end.)

H B Bear
H B Bear
June 11, 2022 9:05 am

Those who want to see the Lieborals destroyed should take heart that the NSW Lieboral Party are also working on the same thing.

Cassie of Sydney
June 11, 2022 9:11 am

Sharri Markson has a very, very good piece in today’s Oz about Morrison, Kean and the Liberal election fiasco. I’m sorry, it’s a long piece but well worth reading.

“Re-elect PM? Turns out some weren’t so Kean

It was less than two weeks from election day when Matt Kean, the second most senior Liberal in NSW and the state’s Treasurer, inserted himself into the political campaign against Scott Morrison’s re-election.

Kean shot a message to a young journalist on the road with the then-prime minister, encouraging her to ask questions around the political controversy over Katherine Deves. The Warringah candidate had backtracked on her apology over comments about transgender children being “surgically mutilated’’ the night before in an interview with Sky News host Chris Kenny.

Kean, 11 days out from polling day, messaged the Ten Network’s Stela Todorovic, urging her to ask questions about the issue.

Morrison was standing with Liberal state minister Natalie Ward announcing an extension of the Epping Road Bridge in Sydney’s north.

Kean pushed Todorovic to draw Ward into the furore over Deves, who was lying low on the orders of the national campaign.

“We definitely pushed it along. I tried to get Natalie on it – and she seemed keen to chat but Morrison ended the presser and she was forced to leave,” the ­reporter wrote to the Treasurer over Twitter’s Direct Messaging platform.

“You should pap her,” Kean responded, according to photographs of the exchange seen by The Weekend Australian.

News that Kean, who declined to comment, was encouraging journalists to pursue the issue made its way to the prime minister and his senior team.

They were astounded that one of the most senior figures in the NSW Liberal government was trying to sabotage Morrison’s election prospects. While Labor premiers Mark McGowan, Annastacia Palaszczuk and Daniel ­Andrews were campaigning to help Anthony ­Albanese win, a top politician from one of only two state Liberal governments was seemingly working against the prime minister.

Kean had been leading calls for the Liberal Party to disendorse Deves. His stance was at odds with that of Premier Dominic Perrottet, who sent Morrison a text message on the weekend of April 16 to offer his support on the substantive issue of women competing against women in sport.

Morrison’s principal private secretary, Yaron Finkelstein, phoned Kean that day, but he missed the call. They finally spoke the following morning and it is understood Finkelstein said he had become aware of Kean’s contact and messages with journalists.

A second source close to Morrison raised the issue separately with Kean, who strongly denied the allegation and claimed he was doing everything in his power to help Morrison’s re-election.

There was no love lost between Kean, the leader of the moderate faction in NSW, and Morrison.

Kean had reinvented himself as a green warrior championing ­action against climate change and more renewable ­energy after a major personal ­crisis. He had fretted whether his political career was over after an ex-girlfriend leaked messages he had sent to a female MP, propositioning her for sex. His ex-girlfriend worked for prime minister Malcolm Turnbull at the time.

While Kean and Turnbull had an acrimonious start to their relationship, the Treasurer has confided to friends that the pair worked through their differences and were in contact.

The 40-year-old first spoke publicly against Morrison in February 2020 when he told this ­author on Sky News that some of Morrison’s senior cabinet ministers wanted him to take stronger action on climate change.

Mr Morrison retorted the next day: “Most of the federal cabinet wouldn’t even know who Matt Kean was.”

The remark, reported widely, ironically elevated the little-known MP’s profile.

As the years went on, the animosity between the pair grew. But the war Kean waged against ­Morrison was ultimately self-­defeating. Many of his moderate colleagues would end up losing their seats, including his close friend Trent Zimmerman and federal treasurer and potential future prime minister Josh Frydenberg.

The wipe-out of ambitious and talented Liberals in blue-ribbon seats delivered Peter Dutton the Liberal leadership and has given Kean’s rival conservative faction the power and the numbers in Canberra.

On the surface, Morrison was battling Labor and the teals during the election campaign, but he was also facing division from disgruntled Liberals.

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg, who worked at pollster Crosby Textor ­before entering the Senate in 2019, was one of the strongest internal dissenters. During the campaign, Bragg was vocal about his distaste for the way Morrison had operated as prime minister, describing him to colleagues as ­unprincipled.

“If he wins, he will need to change the way he operates,” Bragg said during the campaign.

He was angry and freely ­expressed his view that Morrison would cost moderates, such as Frydenberg, their seats. Bragg was a strong supporter of Frydenberg and was canvassing support for him to take over the opposition leadership after the election.

As such, he was not awarded a frontbench position in Dutton’s shadow ministry reshuffle.

Political strategist Isaac Levido, credited with Boris Johnson’s 2019 win, was working in the Coalition’s Brisbane campaign headquarters and, as a close friend of Bragg, was chosen as the emissary to try to pull Bragg into line on several ­occasions during the campaign.

“They sent him out to talk to me when they wanted to send a message,” Bragg says.

“They didn’t want me to talk about the transgender issue, but I said if I was asked I would give an honest answer because I didn’t agree with Morrison’s position.

“They also didn’t want me to speak about expanding the superannuation policy, opening up super for mortgages and other things. That was the final week of the campaign and I agreed in general terms not to inflame things.”

In the final week of the election campaign, The Australian’s columnist and Ten reporter Peter van Onselen claimed to have “leaked internal Liberal polling” that showed the Liberals were on track to lose three NSW seats: Reid, Bennelong and Parramatta. He also said Deves was “still in the hunt to win the seat” of Warringah with a two-party-preferred vote of 47 per cent to Zali Steggall’s 53 per cent. It was the second set of polling van Onselen had broadcast.

Senior Liberal figures scratched their heads, wondering where it had originated. The precise numbers did not reflect what was emanating from the party’s ­official poster, Crosby Textor.

An internal probe discovered that Bragg had submitted ­expenses to the NSW Liberal division of about $35,000 to $40,000 to conduct his own alternative polling in many NSW seats.

There is no suggestion that Bragg leaked the polling to van Onselen, which he denies. It was not in his interest to depress the prospects of candidates he was fighting hard to help win.

It’s not even clear whether the polling Bragg commissioned was the same polling broadcast on Ten. However, Morrison’s team ­believed it was.

Bragg had circulated the polling he commissioned to many Liberals – an action one source described as “sloppy” – and the suggestion is a recipient subsequently leaked it to the media.

Questioned about the research for this article, Bragg admits he commissioned alternate polling and is scathing about the way ­Liberal headquarters and Crosby Textor treat Liberal candidates, who he says are kept in the dark about how they are faring.

“The Liberal Party and Crosby Textor treat the candidates like absolute shit and don’t give them the information they need,” Bragg says. “The candidates, who are often members of parliament, all they are given is a phone briefing and if they’re lucky they might get a piece of paper. Crosby Textor omit key things like the favourability of the leader because they’re worried that will leak to the media. If you know the party leader is massively unpopular you’ll differentiate so you can hang onto the seat. But if you’re not told that how are you supposed to know? It’s conflicts galore.”

Battle for Wentworth

In Wentworth, Bragg’s robo-polling during the campaign showed Dave Sharma was on track to win his seat with a primary vote in the high 40s. Crosby Textor’s polling painted a vastly different story, showing Sharma’s primary was about 38 per cent, closer to the 40 per cent he achieved.

“In our mind we needed 43 or 44 at least to win and the CT track never had us there,” a Wentworth insider said.

Another internal Liberal source said Bragg’s alternate ­research had the effect of giving Sharma false confidence his position was stronger than the reality.

“When you start having duelling polling wars going on and different methodologies, that’s never helpful,” a senior Liberal said.

There was also a sense the published polls got it wrong in 2019 and Sharma was encouraged by the positive reception at pre-polling booths. “It feels more like 2019 than 2018,” he said during the campaign, referring to the by-election he lost to Kerryn Phelps in the wake of the federal leadership spill in late 2018.

While Sharma and Bragg remain good friends, others involved in the Wentworth campaign want to ban him from interfering in ­future elections by muddying the waters with conflicting research.

The alternative polling was ­“inevitably described as ‘official’ polling and had the effect of creating ­overly pessimistic or overly optimistic result scenarios and ­impacted upon subsequent campaign activities, fundraising and ­momentum”, says the Wentworth FEC submission being prepared for the Liberal Party election ­review led by Brian Loughnane.

It recommends: “No longer allow patron senators to commission polling, research or demographic data analysis without the specific approval of the relevant state director.”

Bragg says he commissioned the research not only to give candidates more information but to guide which seats he should invest in from the $350,000 he had fund­raised for the NSW division of the Liberal Party.

“Obviously if I’m going to spend $300,000 on an election campaign from money I’m raising from people, a lot of dinners and lunches, you want to make sure you’re going to put that money into seats where you have the best chance of winning,” he says.

Bragg, who was flatmates with Sharma and former Reid MP Fiona Martin in Canberra, is also blamed for encouraging Martin to cross the floor on the religious freedoms legislation, which he didn’t support. Bragg strongly urged Sharma to cross the floor.

Martin was the only MP not to afford Morrison a heads-up that she wouldn’t be supporting the government’s bill – a betrayal that was held against her.

Senior campaign sources say the move cost her the otherwise cohesive Maronite Christian vote in her electorate. It’s understood Archbishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay let it be known he was disappointed in her actions.

The Prime Minister’s unpopularity was certainly a factor in seats won by the teal independents.

In Wentworth, Sharma’s ­favourability was plus 13 while Morrison’s favourability was negative 26, according to polling in the first week of May.

Albanese was the preferred prime minister in Wentworth on 50 per cent, while Morrison had the support of 35 per cent.

In the wake of the election, Morrison has expressed an idea to some of his confidants about a possible strategy to deal with the independents in future elections: establish the Liberal National Party brand Australia-wide as the main conservative political movement.

Instead of the Nationals being the Coalition partner, he has ­suggested setting up a new ­progressive Liberal movement as the Coalition partner. It could run a different brand in the inner-city seats.

Campaign flaws

Aside from Morrison’s unpopularity, particularly with female ­voters, there were other major structural issues with local campaigns.

An excerpt from a draft submission by party officials to the Liberal campaign review, obtained for this article, claims there were a number of first-term MPs who ultimately lost their seats after they “failed to meet minimum benchmarks for community engagement and voter contact either through traditional doorknocking, direct mail or social media”.

The recommendation is that new MPs and senators need to undertake formal training by political professionals.

There was also the problem of inadequate candidate vetting. External agencies were hired to vet candidates including Deves and the Liberal candidate in the Victorian seat of Scullin, who came unstuck amid controversy around his real estate business.

The extent of Deves’s controversial remarks on the transgender issue was not discovered during the vetting process. While the external agencies employed had a good record of vetting board appointments, they underestim­ated the scrutiny political candidates would be subject to.

In Wentworth, campaign officials decided they couldn’t compete with independent Allegra Spender’s enthusiastic team of volunteers who were putting corflutes up around the electorate. ­Instead they tried to get Ausgrid to force her to pull them down, in ­accordance with the law.

“A view taken was because we couldn’t match the volume of her corflutes, getting Ausgrid involved evened the playing field,” a campaign insider said.

This didn’t happen and the ­result was that Spender’s face populated the electorate. Her name recognition rose while Sharma had very little visible presence.

Sharma was also outmatched in volunteers by an estimate of four to one. It was a struggle to staff polling booths from 8am to 6pm during the pre-polling weeks.

Polling shortfalls

The Crosby Textor research may have accurately captured the Liberal and Labor primary vote in most of the seats it tracked, but there is criticism it vastly under­estimated the independent vote, ­severely masking the threat to the Liberals from the teals, and it failed to detect the size of the swing against the Liberals in Western Australia.

The WA research indicated Swan and Pearce were in trouble, but those close to Morrison predicted potentially only one seat would be lost in the state.

They were even hopeful of picking up Cowan, held by Labor MP Anne Aly.

Senior Liberal MP Ben Morton felt relaxed enough about his seat of Tangney that he stopped campaigning in his electorate halfway through the campaign, instead hopping on the Prime Minister’s plane to travel with him, as he had done in 2019.

It was a shock to Morrison on election night when Morton lost his seat. Sources say he felt terrible for both him and former Robertson MP Lucy Wicks, close friends now out of a job.

“It was pretty stupid, to be honest,” one senior Liberal source said of Morton’s move to leave his seat for the travelling campaign.

“To be frank, I don’t think he wanted to do three or six years in opposition as well, so I don’t think he’s too bothered.”

The optimism the Liberal Party had about Western Australia proved to be utterly wrong, with the state recording the biggest swing against the party nationwide. “I don’t think we expected to lose seats like Tangney, Curtin; we didn’t expect Menzies to be as close as it was in Victoria,” a senior source said.

The seats contested by independents were not included in the nightly track, a deliberate decision because the track measured the Liberal-­versus-Labor contest.

The seats ultimately won by the teals were instead subject to spot polls at occasional points during the campaign.

Frydenberg was well behind ­independent candidate Monique Ryan when his seat was polled several weeks out from election day. As May 21 drew closer, it looked like his position had improved.

“I don’t think there was a CT poll that had Josh ahead,” a senior Liberal said. “The assumption was made that he was improving his position and that come polling day people may have been flirting with Monique Ryan but returned to Frydenberg.

“There was a hope that very ­effective members like Josh and Dave Sharma would get over the line because voters in these seats are sensible.”

The fact the Crosby Textor ­research underestimated the ­losses in Western Australia and the impact of the teals gave Morrison more confidence about his prospects on election day.

No Liberal strategists anticipated the Coalition’s seat total to plunge from 76 to 58.

“I wasn’t expecting us to win but wasn’t expecting our seat count to be so low,” a senior campaign source said.

The Liberal Party’s final polling in the 20 marginal seats it was tracking nightly was accurate – just 0.8 per cent out from the two-party-preferred result.

That final tracking poll was 72 hours from the close of polls.

Misplaced confidence

Undeterred, Morrison remained “relentlessly disciplined in his confidence” and upbeat in the final days of the campaign. At that point, there were high hopes at senior levels of the Liberal team that the 5 per cent of undecided voters could fall their way.

Morrison’s confidence was also attributed to how Labor’s primary vote had plummeted in the final weeks of the campaign, according to Crosby Textor research. Morrison’s view was understood to be that Labor couldn’t form majority government with a primary vote that had crashed so low.

At midday on election day, Fink­elstein was downcast about their chance of success, confiding to his colleagues that Albanese would win. “He thinks the undecided started to fall the way of change on Thursday night and last night,” a source said at the time.

Federal Liberal campaign ­director Andrew Hirst was also pessimistic and was bracing for a loss, although not as brutal as the scenario that eventuated.

The prime minister, however, dismissed Finkelstein’s dire ­prediction.

“Yaron is just tired, he’s exhausted after a long campaign,” Morrison said early in the afternoon to a close confidant.

Those close to Morrison say he was “quietly confident” that he could win minority government; that he could pull off a miracle once again.

On election night, Sky News host Paul Murray was reporting from the Liberal function at the Sofitel hotel in Sydney’s CBD.

He recalls that at the start of the night there was no sense of the scale of the impending defeat.

“There are times when you’re going to lose so everyone walks in going ‘how bad is this going to be’,” he said.

But that wasn’t the mood in the room on election night. Instead there was an initial sense of hope.

“The whole scenario is they weren’t supposed to win last time,” Murray said.

“They all had muscle memory of winning against the trend.

“On election night, everyone saw Labor’s vote was down so they assumed this was happening again. Even in the second hour when it started going against the Libs, they were very much of the view that pre-poll hasn’t been counted yet.

“Then there was the final ­realisation that the train is not going to arrive.”

At Kirribilli House, Morrison remained hopeful and upbeat as he bundled into his study with his closest friends, advisers and strategists, including David Gazard, ­Andrew Carswell, Finkelstein, Adrian Harrington and John Kunkel. Morrison sat at his desk, ­examining the raw numbers as they were coming in from the Australian Electoral Commission.

Outside, Jenny Morrison, ever-positive and smiling, entertained about 20 of the couple’s friends from the Shire.

The first hour looked to be a ­repeat of 2019, with early polling showing Labor’s depressed primary vote.

Then there was a view in the room, about 7.30 to 8pm, that there wouldn’t be a definitive result that night.

Nail in the coffin

But then it changed.

“The pre-poll voting, which we would have thought favoured us, it just didn’t,” said one source from the room.

“When those results started being dropped, it cemented the trend. And then it changed really quickly.”

Morrison left the room to take a long call from Frydenberg, who a source said was “in a pretty bad way”.

During the half-hour that he was out of the room, the size of the teal problem crystallised.

Morrison walked back in and said: “How is it looking?”

“It’s not good,” an adviser said.

“I know it’s not good,” Morrison replied.

“It’s got worse,” a friend replied.

Then the Mackellar numbers started flowing in. “Jason (Falinski) is in trouble,” Morrison said.

A source in the room said that “when Jason’s results became clear, that’s when hope was abandoned”.

Finkelstein was the one who called it, according to those present. “We will be conceding ­tonight,” he said.

Not long after that, Jenny and the Morrisons’ daughters, Abbey and Lily, came in and gave the outgoing prime minister a hug.

“It was a night of mixed emotions for Jenny. She had a sadness for Scott but it was tinged with a different emotion, which is that now she will get some sense of ­normality for her and her girls,” a source said.

Morrison was disappointed but not overtly emotional. Pragmatic, he started working on his concession speech with his team before calling Albanese to concede just after 10pm.

Here are my thoughts…

1. It’s sad that scum like Andrew Bragg remain in parliament.

2. As for ScumBragg’s statement “He was angry and freely ­expressed his view that Morrison would cost moderates, such as Frydenberg, their seats.”….LOL….NO Andrew ScumBragg, here’s the truth……….Frydenberg, Sharma, Zimmerboy, Foolinsky, Wilson, the execrable Martin and Allen, all lost their seats, not because of Morrison, but because of their own puerile “moderate” policies and opinions, be it on net zero, SSM, religious freedom and so on, all of which which made them totally useless, totally indistinguishable from the left and the Teals.

3. As for Fiona Martin, I knew she’d lose her seat. The electorate of Reid is not like Wentworth or Kooyong or Goldstein or North Sydney. Reid has a large religious population, of Christians and Muslims, it’s much more middle class.

What a disaster…thanks to moderate scum like Scumbragg.

Cassie of Sydney
June 11, 2022 9:12 am

“Tintarella di Lunasays:
June 11, 2022 at 8:59 am”

Snap Tinta!

Apologies all, Tinta got in just ahead of me….however we think alike!

Roger
Roger
June 11, 2022 9:14 am

News that Kean, who declined to comment, was encouraging journalists to pursue the issue made its way to the prime minister and his senior team. They were astounded that one of the most senior figures in the NSW Liberal government was trying to sabotage Morrison’s election prospects.

No wonder Kean turned up at Mr. And Mrs. Wilkinson’s after party to celebrate a Labor win.

It’s what he’d been campaiging for all along.

Cassie of Sydney
June 11, 2022 9:19 am

Justice in 2022…

Killers Daniel Kelsall and Kelvin Willmott want relationship to be legally recognised

Having been sent to decades in prison for their hideous crimes Daniel Kelsall and Kelvin Wilmott are now in a relationship they want legally recognised.

Two of our most violent killers – baby-faced stalker Daniel Kelsall and caravan park murderer Kelvin Willmott – have not only become lovers in jail but want their relationship to be legally recognised as “de facto”.

Kelsall, who was jailed after sexually assaulting and murdering north shore businessman Morgan Huxley in 2013 after following him home from a Neutral Bay pub, has made an application to prison authorities for his “de facto” relationship with Willmott to be recognised.

Prison sources at the Hunter Correctional Centre where the pair are jailed have speculated the request may be a desperate attempt by Kelsall for the pair to continue to be housed together amid plans to move some of the inmates from the jail.

It is understood there are plans to transform the prison from a “protected” jail – where inmates at risk of ­others are housed – to a more general maximum security jail.

Under NSW laws, a de facto relationship is one where two people live together as a couple but are not married.

The law recognises de facto couples in the same way as it does for two people who are married, such as enabling a surviving partner to make a claim for a share of an estate if the other dies.

Couples can register to provide legal recognition to their relationship so long as both are aged over 18 and are not in a relationship with another person.

Willmott, who was jailed in 2012, is serving at least 21 years for the frenzied stabbing murder of Shane Curphey during a fight at the Waterfront Tourist Park near Canton Beach on the Central Coast in October 2010.

Mr Curphey died after being stabbed with two kitchen knives in the neck and chest.

The court heard the 35-year-old had 105 stab wounds, with minimal evidence of defensive injuries.

It is not clear if Willmott is also behind the de factor request, which has been initiated by Kelsall.

The application follows revelations in The Sunday Telegraph three years ago how Kelsall became the ­subject of prison officer complaints for allegedly having sex “almost every night” with other inmates in the open-plan Hunter Correctional Centre.

Prison sources at the time declared Kelsall – who was moved to the jail to serve out his minimum 30-year ­sentence – was so exhausted by his lengthy sex sessions that he was barely able to ­participate in the jail’s daytime activities.

It is understood Kelsall “met” Willmott at the prison where the pair are in the same “pod” with several other inmates.

Corrective Service NSW have refused the request for the relationship to be formally recognised, in line with departmental policy.

Willmott will be eligible for parole in October 2031.

John Sheldrick
June 11, 2022 9:20 am

Speculation aside, there isn’t goings to be another revolution in the US. Just increased activity between the hard core nutters .

With all those guns you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be Civil unrest in the USA and maybe a Civil War. Half the country did not vote for “Let’s Go Brandon”……………………

calli
calli
June 11, 2022 9:30 am

Kean is so ruthless and foul it wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up as PM once NSW is exhausted and he inevitably sets his sights on Canberra.

Cassie of Sydney
June 11, 2022 9:31 am

Kean was and is doing Malturd’s bidding.

Indolent
Indolent
June 11, 2022 9:31 am

Brett Weinstein said his his UnHerd interview that he was afraid that the uptick in Monkey Pox was caused by a weakened immune system allowing other breakthrough infections. Ryan Cole, the pathologist, said at least a year ago that he was seeing many more rare and unusual diseases.

Monkeypox is a coverup for damage done to Immune System by COVID Vaccination resulting in Shingles, Autoimmune Blistering Disease & Herpes Infection

Roger
Roger
June 11, 2022 9:33 am

That Kean is still a member shows how hopelessly divided the Liberal Party is.

Indolent
Indolent
June 11, 2022 9:36 am
Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
June 11, 2022 9:38 am

It was less than two weeks from election day when Matt Kean, the second most senior Liberal in NSW and the state’s Treasurer, inserted himself into the political campaign against Scott Morrison’s re-election.

Kean had reinvented himself as a green warrior championing ­action against climate change and more renewable ­energy after a major personal ­crisis. He had fretted whether his political career was over after an ex-girlfriend leaked messages he had sent to a female MP, propositioning her for sex. His ex-girlfriend worked for prime minister Malcolm Turnbull at the time.

Is that the same Kean who a few days ago did a backflip with pike and begged the energy companies to keep coal fired power stations running?

Treasurer’s orders to energy operators (Daily Terror, 8 Jun, paywalled)

Major manufacturers and Narrabri locals are crying out for more gas in the energy mix, while NSW Minister Matt Kean is urging power companies to switch coal-fired generators back on.

Why, yes, it is the same Mr Kean. Maybe he’s had another “major personal crisis”. Poor man. Seems to be a bit of a problem with wets, just look at Boris.

Dot
Dot
June 11, 2022 9:39 am

LOL

Had a quick look on Indeed for jobs just then.

Ukraine: so March 2022.

The new hotness:

Being FABULOUS!

YEP, THEM CORPORATIONS CERTAINLY DO CARE ABOUT DA CURRENT THING!

Real Deal
Real Deal
June 11, 2022 9:39 am

Sharri’s article touches on those text messages that Kean sent a few years ago. That a man who was then in his mid 30s can send such stuff says something about the quality of his character. Also his interview with Ben Fordham a few weeks ago exposed him as a creepy dissembler of the truth. Actually, he wouldn’t know truth if it tapped him on his shiny bald pate.

Indolent
Indolent
June 11, 2022 9:40 am
GreyRanga
GreyRanga
June 11, 2022 9:44 am

The SFL should join the Liars officially. They’d be in power for a long time. The level of stupidity is the same. They’re both mendacious. The vast majority have been in the trough for so long, that’s all they know. The only life skills they have is how to get to the front of the farqueue. I always thought when you don’t have to worry where your next feed is coming from is the time to help others. This no longer applies to the political class as too much is never enough.

Boambee John
Boambee John
June 11, 2022 9:50 am

Rogersays:
June 11, 2022 at 9:33 am
That Kean is still a member shows how hopelessly divided the Liberal Party is.

That Turdballs and Kean are both still members shows how hopelessly useless the Liberal Party is.

Fixed!

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
June 11, 2022 9:51 am

My new guiding principle:-

“What would Titus do?”

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
June 11, 2022 9:53 am

the uptick in Monkey Pox

CDC fesses.

CDC Director: Monkeypox Spread Through ‘Sustained Face-to-Face Contact’ (10 Jun)

In a briefing on Friday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that monkeypox is being spread through physical contact with symptomatic patients and by touching their clothing and bedding.

“It may spread through respiratory secretions when people have sustained face-to-face contact,” she said. “All of the cases that we have seen to date in this outbreak have been related to direct contact with patients or with materials that have touched them either through close contact or through bedsheets and what not.”

Warning that many patients with monkeypox were experiencing rashes and sores on the genitals and anus that resembled sexual transmitted infections, health officials recommended that any Americans with STIs, such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, get tested for the virus.

It’s basically a STD, so the CDC’s attempt to get masking going again this week was a step too far and they had to pull their heads in. The Left so wants another pandemic. The outbreaks we’re seeing seem especially to be amongst the gay male community. Noteworthy this is Pride Month with lots of special events arranged during it.

Boambee John
Boambee John
June 11, 2022 9:54 am

Kean had reinvented himself as a green warrior championing ­action against climate change and more renewable ­energy after a major personal ­crisis. He had fretted whether his political career was over after an ex-girlfriend leaked messages he had sent to a female MP, propositioning her for sex. His ex-girlfriend worked for prime minister Malcolm Turnbull at the time.

Somewhat strangely, Their ABC seems not to have concluded that this incident was part of the Liberal Party’s “women problem”. Rather, it seems to have chosen not to make a big deal of it, unlike other incidents.

Their ABC, biased and with an agenda.

Makka
Makka
June 11, 2022 9:55 am

No wonder Kean turned up at Mr. And Mrs. Wilkinson’s after party to celebrate a Labor win.

It only serves to confirm again what a pack of grubs and worms the Libs have become. The question now is will they be able to come back from this cesspit to a decent conservative party? Unless we see an almighty purge of parasites like Kean, I’m extremely doubtful.

duncanm
duncanm
June 11, 2022 9:55 am

Cassie of Sydneysays:
June 11, 2022 at 8:13 am
With Sri Lanka verging on economic collapse, thanks to government enforced Greenism, how long will our Labor government keep turning the boats away?

I think we should let them in — and widely publicise that we’re saving them from their green apocalypse.

Rabz
June 11, 2022 9:55 am

Cassie and Tints – I’ll see your green manboobs kean and raise you one Groundhog Guy:

Groundhog Guy seized the leadership of the Gliberal Party in Victoria from Michael O’Reilly in September last year.

Groundhog Guy previously led the party to an ignominious defeat at the 2018 state election but is hoping for a better outcome when Victorians head to the polls on November 26.

Although there is one thing in Groundhog Guy’s favour – he’s never experienced a drunken contretemps with a suburban fence while behind the wheel of range rover.

Yet.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
June 11, 2022 10:00 am

In what way is spending prison time together in a pod a domestic relationship?

And just wait until some tranny in a female prison gets together with his roommate and wants to marry. Then starts having kids with her in their cell. That’ll tie the lefty MSM into particularly messy knots. Female prisoners are already mysteriously getting pregnant in the US, it’s a miracle.

Rabz
June 11, 2022 10:02 am

will they be able to come back from this cesspit to a decent conservative party?

Conservative politics in this country is, to paraphrase one of its alleged exponents, “dead buried and cremated”.

Now it’s all rainbows, farting unicorns, bat flu monkey pox and the ALPBC blaring on every telescreen, leavened with many, many blackouts.

I far prefer being one of mUttley’s mythical bomb throwers.

#whatslefttoconserve

Boambee John
Boambee John
June 11, 2022 10:03 am

duncanmsays:
June 11, 2022 at 9:55 am
Cassie of Sydneysays:
June 11, 2022 at 8:13 am
With Sri Lanka verging on economic collapse, thanks to government enforced Greenism, how long will our Labor government keep turning the boats away?

I think we should let them in — and widely publicise that we’re saving them from their green apocalypse.

On a related subject in the news, since the “great and the good” decided some years ago that letting white Seff Efrikan Christians enter Australia would be waaayyyyyycisssst, perhaps we should let some blak Nigerian (had to be careful not to type a second “g” there) Christians in, and see what malarkey they will come up with to oppose that.

Dot
Dot
June 11, 2022 10:05 am

our understanding of marriage wrought by liberalism.

Tell us how many men, classically liberal men, not progressive women, want to be liable for half of their assets after six months of cohabitation, which under Federal case law is ridiculous, vis a vis “indicia of cohabitation”???

Rabz
June 11, 2022 10:09 am

He had fretted whether his political career was over after an ex-girlfriend leaked messages he had sent to a female MP, propositioning her for sex. His ex-girlfriend worked for prime minister Turnbuckle at the time

These preposterous imbeciles want your vote, people – and guess what? They will not respect you in the morning.

Roger
Roger
June 11, 2022 10:10 am

Former Greens senator Scott Ludlum, presently campaigning against the Scarborough gas field development off WA’s NW coast:

“The atmosphere doesn’t care about gas industry talking points, whether it’s Morrison or Labor people. We have to stop Scarborough gas.”

The atmosphere now has feelings.

According to Ludlam the answer is to transition “very, very quickly” to renewables.

He’s a former senator, but his ilk now have the balance of power in the senate.

Australia, your luck just ran out.

cohenite
June 11, 2022 10:12 am

Great toons, Garrison very good, this probably the best:

comment image?format=750w

Rabz
June 11, 2022 10:14 am

Former Greens senator Scott Ludlum

A notorious drug addict and habitual masturbator from New Zealand.

The good ol’ greenfilth. They sure know how to pick ’em.

duncanm
duncanm
June 11, 2022 10:19 am

Indolentsays:
June 11, 2022 at 9:31 am
Brett Weinstein said his his UnHerd interview that he was afraid that the uptick in Monkey Pox was caused by a weakened immune system allowing other breakthrough infections. Ryan Cole, the pathologist, said at least a year ago that he was seeing many more rare and unusual diseases.

a quick data check says no.

You can check other infectious disease admissions, too
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/infectious/pages/data.aspx

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
June 11, 2022 10:20 am

A town pays the price of grog and punting
John Ferguson
Associate Editor
@fergusonjw
7:03AM June 11, 2022
120 Comments

It’s 10.10am on Thursday in Ceduna and Anangu elder Maureen Smart is quietly outlining her case against Australia’s cashless welfare card.

In the neighbouring streets of the remote South Australian town, a few dozen Indigenous people from the Yalata and Oak Valley – dry communities deep in the outback – are wandering around, most quietly embracing the beginning of the end of quarantined welfare.

For 65-year-old Ms Smart, from Yalata near the West Australian border, her hostility is all very simple. For her, the card has been too hard to use.

“It’s the technology, it’s no good for the elders in the remote communities,’’ she says.

“I am not a drinker, we don’t drink. I thought it was for the ­alcoholic people.”

Sitting next to her is Russell Bryant, a pastor from Yalata, who is happy with the card, using it to transfer money to and from his two adult daughters, managing his financial affairs while living at the head of the Great Australian Bight, where some of the people are descended from Maralinga country.

“My girls look after me; I look after them,’’ Mr Bryant said.

The story of the cashless welfare card of is one of deep ambiguity and divisions, of strongly held views that the ­Coalition-era policy has worked and equally strident opposition to controls on alcohol and gambling spending among the disadvantaged.

While police are reporting significant drop-off in some crimes in the area, the scourge of domestic violence remains, with a growth in reported cases. However, officers believe the amount of offending has not necessarily climbed but confidence to alert authorities has.

Ceduna Council chief executive Geoffrey Moffatt, a backer of the card and other support measures such as alcohol restrictions, warns that when the mandated welfare system is shut down there could be a return to what many in the town believe were the bad old days of rampant violence, alcohol and gambling abuse that often poured onto the foreshore that overlooks Murat Bay.

Many of the hard-core drinkers arrive in Ceduna from the dry communities hundreds of kilometres away in the desert, some sleeping rough, others imperilling their safety as they walk onto major roads at night.

Mr Moffatt said that, in the past, violence was ubiquitous and road dangers were persistent.

“We expect a return to all of that,’’ he said.

So has the card worked?

“Immensely successful,” he says, adding that it was the suite of support measures such as alcohol restrictions that also helped curb the social dysfunction.

Former Ceduna mayor Allan Suter, who was on the ground in 2016 when the card was introduced in a trial, is a big supporter of the reform but also a realist who said the strategy was never going to completely stop the inebriated.

“It didn’t stop it in its tracks; it slowed it down,” Mr Suter said.

He added that, before the card, bashings, molestations and other offences were common.

“Before the card, most nights we had groups of young kids as young as six roaming the streets all night,” he said.

On the question of rolling nights of violent crime, Mr Suter said: “That absolutely stopped.”

Ceduna is almost dead centre between Sydney and Perth – 2000km either way; a small town 490km from the WA border that is better known for its sharks and oysters than incendiary national political debate.

The town of 3400 people has rare southern Australian beauty but also a bleak history of violence and alcohol-fuelled offending, exacerbated by the town’s isolation, proximity to several isolated Indigenous communities and the honeypot effect of being a large transcontinental parking bay for 500,000 trucks a year.

The new federal Labor government will scrap the mandated debit cards, citing a critical report by the Australian National Audit Office that found the Department of Social Services had not been able to show the program was meeting its objectives.

Superintendent Paul Bahr of SA Police said statistics showed a general decline in victim-based crime in Ceduna over the past year of about 16 per cent, with assaults down by about 13 per cent.

Between 2014-15 and 2017-18, victim-reported crime fell by about 32 per cent, while the past two years of Covid have meant that gathering data can be problematic because of changes in ­people movement.

“Ostensibly, Ceduna’s crime ­issues are no different from those of any other regional (or metro for that matter) community,” Mr Bahr said. “Like all communities, there have been a growing number of reports related to domestic abuse, the growth in which is more related to greater community confidence in police to respond to these incidents rather than an actual increase in prevalence. It remains an issue, not only for Ceduna but the entire country.”

The Weekend Australian spoke to about a dozen card users in the town. The overwhelming majority were opposed to a system they said was hard to manage, and open to theft from family members and others.

It remains mystifying to some. Outside the Ceduna courthouse, Samantha Woods from neighbouring Thevenard is sitting in the sun with her three-year-old daughter Janet and a group of other kindred spirits.

“I don’t really like it,” Ms Woods said. “People are stealing our money. They use people’s accounts online. I had three people steal my money.”

With a tradition of sharing among family and friends, people said they would wake up in the morning to find that someone had drained their card of cash.

Greg Peters, 54, from Yalata, said he had more than $500 in his account on Wednesday and was saving to pay for his driver’s licence test but discovered the account had been drained.

“I went to the shop today – the money’s not there. It’s declined,” Mr Peters said.

The cashless debit card quarantined 80 per cent of working age recipients’ income support payments in selected trial sites, starting in 2016 in Ceduna. The quarantined cash could not be spent on alcohol or gambling nor to withdraw cash, while 20 per cent of support money went into the individuals’ bank accounts. About 75 per cent in the Ceduna trial were Indigenous, with trials also in WA, the Northern Territory and Queensland.

People have found their way around the restrictions, such as selling their cards for cash for below value and buying and pawning goods. The money is then used to drink or gamble.

Welfare worker Michele Jacobsen, who has been worried about the scheme’s complexities, said: “In my opinion, it didn’t evolve when problems were identified. It definitely had merit for people who suffered from the identified issues.”

But for those with digital literacy challenges, or no access to the internet, the card had its limitations. “It’s hard for those who don’t have access to digital instruments,’’ Ms Jacobsen said.

Ceduna is heavily supported by the taxpayer, a rich layer of bureaucracy cloaked over a town that Labor’s Families and Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth plans to visit within weeks. Ms Rishworth is not opposed to voluntary managed welfare but says any engagement needs to be supported by the communities.

She said numerous investigations had failed to prove the worth of the Coalition card and any welfare management needed to be driven by the people most affected, not forced on them.

“We want that to come from community,” Ms Rishworth said.

There is a belief in the alcohol industry that scrapping the card will not change much.

No one wants to talk publicly but one leader said there was an insatiable drive by some drinkers to find a way to feed their habit. The enthusiasm is so great that people drive to Ceduna from hundreds and hundreds of kilometres away just to buy a hangover.

duncanm
duncanm
June 11, 2022 10:21 am

Boambee John says:
June 11, 2022 at 10:03 am
On a related subject in the news, since the “great and the good” decided some years ago that letting white Seff Efrikan Christians enter Australia would be waaayyyyyycisssst, perhaps we should let some blak Nigerian (had to be careful not to type a second “g” there) Christians in, and see what malarkey they will come up with to oppose that.

Excellent idea.

I suggest we offer asylum to all persecuted Christians from the African continent.

Roger
Roger
June 11, 2022 10:22 am

Er…that could be construed as defamatory, Rabz.

Big_Nambas
Big_Nambas
June 11, 2022 10:22 am

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now shares information more openly about the risks associated with the COVID-19 vaccines. In the recent FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) June 7th meeting, Tom Shimabukuro, MD, MPH, Deputy Director of the H1N1 Vaccine Task Force at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acknowledged at 1:15.57 that based on reviews from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and other sources, including the pharmaceutical companies, there is “significantly elevated risks” associated with the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. These include both Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) and Moderna’s (mRNA-1273) vaccine products. While the question-and-answer session opened up a dialogue about the problem, including deaths, perhaps for the first time in such a public manner, an accompanying presentation emphasized the incidence is rare.

https://www.trialsitenews.com/a/cdc-deputy-director-acknowledges-significantly-elevated-risks-long-term-effects-associated-with-covid-19-mrna-vacci

Rabz
June 11, 2022 10:24 am

Rog – he’s admitted as much.

Struth
June 11, 2022 10:26 am

Good Moaning, Hypocrites.

It’s so easy to tell when I’ve hit a nerve or two.
Or a hundred.
What carry on, with all those teenage responses that typically never offer any real defence of your shit house carry on for two years.

But for Kneel.

He’s shitty at himself, like many of you, who now realise due to your failure to hold the line, you’re going to die (worth the job, was it?), may have killed your kids as well….FUCKING BIG CROSSES aren’t they?
(My son knows I was dead against him having it, or I couldn’t live with myself)
Who didn’t kick up a big fuss trying to stop your loved ones getting jabbed but instead got jabbed so they wouldn’t disown you, like a submitting coward?
Every night you go to bed you now know the likelihood of waking up tomorrow, or dropping off with SADS at any time will be in the back of your mind, you dumb, weak c…nts.
Fact.
You were warned by those you mocked.

Yes you were you dumb shits.

So all the mocking is just you fuckers having no other ammo.

Dickheads.
You were told, often.
You were argued with constantly, you were pleaded with to not do what you did, but widdle special people had to keep their jobs at the expense of their nation’s freedom, their own freedom and indeed their wealth and civilisation.
Somehow keeping a job means you destroyed a civilisation you can’t buy anything in and are outlawed from owning anything, yet the job took priority!?
Thanks for that, dumb c…nts.
Selfish c..nts.
FUCKING INSANITY.

So let’s pull apart the senior miffed ones arguments that he repeats ad nauseam, …….

At least kneel doesn’t hide behind teenage bullshit and attempts to really character assassinate in order to justify the UNJUSTIFIABLE.

Here this latest rot.

You can tie that high horse up over there –>

Talk about not respecting their countrymen, here’s the man who did NOTHING (by his own admission) to attempt to stop any further such assaults on our freedoms, and even suggested that those who got jabbed, no matter how reluctantly, were not worthy of standing next to him.

All you had to do was nothing. It’s called disobeying.
Not going to get jabbed.
You’re not worthy to stand next to millions around Australia, not just me, petal.

That anyone who didn’t have the resources to wait the authoritarians out like he did, was scum.

Prove that, you son of suction.

I’m not rich, I just don’t live beyond my means and don’t buy ridiculous priced city housing.
Truth is, until this collapse, you, most likely in debt up to your neck would have looked down on my type, driving my paid for cars etc.
My 22 year old ute, etc.
All of a sudden your emergency is what? fuckstick?
You had to downgrade a home, sell the flashy car, live within your means.
Too big an ask….fuck that, I’ll kill myself and my nation instead.

You had no life threatening issue at stake Kneel, you had a lifestyle issue, so go fuck yourself.

What a brave patriot! Should be more like that, willing to do nothing at all.

What a man of the people, such a “let them eat cake” attitude, who could fail to love him?

Such a man of compassion, with his “I managed, but I had to give up my 16ft boat – sob! Poor lil old me!”, who could fail to support him in his hour of need, when he becomes stricken by boat-less-ness?

Of course this is the tactic used by many of the failures here.
I am a lone voice in the wilderness.
Except they know I am not.
They know there’s thousands of Nurses and health workers , workers in every industry who have sacrificed more than kneel ever will, because they have principles Kneel and many of you here don’t possess.
But you ignore those people.

Look at the foul attempt by scum here like JC who sees it all as “Some chose to get jabbed, some didn’t, and then we all got on with life”

Really, fuckers?
Really.
May we, the millions who didn’t do what you did, suggest you are ignoring the elephant in the room, dividing yourself off from society and coming here, to Dover’s denialists to escape the real world, only for people like me who annoyingly won’t let la la land of the deluded denialists exist without challenge.

Clearly, such a better man than anyone else here – would you even dare to call anyone else a man after such a display of manly compassion and with such a community minded attitude? It boggles the mind that you would dare to even try!

No there’s a few here better than me.
They are the ones who understand what they have done to themselves and don’t deny reality.
Very brave and very mature.
And are trying to warn others not to be boosted.
They have my full admiration.

And again, singling me out as if I’m the only one in Australia that resisted and lost everything, is dishonest, and sick.
There are millions effected and still suffering while JC claims we’ve all got on with life.

Sickening ignorance and denialism.

All heil St Ruth – a true king among men, who we should all look up to with awe and gratitude that he deigns to mix with the plebs on such a blog as this. I am truly humbled, and beg your forgiveness for ever doubting your pronouncements from on high.

If I was the only one pointing out what generations before would have called common knowledge, you need to get out more.

You don’t surrender to tyrants.
When did that little bit of common knowledge get deleted so convenently by the submissive?
You grandparents took it as a given.

Rabz
June 11, 2022 10:29 am

Grate – here we go again.

Time to engage in some gardening.

Roger
Roger
June 11, 2022 10:30 am

Rog – he’s admitted as much.

And he thought the world would be keen to know that?

I hope the confession was cathartic, at least.

John Sheldrick
June 11, 2022 10:36 am

Kean was and is doing Malturd’s bidding.

Yes and he is as keen as mustard to be getting on with it. How can Malcolm TurnBullShit and Kean still remain members of the Liberal Party? They should both be kicked out and join a Christmas Party put on by the LayBore Partie………………………………….

John Sheldrick
June 11, 2022 10:40 am

Just listening to the Top 100 Film “Music for the Screen” music scores on ABC Classic FM Radio Station. At least this is some of our hard earned taxpayer money going to something worthwhile. Listen in everyone as it will go all weekend I do believe.

Zipster
June 11, 2022 10:51 am

China Officials hide their riches and keep a tight lid, but wives and mistresses release secrets

China Insights

On June 5, 2022, a video of Bentley and Rolls-Royce owners fighting went viral on Chinese social media. Chinese netizens are quite curious: which party secretary of a state enterprise has 50 Bentley hidden at home?
In most cases, in the corrupt power game of the Communist Party, women know how to work with men in power by following the advice of former party leader Jiang Zemin, namely, “the silent toad catches the fly”. It is not that the women featured in this episode aren’t smart when ruining their men’s hard-earned careers over small matters. It’s just that they have been soaked in the prestige of power for so long that their intelligence has been diluted by its momentum.

Dot
Dot
June 11, 2022 10:57 am

It really doesn’t matter how many classically liberal men ‘wanted’ this situation, it is the situation that their principles wrought.

No.

Roger
Roger
June 11, 2022 10:57 am

Good fences make good neighbours:

Finland to build a wall on its 1300km border with Russia.

The border was in recent times policed cooperatively by the two neighbours and delineated only by markers & signs.

Tom
Tom
June 11, 2022 10:58 am

Kean was and is doing Malturd’s bidding.

Excellent investigative reporting today by Sharri Markson in The Australian (thanks to Tinta and Cassie for posting it here).

Markson is now effectively Australia’s only investigative reporter. All the rest of the news media effectively support the new regime in Canberra and all their satellite state governments. They won’t go near institutional political corruption that would expose powerful ruling class politicians.

What Australia needs are forensic investigative journalists to start tracking the money flows to and from renewable energy investments in Australia – especially those involving Photios NSW Liberals like Matt Kean.

The politicians (and former politicians) enriching themselves and their families through corrupt government subsidy mining are not doing it because they believe the world is about to end.

They’re doing it out of greed.

John Sheldrick
June 11, 2022 10:58 am

Attapuss will not leave me be, he is constantly wailing for attention and smooching. As soon as I sit down anywhere, he’s up on me. He’s taken to sleeping on the end of our bed, on my legs, so I wake with cramps from lack of normal movement. Attapus is over seven kilos now, and hard to shift, especially when he is determined and my resolve is diminished because I am only half-awake.

I am however up to his game. No wookita widdle face all upset, didums, missing mummy-kins.

This is neurotic over-dependence masquerading as a companion animal.

Bloody animal behaviourists ruin it all, don’t they?

We took in a wild cat (a kitten at the time) that my Dad rescued from the local Glue Works near where we lived in England around 1967. I left home at age 16 years to go to work in the Midlands for Rolls Royce Aero Engines in 1969. When I came home for weekend visits every now and then I had to sleep on the front room sofa (no room at the Inn with Mum, Dad and 4 brothers and 2 sisters). I would wake up in the middle of the night with “Tiddles” wrapped around my neck keeping me warm with her little motor bike engine going – Purr, purr, purr, purr………….Wonderful stuff. She is long gone of course and here I am at nearly 70 years remembering her.

Dot
Dot
June 11, 2022 10:58 am

I very much doubt they’d be complaining had they inherited those assets if she died untimely.

That’s not how succession works though. You need to be married for that to happen in the absence of a new will. Marriage, not de facto, will extinguish all prior wills.

Dot
Dot
June 11, 2022 10:59 am

Imagine a few of the blokes here in bikinis.

“Good morning, traitors…”

“Good morning struthy…”

Roger
Roger
June 11, 2022 11:04 am

Markson is now effectively Australia’s only investigative reporter.

Hedley Thomas is holding the Palaszczuk gov’t to account.

incoherent rambler
incoherent rambler
June 11, 2022 11:05 am

Patagonia. I think I might escape to Patagonia.
Do they have Turnbulls and Gangreens in Patagonia?

Zipster
June 11, 2022 11:07 am
duncanm
duncanm
June 11, 2022 11:09 am

John Sheldricksays:
June 11, 2022 at 10:40 am
Just listening to the Top 100 Film “Music for the Screen” music scores on ABC Classic FM Radio Station.

thanks for the tip — on now. Missed the English patient, but American Beauty’s plinking marimba is doing the job

Zipster
June 11, 2022 11:09 am

Patagonia. I think I might escape to Patagonia.
Do they have Turnbulls and Gangreens in Patagonia?

no but they do have 73% inflation and rising

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
June 11, 2022 11:11 am

The atmosphere doesn’t care about gas industry talking points,

And nor can da atmosphere distinguish between an Australian carbin atom and a Chinese carbin atom (which are far more plentiful).

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
June 11, 2022 11:12 am

This might be funny.
https://youtu.be/NoRFDK6iI-g

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
June 11, 2022 11:12 am

Titus? This bloke?

Before becoming emperor, Titus gained renown as a military commander, serving under his father in Judea during the First Jewish–Roman War.

In 70, he besieged and captured Jerusalem, and destroyed the city and the Second Temple. For this achievement Titus was awarded a triumph; the Arch of Titus commemorates his victory to this day.

To intimidate the resistance, Titus ordered deserters from the Jewish side to be crucified around the city wall. By that time the Jews had been exhausted by famine, and when the weak third wall was breached, bitter street fighting ensued.

The Romans finally captured the Antonia Fortress and began a frontal assault on the gates of the Second Temple. As they breached the gate, the Romans set the upper and lower city aflame, culminating with the destruction of the Temple. When the fires subsided, Titus gave the order to destroy the remainder of the city, allegedly intending that no one would remember the name Jerusalem. The Temple was demolished, Titus’s soldiers proclaimed him imperator in honour of the victory.

He destroyed Jewry for centuries.

John Sheldrick
June 11, 2022 11:13 am

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now shares information more openly about the risks associated with the COVID-19 vaccines. In the recent FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) June 7th meeting, Tom Shimabukuro, MD, MPH, Deputy Director of the H1N1 Vaccine Task Force at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acknowledged at 1:15.57 that based on reviews from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and other sources, including the pharmaceutical companies, there is “significantly elevated risks” associated with the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. These include both Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) and Moderna’s (mRNA-1273) vaccine products. While the question-and-answer session opened up a dialogue about the problem, including deaths, perhaps for the first time in such a public manner, an accompanying presentation emphasized the incidence is rare.

https://www.trialsitenews.com/a/cdc-deputy-director-acknowledges-significantly-elevated-risks-long-term-effects-associated-with-covid-19-mrna-vacci

In which case the FDA should immediately withdraw all approval (emergency approval or otherwise) for these so called vaccines (drugs, poisons, etc.) and all of these poisons should be recalled and destroyed. Then, never again allow such a hideous thing to happen again. And BTW, sack all of the FDA “experts” and appoint real doctors who have the Public and the patients’ welfare first and foremost at heart. AND, no more Big Pharma funding and corruption of the FDA. I am sure there is more to do but that will do for a start and my rant. QED

RobK
RobK
June 11, 2022 11:15 am

https://apnews.com/article/politics-norway-nato-business-63edba8d30f2f592733af06c4d7210c1

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — NATO-member Norway terminated its two-decade-old contract with a France-based manufacturer for 14 maritime helicopters, citing delays, errors and time-consuming maintenance, the defense minister said Friday, calling the move “a serious decision.”

The Norwegian government will return the NH90 helicopters it has received so far and expects a full refund of the nearly 5 billion kroner ($525 million) it paid, according to Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram.

“Regrettably, we have reached the conclusion that no matter how many hours our technicians work, and how many parts we order, it will never make the NH90 capable of meeting the requirements of the Norwegian Armed Forces,” Arild Gram said.

Another fine french product.
We might’ve dodged a pasting.

miltonf
miltonf
June 11, 2022 11:17 am

What a great invention the scroll wheel is.

Also thanks very much to Tinteralla and Cassie for posting Shari’s article. Riveting stuff and to think I used to give those twerps and phonies my hard earned and labour.

duncanm
duncanm
June 11, 2022 11:18 am

HT bad cattitude

The NY Times has gone Zen.

Do Covid Precautions Work?
Yes, but they haven’t made a big difference.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
June 11, 2022 11:19 am

You had to downgrade a home, sell the flashy car …

And the boat.
Don’t forget the boat.
Sixteen footer with twin Mercs.
I loved that boat.

Too big an ask….fuck that, I’ll kill myself and my nation instead.

Oh, OK.

Makka
Makka
June 11, 2022 11:19 am

AND, no more Big Pharma funding and corruption of the FDA.

The FDA is owned. The last 7 of 8 FDA chiefs have left for a big fat highly paid Big Pharma sinecure. Rotten to the core. Just like many other US agencies; DoJ, FBI, CIA etc etc.

Roger
Roger
June 11, 2022 11:24 am

The Norwegian government will return the NH90 helicopters it has received so far and expects a full refund of the nearly 5 billion kroner ($525 million) it paid, according to Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram.

We’ve just agreed to pay the French $835 million for breaking the subs contract.

Taking our total spend on the project to $3.4 billion.

The most expensive submarines never built.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
June 11, 2022 11:26 am

Faintly, in the distance and the wind is right, you can pick it up:

…..tYranny… evil cock smokers………. look down on me…….. just you wait…….

The sound of anguish that the world has not – to date, at least – recognised greatness.

It’s like a handbag dog in a parked car, yapping at you through a window while you walk past it to the shops.

Jorge
Jorge
June 11, 2022 11:34 am

From Zerohedge:

The busing plan is Washington’s answer to overflowing shelters run by charitable and nongovernmental organizations in border cities. In April, CBP tallied a record-breaking 234,088 migrant encounters.

NBC’s revelation of the Biden administration plan comes the same week that a massive migrant caravan has begun a thousand-mile trek from Mexico’s Guatemala border to the Rio Grande. Numbering upwards of 12,000, the group paused Wednesday in the town of Huixtla while the Mexican government issued work visas that will ease their travel throughout Mexico and up to the U.S. border.

There is no way the US can survive. Put this together with recession and civil disorder is inevitable.

Eyrie
Eyrie
June 11, 2022 11:37 am

RobK
Another fine french product.
We might’ve dodged a pasting.

We bought the damn things but call them MRH90. Same shit, don’t work. We are replacing them with Blackhawks that we should have bought in the first place. Likewise the ARH Tiger should never have been bought and they are being replaced by Apaches that we should have bought. Both John Deadshit Howard decisions to buy the French garbage.

Boambee John
Boambee John
June 11, 2022 11:40 am

Roger

We’ve just agreed to pay the French $835 million for breaking the subs contract.

Taking our total spend on the project to $3.4 billion.

The most expensive submarines never built.

Still far, far, cheaper than continuing to be ripped off by the Frogs. The gratitude for the Somme and Amiens seems to have long since worn away.

local oaf
June 11, 2022 11:41 am

Coles Group acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia. We recognise their strength and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

The above seems to be a permanent feature on Coles’ website now.

I wonder, as one of many white Australians, do we have “Elders”?

I can think of a few from the past, but who would be our present and emerging Elders?

Eyrie
Eyrie
June 11, 2022 11:42 am

We also spent north of a Billion on the Seasprites we never got.
https://www.australiandefence.com.au/5FB79830-F807-11DD-8DFE0050568C22C9

Roger
Roger
June 11, 2022 11:44 am

Still far, far, cheaper than continuing to be ripped off by the Frogs.

No argument there. But it was a bad decision to begin with.

Both John Deadshit Howard decisions to buy the French garbage.

The man just keeps on giving.

Boambee John
Boambee John
June 11, 2022 11:46 am

Eyrie

We bought the damn things but call them MRH90. Same shit, don’t work. We are replacing them with Blackhawks that we should have bought in the first place. Likewise the ARH Tiger should never have been bought and they are being replaced by Apaches that we should have bought. Both John Deadshit Howard decisions to buy the French garbage.

Based on the “best professional advice” of teams of Service officers and bureaucrats, who just lurrrrved the time they spent in France, negotiating and supervising the acquisitions.

Back in the 1960s, the RAAF strongly advised the Menzies government to buy the A-5 Vigilante supersonic carrier bomber. The government over-ruled the “best professional advice” to choose the F-111 instead.

The A-5 went out of US Navy service well before the F-111 went out of RAAF service. Sometimes the “best professional advice” needs very close scrutiny.

Boambee John
Boambee John
June 11, 2022 11:48 am

Rogersays:
June 11, 2022 at 11:44 am
Still far, far, cheaper than continuing to be ripped off by the Frogs.

No argument there. But it was a bad decision to begin with.

It was a Turdballs decision, calling it a bad decision as well is tautological.

Big_Nambas
Big_Nambas
June 11, 2022 11:49 am

You don’t surrender to tyrants.
When did that little bit of common knowledge get deleted so convenently by the submissive?
You grandparents took it as a given.

Struth you certainly are not alone, 900,000 Queenslanders are unvaxxed. And more importantly I am unvaxxed and on day 8 of a severe covid infection. I have recovered (it was a close thing) and still will NEVER get the jab.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
June 11, 2022 11:51 am

Howard just needed to be better than Keating. Not a high bar.

And even then, he only needed to be better once.

Perfectly paralleled by Albanese and Morrison. Nobody’s at the mountain top.

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  1. Google and IBM are deploying around ~400 Qubits now which can solve problems currently solved by large-scale grid-style networked standard…

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