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Showing posts from February, 2015

Tony Abbott’s personal intervention with Indonesian President fails?

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This morning’s  Jakarta Post  holds out lit

Farewelling Mr Spock today and Tony Abbott on Tuesday?

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That’s how 7News saw things this morning. It pretty much sums up the attitude of most of the media. Notable exceptions were the two biggest selling Murdoch tabloids and the ABC. The socialist leaning ABC? Yes the ABC website preferred Mr Spock and a Russian murder. For the PM it was a straight report on meetings in New Zealand. The Melbourne Herald Sunalso  was very low key on page seven while the Sydney Tele relegated its coverage to page nine with: Up in Brisbane  The Courier Mail  brought out the egg eater to whip the leadership speculation along. Laurie Oakes had his column elevated to page one, where soe people might actually notice it, rather than being hidden in the boring opinion pages as in the other tabloids. Laurie’s message? Uncertainty about whether a leadership coup would help or hurt the NSW Coalition could be a key factor if Abbott earns another reprieve. That is all it would be. The last couple of weeks have provided strong evidence for those believin

George Brandis: nothing else to say about the man really

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The political speculator's diary: Backing Malcolm Turnbull

The political speculator's diary: Backing Malcolm Turnbull : For Tony Abbott it's just going from bad to worse. I cannot see how he will keep his Liberal Party leadership. I'm suggesting what ...

The new besties – Malcolm Turnbull and Paul Keating

If you thought Malcolm Turnbull sounded a lot like Paul Keating when he appeared on Q&A recently then you may well be right. I’m told by what I’ll call “a normally reliable and well informed Sydney friend” that the pair have developed a close friendship. They are regularly, I am told, in each others company as the Liberal leadership pretender gets a tip or two on playing politics from the former Labor prime minister. That someone astute is helping Malcolm Turnbull steer through the difficulties of building his credentials without openly challenging Tony Abbott is apparent. And wasn’t this comment on Q&A pure Keating? “I think firstly you have to set out a vision… describe where you want to go. What’s this all about? What is your goal? You’ve got to explain that. Then you’ve got to explain honestly, not dumbing it down… the problems that we face. What is the problem with the budget? What is the problem with the NBN… Explain it and lay it out factually and then lay out what

The Twee Tribe and other news and views

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From  The Times Literary Supplement  -Consider the following phenomena: owl-shaped cushions, bird-print textiles and kitten ephemera. French horns, ukuleles and accordions. Grown women with wispy fringes who dress like little girls, grannies or Jean Seberg, and young men who sport excessively neat haircuts, horn-rimmed glasses and waistcoats. Cotton candy, gluten-free acai berry cupcakes and quinoa fritters with probiotic goat yoghurt. Anything that is locally sourced, vintage or artisanal. Cream-coloured retro bikes with wicker baskets and 1950s sun dresses in ice-cream shades. Polka dots and cocktails in jam glasses. The comic strip Peanuts, J. D. Salinger and Maurice Sendak. The Smiths and Belle and Sebastian. Taxidermy, stamp collecting and home baking. The films of Wes Anderson. What do they all share? According to Marc Spitz, they are emblems of “Twee” – “the most powerful youth movement since Punk and Hip-Hop”. Basic personality changes linked to unemployment, study finds  –

Clipping the hidden fees of the ticket clippers

Reuters  reports  that President Barack Obama is proposing new rules to protect Americans from being steered into costly retirement investments that produce high commissions for brokers but low returns for investors preparing for retirement. The proposed rules, which the Department of Labor is expected to submit formally in the coming months, will inject political pressure into an already intense debate over brokers’ obligations. They would have an impact on thousands of brokerages, from large players such as Fidelity, Wells Fargo , Charles Schwab  and Raymond James, to smaller, independent shops. Brokers would be held to a higher “fiduciary standard,” requiring them to put their clients’ financial interests ahead of their own. The White House said the proposals target fees and payments that on average lead to a full percentage point lower annual return on retirement savings at a cost to Americans of $17 billion a year. In particular, Obama called for new rules preventing r

Indonesia’s President: Fan Of Megadeth, Defender Of Death Penalty

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Indonesia’s President: Fan Of Megadeth, Defender Of Death Penalty  – Indonesian President Joko Widodo took office a little more than 100 days ago, buoyed by sky-high expectations for political change. He’s seen as very different from the strongmen and power brokers who have dominated the country for decades. And he’s certainly unconventional. He’s an avid fan of heavy metal groups like Metallica and Megadeth. He’s been photographed wearing black Napalm Death T-shirts and flashing the “devil’s horns” hand sign. But some of his supporters are dismayed by the unexpectedly strong stance he has taken in favor of the death penalty. Last month, Indonesia executed six convicted drug traffickers — five of them foreigners — by firing squad. Two Australians and a British grandmother are among the foreigners still on Indonesia’s death row. So far, Jokowi, as he’s known in Indonesia, has refused all appeals for clemency. NSW Labor has to go Green or go home Oscars Get Political, As Acceptance

Tony Abbott signs the execution papers?

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Perhaps in diplomacy words can be bullets. This morning’s  Jakarta Post  commentary: [Note – Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has also said that execution would have negative repercussions.] The risk of Tony Abbott carrying the can if Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran do face the firing squad increases. See also  Blaming Tony Abbott – Indonesia plays the game  and  Jakarta Post reports: TNI to safeguard prison island as Jokowi firm on execution policy

A Liberal betraying the standards of the party and the conservative conventions of those that voted for him

A kind reader – it was nice to find I had one – sent me an interesting paper that gives a bit of context to that “kind of love” reference in my piece earlier this week  Jim and Junie’s kind of love and a lasting relevance for Tom Uren’s words?   The paper  ‘A KIND OF LOVE’: Supergirls, Scapegoatsand Sexual Liberation ,  written in 2011 by Kate Laing, referred to an interview Jim Cairns gave to a journalist from the late and great  Sydney Sun  about his relationship with Junie Morosi: We know we’re being watched all the time. I don’t give a damn what people say. I have stuck by Junie all the way and I intend to keep doing this… I have not changed my opinion about Junie since the day a few months ago when somebody asked me if I was in love with her. I said then it had nothing to do with the love he was talking about. Love is a word that has many meanings. I said- but I was incorrectly quoted- that love ranged from the kind of thing I might have for the Vietnamese people to the kind o

A real Sydney Telegraph exclusive – political correspondent abolishes Tasmania’s upper house

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Reporting on an opinion poll giving the public view of the New South Wales upper house: From the website of the Tasmanian Parliament: The Legislative Council of Tasmania A Message from the President of the Legislative Council, The Honourable James Scott Wilkinson, MLC. The Legislative Council, which is the Upper House in the Tasmanian Parliament, is a unique parliamentary institution. Established in 1825 as the original legislative body in Tasmania (then Van Diemen’s Land) it is the only House of Parliament in the Commonwealth, and probably in the world, that has never been controlled by any government or any political party. It has always had a majority of independent members making it a truly genuine House of Review. The Legislative Council has extensive constitutional powers, but Members are conscious of their powers and responsibilities and make their decisions accordingly. The independent nature of the House makes for meaningful debate of the issues without the r

Blaming Tony Abbott – Indonesia plays the game

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If Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran finally are executed, expect Tony Abbott to be cast in the role of villain. The reaction in Indonesia to our Prime Minister’s argument in favour of having the two drug dealers spared is getting stronger. From page one of the  Jakarta Post  this morning : People in Aceh are collecting spare change for Tony Abbot following the Australian prime minister’s recent comments about a lack of Indonesian gratitude as it readies to execute two Australian drug traffickers. Organizers said that the money collected would be given to the Australian government to “repay” an estimated A$1 billion worth of aid given to Indonesia after the 2004 Aceh tsunami. Among initiators of the coin drive are the I Love Aceh community and the Association of Indonesian Muslim University Students (KAMMI), which has set up special posts for people to participate in the drive. “We are ready to collect coins to be handed over to the Australian government,” chairman of KAMM

Punting on the Oscars - it's Birdman for me

I'm reverting to my normal practice of assuming that the punters don't get the favourite in short enough when betting on elections. Hence 100 on Birdman at $1.70 to be best picture at the Oscars. At least it makes watching more interesting. My record on election betting isn't bad either. See  The Political Speculator' Diary

Jim and Junie’s kind of love and a lasting relevance for Tom Uren’s words?

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I am thankful to Gerard Henderson for including this item in his always entertainingly readable Media Watch Dog . (You can read the rest of the item  HERE ) It brought back such marvellous memories of the Whitlam era and what was described at the time as “a kind of love”. There were pictures like this one: And this one. And somehow, when I see a picture like this one, I can’t stop thinking about those words of Tom.

Pernicious inflation and an imploding Europe – a few things for Joe to think about

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Feeling down – Deflation can be a good thing. But today’s version is pernicious  – “Deflation poses several risks, some well-understood, one not. … The least-understood danger is also the most serious, because it is already here. Deflation makes it harder to loosen monetary policy. … Policymakers should be more worried than they appear to be, and their actions to avert deflation should be bolder. Governments need to boost demand by spending more on infrastructure; central banks should err on the side of looseness.” An orderly Greek exit is the only option for Europe  – “The euro will eventually break up. But, before it does, we’ll see a lot more democratic transgressions as big countries, aided by the Brussels machine, impose their will on smaller neighbours.’If we aim deliberately at impoverishment, vengeance, I dare predict … will not limp,’ Keynes wrote in 1919. ‘But who can say how much is endurable, or in what direction men will seek at last to escape from their misfortunes?’ 

Jakarta Post reports: TNI to safeguard prison island as Jokowi firm on execution policy

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There’s no sign in this morning’s report by the  Jakarta Post  that the Indonesian president intends to change his mind on the death penalty for convicted drug criminals. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo made it clear on Friday that the postponed executions of 11 death row convicts, including two Australians, was simply the result of technical problems in the field and it had no relation at all to Australia’s pressure on Indonesia to drop the decision. “No, there were no such issues. It is within our legal sovereignty [to execute the convicts],” Jokowi said at the Bogor Palace. “I believe the delay is due to technical issues; just ask the attorney general [about the details].” The President then asked Vice President Jusuf Kalla to brief reporters about his telephone conversation with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Thursday, in which the Australian diplomat clarified the statement from Prime Minister Tony Abbott that was perceived as offensive to Indonesia. The Prime

The leadership speculation that just won’t go away

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The prime ministerial way with words has struck again. Tony Abbott’s linking of Australian generosity with aid to Indonesia with the scheduled execution of drug traffickers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran has placed him in dangerous political territory. If the view expressed in the media his morning that he has hindered diplomatic efforts to have the death penalty revoked catches on with the public it may well be the final straw for his leadership. Already the media dogs are barking about another challenge. Mark Kenny was the loudest this morning with his “ Leadership chatter has not stopped. It may all come to a head sooner than you think .” But for Hockey, the primary question now must be whether he lasts long enough to deliver a second budget. He is as welded to Abbott as Abbott is to him. Liberals say they’ll go down together. Chatter in the government shows no signs of abating and could yet manifest itself in a sudden move to replace Abbott with Malcolm Turnbull as early

Group decision-making exacerbates men’s tendency to lie

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Honesty in groups: Gender matters  – “Many nations and corporations strive to raise female membership in decision-making bodies. This column discusses new experimental evidence suggesting that there is more lying (and more extreme lying) in male groups and mixed-gender groups than in female groups. Moreover, group decision-making exacerbates men’s tendency to lie while the opposite is true for women. This suggests that the gender composition of decision-making bodies is important when the goal is to limit the scope of unethical behaviour.” The Rising Price of Anti-Cancer Drugs  – “As the best-fit line shows, back in 1995 the new drugs were costing about $54,000 to save a year of life. By 2014, the new drugs were costing about $170,000 to save a year of life. This is an increase of roughly 10% per year.” The Drug That Is Bankrupting America  – “In December 2013, the Food and Drug Administration approved Sovaldi, and another formulation, Harvoni, which is sofosbuvir used in combin

Part timing Australia – the declining full-time jobs

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Australian Bureau of Statistics figures suggest that Australia is becoming a part-time economy. The trend  Labour Force figures for January  show that a record high of 30.73% of jobs were part time. Back in February 1978 when the ABS series began the proportion was only 15.17%

The great cricket sham and other news and views

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Bitter Cup – Cricket’s marquee tournament is a sham  – “Over time, the one-day international has gradually shed any pretense of contest—in cricketing terms, a duel between batsmen and bowlers—and recast itself as a glorified showcase of the bat-manufacturer’s craft, where second-rung players routinely found lacking in Test conditions can get away with edges and mishits. Any ball a batsman—even at his most arthritic—cannot hit with ease has been systematically outlawed (one bouncer per over by strict ration; nothing pitching outside leg stump; nothing wider than a foot of off stump, and so on).” Negative rates to shake up financial system, say experts  – “It has a huge impact on a lot of simple things like pension funds and insurance companies, and how their whole model works,” said Henry Cooke, executive director at Gryphon Capital Investments. “It is putting them under a lot of pressure . . . and when people are put under a lot of pressure, they take a lot more risk.” Corporate b

The risks of an apocalypse and other news and views for cheerful Sunday reading

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Twelve ways the world could end  – “What are the chances of all human life being destroyed by a supervolcano? Or taken over by robots? A new report from Oxford university assesses the risks of apocalypse.” Corruption: doing the dirt  – “The annual yearbook of equity returns, compiled by the London Business School, shows that the more corrupt a country is, the better the returns its equity markets offer. Inflation is dead: It’s below 1 percent in the U.S., U.K., Europe, China, and Japan  – “Central banks, for their part, are trying to push prices up by pushing interest rates down even below zero, but it hasn’t been enough so far. At some point, if they really, really want to, they should be able to revive inflation—after all, they can print as much money as they want—but for now it’s dead. Inflation is just a scare story people old enough to remember the 1970s tell.” Colorado’s legal weed market: $700 million in sales last year, $1 billion by 2016 Not Too Much, Not Too Li

Jeremy Paxman is my new favourite columnist

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Staring nightly at the giggle box in Canberra not London, Jeremy Paxman’s  Newsnight meant nothing to me. Now things are different. Among other things he has turned columnist for London’s  Financial Times  where he almost justifies on his own making that paper one of the only two I actually pay to read on the internet. Most assuredly his Saturday musings are worthy of being on everyone’s short-list of monthly freebies that apply before the FT’s $ sign goes up. After a plug like that I hope the journal I used to write for in the days of the first iron ore boom so many years ago will forgive me for ignoring its plea not to copy its words because good journalism is expensive to give this sample from this week’s Paxman’s Diary:

Time to change those blue ties

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My award for the most revealing story of 2014 about Tony Abbott would go to Mark Di Stefano with his  The Definitive Ranking Of Every Blue Tie Tony Abbott Wore In 2014 . “Tony Abbott”, wrote Di Stefano, “has stuck to a rigid routine throughout 2014: wake up, put on a suit and saddle up with one of his many blue ties. That’s right, if you haven’t noticed Mr Abbott nearly always wears BLUE ties.” The insistence can be traced back to June last year when then Prime Minister Julia Gillard gave a speech about what would happen if Mr Abbott won the upcoming election: “I invite you to imagine it, a prime minister, a man with a blue tie, who goes on holidays to be replaced by a man in a blue tie, a treasurer who delivers a budget wearing a blue tie, to be supported by a finance minister, another man in a blue tie, women once again banished from the centre of Australia’s political life.” Since that speech, Mr Abbott has worn a blue tie virtually every single day, in what some consider ep

Case against Abbott Government builds at The Hague

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Case against Abbott Government builds at The Hague  – “The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, and human rights advocate and lawyer Greg Barns have taken the next step in their formal request for the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate crimes against asylum seekers by members of the Abbott Government.” How Tony Abbott came within 11 votes of oblivion  – “This is the story of a leadership spill missing brilliant strategy, cunning organisation or sophisticated internal machinations that brought a Prime Minister within 11 votes of oblivion.” This time the random walk loses  – “Notwithstanding the progress made in the field of exchange rate economics, we still know very little of what drives major currencies. This column argues that the best that one can do is to assume that currencies move to gradually restore (relative) purchasing power parity. Contrary to widely held beliefs, this is in general a much better strategy than to just assume that