Our Great Democracy, under siege from within...

I've said it once, and I'll say it again: Julia Gillard and the broader ALP hate democracy and they hate freedom of speech. It is starting to come to light the lengths to which Gillard has gone to silence those who dare question her or her government. It has been revealed that News Ltd entities, including The Australia, had intended on covering a story regarding the previous relationship between our Prime Minister and former Australian Workers Union state secretary Bruce Wilson. Wilson, for those who may not be aware, is a criminal, a thief who stole from the union and betrayed the hard working members who he was supposed to be representing. And yes, this occurred while Wilson and Gillard were in a romantic relationship. Now while Gillard was not aware of Wilson's illegitimate dealings or ill-gotten gains, it does call into question the issue of her judgement, especially in light of the current Thomson Affair. So how does this relate to the media? Well, showing her true union heavy colours, Gillard decided to lean on The Australia and bully them into submission...

After hearing what News Ltd, and especially her arch-enemy The Australia, were up to, Gillard reportedly went ballistic, losing it at the thought that a private media enterprise would have the nerve to publish a story in the public interest. So what did she do? Call lawyers and consult on potential defamation? Seek an injunction to stop the story from going to print? Oh no, these methods are fair and transparent; no, she would take matters into her own hands. Gillard herself called John Hartigan, the Chairman and CEO of News Ltd Australia, as well as Chris Mitchell, the editor-in-chief of The Australian, and let them have it. Reports are coming out that she went "ballistic, nuclear" and called again and again in a harassing manner, demanding that they leave the story alone or "face the consequences". This was undoubtedly in reference to the suggested media inquiry into News Ltd and the threat of a forced break-up of the organisation. In response, the story was buried, one of Australia most popular commentators, Andrew Bolt, was shut down and told not to make any reference to it; the organisation was, essentially, silenced.

The biggest threat to our great democracy...

This, quite frankly, scares me. When you have a leader of a nation, who was democratically elected, calling and harassing the head of a media network and DEMANDING that a story which would paint them in an unfavourable light is buried, then you begin the descent down a slippery slope. Let us consider, for a minute, that News Ltd had told Gillard where to go, what then? Would her next step be to send in the police, claiming some phony cover such as national security? If the police are not available, then why not send in the troops? Then, in the longer term, why not just nationalise all media outlets so that they all dance to the beat of the same propaganda drum? Some of you may think that I am being a little over the top, but when the Prime Minister personally intervenes in the affairs of a private organisation simply because she doesn't like what they are saying, then I think that we, as citizens of a democratic, free nation, need to start asking a few of these tough questions that Gillard believes News Ltd need to answer! I'll start:

Prime Minister Gillard, why is it that you hate freedom so much?

Why do you want to silence those brave enough to ask the tough questions? Is it because you have something to hide?

How could you not have known what Wilson was up to? Were you involved?

How can we trust you given that you are so proficient in the art of deception and speak nothing but lies?

This whole event has made me sick. It is disgust the casual disregard that the PM shows to the freedom of both the citizenry and our media. The media must - must! - always be free to expose incompetence and corruption. Gillard and her government are both incompetent and, I believe, corrupt. The only thing which is currently standing between us and Gillard's true tyranny are News Ltd and, unlike Bob Brown, I thank God for the likes of The Australian and other outlets willing to pursue our elected officials and hold them up to the bright spotlight so that the public might see what they are really up to. Before I sign off, I have one final question for Julia Gillard:

Prime Minister, when will you do what is in the best interest of this great nation and end this farcical government and it's rein of incompetence?

The Stench of the Thomson Affair

Those who know me know that I am a kind, compassionate human being that certainly would not - unquestionably would not! - laugh at the misfortune of others. I just wouldn't; it's not me... Ok, it is a tad unfair that you can't see my face right now, because I'm having a bit of a hard time keeping it straight. Yes, I have been known to - on the rarest of occasions! - have a brief chortle or guffaw at the unfortunate circumstances which others may have found themselves in; but none so much as this morning. Hurricane Irene is in no way funny or amusing, and the US is lucky to have survived with as little damage as it has sustained. While the hurricane may not be funny, it has provided a rather chuckle-worthy clip of a particularly unlucky Fox News reporter by the name of Tucker Barnes. Now poor Tucker, a weather man who was covering the weather event, found himself out on the shore being battered by nature's fury. The wind was howling and the waves crashing down around him, but the intrepid news man carried on, despite having some suspicious looking, and smelling, foam dumped all over him.

Tucker "I wish I had chosen a better career path" Barnes

"It's some sort of organic matter, plankton or something, mixed in with sand and salt. I can tell you firsthand, it doesn't smell great." Reported brave Tucker, smelling a local news award for his brave coverage of the once in a century hurricane. The problem was that it wasn't the award he was smelling, or plankton, for that matter, but rather raw sewage. That's right, our fearless news reporter Tucker "That's not plankton..." Barnes was being sprayed and covered in raw sewage. For those of you who would care to watch, this link will take you to the footage. But remember: once you view it, you can't un-view it...

So what, if anything, does this have to do with Australian federal politics? Well, during my third viewing of the clip of Tucker "There isn't enough soap in the world for me to feel clean again" Barnes, in which I laughed so hard I almost fell off my chair, I had an odd moment of lucid realisation: that poor man is just like Julia Gillard. No, he isn't a red head, talk like he is speaking to disabled children or promise before the newscast that there will be no raw sewage in any report I make. Instead I realised that Julia Gillard, like Tucker "No one wants to car pool with me anymore" Barnes, is trapped in the middle of nowhere and slowly being buried under a giant, steaming pile of foamy raw sewage. The difference is, of course, that the sewage drenching that Gillard is currently undergoing is her own fault, largely the result of incompetence but now with a faint whiff of corruption.

It certainly looks as though the rakes have been brought out and the muck is getting a good working over. Gillard is forced into the position of defending a morally bankrupt MP to save her even more morally bankrupt government which is holding onto power by the smallest of margins. Had this been any other Parliament and any other government, Craig Thomson would have been sacked, effective immediately; no if's, no but's, just gone, there's the door. While no-one is naive enough to think that Craig's Labor colleagues are jumping to his defence because he is a top bloke or actually the "Hard working member for Dobell"; unless of course the hard work is occurring on top of a union funded hooker [zing!]

With every scandal, with every incompetent screw-up, Gillard is leaving herself open to be further covered in electoral raw sewage. A brief glance of the polls shows that the ALP is on the nose and faced with a wipe out at the next election. The only way that Labor can save face is to dump [yes, pun intended...] Gillard, admit that they were wrong with EVERYTHING and pray for mercy while calling an early election. While they will find themselves in the wilderness for what will be, hopefully, many, many, many years, at least that will give them time to hose themselves down, put on some fresh clothes and deodorant, and hope that everyone forgets how much they crapped up their time on the governing benches...

My apologies to Tucker Barnes, it must have been a shit day and I'm sure everyone has been giving you enough crap without me dumping on you... I hope that this event does not soil your good name...

The ABC of Media Bias...

Ok, so I probably should preface this tirade by disclosing the context within which this whinge takes place. As a strong willed, opinionated man I like to let it be known what my views are on various issues. That is, after all, why I blog; I'm a passionate conservative and, by God, everyone needs to know about it! So not only do I write The Right Side but, occasionally, I write contribution pieces for other sites, with my latest up on Menzies House. I have, also, sent quite a few submissions to the ABC for their consideration... quite a few... And what has been their response? Silence; absolutely no response what so ever... not even a polite e-mail... not even a generic, computer-generated e-mail response...

Now, I admit, that at some points I may stray from Centre-Right to more Tony Abbott-Right, but whenever I put forward a submission to any external website I make a conscious effort to stay in the middle of the road, writing so that all might enjoy what I put forward, not just those who share my political colours. So, after sending my latest submission piece to the ABC (the same as I sent to Menzies House, which I have since posted here on The Right Side), which I thought was a nice apolitical analysis of the current federal landscape, and again receiving no reply, I was a tad dissatisfied with our national broadcaster. When you see the calibre of the ABC's contributors, such as Geoff Lemon and Jeff Sparrow, you begin to wonder about their selection process. Well, actually, I don't wonder at all. It seems as though the process is: go Left or go home. Our national broadcaster is anything but politically neutral, especially when you see how stacked their opinion section is with what is, undoubtedly, the entire GetUp! organisation.


Beats to the same rhythm as Gillard and Brown's propaganda...


Now, being the cunning, deceitful, deceptive conservative that I am, I decided to set the ABC a little trap and test just how neutral they are. After having a number of my submissions ignored, I decided that, after a life time of thinking and writing from a conservative perspective, that I would put myself in the shoes (or should that be thongs...?) of a grungy, smelly hippie socialist. The Left-wing persona I fabricated for this rouse was a Bachelor of Arts student (shocking, right?) who likes ragging on the Righties and their evil capitalist ways. The article I constructed was by far the most politically biased piece I had put forward for the ABC's consideration, and the response I received left me speechless. I had barely clicked the send button before receiving a very friendly reply from one of The Drum's editorial staff. Complimenting me on the piece, the staffer was more than happy to report that the piece would indeed be run on the ABC website at the first available moment. And, sure enough, a few days ago in appeared, front and centre in all it's rhetorical, biased glory...

I would like to make it clear that I don't mind our national broadcaster providing a forum for strong political views; in fact I believe it is necessary for a strong and healthy democracy. What does frustrate me is the fairly obvious bias that the ABC holds, despite the fact it is a tax-payer funded organisation and, therefore, should provide views that reflect the diverse nature of the Australian political debate. The ABC has, in recent times, been one of the biggest - and loudest - mouthpieces for Gillard and Brown's propaganda on Climate Change and the Carbon Tax. They have, essentially, opened the doors to all who would heap praise and adulation on the 'Green Coalition' while simultaneously ridiculing and decrying all who don't agree. Case in point: the Convey of no confidence. There has been nary a mention of the event on the ABC website this morning and, the mention that there was, grossly underestimates how many are present. The piece instead ops discuss how Bob Brown believes it is a flop.



Brown says 'Flop', I say 'Lot's of angry people - justifiably so, I might add - who are sick of being ignored'

 I have no problem with media organisations having a political leaning; after all, they will reflect the views and opinions of their readers, not just on politics but across many social issues. What I do have a problem with is our national broadcaster, who was founded to be a neutral voice in Australia media, is wasting our tax-payer dollars to help shield this incompetent government.

By the way, I haven't revealed how to find my Left-oriented article on the ABC because this is a trick I may look to play on them again in the future. However I encourage you all to look over the opinion section of The Drum and see if you can't spot it. I would also state that I denounce everything which I wrote and needed to take a shower after writing it... worth it for the laugh, though...

All fun and games as the Parliamentary roadshow returns to town

Parliament has returned and it is great to have all our pollies back! After the Carbon Tax debate had cooled and, as Julia desperately hoped that it would just disappear into the background, Tony Abbott made his triumphant return and turned the heat right up to max. With every passing day Gillard has been looking more and more anxious and haggard; I wonder if she has caught the faint sound of her loyal backbenchers sharpening their knifes? Quite frankly I wouldn't blame them, given her dreadful performance. Plus it would set the scene for the second coming of the Labor Messiah, Saint Kevin... Although, given their current polling, it is no longer a matter of who will win the next election, but more how much the ALP will lose by...


Can't we all just get along... so I can get back to taxing... and spending... and some more taxing...


Speaking of elections, the next one may not be all that far away, especially when you consider the recent sordid revelations concerning the nocturnal activities of Labor MP Craig Thomson. It appears that Mr Thomson likes the ladies of the night which, in and of itself, is a scandal, but not necessarily one that cannot be survived. However, what moves this from the 'Naughty, Misbehaving MP' category to the 'Career Ending' pile is that a union credit card was used to elicit the services of these ladies. Moreover, the ALP is bailing out Mr Thomson - who is facing bankruptcy - so that he doesn't lose that incredibly valuable lower house seat. So, if the question of 'what lengths is the ALP willing to go in order to cling to power?' the answer is clear: using the membership fees of hardworking union members for hookers? That's alright. Using ALP dollars to prop up financially - and morally - bankrupt members to keep this sinking government above water? Sure, why not! After all, there are some things money can't by... like that seat Mr Thomson currently occupies. Although, for how much longer is any one's guess...

Outside of the Carbon Tax and Hookergate affair, things are not looking up for the PM. As we speak Julia Gillard is locked away in COAG meetings. What was once a Labor love-in is now, undoubtedly, something more akin to a steel cage death match, with the Liberal Premiers promising to take the PM to task on a range of issues that have got their goat. Good on them, I say. Gillard and Federal Labor have been trying to erode the state's powers and autonomy for too long and it is really great to see that Premier Colin Barnett finally has some backup!


Oh how I hate you Swan! You're such an idiot! The moment the press isn't looking I'm going to knife you good!

So, as we say good bye to another working week, we also pull out the results for the latest Right Side Poll. Thanks again to all who voted, with this week providing another high level of responses, which is great to see! We asked: How should the Government respond to the flood of illegal boats? The majority agree that Howard had it right, and that the Pacific Solution needs to be brought back (62% of votes), followed by turning the boats around (25%) and processing off-shore (12%). On-shore processing received no votes, illustrating that the government's move to increase on-shore processing (i.e. the Northam Detention Centre) is doomed to be condemned by the Australian people. Thanks again for taking the time to have your say, and be sure to cast your vote in this week's poll: Should farmers have the right to block coal seam exploration on their land? Look forward to hearing what you think...

And, as always, given that it is a Friday I thought that I would leave you with something amusing. Now, the above clip has nothing to do with politics at all, but it is still one of the best verbal backhanders I have ever heard! Anyway enjoy your weekend and I hope to see you back here next week. So until then, don't misuse your union credit card and I'll see you on the Convoy to Canberra!

The Centre of our political landscape is very quickly becoming 'No [Wo]man's Land'

It is never a good idea to fight a battle on two fronts. The moment that you think you are making progress on one battle front you find yourself under attack from an unexpected direction before any gains made can be consolidated. This is, essentially, the predicament that the Prime Minister finds herself in; fighting losing battles across multiple fronts with troop morale plummeting and ammunition running low. The moments things start looking up in one direction, heavy losses are sustained on another. The net result? Well, let's just say it is something akin to watching a car accident in slow motion...

Now while it would be easy to discuss Gillard's battles as being based purely in policy, I think that actually detracts from the true basis of these on-going - and damaging - conflicts. These are battles of ideology and, as such, run far deeper than any mere passing policy debate. The Prime Minister, who has changed her colours (for political convenience...) from socialist red to a nice centralist beige, is now suffering from an identity crises, which is actually symptomatic of the broader ALP. The majority of the political battle occurs in the Centre which, from a purely political/vote grabbing perspective, makes perfect sense; go where you can get the most votes. There will always be rusted on ALP and Liberal Party supports, so why waste your time with them when you can pander to the needs and wants of all those moderates out there?

This 'shift to the Centre' has been the dominate feature of contemporary politics. While it is difficult to pinpoint when this move began, I would argue it was started by Keating (in an attempt to differentiate himself from the far more ideological Hawke) and finally mastered by Howard, with the so-called 'Howard Battlers' being the prime example of Centralist politics. While this 'Go Centre' attitude is now key to winning elections, it has created the strange circumstance where the major parties are, with each following year, becoming harder and harder to differentiate. No longer do we have the grand ideological battles over contrasting social paradigms. Instead, we now have minor skirmishes over slight disagreements in policy (case in point being Kevin Rudd's 'me too'/'Howard-lite' vote winning strategy at the 2007 election). And it is this decade’s long battle for control of the Centre that is, ironically, playing the biggest role in destabilising the Prime Minister.

The electorate does not understand what, if anything, Julia Gillard stands for. We all know that she comes from Labor's extreme Left, that she is a member of the Fabian Society, and that her views and attitudes are very closely aligned to the party's ideological past. However, following her ascension, Gillard suddenly wanted us all to believe that she had seen the light and miraculously converted to the Centralist belief system, as is customary of all federal party leaders. In her rush to the middle ground Gillard unwittingly made a huge tactical error on two fronts. She is battling an ideologue from the Right in Tony Abbott. The electorate knows what Abbott stands for and he has stuck to - and fought for - his political beliefs. In this respect he is mirroring John Howard's political conviction, which in the current environment is a huge plus; while you may not like his views, you have to respect the man for being brave enough to fight for his beliefs. Gillard, on the other hand, is viewed as a sell-out; betraying her roots and core values for pure political gain.

Big mistake, Julia...

The second front that this ideological identity crises opens up for Gillard, and the ALP as a whole, is that their lurch to the Centre has left them vulnerable to attack from behind, namely from the Greens. In a sense Labor has tried to be too many things for too many voters, and have lost their claim to being the dominate progressive party of the Left. By going into partnership with the Greens (and essentially elevating them to equal standing with Labor) Gillard has unknowingly anointed them as the ALP's successor. Before Gillard realised what was going on, she has found herself being held hostage by the new Green Labor. Now, any progressive social policy that Gillard embarks on will be viewed as Greens’ policy which they are bullying Labor into enacting (given that they currently hold the balance of power). The Greens will get the credit and Gillard will look weak and at the mercy of the increasingly smug Bob Brown.

Gillard and Labor's rush to the Centre has diluted their ability to lay claim to their traditional base, largely due to Gillard's deal with the Greens. Disillusioned, the voting public is looking to the ideologically true Liberals, whose core views of lower taxation, small government and support for small business are now strongly resonating with the electorate who are searching for a strong party to stand up for their interests. In a sense, by staying Right, Abbot is luring voters from the Centre, while the Greens are leeching votes from the disenfranchised on Labor's Left. The only losers here are Labor and Gillard. Why? Well the simple reason is that they have abandoned their beliefs in an increasingly vain attempt to cling to power. Forget policy failures, Labor's biggest problem at the moment is that it is pinned down in the Centre of the political battlefield and sustaining heavy fire from both the Right and the Left. With nowhere to hide Gillard and her government are being exposed as shallow, incompetent and politically bankrupt. How long Gillard can survive is anyone’s guess...

There will be no rhetoric under any post I write!

And so it was that the anniversary of the infamous "There will be no Carbon Tax under the government I lead" came and went, with the customary fanfare of an angry rally at Parliament House. There were passionate speeches, minor celebrities, metaphorical rock music and, of course, an assortment of placards and banners sporting uncomplimentary photos and slogans aimed at the PM and her puppet master in Bob Brown. While the protest was good to see, it got me thinking about something else beside the Carbon Tax its organisers are hoping to sink: the various one-liners which politicians say that, in hindsight, they probably wish they could retract...

"In 1990 no Australia child will be living in poverty." This statement by Bob Hawke, made in 1987, could be said to be one of the most stupid things any politician has ever said. The statement gives up two things that a politician should never associate themselves with: concrete deliverables and a set timeline. Bob left himself no wriggle room to weasel his way out of what was said without needing to perform a humiliating back-flip.

"Climate change is the great moral challenge of our generation." The phrase which brought K-Rudd down? The simple fact is that you cannot make a statement such as this and then jettison your core policy - that which you have staked your political life on - at the first sign of bad polls. That isn't a conviction politician, it is an electoral coward who is addicted to sky-high polls results! Australian's are a smart bunch and they know what political populism is, and they don't care for it. Once Kev abandoned ship on his ETS, the electorate became disillusioned and didn't quite know what he stood for. In political-speak, he ruined his own narrative.

"There will be no Carbon Tax under the government I lead." Now we all know and accept that politicians lie. Usually they are little fibs that can be swept under the carpet or forgiven when the next round of tax cuts are released, but never before has such a blatant lie been told by a Prime Minister of Australia. Quite frankly I think that such a wilful act of betrayal sullies the good nature of the office of Prime Minister of this great nation. It is absolutely disgraceful and goes against all the values and attitudes that we hold dear here in Australia. I would argue that while most people don't agree with the Carbon Tax, as a policy, the anger that this debate has generated is primarily from such outrages deceit. After knifing Kevin Rudd, Gillard proceed to knife the rest of the country...

The anger in the community will not dissipate as quickly as Gillard had hoped, if at all. The fine people of this country do not like being made the fool and will undoubtedly punish the ALP severely at the next election. The Independents propping up this farcical excuse for a government will be electorally obliterated by their conservative constituents for their betrayal of their core beliefs for mere personal political gain. It will be interesting to see how the Greens come out of all this. I suspect that they will do quite well, emerging from this electoral bloodbath in an even stronger position by leeching votes off of Labor's Left as the ALP flails about in the Centre. But that is a discussion for another day...

What a difference a week makes...

Around this time last week I was sitting at my computer, looking at the blank 'New Post' and wondering how I was going to sum up the week. How do you summarise a whole bunch of nothing? This really does demonstrate just how much can change from one week to the next. This week we have all been on a wild ride with the ASX, and the broader global markets in general, which has seen us plummet to below 4000 before finishing the week largely where we started. We were up, down, and everywhere in between, except steady. The US outlook is not good and just when we thought Europe couldn't get any worse, it starts looking even more wobbly than it did before.

 



Another reminder of Labor's failure



While the headlines were firmly fixed on the economy, there was considerable attention given the increasingly farcical 'Malaysian Solution'. While the first plane load of Malaysian refugees are set to land this weekend, it looks like we will be stuck with the asylum seekers bound for Malaysia a little longer, as the courts are tied up deciding the legitimacy of the deal. While the courts were busy trying to sort this mess out, another boat showed up uninvited on Christmas Island with over a hundred boat people. This brings the number of boats which have arrived in the past two weeks to three, with over two hundred refugees aboard. If the Malaysian solution was meant to be a deterrent I think we now have the evidence to show that is has failed. This is an expensive exercise with the only results being more boat people and the transformation into a laughing stock on the global stage.

On the global front we also had the UK riots, a dark episode in British history which has surely made the 2012 Olympic committee a little nervous. What a horrific display of the feral nature bubbling under the surface of British society. I hope that Julia Gillard is watching closely, because this is the result of a reckless multicultural program where the door is open to any Tom, Dick, or Mohammad who can illegally enter the country. My heart goes out to all those affected by the rabble who clearly have no respect for their country.

Anyway returning to the issue of economics, I have the results for this week's Right Side Poll. This week we asked our readers to suggest how the government should respond to the recent market turmoil. As the markets got worse throughout the week, the more votes we got and I am happy to announce that this week we had our best response rate ever. The results clearly point to the need for the government to scrap the taxes which seem aimed at hurting our economy, with 90% of the readers saying the taxes must go. 10% votes for letting the markets sort themselves out, while nobody wanted another cash handout to buy a plasma... Thanks once again to all who voted. This week's turnout has been very encouraging with the highest number of votes and hits to the site; it's great to see everyone contributing and having their say! I will be archiving the results from the Right Side Polls as of this week, so if you're interested in taking a closer look at the numbers just click on the Right Side Poll page on the top navigation bar.

This week's Right Side Poll is looking at the issue of off-shore processing; how should the Government respond to the flood of illegal boats?

So that is it from me for another week. As always I wish you all the best for the weekend - make it a good one! - and I look forward to seeing you all back here next week.

Conviction politicians; a thing of the past?

In the current Parliament can anyone point to an elected member who could be said to be a true conviction politician? Think really hard and keep in mind that I am not referring to the convenience conviction politician; you know, the type that only busts out the 'real' conviction come election/poll time (I'm looking at you, real/fake/chameleon/fake/Green/Red Queen Julia...). No, I'm talking about the politician of true, unwavering belief who stood up for what they believed in regardless of the polls. A politician who could speak to the very heart of the matter, said what they thought and didn't treat the public as if they were idiots. But, above all things, a politician who was passionate about something because they believed it through and through, not just because the focus groups indicated that it would be a good vote winner... The sad reality is that if our elected officials were a football team they certainly wouldn't be the A-graders. No, they resemble something of along the lines of an under-12's team (although I use the word team loosely).

I should point out that I am not limiting my criticism here to just those on the government benches, but on the oppositions side also. I believe that the Coalition would have won the last election had Tony Abbott not been leader. Don't get me wrong I like Tony - I do - put I just don't think that he can appeal to enough people to win an election. After all, he is currently up against arguably the worst PM in history yet he is only making modest gains. Some might say that Malcolm Turnbull is a conviction politician; after all he did put his job on the line for a policy he believed in. However Turnbull doesn't quite fit into the category, for my mind, simply because he is unable to electrify the voting public in the same way as a Hawke or Rudd. He is smart, articulate and, more often than not, witty and charming; but he fails to capture the hearts of voters and is clearly not a team player. Joe Hockey is a bright star in the opposition line-up as he talks the language of the everyday Australian (plus he looks jovial and happy). However Joe will need at least another election or so before he will have the skills and profile to consider party leadership.

So now we have a look over at the ALP's side, and does it not look woeful? Wayne Swan has shown that he is no more than a snivelling sycophant who is willing to brown-nose whoever is in the top job, as long as they shield his incompetence from the public gaze (an almost full time job in and of itself...). Lindsey Tanner was the only one in the ALP who I had any respect for, and he was smart enough to abandon ship at the last election. Julia Gillard is convicted and passionate about only one thing: keeping hold of power, regardless of who she has to lie, cheat or jump into bed with to cobble together a socialist coalition.


I believe very strongly in what these two gentlemen tell me to believe...

What about Kevin Rudd? Well Rudd was a conviction politician...until he realised the tide was turning. The moment the Climate Change debate started to look a little on the nose, Rudd was forced to chose which to abandon: policy/belief or sky-high polls. Of course, he chose the latter, and we all know how that turned out for him. And it was probably Rudd's unprecedented fall from grace which has many of the true conviction politicians scared. Why believe in something when you can just follow the trends and focus groups? While Rudd did believe in Climate Change pretty much everything else he did needed to be signed off by researchers who were compulsively testing the electoral waters. And it worked! For the longest time it worked; approval ratings up and beyond the 60% mark (which is easy when your only belief is telling the electorate exactly what it wants to here!).

Conviction politics isn't about popularity or being liked; it is about communicating a vision and moving Heaven or Hell to see it come to pass in the interest in the nation. The reason Gillard's fight to bring us a Carbon Tax is going so poorly is because while she is battling through like the any true conviction politician before her. the trick is we know she doesn't believe it! If she did believe in Climate Change Gillard would have stood before the people of Australia at the last election and said "If elected there WILL be a Carbon Tax under my government because this is what I believe..." The only reason she believes it now is because Bob Brown has TOLD HER to believe it!


John Howard = Absolute Legend

So who was our last conviction politician? Well it just so happens that it was also one of our longest serving prime ministers who brought in and fought for some of the most important reforms in our history. I speak, of course, of John Howard, who stayed on to contest the 2007 election because he believed in standing up for his views and opinions. Howard and his kind, the true conviction politicians, are sorely missed in the current environment. Love them or hate them, you have to respect them...

The calm before the economic storm...

At the moment it is relatively calm, but it is an eerie calm. It is that stillness that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. A subtle indicator that all is not right and that things are about to take a very horrible turn for the worse. While the stock market did well yesterday it continues to fluctuate wildly. The jobless rate is still low, but is begin to creep up ever so slowly. Every thing seems fine... yet still there is this uneasiness to it.

Perhaps I am just being paranoid or alarmist, but those little warnings linked to our autonomic nervous system - the fight or flight mechanism - are beginning to get twitchy. Mind you it doesn't help the nerves of either myself or those involved in the market when, amid all of this economic carnage, we have a government which seems quite insistent on crippling the economy. Despite data showing that the state of the global economy is not good, Gillard and Co. push on with their fiscal kamikaze mission, urged on by the zealots in Bob Brown and the Green fanatics.


I don't think that umbrella will help you much...


Now history is littered with false prophets proclaiming that the end is nigh, and I certainly do not wish to join them. I just can't help but think that this recent market readjustment, with the accompanying disappointing job data, indicates that we are not out of the woods yet. If there ever was a time for introducing radical policies and ridiculous taxes, this is not it...

The iEconomy

Given the recent stock market meltdown which is unfolding before our eyes, I thought it would be a good opportunity to discuss some economics. While not directly related to federal politics, I would like to take the opportunity to share some ideas which came out of a recent meeting I had with a colleague. We were discussing the state of the US economy (I think the phrase "In the toilet" sums it up quite eloquently...) and how it is a key source of jitters on the global markets. Yes, I accept that Greece and the various other European debt riddled nations are also to blame, but we decided to focus our rage at the Americans; after all, that is the fashionable thing to do...

"They must rein in spending!" My friend exclaimed whilst cleaning his monocle. "Surely those boffins in Washington can straighten out their accounts and then we can get back to business. All this nonsense about debt ceilings is just political sabre rattling."

"I concur, partisan bickering will get them nowhere. They must put their differences aside and reduce their debt." This is where genius struck and I formulated the economic framework which President Obama will likely implement the moment he hears about it. "By Jove, I think I have it! A new revenue stream, that is what our friends across the pond need!"

"But what? Where will they find new money?"

"They could rent out famous landmarks to corporations! Enterprising organisations are always looking for the next marketing edge, so why not allow them to plaster advertising over some of the United State's most recognisable landmarks? Imagine: The Statue of Liberty holding a giant can of Coke instead of the torch, cradling an iPad 2 after being resprayed in the Google colours! By making a few adjustments to the Washington Monument we could make it look like the 'poke' hand from Facebook! In the same vein I'm sure Mark Zuckerberg would pay handsomely to have a statue of himself replace that of Honest Abe at the Lincoln Memorial..."

"How about 'Facebook Wall Street' where people can post messages while trading stock?"

Well that's just ridiculous...

The PM does not like me...

And her dislike does not end with just me, but rather it extends to all of us. You know who you are; the disenfranchised complainer - whinger, even - who has the gall to question the Red Queen's policies and direction. You are the ones who dare to critically analyse what the government is doing and challenge its incompetence as opposed to blindly following Brown and Co. into the economic abyss. How dare you hold this government to account? Don't you know that you should just be following the liberal media's lead and giving the most embarrassing government we have ever had a free pass? You're just like Tony Abbott, opposing for oppositions sake... And now, because we have been so insolent as to question the all knowing and righteous Red Queen, we must be dealt with. After all, that is how the Prime Minister's version of democracy works...

I am of course referring to the article in The Australian in which the Prime Minister was critical of how easy it was for your average Tom, Dick, or John Citizen to jump on the web and have a right royal whinge about her and the government's performance. According to Gillard this is resulting in shallow debate, resulting in people "get[ting] consistently wrong information all of the time", pointing to climate change as a key example. The PM also referred to the debate as "shrill" where people are getting "harsher and harsher". Is it just me or does Julia Gillard sound like she doesn't really like other people having an opinion unless it is favourable to her government?

I'm becoming increasingly worried for our great democracy. Here we have a government that wants to filter and censor the Internet (possibly to weed out miscreant bloggers...), interfere with the free press and potentially force media outlets to breakup, and now, on top of this, we have a Prime Minister going around complaining about how she doesn't like how people can criticise her. "It's not just about what Matthew Franklin writes for the front page of The Australian, but it's what an anonymous person tweets or a blogger writing under a pseudonym writes." Not only is Gillard waging war on the aspiring classes in society or the mining companies, now she is going after anyone who doesn't agree with her!


"Get me my surplus, Wayne, or I'll mess you up! I've already knifed one colleague..."


Now, perhaps I'm just being a little nostalgic, longing after the good ol' days, but I cannot recall a single moment when the great John Howard complained about the frequent media savagings he was forced to endure from the left leaning media. With quiet dignity and an intelligent rebuke, he took it all in his stride and got on with the job of leading in the nation's best interest. Gillard, on the other hand, simply looks to blame others and then chucks a sad because no body likes her. If she took the time to listen to the electorate and take their concerns seriously, using this feedback to formulate decent policy, then there wouldn't be this backlash we are witnessing.

If people are complaining, it generally means you are doing something wrong. And if they are complaining REALLY LOUD then it means you are not listening to them and ignoring what they are saying. The Australian people are a smart bunch who do not suffer fools lightly; the government needs to realise this quickly or the ALP will be out in the wilderness for a very, very long time...

It's quiet... a little too quiet...

Let's face it, this has been a slow week on the political front. The biggest news to come out of the week is only just emerging, with global markets tumbling as everyone gets the jitters. Europe looks as though it is teetering on the edge of the abyss (the only option left is to begin jettisoning some of the weaker EU members) and the American solution to their debt crises was hardly convincing and filled few with the confidence needed to prevent the bear from returning. So where does that leave us? Grasping desperately to the coat tails of our Chinese friends... but even they are starting to look a little shaky... of course it wouldn't be so bad if our PM wasn't further damaging our economy with the myriad of taxes and shackles as she endeavours to destroy what little hope we have left!

The results from this week's Right Side Poll is in, and it is emphatic! All those wonderful folk who took the time to vote agreed that the 'Malaysian Solution' would cost tax-payers an unjustifiably large amount of money for no benefit, resulting in a humiliating farce. Thanks to all those who shared their views on the matter; it is clear that this is just another example of failed Labor policy, an unnecessary blunder to cover up their incompetence! This week's Right Side Poll turns the spotlight on the markets, asking readers to contribute their thoughts on the recent falls.

For those of you who regularly follow what is going on at The Right Side, you will notice a few additions. There is now the opportunity to follow our RSS feed, subscribe to the blog by e-mail, even follow John Citizen on Twitter. For all of the ways to follow Australia's favourite conservative blog, just click on the 'Keep up to date...' tab to see all of the new features available. So please continue to contribute your thoughts and feedback. After all, that is what this blog is all about: like-minded conservatives chatting and debating the big issues of the day. So don't stand on the sidelines, join the fun!

Speaking of fun, it's Friday. While there is doom and gloom on the markets, there is no reason we can't have a bit of a laugh. A friend of mine recently took me on a nostalgic trip down memory lane the other day by reminding me of the Peter Garret parody. I've included the clip below.

Anyway I hope that you all have a brilliant weekend and I hope to see you all back here next week to continue the debate...

The event of this year's social calendar...

No, it's not a royal wedding or glamorous awards show where celebrities show up wearing the latest trends from their local butcher. I am talking about the far more exciting, and exclusive, 'Tax Summit 2011'. Wayne Swan is all a flutter, sending out handwritten invites to all of his friends (it's a short list...) and ensuring that the drinks are cold and everything is just perfect. Like all social events, it is a prime opportunity to woo and impress those you fancy which, in the government's case, is the independents and Greens. IT's also a chance to snub those you don't like, with Tony and Joe left all dressed up with no place to go; not that Tony would have gone to the "great big new tax summit". Also like all good social events, nothing meaningful will happen, it will just be a bunch of people sitting around blowing hot air at each other with very little substance.


Wayne Swan writing out party invites to all his peeps...

What is really interesting about the Tax Summit is the areas of discussion which the party-goers will be chatting about. "It's about engaging the community in a fair dinkum discussion about where we go into the future," Wayne Swan has stated. The Treasurer has also claimed that at this talk-fest of his "...will reflect the challenges which many businesses face [in the current economic climate]". So it seems strange that not only has the guest list been stacked so as only to invite those who will smile and nod politely, but also that the conversation topics have been so heavily vetted. So what will the guests be talking about?

The Carbon Tax, arguably one of the biggest economic reforms in our history? Oh no, there won't be time for that!

The Mineral Resource Rent Tax? Shhh! Don't mention that, Wayne is hoping everyone had forgotten about it...

How about changes to the GST? For God's sake don't mention the GST! You don't discuss that in polite company!

Negative gearing? Nope.

Congestion tax? Wayne is more than happy to talk about it, but he'll leave it to the states to implement because he is like super busy at that moment, you know, with stuff...

So, if Swan has no intention of discussing the raft of major tax cons he and the federal government are trying to unfairly foist on the Australian people, then what is it that he wants to talk about? If this summit is important enough to waste a large chunk of tax-payer dollars on, then what serious tax reform discussions are going to take place? Well here is a sneak peak at the big ticket item: changes to alcohol taxes to stamp out cheap wine...


While Tony Abbott wasn't invited to the Summit, he did bake a cake to send...

Something tells me that if the Treasurer leads with that one, his much maligned tax party will come to a screaming halt. Just like K-Rudd's big '2020 Summit', the 'Tax Summit 2011' is going to cost us a lot of money just so Wayne and Co. can sit around and have a nice party on the public's dollar. And like the 2020 party, I have a feeling it is going to fail miserably...

...but that's alright, it's Wayne's party and he'll cry if he wants to...

Kevin Rudd, Mad Hatter...

So it has finally happened. We all knew it was only a matter of time; a question of when, not if. Kevin Rudd, former PM, has finally lost his mind. The technical term, I believe, is 'a few fries short of a happy meal'. Dear ol' Kev has uploaded a clip to his Facebook page of him having afternoon tea with a cat (and no, not a ginger cat...). Now while this is all for a good cause I do think that the pressure might being getting to the former Labor leader, as he tries to force a clearly disinterested cat into sampling his beverage...

The video opens with him telling his cat, "Now Jasper I want you to try some of my afternoon tea, it's really very interesting, or are you a tea snob?" The short clip shows the former Leader of this nation pleading with Jasper the cat and Abby the dog to try his concoction from a china cup and saucer. For me, that was his first mistake. After all, our furry four legged friends lack the opposable digits to use a tea cup, so put tea in a saucer and then they may not be so resistant to trying the new blend. Second, if you want an opinion on something, don't ask an animal! I have no problem with people talking to their animals, its when they start talking back I being questioning Uncle Kev's "special blend"... if he offers you a brownie just say NO!


Would you like one of my invisible scones to go with that tea, Mr Jasper? They're yum yums...

But in all honesty it is for a good cause, so I can't fault Kevin for that. And it is also nice to know that he still has some friends...