…than merely great news and entertainment, free of advertising. Your ABC may just prove instrumental in recovering the nation from the 10 year grip of HoWARd.

Since Maxine’s announcement of her candidacy for HoWARd’s Bennelong seat, ABC has been playing the “Max Factor” in ‘heavy rotation,’ at almost every newsbreak and as a main topic of just about every news and current affairs program.

Maxine couldn’t buy in-depth media coverage like this- even if it were for sale.
(more…)

Since her recent retirement as one of the very best interviewers and journalists ABC has ever had, Maxine ‘Da Goddess’ McKew has been working as an adviser to Kevin Rudd.

Today, McKew formally joined the ALP. She will run for the PM’s electorate of Bennelong.

You go, grrrrl.

McKew took no prisoners as an interviewer. Maxie was known to kill and eat lesser political hypocrites, right there while on the air. Gnaws on their skulls with her very own teeth. Now that she can be openly partisan, expect much more serious fireworks, if that’s even possible in civilised political discourse.
(more…)

The interception near Christmas Island of a boat carrying 85 asylum seekers and the Howard plan to ‘Pacific Solution‘ these people once again brings to fore the inconsistencies between Liberal Party refugee policy and Australia’s obligations to assist those fleeing persecution.
(more…)

Pistons overboard!

Boatpeople ‘sabotaged vessel’

by Cath Hart – The Australian

A BOATLOAD of 85 asylum-seekers from Sri Lanka and Indonesia sabotaged the engine and hull of their boat just hours after it had been repaired by the Australian navy, the Government claimed yesterday.

Last night, the 83 Sri Lankans and two Indonesians who were intercepted on Tuesday were still on the navy’s HMAS Success in international waters 50 nautical miles from Christmas Island.

(more…)

image: The Sydney Morning Herald

Organisers from the Stop the War Coalition lodged an application for a permit to march in Sydney streets to protest the visit of US President of Vice, Dick Cheney, more than 7 days prior to the event. Pursuant to the rules regarding such applications, this advance notice should grant automatic permission to march unless the Supreme Court issues an injunction prohibiting the march.

There was no Supreme Court injunction issued, but NSW Police used physical violence regardless against marchers in a failed attempt to contain the protest.
(more…)

Isn’t it wonderfully convenient for Johnny Howard that just as soon as election campaigns start ramping up, boat people also suddenly start being intercepted again, heading for Australian territory?

Can you say “Children Overboard?”
(more…)

The arrival earlier in the week of the Cunard luxury liners Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2 drew thousands of Sydneysiders to the foreshores to get a glimpse of the mammoth pair of ships- gridlocking traffic around Sydney Harbour.

US Vice President Dick Cheney is presently winging his way from Japan to Sydney to engage in a little vice of his own. Big Dick’s appearance is expected by NSW Police to have similar effects on Sydney’s traffic as the big ships – but definitely not due to throngs of admirers clogging our streets.

Unlike Sly Stallone’s private jet, I doubt Cheney’s US Air Force plane will be searched by Australian Customs. If they did, they’d be sure to find some powerful date-rape drugs in Cheney’s possession. Face it- Cheney couldn’t possibly go fuck himself without being really whacked on serious dope. Let’s hope Big Dick’s gentle with his… err… himself. (more…)

Johnny-come-lately Howard has quietened his skepticism of global warming but considers the best solution for Australia’s carbon emissions to be nuclear power stations. The NIMBY factor in locating a nuclear facility in Australia is impossibly huge, as I would expect it to be anywhere else, but since Australia has only one reactor, claimed to be used for for making radiomedical isotopes, resistance to any more nuke plants will be staunch.

Construction of a nuclear power plant in Australia would be impeded by decades of rabid protest and interference from those living in the proposed nuke site areas. Planning for a nuke plant would come to a sudden halt as soon as the proposed location was announced. (more…)

Completely disinteresting other than Iemma’s foolish backing of a desalination plant over stormwater reclamation and water recycling.

Like watching a pair of one-legged men in an asskicking contest. Each might get a boot in before falling flat.

The scripting of the opening and closing comments was painful. This dog-and-pony act had been negotiated to the hilt going in. Even ABC refers to the program on the Stateline website with alarm quotes…

16/02/2007
Iemma vs Debnam

Morris Iemma and Peter Debnam in “live” debate.

Depressing that one of these two is going to be NSW Premier for a while.

*sigh*

-weez

Australia has some of the best editorial toonies on earth.

I was a little worried after the dénouement of Amanda Vanstone that there would be fewer opportunities for a right proper skewering, but in militarese, Lil Johnny still provides a ‘target-rich environment.’

Alan Moir for the Sydney Morning Herald

(more…)