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Showing posts from February, 2017

Tony Abbott The Great Pretender - left to dream all alone

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It is sad but Tony Abbott is now just the great pretender. So sayeth one of the Deplorables to the Owl. "The Great Pretender" (originally by The Platters) Oh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doing well (ooh ooh) My need is such I pretend too much I'm lonely but no one can tell Oh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Adrift in a world of my own (ooh ooh) I play the game but to my real shame You've left me to dream all alone Too real is this feeling of make believe Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal Ooh Ooh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Just laughing and gay like a clown (ooh ooh) I seem to be what I'm not (you see) I'm wearing my heart like a crown Pretending that you're still around Yeah ooh hoo Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal Oh yes I'm the great pretender Just laughing and gay like a clown (ooh ooh) I seem to be what I'm not you see I'm wearing my heart

Full marks for Hugh Mackay for predicting the impact of Turnbull's vitriolic attack on Shorten

There was one observer who got it right after Malcolm Turnbull turned feral with that personal attack on Bill Shorten early in February. Hugh Mackay, who Michael Gordon writing in the Fairfax papers described as having been studying the national mood for decades, says Turnbull has done himself immense damage. "I think we will be able to track the gradual disintegration of Turnbull from that attack," he tells me. "It was such a weak strategy and so appallingly personal and vile that I think a lot of people are going to lose a lot of respect for him over that." Today's Newspoll suggests Hugh Mackay was on the right track.

Solving Tony Abbott"s boredom and income problem: He coulda been a publisher

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The Owl drew attention recently to Tony Abbott's little problem of learning to live within the limits of a humble backbencher's income as an explanation of his apparent gunning for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Now, following Tony's recent critical outburst, others are suggesting that simple boredom of not having enough to do is the root cause of his hostility. Both of which reasons turned the Owl's mind to what might have been if his friend Christoper Pearson had died sooner. Tony Abbott could now have been happily at work publishing that notable publication  The Adelaide Review. The possibility of a publisher Abbott is outlined in a decision by the Honourable Justice Gray of the South Australian Supreme Court delivered in June 2014. Christoper Pearson in a typewritten and formally executed will dated 1 May 1996  made a specific disposition of his shares in The Adelaide Review Pty Ltd and his units in The Adelaide Review Unit Trust to his friend,  Anthony John Ab

Josh Frydenberg tilting at windmills with his Clean Energy Finance Corporation changes - time for another political singalong

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The Sydney Morning Herald reported last month that in "what would represent a significant weakening of the country's environmental financing rules, Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg confirmed the government is considering issuing a new ministerial directive to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to put investment in so-called 'clean coal' on the table." The idea, it seemed, was to gt the Corporation to invest in high-efficiency, low-emissions – also known as super-critical – coal-powered plants. And an idea that makes the old Weddings and Anything song Tillting at Windmills an appropriate addition to the Owl's political singalong collection. I know you, I know your ways, And yes, I hear the things you say, But what you say and what you do Are worlds apart, when you go... Tilting at Windmills, Chasing a dream through greenfields, I lose track of your ideals, I cannot keep up with you. You are so unreal, you're so piecemeal, You always say just

Spare a thought for Tony Abbott now his income has fallen

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Life can get tough when your income suddenly drops and doesn't the Owl know it. So spare a thought for Tony Abbott who used to have a Prime Ministerial income of $522,000, so Google tells me, but now must make do a backbencher's humble stipend of $199,040. And things are really tough when you have a Sydney sized housing mortgage as the member for Warringah does. His parliamentary Statement of Registrable Instruments indicates the following: Which might be troubling for him if that Rismark association is anything to do with the matters described in this  Shared equity loans expensive way to buy story that appeared on news.com.au website back in 2009 THE new shared equity mortgage allows borrowers to buy property they traditionally couldn't afford – but this privilege isn't cheap, particularly if house prices jump. The new product has sparked fears it will add to the growth in house prices because of the extra flow of liquidity to the market. The loan has been

Will Malcolm Turnbull Regret Dumping Maria? - Today's political singalong

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Lib polls number hits low point of  34%......Malcom stands on deck regretting appalling tactical move on energy...begs Maria for help and forgiveness.

Malcolm Turnbull gives solar power industry a boost

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If it's good enough for Malcolm Turnbull then it's good enough for me. That surely is the message from the Prime Minister installing solar panels and a battery storage system at his Point Piper home. The home solar industry could not get a better advertising plug than this. And PM Turnbull could not look more of a hypocrite on energy policy if he tried.

ScoMo enticed pregnant Liberal ministerial colleague with dangerous craving

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The Owl reported yesterday on the surprising use of a lump of coal by Treasurer Scott Morrison in his attack on Labor for neglecting the importance of thermal powered electricity. As our picture showed, the Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer was at one stage enticed to not be afraid of the big black sample. What was not clear to the Owl then was the apparent difficulty that coal can present to pregnant women like the good minister. From the Bellamy's Organic website comes this warning: An apology from ScoMo to his ministerial assistant is surely in order.

Something for Malcolm Turnbull to sweat about

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Something for Malcolm Turnbull to sweat about. If this ABC report turns out to be what happens, Malcolm Turnbull blaming the socialists from South Australia for blackouts will look a bit stupid. See also  Dangers for the Turnbull government in blaming Labor for South Australia's power problems

Will Scomo's lump of coal be a political diamond?

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From the Canberra Times website comes this insight into parliamentary question time: Which leads me to today's political singalong by John Anderson - I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal (Live on ACL 1982) I'm just an old chunk of coal  But I'm gonna be a diamond some day For a more serious comment on SA's power problems see HERE

Dangers for the Turnbull government in blaming Labor for South Australia's power problems

There are some clear dangers in the campaign by the federal Liberal-National coalition government in trying to politically capitalise on power blackouts in South Australia. The first of them was touched on by the energy regulator when he warned that because of the current heatwave, blackouts are possible in New South Wales this weekend. Should that happen Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's claim that the SA problems are simply the result of socialist Labor commitment to wind and solar power will look like the joke that they are. Far more serious is the likelihood that Labor will get around to making the case that the real problem with power supplies was created by the economic rationalists who introduced the whole market based system. Blaming companies more interested in their own profits than serving the public is a sentiment that will go down well with many people.The SA Premier Jay Weatherill is already going down that populist path with minor party Senator Nick Xenophon not far

An American commentary

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Political singalong suspended following Bernardi uncertainty

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The owl political singalong will be suspended pending an enquiry as to whether the fourth back up singer on the right is indeed Corey Bernardi.

Today's political singalong - Don't Let Your Deal Go Down

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A second installment of the Owl's political singalong giving advice to Malcolm.

Trump asks a fair question. Why did Obama agree to such a dumb deal?

It's hard to disagree with Donald Trump about one thing: why did Barack Obama ever agree to such a dumb deal over taking over Australia's refugee obligations? There surely was a quid pro quo. It would be interesting to know what it was.