Respectfully using their traditional names* I can report that Wallypup played out a draw with Reservoir Kar-Teeves last evening.
…
* As advised by a local Uncle. For a fee.

Jo Nova spills the beans on the corruption of the left’s favourite term/process “peer review”

My old neighbour asked me to proof read his master’s thesis (Teaching). Lots of poor English, statements with no evidence and a the whole conclusion was missing, in short I would have failed him. He passed!

Inside Brittany Higgins’ dream wedding to David Sharaz at a $20million luxury estate – and it’s just days away

• Brittany Higgins will marry David Sharaz at a $20million venue
• The Gold Coast estate is billed as ‘epitome of luxury’
• About a month later, she will face off with Linda Reynolds
• Daily Mail. Doesn’t that give you a lovely, warm feeling that Brittany might be finding true happiness?

Modern slavery

China shows the way

Maurice Newman, The Spectator

The federal government’s Modern Slavery Act 2018 was introduced to require larger entities to report suspected modern slavery risks to their operations and supply chains and the actions taken to address them.

In May 2023, a statutory review into the Act’s effectiveness by Professor John McMillan outlined thirty recommendations to reform it. The Act had already been amended to provide for the appointment of an Anti-Slavery Commissioner.

Professor McMillan’s intention was to align the Act with overseas regulatory trends putting emphasis on enhanced human rights, due diligence and supply chain transparency. Penalties were recommended for non-compliance along with lowering the corporate reporting threshold to $50 million from $100 million of consolidated revenue. Other recommendations included a proposal to establish a formal public complaints mechanism.

While there is no globally agreed definition of ‘modern slavery’, the term is used to cover a broad range of exploitative practices. Oddly, it does not include reference to child labour.

When it comes to large businesses, ensuring supply-chain transparency can be challenging. External suppliers may run into the thousands of smaller businesses, potentially involving millions of workers. If suppliers’ identities are not true to label, discovering the ultimate source can be difficult.

For example, furniture manufacturers may claim that the timber used is from sustainable forests and harvested by reputable organisations when, in fact, it is illegally logged by slave labour. Authentication can be difficult. On the other hand, some jurisdictions are universally known for employing slave labour. Yet, because suppliers have a near monopoly, whether it be critical minerals or other products, or, because of price advantage, or, power politics, a sanctimonious, double-standards world turns blind eyes.

For example, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is endowed with exceptional natural resources including 75 per cent of the world’s cobalt. Despite its natural endowment, the DRC is among the five poorest nations in the world. An estimated 75 per cent of Congolese people live on less than $3.25 a day. Indeed, a long history of conflict, political upheaval and authoritarian rule have led to grave and ongoing humanitarian crises. Today, the country is on the verge of anarchy making conditions conducive for the exploitation of people of all ages and genders. Indeed, of the 255,000 Congolese cobalt miners, it is estimated there are 40,000 children, some as young as six, who are ruthlessly exploited to work in toxic pits under brutal, often violent, conditions. Women miners are subjected to sexual abuse. All are overseen by armed militia. It is slavery of the worst kind.

Production from these mines accounts for around 20 per cent of the country’s total cobalt output. Most of it goes to Chinese battery manufacturers who use it in the production of lithium-ion batteries, a necessary ingredient in smartphones, tablets, laptops and electric vehicles.

An Amnesty International research report, in collaboration with African Resources Watch, traced how traders buy cobalt from these illegal mines and sell it on to firms like Congo Dongfang Mining, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chinese mineral giant, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Limited.

Of course, slavery doesn’t phase Chinese companies. After all, the Chinese government operates 380 slave labour camps in the Xinjiang, Uighur Autonomous Region and in Gansu province. Here, Muslim minorities and their children are forced to manufacture batteries, textiles and solar panels. Here, females have their hair shaved on admission, which is then used to make wigs for a global market of which China has an eighty-per-cent share. Children living in these camps are mobilised to pick cotton and forced to meet daily quotas. Camp workers live under constant surveillance and must work extreme hours. Reliable reports tell of torture, abuse and sexual violence.

More recently Christians are being detained in secretive, mobile ‘transformation’ facilities and sent to internment camps to make them renounce their faith. The official purpose for all these camps is either ‘re-education’, ‘poverty alleviation’, or ‘to prevent terrorism’.

Regardless, practices are on such a scale and involve such levels of abuse that they clearly qualify as crimes against humanity and genocide.

While Sinophiles argue that, over time, building commercial bridges with a growing China will lead to more democratic government, more freedoms and greater geopolitical cooperation, it is a naive view which completely misunderstands the mindset and intentions of President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist party.

Xi Jinping is as an old-fashioned Marxist-Leninist and has no time for personal freedoms. He sees financial independence as a threat to the Chinese Communist party. To him, empowerment of individuals is a ‘bourgeoise fallacy’ and free speech, equality under the law and other human rights must be ‘controlled’ or ‘delayed’. Indeed, through multiple purges he has put his beliefs into practice and made it clear that no one is safe. By expanding his authority and through increased central planning, he has ensured politically, socially and economically, the Chinese people do what he says.

In this regard, the contrast between the DRC (the Congo) and the PRC (China) could not be more stark. The DRC is a failed state where anything goes. The PRC is a totalitarian state which deliberately sponsors modern slavery and sits behind a facade of righteousness. For Beijing, Western huffing and puffing count for nothing. After all, more than eighty United Nations member countries support China’s position, saying they oppose interference in other countries’ internal affairs in the name of human rights.

Even the so-called leader of the ‘free world’, US President Joe Biden, seems resigned. When asked about China’s genocide of Uighur Muslims he meekly conceded that, ‘Culturally, there are different norms that each country and their leaders are expected to follow.’

Sadly, this is the hypocritical world we live in. Only the West outlaws modern slavery. Only the West takes emissions reduction seriously. It can achieve neither on its own. And, ironically, slavery is hostage to Western climate policies.

Some day the West may wake up to the fact that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

This ought to discomfit renewables enthusiasts.

Pass it on to any you know.

Gateway Pundit headlines:

HE’S SHOT: Joe Biden Struggles with Simple Directions, Can Barely Walk, at Welcoming Ceremony for Kenyan Leader (VIDEO)

You would have likely read it. There’s talk that if the two debates don’t go well for Dementia (and they won’t) the DNC will get dump him before the convention. There’s something to that, I think, as the leftwing media appears to have begun to turn against the loser.

Milt

I don’t think he can. He is too far behind to walk from the debates, and initiating them could likely be a sign of desperation and a trap set by the Demon Bigwigs to finally be rid of the demented pos if he performs badly.

I’ve read there’s also chatter, they could even decide to run with Harris because getting rid of her would be too anti-DEI, and if they’re going to lose it may as well be with the drunk, laughing hyena.

Also, the debate idea came from Demented’s camp, and it’s really strange because they’ve set the first one well before the convention. Debates are always after the convention. Very strange decision.

Jewish women call on Penny Wong to speak louder about the horrors of Hamas

• exclusive

By cameron stewart

• Chief International Correspondent
• 11:59AM May 25, 2024
• 71 Comments

Australian Jewish women have called on Foreign Minister Penny Wong to view the harrowing Hamas footage of bloodied female Israeli ­hostages and speak out on their behalf, saying violence against women is not an ­Israeli or a Palestinian issue but a human rights issue.
Families of the five 19-year-old hostages released the shocking vision to highlight the plight of their daughters, who have been held captive by Hamas for 230 days.
In it, the five women – Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniella Gilboa and Naama Levy, whose cousin Nikki Perzuck lives in Melbourne – lie terrified and bloodied as Hamas terrorists tie their hands, subject them to ­vicious abuse, and abduct them on October 7.
One of the terrorists is heard telling the others: “Here are the girls who can get pregnant.” Another tells one of the women: “You are so beautiful.”
Melbourne-based mother and Jewish community activist Lillian Kline led a group of five Jewish women to Parliament House in Canberra to call on the government to speak out on behalf of the women and the sexual violence used against women by Hamas. “What was done to these women can never be justified or swept up in political debates about the history of the conflict. These are ­horrific crimes against women inflicted by men” Ms Kline said.
“Hamas have used rape and sexual torture to destroy these women in body and soul and to terrorise. We have a duty to save these five women plus the other 14 women still enslaved and being tortured by their male captors.”

She called on Senator Wong and the Minister for Women, Katy Gallagher, to “lead the campaign to alert the world to their plight and to call for their immediate release”.
“This is not an Israeli or Palestinian issue, it is a women’s issue and a basic human rights issue,” Ms Kline said.

I had a surprisingly delicious wine last week. A 2018 Shiraz from the Canberra district, named by the vineyard ‘Eliza Jane’. Subtle fruit (as opposed to jammy ‘big’ reds), white pepper and spice, smooth tannins, a complex of flavours – well worth it

The surprise? Oh, did I forget to mention the vineyard?

McWilliams!

Yes, the cooking sherry people.

i know the company changed hands a couple of years ago but this wine was made before then by the old crew.

Highly recommended – even if for no reason other than the hitherto unknown experience of finding something good coming out of Canberra.

Who’da thunk it ..! A gummint business that understands economics .. LOL!

In 2012 the ROYAL AUSTRALIAN MINT issued its 1st, general circulation, coloured coin .. the Rememberance Day Red Poppy .. now whether cos unsure of public acceptance/sales, no idea, they limited the, circulated, amount to 500 000 (standard colour releases are from 1 million upwards for most $2 coloured coins since)..
Sooo, being such a small number the coin’s value flew up to $500 each on the collectors market very quickly .. Over the years it has settled down but is still worth $200 upwards (if you can get one for under $200 .. a bargain) ..
fast forward to 2022 and Anzac Day comes around again but this time RAM has dun its homework .. the 5, 10 & 20cents coins, are costing more to produce than their value(s) so RAM is struggling to break even, come the Rememberance $2 coloured the Mint doesn’t issue a new design (and the coupla million coins necessary) what it does is re-issue the 2012 Red Poppy with the latest variation of Queen Elizabeth on the obverse side and by limiting the run to 60 000 and NO general circulation ( RAM sale only) they can charge $150 each so,vastly, reducing production costs but ensuring they make just as much, or more, profit as a “normal” issue …..
So, unlike Oz Post who flood the market with so many new stamp issues a year that they have made stamp collecting so expensive they attract very few “newbies” into the game RAM has limited the production run(s) of the, extremely, popular & collectable $2 colours into a flourishing business .. They still produce enuf to keep folk happy & to keep the collectors, average, prices (except for several specific colours) between $5 & $10 each .. Making Oz $2 colours an affordable priced hobby compared to Oz postage stamps ……
 
To give you an idea of how valuable the 2012/2022 Red Poppies are at upwards of $200 .. the next most sort after is the 2013 Queen Coronation issue from $45 up …….

Sickening NT Police Territory Response Group awards ‘clearly racist’

• Exclusive

By liam mendes

• Reporter

and paige taylor

• Indigenous Affairs Correspondent, WA Bureau Chief
• 8:41AM May 25, 2024

Explosive exhibits revealing further racism within the Northern Territory police’s most elite unit are set to be unveiled at the ­coronial inquest into the death of Indigenous teenager Kumanjayi Walker.
The Weekend Australian has obtained copies of the most shocking examples yet of racist language and imagery used in the annual awards of the Territory Response Group.
It comes despite some longtime TRG members having given the NT Coroner sworn statements the squad was not racist and neither were the awards.
At least one officer has provided an updated affidavit. The newly unearthed awards cast doubt that previous examples could have been aberrations, with the NT ICAC commissioner declaring on Friday “racist awards had been produced in the TRG”.

Chilling new details emerge about Perth double murder-suicide as it’s revealed man, 63, who shot dead a woman, 59 and her daughter, 18, turned up at their home looking for his ex-wife
Daily Mail.

In Teh Weekend Paywallian Janet A fingers the pair behind Australia signing up to the ICC. No surprise all roads lead (as they so often do) to Howard, this time with Dolly Downer.

My hope is that one day not long hence a conservative will write a book detailing the damage John Howard did to this country.

Downer and David Kemp will deserve special mentions.

Neither of them courted commercial appeal…

ROTFLMAO.

Sorry, Rabz.

err, Bear (and Rog), care to name a commercial strategy that netted the Floyd as many gazillions as they somehow mysteriously managed to gather?

Dark Side of the Moon.

A collection of extended FM friendly 3 chord pop songs with suitable for the period dark lyrics, mixed by Alan Parsons to enhance the stoner’s stereo listening experience c. 1973.

Given how lefty the female population has skewed, and how much the far left like to virtue signal their goodness, and how much they like all the things sexual revolutionary, you would think there would be an entire army of purple haired revolutionary chicks roaming the land searching for disabled blokes to wank off.
Instead of sitting on their fat arses on university campuses in solidarity to the Palis. We shouldn’t need the NDIS if lefty chicks were doing their job.
Maybe they just need organising.
I see a role for you Rabz.