politicalowl

There's a first time for everything even for an 82 year old. Today it was Tik Tok. Finally ventured to this much publicised site after a friendly referral to a story titled Spud Stands on his Record . It told how " Peter Spud Dutton, the joyless eeew tuber and social media phobe, has taken to TikTok." I could not resist and went searching. I was disappointed at not finding one of those glamorous all-singing all-dancing clips that have crossed my path on other sites after being down-loaded from Tik Tok. Instead there was this : An Opposition Leader explaining “… I really joined TikTok for one reason. It’s to tell you that we do not have to live in a country where you spend your whole life renting,” (Spud. Sept 2024). A very serious politician indeed. But one to lure younger voters to the Liberal Party? Perhaps if they are moved by a photo of the would-be leader as an outdoor man. Footnote The Australian Inependent Media Network has what it calls "a  far from comprehe...

  The long lunch might be in for a comeback. Liberal leader Peter Dutton promises to provide small businesses with a yearly tax deduction of up to $20,000 for taking clients out to restaurants, cafes and pubs. Sir Lunchalot can hardly wait for a Liberal Party election victory. Sir Lunchalot prefers a little more stylw A bit churlish to exclude alcohol from the allowable expenditure but I’m sure restaurateurs will find a way to ensure booze does not appear on their official receipts. Let the good times roll.

By the look of it, Peter Dutton set out to stress his family man image. There he was on the beach at the Gold Coast looking like a happy dad for the Brisbane Sunday Mail. And then ... The political Peter Dutton re-emerged. PETER Dutton has spectacularly broken his silence to accuse Malcolm Turnbull of spite attacks worse than Kevin Rudd’s, and lambasted the former prime minister for running a “paralysed” government caused by his own political incompetence. From potentially winning a vote or two in his own seat to reminding voters everywhere of the divisions within the Liberal Party

KO-KO  (Spoken) Gentlemen, I'm much touched by this reception. I can only trust that by strict attention to duty I shall ensure a continuance of those favours which it will ever be my study to deserve. If I should ever be called upon to act professionally, I am happy to think that there will be no difficulty in finding plenty of people whose loss will be a distinct gain to society at large. KO-KO As some day it may happen that a victim must be found, I've got a little list — I've got a little list Of society offenders who might well be underground, And who never would be missed — who never would be missed! There's the pestilential nuisances who write for autographs — All people who have flabby hands and irritating laughs — All children who are up in dates, and floor you with 'em flat — All persons who in shaking hands, shake hands with you like that — And all third persons who on spoiling tête-á-têtes insist — They'd none of 'em be mis...

Peter Dutton comes to the job with, at best, a middling ministerial record. Mick Tsikas/AAP Michelle Grattan , University of Canberra The mettle of the man who aspires to be a future Liberal leader is about to be severely tested, now that Malcolm Turnbull has handed Peter Dutton his dream home affairs ministry, overseeing a vast national security empire. Dutton comes to the job with, at best, a middling ministerial record. His time in the health portfolio was a nightmare. In immigration he has been relentlessly political. The former Queensland policeman is a natural political head kicker rather than a nuanced policy man. It was Turnbull who, among other ministers, tore shreds off a 2015 Dutton submission on removing citizenship from people involved with terrorism. A recent initiative, revamping foreign worker visas, has brought problems for and complaints from business. The announced toughening of the citizenship requirements that mak...

The news of Peter Dutton's new super department reminded me of this from an article by Charlton Ogburn back in 1957: We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we would be reorganized. Presumably the plans for our employment were being changed. I was to learn later in life that, perhaps because we are so good at organizing, we tend as a nation to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralization.

The reorganisation is a major win for Peter Dutton, a key conservative supporter of Malcolm Turnbull. Mick Tsikas/AAP Michelle Grattan , University of Canberra Peter Dutton will take charge of a new mega Home Affairs portfolio in a sweeping overhaul of national security agencies and responsibilities announced by Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday. The reorganisation is a major win for Dutton, a key conservative supporter of Turnbull, and comes despite scepticism from many experts and several ministers about the need for – or desirability of – the change. Turnbull said the new Home Affairs portfolio would be similar to the United Kingdom’s Home Office, which he discussed while in London last week. It will include the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Australian Border Force, and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. Turnbull stressed the restructuring was his call, after ...