Monty Hope you’re still obsessed with Russia Russia and US politics when the lights go off and the gas runs…
Open Thread – Weekend 16 Dec 2023
- Hydrocarbons are not dispensable
- Open Thread – Weekend 7 Sept 2024
- Open Thread – Thurs 5 Sept 2024
- Report on Russia and Ukraine
- Open Thread – Mon 2 Sept 2024
This is the problem with even a “benevolent” dictatorship. No dictatorship would ever admit a mistake.Singapore’s Ministry of Health is…
That’s exactly what it was, an experiment on the whole population, both medical and level of control.IT WAS ALL A…
No word on whether Pool, Rubin, Southern et al will donate their blood money to charity. Fat man has an attack…
Just keep it going. Full stop. Get out of the way D’Ambrosio and Bowen, you complete imbeciles. This is what…
2nd day in a row on the starting blocks….
Oky doc am all eyes on the Warner tid bit…
bronze medallion to join the others …
About a year ago David Warner was at a school, consequent of the PR regime put up for some (but not all) of the Cricket Australia contracted players. Some players run net sessions at high schools, some go to bush towns and indig communities and so on. This is all between tours and other commitments, mind.
Warner was ‘asked’ to speak to a crew of Year 7 students in Sydney, with a corporate minder in tow. It was a low-key event that ticked a required box. No media.
He was asked by one of the kids ‘What’s the best thing about playing cricket for Australia?’
His answer was not ‘Seeing all the hard work and commitment pay off’, ‘pride in representing your country and everyone in it on the world stage’, ‘developing yourself and being around great people’, nor was it ‘the ability to be a role model for others’.
It was (according to this excellent source) – ‘Making lots of money.’
He then went on to remark that as far as he was concerned, school was a waste of time when you could just go out and be awesome at something and get rich. He concluded by listing the menagerie of exotic cars he owned.
No further questions were asked. Warner walked out.
Halfwit. Just a halfwit.
KD> what a piece of trash. money cannot buy class, thats for sure.
Sixth Senseless
Hitler news – On This Day:
Nice. Chuck ’em in with the Jews. But also:
A bit of a smack across the chops from the baddies, followed by a gigantic arse-whupping from the goodies, cleaning the filthy Boche out from the river to the sea*.
Hope springs eternal.
*Oder river to the North Sea.
Ami Ayalon’s argument isn’t quite that. He argues that Hamas is popular precisely because it appears to other Palestinians as the only party/ movement actually resisting the Israelis. The entire arc from 2007 to now is one of increasing support, with it now finally breaking into majority support in 2021. Back in 2006/7 it only won a plurality. What Oct 7 was designed to achieve was a return of ‘the Palestinian question’ back to centrestage of international attention given it had been sidelined over the last two decades and was increasingly being so with the Abraham Accords.
Have you heard of the Russo-Ukrainian War?
Seems like a typically stupid pali idea if true. The result is now that a decent part of Gaza is being turned into rubble and deservedly so. Way to get people’s attention around the world. If they haven’t got Saudi Arabia on side, and they haven’t, the strategy has turned into shit.
Is it? It’s now front and centre. They’ve drawn the Axis of Resistance into the conflict. Saudi Arabia is small beer here. They can’t even defeat Yemen. BTW, what does on-side mean here? Saudis would never intervene militarily so the only thing on-side could mean is politically/ diplomatically/ and economically. Well, they support and voted for a ceasefire in the General Assembly this week. The only other sense could be economically, say supporting an oil embargo of Israel. Time will tell. Internationally, Israel is increasingly isolated and there is going to be increasing pressure for a political solution.
ye olde fredde cat said to watch this IDF urban combat
At 10:20 is the scene I call “Five AKs at Freddies”
#3 Jesus wins.
—-
Steve Inman:
Weekly Top 5
Outrageous international terrorism worked for Arafat. He was invited to address the UN. So why wouldn’t Hamas calculate that outrageous slaughter and sexual torture of Jews would lead to a welcome by international organisations. They have a good understanding of the deep traditional hatred of Jews held by the civilised west, and understood how to return it to the surface.
That’s what has been revealed once again.
My brother — retired-copper — recommends the point of the shoulder and the collarbone.
Just look at the “impartial” explanations for why it’s quite understandable to conduct a depraved sexual slaughter of Jews, to hold infants and grandparents as hostages, and accuse Jews of killing civilians that Hamas has purposefully placed as front line cannon fodder in the strategic design of their war. Yet all over the world, against that cynical murderous use of the people they supposedly represent, their strategy of causing mass murder of Arabs in Gaza is shafted onto Jewish communities elsewhere around the world. Hamas has a better understanding of the depth of antisemitism than the well meaning humanist post enlightenment west.
Or, if things are desperate (and only then), level with the top of the ear and about 2 cm in front of it.
Obviosly not all in the west. But also much to obviously far too many in the west.
He knocked this out of the park.
Paul Hertzog – Bloodsport – Theme Suite [Extended by Gilles Nuytens]
Johannes Leak.
Mark Knight.
Mark Knight #2.
Peter Broelman.
Christian Adams.
Michael Ramirez.
A.F. Branco.
Matt Margolis.
Gary Varvel.
Gary Varvel #2.
Chip Bok.
Bob Gorrell.
Lisa Benson.
Ben Garrison.
“For three years they told us it was the most secure election in history, and only deniers would question the result, but a simple poll of voters by the The Heartland Institute shows cheating was widespread in mail-in voting.” At Jo Nova’s.
We knew instantly that the election was fudged bigly, but most of the media have run cover for the fraudsters ever since. 2024 won’t be any better.
Sorry about the repeat. I don’t want Cats to think I dumped an apology at the end of the dead thread.
https://youtu.be/ylNZ7q5VOe0?t=90
https://youtu.be/ylNZ7q5VOe0?t=132
I see all sorts of metadata in the footer of the images she’s playing with.
Thanks Duncanm. I only viewed the videos linked on Rukshan’s tweet. I didn’t go hunting for additional Canon videos (didn’t know they existed).
These ones are far more sophisticated, and build a picture of LW being an accomplished photographer. And yes, she’s auditioning images with the metadata clearly visible in a side panel.
In other words, she’s being mendacious before the court. There’s a word for that.
And my sincere apologies to Rukshan for doubting his assertion. I did it based on insufficient information that he provided, but at the end of the day he is right and I was wrong.
Cash:
Cash 2.0 Great Dane-deer on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills 8 (2023)
Thank you Tom
Should this be pointed out to the defense or do they know about it and think it’s unimportant?
I loved to see her face when confronted with facts.
They might be giving her the weekend to think it over. They’d know. The videos are in the public domain. She can hardly set herself up as a “mummie photographer ambassador” for Canon – hey, it’s easy for everyone to take professional looking photos using an SLR, to dunno nuffink.
They’ll be workshopping her response this morning over brunch. Busy day in the Mosman mansion.
And Matrix…glad to see you’ve tracked down your Dad. Poor old fellow.
A word from the recently robbed, give him a big hug, don’t hold back.
It just amazes me that the world tolerates tens of thousands of civilian deaths in Syria etc but Israel is being blamed for every civilian death in Gaza despite Hamas’s own deadly reign of terror via their own thousands of misfired rockets and failure to protect Gazans from the retribution they
knew would be coming not yo mention the swallowing whole of Hamas ‘ministry of health’ casualty figures.
In every other conflict people have been able to flee outside borders but Egypt steadfastly refuses to allow that to happen.
Israel has set up humanitarian corridors and safe zones within Gaza, facilitating the movement of aid into Gaza, put the lives of IDF soldiers on the line to reduce civilian casualties.
Israel is the the progressive left
and muslim world’s scapegoat.
The political solution cannot include Hamas.
Why isn’t the world pressuring hamas to surrender?
This is because hamas kidnapped them,
This is because Hamas do not wear uniforms.
During combat in Shejaiya, the IDF mistakenly identified 3 Israeli hostages as a threat and as a result, fired toward them and the hostages were killed. Their bodies were transferred to Israeli territory for examination where it was confirmed that they were 3 Israeli hostages and were identified:
Yotam Haim, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza by the Hamas terrorist organization on October 7.
Samer Talalka, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Am by the Hamas terrorist organization on October 7.
The third hostages’ family has been notified and requested that his name will not be broadcasted.
IDF and Israel Police representatives have notified all of the families
To play Devil’s Advocate, it’s possible the photograph was set up by someone (from Canon?) and Wilkinson just turned up with no idea what she was dealing with or what it was called. The J’ismist as Celebrity. I’m sure it wouldn’t be the first time on Breakfast TV. Sorry Kochie.
If presented as evidence by counsel, the Judge can make an assessment of the likelihood of that scenario. That’s why they are paid the big bucks.
Next up after the fudged election came the January 6th Fed-surrection.
Lara Logan has been delving into the sordid story of how FBI assets were inserted into the crowd after alighting from the “ghost buses” – badly sprayed in white all over, with no markings. Ex Louisiana cop now congressman is on the case.
Quite so, Bear. Embarrassing for her, being an “expert” and all.
Thing is, you don’t have to look far on your camera’s dashboard to access the metadata, regardless of computer editing software for later use. On the Canon, it’s a quick flick of a button and there it all is.
Curses…comment in moderation.
Richard Kemp
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Vikki Campion in today’s Tele:
FARMERS’ ACTION MUST BE SITTING IN WRONG
CLASS
Vikki Campion
16 Dec 2023
😉
No further questions were asked. Warner walked out.
Ya can take the boy out of “houso” but ya can’t take “houso” out of the boy .. LOL!
Haha, this’ll be fun.
Biden Tells Federal Employees To Use EVs And Trains On Official Travel (16 Dec)
A fair number of loopholes in the policy so the bureaucrats should find ways to avoid a lot of it. But the US government just may have to establish a towing service for poor marooned public serpents whose battery has gone flat. Especially in winter if they try to use the heater.
C’mon Mr Bowen, now’s the time to replace the Com Car fleet with electrics! You know you want to.
Coupla weeks ago I mentioned that I’d been hammered with an $18.75 a week quarterly water assessment thru NSW “houso” up from, my usual, OAP average of $2 to $3 a week .. anywayz after “expressing” my “unhappiness” to the minister’s office, yesterday, the result came thru …
“Clerical error” .. revised charge .. $2.40 a week and a $47 credit to my water account ..!
If I had of said nuttin’ and just coughed up they’d have happily pocket-ed the increase rip-off without a 2nd thought …….. furglewitz! ……….
So will Vlad take all of the Ukraine?
this
What Oct 7 was designed to achieve was a return of ‘the Palestinian question’ back to centrestage of international attention given it had been sidelined over the last two decades and was increasingly being so with the Abraham Accords.
Personally I think, it is a lot simpler than that .. It was HAMASisis doing what HAMASisis does .. hatred of Jews .. but now it’s backfiring, biggly, all the apologists are scrambling for excuses ..!
There are NO excuses ,, the answer should have been, as the Daleks say, “Exterminate, exterminate” .. Luckily for HAMASisis the Israelis don’t have the same mind-set and there will be Gaza survivors .. pity but there it is ……….. F**K ‘EM …….!
Paywallion:
‘Lazy, and perhaps politically expedient’: Judge lashes DPP over rape cases
By NATASHA ROBINSON
HEALTH EDITOR
10:09PM DECEMBER 15, 2023
A NSW judge has called for the “lazy and perhaps politically expedient” referrals of baseless rape accusations to the court to stop after the case of a man who spent eight months on remand in jail and faced a jury trial despite never committing a crime.
The “deep level of concern” over the abrogation of the prosecutor’s duty to interrogate complainants’ allegations – raising the risk of false convictions – has been exposed in a NSW District Court case in which a man faced trial despite clear evidence the sex he had with the alleged victim was consensual.
The woman had alleged the man sexually assaulted her, because she was so drunk she had a blackout and could not remember the events, despite it being clear she had “enthusiastically participated” in sex and consent was obtained every step of the way.
The man spent eight months in prison before eventually being granted bail and then acquitted by a jury on December 4.
In an application for a costs certificate following the trial, it was revealed the complainant had made five virtually identical allegations against other men. But a much-criticised piece of NSW legislation that fails to provide exceptions to admit tendency evidence relating to prior sexual history largely prevented the jury from knowing about the pattern of accusation. Had the jury known, the accused would have been “acquitted within minutes”, according to District Court judge Robert Newlinds.
His excoriating judgment granting a costs order, which is causing shockwaves at the NSW criminal bar, has exposed concern within the judiciary and among criminal lawyers as to the impact of the MeToo movement on the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution’s assessment of sexual assault cases, with a pattern emerging in which prosecutors take a reflexive “believe the victim” stance, and prefer to let the jury decide rather than discontinue hopeless cases.
“I think the prosecution took the lazy and perhaps politically expedient course of identifying that the complainant alleged she had been sexually assaulted and without properly considering the question of whether there was any evidence to support that allegation, and just prosecuted so as to let the jury decide,” Judge Newlinds said in the costs judgment.
“This must stop. Justice has not been served and will not be served by repeated cases being prosecuted based on obviously flawed evidence.”
The accused, who was given the pseudonym Mr Martinez by the court, faced trial in late November after being charged in June 2021 with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent. He was initially refused bail, which was then granted eight months later by the NSW Supreme Court.
The charges arose after Mr Martinez, who identifies as non-binary and prefers to use the pronoun “they”, had sex with the complainant, who was a friend. The complainant had had a lot to drink, but the evidence indicated the woman had initiated sex and participated enthusiastically in four occasions of intercourse.
During a conversation the next day, when the complainant, who had little memory of the evening, asked what had happened, Mr Martinez indicated they had obtained consent continually throughout the sexual activity and understood consent was provided.
Evidence before the court indicated those experiencing alcoholic blackouts, especially seasoned drinkers, may not appear seriously intoxicated to people with whom they were interacting, and can be capable of presenting rationally and coherently, and performing ordinary tasks. However, due to her alcoholic blackout the complainant formed the view she had not consented, and made a criminal complaint to police – something she had done in almost identical circumstance on four previous occasions.
Judge Newlinds said, although the complainant’s belief she had been sexually assaulted was genuine, it was pursuant to “her own idiosyncratic definition of sexual assault”, based on “a misguided understanding of the law to the effect that if a person cannot remember having sex with someone else that equates to sexual assault”.
Prosecutors did not challenge or rationally interrogate the woman’s view, and based their case on an incorrect interpretation of the law, telling the jury that if a person was severely intoxicated, they were not capable of consent. In fact, a finding of serious intoxication is simply one factor a jury can take into account. “In my judgment (the accused) did not commit any crime and should never have been prosecuted,” Judge Newlinds said. “This prosecution is a miscarriage of justice. The evidence did not, in any realistic way, ever demonstrate any prospect of the crown obtaining a conviction.
“I do wish to record that I am left with a deep level of concern that there is some sort of unwritten policy or expectation in place in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions of this state to the effect that if any person alleges that they have been the subject of some sort of sexual assault then that case is prosecuted without a sensible and rational interrogation of that complainant so as to at least be satisfied that they have a reasonable basis for making that allegation, which would include to at least being satisfied that the complainant has a correct understanding of the legal definition of sexual assault or sexual intercourse without consent.
“If no effort was made to work that out, then the prosecutor failed to perform the important role of filtering hopeless cases out of the system and has thus been the primary cause of this applicant spending eight months in jail for a crime he did not commit.”
During the trial, the complainant’s history of accusing men of rape in similar circumstances was largely not allowed into evidence due to section 294CB of the Evidence Act in NSW, which forbids tendency evidence that goes to a complainant’s sexual history from being placed before a jury.
Unlike in other states, the NSW legislation has no exception provision. Judge Newlinds echoed other judges in saying there was “a serious need for law reform in this regard”. “I do think that the trial was unfair because the applicant was not able to put before the jury the true history of the complainant’s complaints thus putting into context all of her evidence and the circumstances of her conduct before the jury,” the judge said.
“If the jury had known the full picture of the complainant’s history of accusing men of rape in similar circumstances, the time of deliberation would have been measured in minutes. Knowing what I know now, I have concluded that it was not possible for the applicant to have a fair trial without the introduction of the evidence of those other complaints.
“I think I am entitled to infer that within the Office of the DPP those various cases (of similar accusation) are all known. If no one in the DPP has ‘joined the dots’, someone should do that now. This must stop. Justice has not been served and will not be served by repeated cases being prosecuted based on the obviously flawed evidence of the complainant.”
Another man accused by the same complainant was recently also found not guilty by a jury in a case described by one senior legal figure as “a farce”. Two other men accused by the same woman are still before the courts.
NATASHA ROBINSON HEALTH EDITOR
Who is this axis of resistance? You keep inferring those towel heads are some sort of sophisticated world power.
I wasn’t referring to military assistance as the Saudi military can only operate in air-conditioning. However, Saudi Arabia is leads the Sunnis in a religious and economic context. And other than mounting platitudes the Saudi aren’t exactly frothing at the mouth in support.
I’d even leave the economic side out actually.
You really think that’s big cheese though?
Israel is an exporter of natural gas and if things become worse the US will supply it with its oil needs until it becomes self sufficient. There’s plenty of oil around anyway after witnessing the recent price drop, so you shouldn’t worry your pretty little head about Israel’s energy security. Worry about ours.
Israel is always isolated to some degree, so no biggie.
I have a death count in mind before things get really hot for Israel. My number is 50k dead. I think they’re around 15K odd at the moment so there’s a way to go.
The only other sense could be economically, say supporting an oil embargo of Israel. Time will tell. Internationally, Israel is increasingly isolated and there is going to be increasing pressure for a political solution.
There isn’t going to be any “oil embargo” or any kind of sanctions cos .. simples … any problems for Israel willhave a knock-on effect in Gaza/West Bank and ..
GOD FORBID .. will anyone vote to “punish” the” poor” Palis ……?
2ndly 149 tin-pot nations voting “nasty” Israel, again, in the UN is no different to what they do, weekly, now .. US, Britain, even France may waffle the “take-it-easy” line, publically, but behind the scenes like 93 other countries they are jazz-handing Israel …….
KD at 12:22.
That is what the “my turn on the bike” sooking about not being made ODI or T20 captain was all about.
Profile, sponsorships and money.
Jan Cameron in a spot of bother.
Dover
I was referring to Iran.
Look, even Russia doesn’t like the Iranians much and you said this week that Russia has shared interests with Iran. No they don’t. Russia couldn’t give a shit about Iran other than using them over the Ukraine invasion. China does, but China has no ability to help these arseholes because its navy can’t stretch out that far. The only assistance these two could offer Iran is voting at the UN in calling out the US as a big bad boogeyman. Scary as hell, I know.
Get in quick!
The newest release Claas header on the farm yesterday for demos around VIC.
750 hp Man motor
60-70 t/h in wheat at 11-13 Km/h
Auto adjust on everything
Possible laser beams.
1.5 mill plus gst.
That is not sexual history.
It is a history of making complaints.
What colours does it come in?
Dover, Iran is the equivalent of Wodney Woddenhead in Middle East affairs. Just an annoying, sneaky pos with the attributes of smelly, dead skunk on the side of the road. When you were in the US, did you ever go driving and caught a whiff of a skunk? You could have the windows closed and the airflow would cause the smell to seep into the cabin. FMD, it’s revolting. That’s Iran and….
It’s deja vu all over again in Gaza City – Falluja style – house to house. Some gunfight video via Powerline.
Jan? It’s a bloke, right? The pics suggest it’s a bloke.
Having heard the evidence from the witness, I am alive to the possibility that ignorance may be in play.
Steve, thanks for the Bloodsport theme.
Study room in high school turned into JCVD room far too often.
But that chap should really send a few bucks to Jan Hammer.
Not saying he stole his work, but definitely “inspired” by him.
Re Jan Cameron.
People have been jailed in Oz for this kind of behaviour before.
On a lot smaller scale as well.
During the trial, the complainant’s history of accusing men of rape in similar circumstances was largely not allowed into evidence due to section 294CB of the Evidence Act in NSW, which forbids tendency evidence that goes to a complainant’s sexual history from being placed before a jury.
Doesn’t the public have a right to know the name of this mendacious female?
Bloody hell! .. Oz Post take a bow ….!
Bought something on Ebay yesterday morning and delivered this morning ..
Melbourne to Sydney ………
Unbelievable ……..!
She might enjoy that.
Oh, come on, we’ve all seen those “ladies jailhouse” movies.
The AFR View
Votes at the UN are not for the home gallery
Voting for a one-sided Gaza resolution for domestic political reasons just betrays our foreign policy principles and costs us practical influence.
The one clear-cut political success for the Albanese government has been its foreign policy, and an astute handling of China, the US, AUKUS, the Quad, and our Asian and Pacific neighbours.
This week, that diplomatic sure-footedness ended up in a heap on the floor of the United Nations.
On Tuesday, the prime ministers of Australia, Canada and New Zealand had issued a joint statement urging Israel not to make massive Palestinian casualties the price of crushing Hamas, but equally unflinching in condemning the terrorists themselves.
Hours later, all three seemed to undercut their effort by then voting for a completely one-sided UN resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire with no reference at all to Hamas and its atrocities on October 7.
Australia had backed an earlier amendment from the Americans to include Hamas in the resolution.
But when that failed, Australia voted for the original resolution anyway.
Why didn’t we just abstain like 23 others including Germany, Italy, Netherlands and the UK?
The vote flies in the face of declining to vote for a similar UN resolution in October.
It flies in the face of Australia’s long-standing policy of supporting a two-state solution to end the impasse in Palestine, not the one-state solution of eliminating Israel favoured by Hamas – the combatant that would be aided by a ceasefire while Israeli hostages go unmentioned.
Backing a resolution that ignores October 7 flies in the face of the carefully weighed statement by Anthony Albanese and five former prime ministers in October calling for solidarity with both Jews and Palestinians, and for Israel to defeat Hamas while protecting Palestinian lives.
Trying to walk down both sides of the street is not possible
The only explanation for this shambles is the need to placate the ALP’s left and fend off Green challenges in inner-city seats.
It’s hard not to agree with Liberal MP Julian Leeser that this is more about Grayndler than Gaza.
The vote seems to have been sprung as a surprise by Mr Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong in the hope that the issue would then quickly go away.
Instead the government has fallen into the wedge.
By pandering to domestic politics it has squandered both foreign policy principles and any practical effect Australia might have.
Whatever moral voice we had to restrain Israel after Australia’s political elders stood with them in October must be vanishing now.
US President Joe Biden is now putting serious pressure on Israel to end its campaign quickly, but Senator Wong will now have far less clout to add to that pressure when she visits Israel early in the new year.
Nor is the domestic reward that great.
It is hard to balance noisy minorities with their social media warriors, flags and mass rallies who are basically irreconcilable.
And the mass of voters, as British Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn found out, dislike other peoples’ fights being brought into their domestic politics and recoil from the whiff of extremism that comes with it.
Trying to walk down both sides of the street is not possible.
Boris Johnson, who for all his other failings led from the front on Ukraine, told The Australian Financial Review Business Person of the Year Award dinner on Thursday that moral clarity around the attack on Israel is being lost.
There is no equivalence between the bloodthirsty Hamas terrorist attack on the Jewish nation it seeks to eliminate and what the Israeli armed forces are doing in preventing it happening again, he says. “If we lose that moral clarity, then we are all in trouble”, he says.
A point will come where it is hard to balance the horrendous suffering of Palestinian civilians with even the best of Israeli intentions.
But Hamas could end this by giving up the Israeli hostages, dropping its aim of eliminating the Israeli nation, and negotiating.
But players like Hamas and the extremist Israeli settler movement have no interest in ending this conflict, and – as the joint Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand statement usefully reminds – no place in a peaceful future on the same land.
Grappling with them, and putting a two-state solution back on the table, rather than pandering to one-sided symbolic resolutions in the UN, is how this must finish.
Huge story in the Economist written by a former editor of the NYTimes who was fired for allowing GOPer Tom Cotton’s opinion piece to be published.
When the New York Times lost its way
America’s media should do more to equip readers to think for themselves
So, a woman is a victim even when she lies through her teeth?
House Moves to Impeach Joe Biden
“In a 221-212 vote, the House of Representatives voted on a resolution to produce a formal inquiry into the impeachment of Joe Biden. Every Republican supported the measure. Perhaps those in the middle had a change of heart after Biden invited Zelensky back to Washington to tell politicians how they should vote and spend their money. His son Hunter’s ongoing case is only revealing the depths of Joe Biden’s corruption.
New House Speaker Mike Johnson has made good on his promise to clean up Washington. He helped to release tens of thousands of hours of footage from January 6 that has been kept from the public. Republicans now have 35,000 pages of the Biden’s personal financial records, 36 hours of witness interviews, and 2,000 pages of records from the Treasury Department. It is astonishing that the establishment claims there is no evidence of wrongdoing.
Some may recall the video above from 2016 where Biden brags about wielding unlimited power. In the clip, Biden admits that he has Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin fired for investigating Burisma, where his son was allegedly employed. Biden bribed Ukraine by withholding US aid until the prosecutor was fired. In this odd world, Donald Trump was actually reprimanded for simply questioning Biden’s bribery scheme.
Flight records show that Hunter flew on Air Force Two over 400 times while his dad was in office. There are countless emails and text messages to Hunter Biden asking him to give their best to his father or thanking him for introducing them to his famous father. There are messages between business associates reminding them not to bring up Joe Biden’s name.
“Don’t mention Joe being involved, it’s only when u are face to face, I know u know that but they are paranoid,” one message read. We have Hunter’s WhatsApp messages where he uses his father’s name to secure business deals using threats. ““I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction,” the message read. The laptop from hell provided prosecutors with a treasure chest of evidence against Joe Biden.
The laptop contains the infamous email from a Chinese energy company executive from CEFC where they discuss how much to pay off each Biden, including “10% held by H for the big guy.” Tony Bobulinski who was involved in that deal has confirmed that Joe Biden was “the big guy.” There is even a paper trail leading back to Joe Biden provided by the only bank willing to work with GOP investigation committees.
Cathay Bank revealed that Rob Walker, a Biden family associate, received a $3 million payment from a Chinese firm. Walker distributed these funds to the Bidens the following day. The alleged payments were made to Hunter Biden for $610,692; the president’s brother James Biden for $360,000; Hunter’s mistress and wife of deceased son Beau, Hallie Biden, for $25,000; last of all, $70,000 was paid to an unknown Biden. Twelve additional transactions are currently under investigation.
The POTUS has been compromised, and the powerful elite will not let him fall. The FBI has obstructed US law to protect Joe Biden from persecution. We know without a doubt that the FBI purposely spread misinformation regarding the Steele Dossier hoax. The FBI threatened social media platforms ahead of the 2020 US Election to prevent them from allowing any discussion of Hunter Biden’s laptop, which contains his illegal dealings in Ukraine, Romania, and China. The FBI is a completely corrupt agency that has become Biden’s personal Gestapo.
Time will tell if the US legal system actually impeached Joe Biden. There are likely other impeachable offenses not listed, such as increasing America’s population by 20% by allowing a deliberate invasion at the southern border. The evidence is overwhelming, as are the consequences of selling out the nation to the highest bidder.”
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/politics/house-moves-to-impeach-joe-biden/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=RSS
I’m only catching up on this.
Earlier this week, JD Vance introduced a bill in the Senate to tax all non-religious endowments over $US10bill at 35%.
Zero chance of getting up but will annoy the donor class.
I reckon I drove past that yesterday.
With the Wilkinson train knocking a few cars aside at the crossing – unbeknown to the driver – can we expect the shadowy Mr Sharaz to be called to give evidence next week?
I must say – Pirate Pete’s wife has never before provided such entertainment. She should be in the black comedy ‘biz… Pete and Liz strike me as Queenie and Lord Melchett substitutes.
Thank goodness for that. I thought you’d died in your sleep!
How to do a legal commentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLwIXHHxZ-c
Wodney, do you mind asking Marty to get Socrates to spit out where the 10 year bond price will be next Wednesday 11.03 am NY time as I’m thinking for shorting bonds next week. It’s the bond price, not yield. Thanks.
Steven Miles sworn in as 40th Queensland Premier, naming climate action, reducing emissions as top priorities in the state
Steven Miles has been officially sworn in as Queensland’s 40th Premier on Friday afternoon, where he named climate action as a top priority, committing to reduce emissions in the state by 75 per cent by 2030.
Bianca Bongato – Digital Reporter
From the Comments
– So in other words he will sit on his butt and waste our taxes on something he can’t fix while our ambulances continue to get ramped at hospitals, youth crime continues unabated, education standards go backwards, and our bills increase, while getting paid an exorbitant amount of money. Sounds familiar.
– From the boiling pot to the fire goes QLD.
– Labor committing to insane targets 10 years ahead means they arrogantly assume they will still be in power?!
– Another climate puppet! So interesting to see how this nonsense plays out. How much of this will the public take?
– The only change we need is from these idiots!!
– Climate change is the agenda when the party hasn’t any ideas or policy to address real matters like rising crime, cost of living, energy, open and honest government, and when the poles show the party is heading for defeat. The albanese government is in a similar mess, they had the Voice and when rejected they have gone back to climate change and this clown is following federal labor.
Goes to show they don’t care about the state but will do and say anything to remain on the government benches.
– That took him no time at all to do nothing of substance. Definitely one for the record book.
– Their priorities in full view. Green preferences and retaining power first. Real issues second
Gotta laugh about Jan Cameron, recall She got $160mil for Kathmandu and lost 3/4 of it on hairbrained green schemes. Some business woman?
He then went on to remark that as far as he was concerned, school was a waste of time when you could just go out and be awesome at something and get rich. He concluded by listing the menagerie of exotic cars he owned.
Perhaps a video of that would validate it but without it, it is jst hear say.
If the list was about morals or smarts or ethics, Warner would be at the bottom… It was not. It was about batting prowess and he is number 3 in the ALL-TIME list of run makers for Australia…. EVER. He will be number 2 when he gets another 19 runs.
Why hide the shares in the Dutch Caribbean when she could have just stuffed them down her cottontails?
Of course it was – but what does she do?
Expose herself as a no-brain celeb-for-hire, or protect her brand by lying in court?
She picks the most selfish and destructive path, of course.
‘Arrogance on a grand scale’: Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan attacked for avoiding scrutiny after cost blowout announcement
Patrick Hannaford – Digital Reporter
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has been accused of attempting to avoid scrutiny after announcing a major infrastructure cost blowouts and soaring new debt figures.
On Friday Premier Allan revealed the cost of Victoria’s most expensive road project – the North East Link – has blown out by $10.3 billion, while a budget update released by Treasurer Tim Pallas showed state debt soaring to almost $180 billion by 2026-26 – a $6.4 billion increase since May.
After 3AW host Heidi Murphy revealed the Premier, Transport Minister Danny Pearson and Treasurer Tim Pallas had all refused to come on her program to discuss the blowouts, Opposition Leader John Pesutto accused Ms Allan of displaying “arrogance on a grand scale”.
Jan Cameron in a spot of bother.
Jan? It’s a bloke, right? The pics suggest it’s a bloke.
I’m familiar with men who look like old lesbians. But old lesbians who look like men?
Around 18 years ago, prior to the Kathmandu/Greens connection going public, I bought a Kathmandu travel bag…cross body pouch style with magnetic clasps.
It has gone with me on every overseas trip since – a great piece of kit. Full of little zip compartments and pockets. Even goes through the washing machine when I get it home.
The only thing I have ever bought from the place.
If the Right treated its enemies (who are also the enemies of civilization) the way the left treats its enemies, there would be no left.
Even if these policies aren’t successful they get normies thinking about why the left suddenly object being subjected to their own policies?
As I said before, Dutton needs to hold a referendum on prohibiting communists from owning property. The vote won’t matter so much as the campaign itself will completely demoralise the left.
Jan Cameron.
The animal justice warrior.
The preacher is in the hen house.
Evidence?
From who?
Some self-appointed expert who can be called upon to diagnose this condition when, say, a woman is caught on CCTV removing her heels without toppling and walking a straight line down a hallway, but moments later is “10/10 schoolies drunk”.
And conveniently be in a total haze about all details except for crystal clear recollections of dastardly things said and done by her alleged attacker.
US interest rates
Top Federal Reserve officials try to dampen expectations of imminent interest rate cuts
Comments come two days after US central bank’s dovish outlook sparked stock and bond rally
Top Federal Reserve officials have tried to temper market speculation about imminent interest rate cuts, warning that the US central bank needed to see more progress on inflation before considering lowering borrowing costs.
The comments from New York Fed president John Williams and Atlanta’s Raphael Bostic — both voting members on the Federal Open Market Committee next year — come just days after the Fed sparked a surge in US stocks and bonds after it signalled it was done with rate rises and was now debating when to begin cutting.
“We aren’t really talking about rate cuts right now,” said Williams in an interview with CNBC.
“One thing we’ve learned even over the past year is that the data can move in surprising ways. We need to be ready to tighten policy further if the progress on inflation were to stall or reverse,” he said.
Bostic echoed the message in an interview with Reuters on Friday, saying that rate cuts were not “an imminent thing” and that the first cuts could come “sometime in the third quarter” of 2024.
The central bank this week released projections showing that Fed officials were now pencilling in 0.75 percentage points worth of cuts next year — a quarter-point more than they projected in September — and another full percentage point decrease in 2025.
Williams, who is a close ally of Fed chair Jay Powell, stopped short of saying that the current benchmark rate of 5.25 per cent to 5.5 per cent — a 22-year high — was “sufficiently restrictive”, but acknowledged that, with inflation coming down, unemployment low and growth solid, the Fed was likely to be either “at or near” that threshold.
Financial markets in recent days have increasingly priced in a rate cut as early as March and a full percentage point decline in rates by the end of 2024.
The fall in Treasury yields has already cut the cost of capital and loosened financial conditions.
Williams said it was “premature to be even thinking” about a March start to cuts, but acknowledged that it would be appropriate to lower interest rates as the economy came into better balance and inflation fell further.
In terms of his outlook, Bostic said he expected inflation, as measured by the personal consumption expenditures price index, to fall to about 2.4 per cent by the end of 2024, enabling the Fed to implement two quarter-point cuts.
Speaking with The Wall Street Journal on Friday, Austan Goolsbee, president of the Chicago Fed, struck a slightly more cautious tone about the outlook and did not rule out his support for a March cut.
“It’s clear we’re moving more toward a balanced environment, and as we do that, and as inflation comes down, we’ve got to think about how restrictive do we want to be and are there dangers on the employment side of the mandate,” Goolsbee said.
Russ Koesterich, a portfolio manager at BlackRock, said the surge in bonds and stocks after Wednesday’s Fed meeting suggested the market was getting ahead of itself.
“Our base case is not that the Fed is going to cut in March.
That’s one place where we think the market has been too aggressive.
And you had some evidence for that from Williams today,” he said. “We think a cut is more likely in late spring or early summer. So that is one place we think the market got a little bit ahead of itself.”
Projections from the Congressional Budget Office, an independent agency, released on Friday showed the US avoiding a recession next year, but output slowing from 2.5 per cent in 2023 to 1.5 per cent in 2024.
Labour market conditions would soften next year and unemployment would edge up, the CBO’s outlook showed, while inflation “continues to slow over the next two years and approaches the Federal Reserve’s target rate of 2 per cent”.
After the atrocity video, Cuomo style
Chris Cuomo has reappeared with his own show on NewsNation. Leland Vittert has his own show over there as well. When I met Leland in the lobby of our hotel in Tuscaloosa, I told him one of my friends appreciated his uncompromising view of the Israel-Hamas war. He told me in his engaging style that he sees it as a matter of right and wrong. I was impressed with the whole NewsNation crew that I met at the GOP debate event, including the team behind the scenes.
Like me, Chris Cuomo took in a viewing of the 10/7 atrocity video courtesy of the Israeli consulate this week.
In his monologue about it last night, he made some points that I overlooked.
Posted here at NewsNation in unembeddable form, his commentary is most perceptive.
Hats off to him for this. Vote for Cuomo, not the Joe Schmoe.
Eylon Levy
@EylonALevy
This is an astonishing monologue, straight from @ChrisCuomo
’s heart after he watched the Hamas 10/7 atrocity videos and suddenly everything made sense.
Please make time to watch this.
Quite so.
The tweets from 2015 talking about metadata were, in all probability, ghost written.
She admitted she had a Facebook page opened by Ten but operated by someone else.
But to admit she is a clueless fake “brand ambassador” damages her last remaining income stream of celebrity endorsements.
AI wrote this. Not bad.
“I’m Confident that Everybody on Those Buses Were FBI Assets – We’ve Identified One of the Buses – Senior Officials Deeply Involved” – BOOM! Rep. Clay Higgins Tells Lara Logan They Have PROOF of FBI Involvement in Jan. 6
Catturd ™
@catturd2
Disband the FBI. They’re a joke.
Joseph Pino
@JosephPino_
Mike Johnson has been in charge for less than 2 months. In that time he passed a CR, gave more money to Ukraine, funded abortion and transgender surgeries in military, released minimal J6 footage, gave the FBI $300m for a new building, extended warrantless surveillance. Terrible.
Top Republican Elise Stefanik demands ethics probe into D.C. judge who’s ruled in Trump’s January 6 case after she said his re-election would ‘lead to fascism’ in America and said ‘lies’ caused Capitol Riot
Well there ya goes! .. plenty of “free” housing & life’s “little” needz available to Gazans but nuttin’ for Oz homeless …… FFS!
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/communities-donate-rent-free-homes-toys-and-essentials-to-recently-arrived-gazans-on-temporary-visas/ar-AA1lzk0c?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=66fb25ffcb9e48bfbdb32ef96ae35a84&ei=17
If you must have motivation, think of your paycheck on Friday.
– Noel Coward
Australia accused of being missing in action on Hamas sanctions
By Matthew Knott
The federal government is under pressure to follow its closest international security partners by imposing targeted financial sanctions on an alleged mastermind of the shocking October 7 attacks in Israel and other senior Hamas officials.
The United States and United Kingdom announced a fresh round of sanctions against Hamas fundraising officials this week, prompting questions about why Australia was not joining with its AUKUS partners in a co-ordinated effort to punish members of the listed terror group.
At the United Nations General Assembly this week, Australia voted in favour of an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, in a notable split from the US, which voted against the resolution, and the UK, which abstained.
But while Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have both condemned Hamas this week, Australia has issued just one round of sanctions against the terror group’s officials since October 7, compared to four by the US and two by the UK.
On November 18, Wong announced counter-terrorism financing sanctions against eight people and one entity in response to the October 7 attacks, saying: “These sanctions are targeted at those most culpable for terrorist acts.”
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said the government should go further by issuing sanctions against Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s political leader in Gaza, and Mahmoud Khaled Zahhar, a senior member and co-founder of Hamas.
KD
You flatter him, he is not a halfwit, he is a nitwit.
Today, a leaked FBI memo brings us some earth-shattering news: The FBI has now officially adopted “LGBTQIA+” instead of “LGBT+” in all of their official correspondence.
Kyle Seraphin
@KyleSeraphin
BREAKING:
Today’s ALL_FBI
@FBI
.gov email sent to ALL #FBI employees.
“The FBI has OFFICIALLY adopted the LGBTQIA+ acronym in place of LGBT+.
This change was proposed by Bureau Equality, one of our NINE Diversity Advisory Committees, and approved by FBI Executive Management…”
Sharaz won’t be appearing I don’t think.
Although, going by Justice Lee’s final questions to the Toad yesterday, I think he would dearly love to get Sharaz on the rotisserie.
JC at 8:27.
Can AI do a paranoid “dark forces out to get Marty” commentary.
In clear breach of the requirements under (the oh-so-sacred when it suits leftards) international law requirements for “irregular forces”.
JC, many thanks for posting the essay by former New York Times insider James Bennett. The only thing it doesn’t do is explain why 90%+ of journalists loathe their readers and democracy.
Whatever happens in 2024, Donald Trump’s great gift to the world is to expose the fact that journalism has effectively become a radical political party that loathes ordinary Americans.
Journalists here there and everywhere in the West consider themselves kingmakers who get to choose who will lead us politically and are generally the worst possible choice of hypocrite to pretend they are the public’s eyes and ears.
They haven’t been so for half a century — before universities were given the virtually exclusive right to train journalists in place of the former system of on-the-job cadetships, which placed reporters in the real world from day one.
Now, cub reporters are marinated for years in the university production line for radicals before they are ever allowed to deal with the public, with the result most journalists now loathe the public and think they need to educate them how to think.
That most means journalists no longer have any curiosity about the world and interrogate it through a soup of pre-learned radical political ideology. Most journalists no longer think — or vote — like ordinary people because they see themselves as elite knowers of knowledge who are a class above the normies.
This is actually pretty good. AI thinks Marty has cracked through a time dimension loop and writing emails to himself from the future.
Reply from Martin Armstrong –
Hello Junior Cokehead,
Thank you for your AI email letter
Please note that my reply has not been formulated by AI and for the uninitiated like you, this is not in any way Investment Advice. Neither General Advice or Personal Advice.
Paranoia can be fixed with the right treatment and there are plenty of Institutions that can help you. And maybe that is what you really need. To be in an Institution.
Down thumbing is all part of free speech and hats off to the Blog Owner at Catallaxy Files for allowing this feature to continue to operate.
Also, please keep away from the Fat Pizza as I don’t think that your rotund short-arse frame can handle it.
And those NDIS Anger Management Classes are just not working for the Blog or indeed yourself. Other Posters to the Blog have noticed this as well.
BTW, Agent Rotten is a keen observer of My Blog as you well know and long may it continue.
Yours in prudent investing and have a nice day (if you can that is)
Martin Armstrong
And conveniently be in a total haze about all details except for crystal clear recollections of dastardly things said and done
As a”recovering” alcoholic (43 years, Aug 1980) I have often fallen back on “blackouts” & no memory” as an excuse whenever I’ve been asked about my 10 years on “skid row” ..
Reality is I remember, at least, 90% of the entire period but it suits me to plead ignorance .. not because I’m embarrassed but simply because it was a way of life I adapted too .. the average person really can’t fathom that it wasn’t all doom & gloom but, for me, just the same daily monotony as someone doing their 9 thru 5 stint .. tho i did put in a lot of O/T ….. LOL!
Tucker Carlson
@TuckerCarlson
Ep. 52 Kyle Rittenhouse exercised the most basic right of all: the right to self-defense. And he’s still being punished for it.
“the data can move in surprising ways”- applies to just about everything these days!
Former FBI Counterintelligence Chief Who Investigated Trump-Russia Collusion Hoax Sentenced to Over 4 Years for Colluding with Russian Oligarchs
It’s actually really good. Hilarious in fact. As it shows various triggering levels. You two-bit limey crook
No further questions were asked. Warner walked out.
Halfwit. Just a halfwit.
You flatter him, he is not a halfwit, he is a nitwit.
Yuo have to wonder why the school didn’t lodge a complaint with CA over this, greed-is-good attitude and tell CA, “No more cricketers here, thanx” ….
We’re looong past the point where ignorance can be claimed of the potential harms. This is absolutely deliberate. They’re just doing the dirty work of their donors, with total disregard for the wellbeing of the public, which ha ha, is supposed to be their raison d’etat.
CDC warns providers of ‘urgent’ need to boost vaccination against COVID, flu, RSV
You’re welcome, Tom.
It’s actually a decent piece even for a leftie. Of course, he has to dis Trump, which is kind of funny.
Dissing Trump, when lefties are critical of lefties, is becoming something akin to the welcome to the country shtick we have to endure at times.
CNN Host Stunned as Data Exposes Reality of ‘Bidenomics’: ‘Depressing’
University Presidents Flunk Out
What six-syllable word describes the testimony of Claudine Gay and Liz Magill?
One way to finish a meeting!
The terrifying moment Ukrainian official Srhiy Batryn detonates multiple grenades during heated city council meeting
Terrifying video shows the moment a Ukrainian politician casually detonated multiple grenades during a heated village council meeting Friday, injuring at least 26 people in what is being investigated as an act of terrorism.
The incident occurred about 90 minutes into a livestreamed meeting in the Keretsky Village Council in Ukraine’s Western Zakarpattia region Friday.
A short clip shared by the Ukrainian National Police shows a man — later identified as deputy Serhiy Batryn, a member of Ukraine’s parliament — entering the council headquarters during the debate about finances.
“May I speak?” he finally asks — before removing at least three hand grenades from his jacket pockets and tossing them on the floor.
Stunned people jump up and duck for cover as the explosives go off with loud bangs and flashes, filling the council chamber with thick smoke and screams of agony.
“I can’t walk!” a woman’s anguished voice is heard crying out in Ukrainian during the chaos.
What’s not to like about…
…apart from the practisers thereof?
Thanks Indolent. Great word.
Two other men accused by the same woman are still before the courts.
Held in custody or out on bail?
One is barely acceptable, the other is a travesty.
Burka ensuring no Australian Artiste will be living in poverty…
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/dec/15/australian-tv-shows-including-home-and-away-handed-tax-breaks-in-battle-against-hollywood
On Friday the arts minister, Tony Burke, announced changes to the threshold spend to qualify for one of those tax breaks, known as the Producer Offset.
Currently television series can receive a 30% tax break if it costs at least $500,000 to produce each hour. Under the new system, series that do not meet this requirement will still be eligible if they spend at least $35m a season.
“This means shows like Channel Seven’s Home and Away would be eligible, where they previously weren’t,” Burke said in a statement, adding that the changes would help industry professionals secure ongoing work and promote the telling of uniquely Australian stories.
“We want to see more Australian stories shown on screen,” he said. “Backing in Australian drama is essential to that.”
The changes will benefit any drama that films significant hours over a season, such as shows that screen dozens of episodes a year but do not meet the current per-episode spend requirement.
The changes will not come into effect until mid next year.
The Screen Producers Association (SPA) was unavailable for comment on Friday. The peak body has been lobbying the government for more local access to generous tax breaks, which have over the past 15 years delivered an estimated $3.466bn in savings to mainly multinational and overseas studios.
A home and away led recovery!
Bright new shoots of growth at Sunnyvale!
Do yourself a favour, turn the speakers up loud, and listen, it is only 3 mins long.
This is what happens, when the greatest voice, absolutely nails a work by the greatest composer*.
(*If he is not the greatest composer, he is in the Grand Final.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWc7vYjgnTs
I bet you play it more than once!
‘Too much risk’: Call for strategic coal power reserves
Angela Macdonald-SmithSenior resources writer
EnergyAustralia boss Mark Collette has called for states to set up government-backed strategic reserves of coal power that could be used to avoid blackouts as the build-out of firmed renewables lags behind the accelerating exit of coal plants.
Mr Collette said the Australian Energy Market Operator’s draft blueprint for the power grid, released on Friday, showed Australia’s energy transition was “happening at light speed”. Without back-up coal power, the electricity system “holds too much risk for consumers”, he said.
EnergyAustralia MD Mark Collette says the country’s energy transition is “happening at light speed”.
Mr Collette has previously outlined a plan for EnergyAustralia’s Mt Piper coal power station near Lithgow to increasingly operate in a “reserve” role, only running when needed to fill in lengthy gaps in supply when renewables output is too low.
While there is no proposal for a reserve system on the table, he has outlined expectations for policy to evolve to support such a system, given the need for coal power beyond the dates plants would close on economic grounds.
AEMO’s draft plan for the power grid points to the need for a more-than-50 per cent faster build-out in wind and solar generation, and a huge increase in gas power plants to support it, as well as expansion in transmission.
The investment is made more urgent by AEMO’s forecast that coal power will exit the National Electricity Market much faster than is being assumed, with all coal plants likely to close by 2038, five years sooner than it estimated last year.
Mr Collette said the scale of the transformation needed to hit Australia’s 2030 climate targets was “hard to overstate”.
”Government and corporate ambition is strong, policy is supportive, but challenges remain, including supply chain, social licence and workforce availability,” he said.
“The timeline for coal exits highlights that getting the details right for the Commonwealth-state agreement on a strategic reserve for each state is essential.”
Opposition energy spokesman Ted O’Brien said AEMO’s report showed the country’s energy market was “on the verge of collapse”, with government policies forcing baseload coal plants out of the market prematurely with no guarantee of replacement reliable power.
The comments come as the NSW government started on Friday to consult on a so-called “orderly exit management framework” to support the exit of coal power plants from the system, which would involve government-backed extensions of plants if required to keep the lights on.
Industry sources say such back-up is clearly needed, pointing to the squeeze on the NSW power grid on Thursday due to the outage of just one coal power unit, which coincided with high electricity demand amid soaring temperatures.
AEMO on Friday issued another level-two warning – for next Tuesday – over insufficient generating reserves in NSW.
The tighter supply-demand balance follows the long-advised closure of AGL Energy’s Liddell coal power plant in April and ahead of the targeted August 2025 closure of Origin Energy’s huge Eraring plant, which the NSW government has decided needs to be delayed.
AEMO’s $121 billion blueprint to transform the power grid to suit low-carbon energy also exposed gaps in policy that cast doubt on how the huge task will be achieved.
The market operator now says an extra 16.2 gigawatts of gas power generation is needed by 2050, up from the 9GW in the 2022 version of its Integrated Systems Plan.
At the same time, actual generation from gas plants is expected to dive sharply out to the mid-2030s as cheap wind and solar take over, arguably putting more reliance on policy to help underwrite the investment.
But the beefed-up Capacity Investment Scheme announced last month by the Albanese government specifically excludes gas, fuelling worries whether weather-dependent wind and solar farms can be firmed up and made reliable as coal plants close.
Sarah McNamara, head the industry body that represents electricity producers, said the ISP had highlighted the important role for gas to help manage peak demand and cover prolonged “droughts” in wind and solar generation.
“The challenge for policymakers– and that is at state and federal government – is to make sure we have the policy settings right so we can encourage the development of the stabilising energy generation that we need to fill what is likely to be periods of supply drought into the future,” she said.
“The specific exclusion of gas from the Capacity Investment Scheme means that the gas challenge has not been addressed.”
Ms McNamara said it was now up to state governments through bilateral deals with Canberra to ensure the stability of their grids, with some states such as South Australia set to welcome more gas power into their systems, while Victoria has decided against.
Australia has about 11 gigawatts of installed gas power capacity, but with 8 gigawatts set to be retired, about 13 gigawatts of new plants will be needed, calculated the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association, which represents APA Group, Jemena and others.
That is the equivalent of about 17 Hunter Power Projects, the new gas plant being built by Snowy Hydro near Newcastle, or 280 plants the size of Squadron Energy’s planned Dubbo gas plant in NSW, said APGA CEO Steve Davies.
The comments came as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission renewed its warnings that gas shortages threaten the south-eastern states starting in 2027 in the absence of investment in new supply. The finding was described by gas producers as a “wake-up call for governments”.
“Without the development of new gas fields, pipelines and potentially LNG import terminals, or without a significant reduction in demand, the east coast will experience sustained gas shortfalls,” the ACCC said.
Squadron, which aims to deliver one-third of the Albanese government’s target of 82 per cent renewable energy by 2030, fully endorsed AEMO’s grid plan, pointing to its investments underway in wind power in NSW and Queensland, as well as its gas investments at Dubbo and the Port Kembla gas import terminal.
“This mix of renewable energy, backed up by batteries and dispatchable gas sourced without new gas fields, is the right balance to deliver reliable, affordable and clean energy for Australia,” said the company, owned by mining billionaire Andrew Forrest.
shatterzzz, you were a practiced alcoholic, Hoggins isn’t. Mates old man was an alcy, best chippie/cabinet maker around. Had him do some work for me. Worked hard, never stuffed up but when he got on the piss each night he didn’t remember a thing. Maybe, I don’t really know, alcy’s who work as well tend to forget as I’ve noticed with some of my mates. A real shame. You’ve done well to keep at it.
The “pirate” doin’ what he does best .. make believe AKA all mussos are wonderful .. LOL!
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/usman-and-folau-don-t-dare-compare-this-outspoken-duo/ar-AA1lz9VA?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=20c828baf38244409e1003ac23b8c375&ei=17#comments
Old Crock in Feraldton was a raving alcoholic.
A “shit my pants at a political meeting where they were silly enough to put on free booze” standard…
Also: Only electrician certified to work on the fuel berths/tanks at Geraldton harbour for a decade.
Struck by lightening once which sent him temporarily blind (and killed most of the pigs in the shed he was wiring up at the time) and won lotto.
Swan Brewery have never recovered from his death.
$500 bottle of red? Isn’t that something your true Tory would enjoy?
OldOzzie, AEMO should be lied up and shot as traitors along with most politicians. This is what happens when nobody knows how to do anything little knows what to do. I used to have a brilliant accountant. He always said accounants don’t know how to make money, that is your business. We arrange the figures to suit the law. Never earned so much money nor paid so little in tax. No fiddling. He was cheap too. Ex-Army Major as straight as they come.
He was fighting ‘em by drinking their booze.
Brave and cunning. And, oddly refreshing.
Go Albo! Go you good thing!
Lachrymose Pavarotti. Went to the 3 Tenors concert. Not impressed with him. Carrerras and Domingo sublime.
Leftist scum: Respect democracy
also leftist scum: There’s only one way out of this Gaza war and Netanyahu is blocking it. Joe Biden must force him from power
Socialists are now The Establishment.
During a conversation the next day, when the complainant, who had little memory of the evening, asked what had happened, Mr Martinez indicated they had obtained consent continually throughout the sexual activity and understood consent was provided.
Just look at how language is being destroyed by this kowtowing to this “non-binary” nonsense.
Here we have two people sexually engaged and Mr Martinez says they obtained consent. Anyone familiar with the English language would conclude that there was someone else present watching proceedings and giving approval to each course of action as the action unfolds.
“They” by any reasonable understanding of the language are Mt Martinez and Ms Pisspot. But no, the plural, third person pronoun they refers to Mr Martinez and it is he who is obtaining consent. Confusing, isn’t it?
Moderation?
Tried to post Vikki Campion article.
When men speak ill of thee, live so as nobody may believe them.
– Plato
Moss Wood? I crashed a Moss Wood tasting at the Claremont Hotel walking home from the train station (before the massive renovation) and enjoyed a number of open bottles that would otherwise gone to waste without my thoughtful intervention.
$500 bottle of red? Isn’t that something your true Tory would enjoy?
To fight them you have to know your enemy.
We are just paying for it.
Bear, you are a true philanthropist.
Hang on…that makes two of us.
Your true Tory would have created the wealth with which he purchased the wine.
Albanese has not created a cent of wealth in his lifetime.
OPINION
An open letter to my Dad, Kevin Conolly
By Benjamin Conolly – December 16, 2023
Good article, from the Oz. I’ve posted the full article.
Black Ball
Dec 16, 2023 10:06 AM
Tried to post Vikki Campion article.
Try again; BJ’s missus is always worth reading.
Because “journalism schools” now teach activism, not reporting?
Somehow I don’t think this was completely thought through.
Things happening on the US streets; wonder no more why the US is rooted:
https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=191643990687991
Assoc Prof Byram Bridle: Immunological Consequences of DNA Contaminants in modRNA Shots
All journalism students should be made read (The Adventure of) Silver Blaze.
That’s where “the dog that didn’t bark” came from.
If they can’t understand/critique/learn from that, they have zero business being in the field of journalism.
Reporting? How quaint.
Even the junior at the local rag now has an agenda which frames every story.
I’m no opera buff, but I definitely think there are better versions/singers on this one.
eg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUbA5y1hnFg
$500 bottle of red? Isn’t that something your true Tory would enjoy?
Albo has five houses.
Jets around in private aircraft.
But he “fights Tories”….right!
This is where I got the link, but this contains a ton of information, all bad.
And this from someone who is consistently dispassionate about medical issues. There is a large tendency among sarcoidosis patients to avoid the jabs due to their higher potential for side effects.
Lets see.
1. If it was a gift, then he’d have to resign (paging a Mr O’Farrell).
2. If the government paid for it it would be corrupt and he’s up for the other big house.
3. He paid for it himself.
I wonder which one it is?
With his pooch.
What a wanker. Australia’s lack of Tories means that he hates US. I tend to think assigning mundane motivations to people like Albo along the lines of “the banality of evil” is appropriate, considering the disproportionate cost to everyone else.
Hence, Sydney is looking at cramming in 10 million people by 2062, all so Albo can increase the size of his housing portfolio.
But I learned from the best. Rowan Atkinson in Blackadder IV stated that they had to go over the top so that General Haig could move his drinks cabinet 6 inches closer to Berlin. Far funnier, but the lesson is the same.
What about his canine?
You can get it fighting Torries.
You can get it any old how.
Matter of fact, I got it now.
…
Coupla bottles of The Vanya, ta.
COP28 deal confirms what Australia already knows: coal is out of vogue and out of time
– John Quiggin, The Conversation
Meanwhile, China is building two new coal power plants every week.
That self styled sophisticates versus bogans class divide would probably explain a fair amount of it.
That Leak tooon https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/2d3f639c98dff7084d521b0ddc6e1823?width=1024
Reminds me of The Prestige.
Anyone else?
Continuing to watch as much as possible re Israel/hamas.
From Piers Morgan to Unherd and others.
Some common themes continue to manifest themselves.
– The obtuseness, arrogance, rudeness and outright lying of hamas spokesmen.
– Norman Finkelsteins’ continued ability to use a lot of words and I mean a LOT of words to say virtually nothing, accompanied by that perpetual lefty head tilt.
– The sanitising of Oct 7th by various anti Israel commentators (John Mearsheimer for example) who then go on to say what’s happening in Gaza is all Israels fault and they should stop indiscriminately bombing etc etc, and when pressed offer no alternative course of action.
– The obvious spamming of comments sections of these videos with pro hamas propaganda.
What a great quote. If you’re immoral, unethical, or corrupt or all of the above, then lies about you ring true.
I stress to my children the importance of reputation, and this is one of the reasons for it. My youngest, who tends to be late, gets told it only takes two times to get a reputation. In the age of the internet, these lessons are even more important.
He chucks in a couple of ice cubes to stick it to the Tories.
Footage on twitter shows that it’s not only the US taxpayer that gets bent over in the Capitol Building.
Eye bleach needed.
COP28 deal confirms what Australia already knows: coal is out of vogue and out of time
Quiggin is a proven imbecile (idiots, imbeciles and morns are the IQ rankings so the bastard could gt dumber and become an idiot).
The takeaway from COP28 was that the real powers in the ME and Asia are pro fossils and nuclear.
John Quiggin, a name from long ago that never fails to inspire confidence.
COP28 deal confirms what Australia already knows: coal is out of vogue and out of time
Quiggin is a proven imbecile (idiots, imbeciles and morons are the IQ rankings so the bastard could get dumber and become an idiot).
The takeaway from COP28 was that the real powers in the ME and Asia are pro fossils and nuclear.
Oops; I’m obviously a moron.
smh goes all in running interference for Clare O’Neil.
Dreyfus should be scheduling the meeting with public service team that shows him the spreadsheet with his entitlements based on when he officially exits.
Also a Prof of Economics at UQ.
This is the problem.
Just looking at the front page of the Hun yesterday, picture of Lisa Wilkinson. Is there a more smug and repulsive woman?
I did watch it and I agree with the analysis made about the intent of the Oct 7 attacks. The ferocity was born of a gleeful hatred that wanted to deeply scar the Jews, it wanted to signal genocide. I’ve always seen it as this. Basically, it was the calling card of the total Hamas project, which is to destroy the Israeli mantra of Never Again.
You think? says Hamas. Just watch us.
And that’s why Israel is not going to give up this time.
Just looking at the front page of the Hun yesterday, picture of Lisa Wilkinson. Is there a more smug and repulsive woman?
Shrillary
The squad
Clare O’Neil
The drug dealer’s missus
Does Mr Wong count as woman?
lol. Trust JC to say it in ways that count. Part of his series of posts upthread that I think are very good value. When JC sticks to his knitting he’s producing Fair Isle (aka complex and informed analysis). When he drops a stitch and employs bombast against others then I just scroll. To quote a memorable phrase about life’s surprises: ‘No-one’s perfect”.
Watch Biden/Blinken abandon them by the new year.
‘America is harmless as an enemy and treacherous as a friend.’
– Bernard Lewis
hadn’t realised luigi was on “holidays” all those OS junkets taking their toll .. LOL!
Let’s not inflate Mz. Wilkinson beyond her importance.
She’s not even a cheap tabloid journalist.
Qwiggles doing another “Steiner is coming” moment??
Office next door to Prof Overly & Hugely Gullible?
I was amused that the new Monash VC was caterwauling yesterday.
‘Don’t throw us dog biscuits’: new Monash VC (Paywallian)
Chicken pellets would be more fitting than dog biscuits. Dogs are much more intelligent.
I’m not sure ‘the world’ just tolerated it. Several states were involved.
Those figures have been close to the mark in previous conflicts and generally regarded as credible estimates.
Have you seen the map of the safe zones relative to the hot zones?
Because this isn’t a serious proposal. It’s like the Ukrainians enacting a law opposing negotiations with Putin.
I’ve posited previously that perhaps the underlying and primary motivation of 7 Oct was to prove their relevance, both locally and to regional competitors for funds/recruits. Hence why I’ve also suggested that regardless how badly their Gazan forces are smashed, they ‘won’ the reputational fight on the very first day, and to the soft, fat and safe porkers at the apex, that is all that matters.
Certainly not at the moment. Not even Special Projects. I’ll see myself out thanks.
Muddy – I think there was also a use-it-or-lose-it mindset in the mix as well.
Israel is about to roll out their laser defense system, which is perfect for cheaply and efficiently destroying both bootleg rockets and terror balloons, which have been the staple for Hamas and Islamic Jihad. It’ll do drones too. The weapon system is due to go live in 2024, and they launched their assault in late 2023. That way they could use up their rockets before they became worthless junk.
That last episode is as sobering now (to anyone with a basic knowledge of the Great War) as it apparently was when first broadcast.
I’ll bet Tony Burka’s tax breaks for movies would never produce one of these. Due for Australian release January 9.
Binge watched 2 seasons of SHADOW & BONE .. very well dun fantasy/magic well worth the 16 episodes, if you like “The Witcher” style of show .. 12/10
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2403776/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
But if you prefer watching “nuttin” type offerings then you can’t go past wasting 2 hours of your life on the Julia Roberts “newie”.. LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND .. lotz of threats to break into a decent movie but in the “end” does nuttin’, goes nowhere, lotza & lotz of waffle, vague plot & NO action ………….. 3/10 ..
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12747748/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_leave%2520the%2520world
Bruce of Newcastle
Dec 16, 2023 11:42 AM
An interesting thought, Bruce.
Telstra just sharted itself…
https://twitter.com/cb_doge/status/1735732152514515278
SpaceX to Launch First Direct-To-Cell Starlink Satellites This Weekend.
“There will be no cellphone dead zones in the world. Your phone will still work even if there are no cell towers.”
I have a new theory. Ever notice how similar Sharaz and Lehrmann look?
John Quiggin proves too much ejucashun turns you into an intellectual cripple.
The horror. The horror (the Courier-Mail):
A nation holds its breath.
Just listened to Tucker Carlson on Jimmy Dore show via YouTube. Probably one of the more interesting interviews he has given as covers the vaccines and other interesting topics. Dore was Vax injured.
Otherwise no longer listen to Dore as he is very obviously anti Israel.