Is Gillard's 'Clean Energy Future' Going Nuclear?

Today I would like to discuss nuclear power, a topic that most politicians would not want to touch with a 10 foot irradiated carbon rod. Of the issues that crop up in the national debate there are a select few that engender a particularly fiery response from the Australian public. Asylum seekers and boarder control occupies top billing; here there is not middle of the road, you stand on your side of the fence and yell incessantly at those silly enough to occupy the counter-point. Coming in at a close second is Climate Change. The only reason it hasn't grabbed pole position is because, compared with the boat people debate, it hasn't been around as long (well it has, but up until now we have been able to ignore it). I suspect, however that within the year it may follow in Julia's footsteps and knife the asylum seeker debate in the back and take its top spot... Rounding out the top three is Industrial Relations; a boring topic, to be sure, but emotive none the less. Here narratives of class warfare and the 'fair go' get a good workout. While a rather dry topic of debate, the passion arises from the simple fact that it affects our work and, by extension our livelihood. After all nobody likes getting screwed at work... unless you are involved in an office romance, which is an altogether different topic...

Outside of these three core issues there is very little to awaken the fighting spirit of your average Australian voter... except for nuclear power. This is a far more divisive issue than most would think, primarily because it is quite complicated. What is a serious issue that deserve rational debate is often high-jacked by the likes of Bob Brown and Co. who are not only ill-informed on the issue but also pandering to their vested interests. Now, you are probably wondering when, if ever, I intend on getting to the point here. Well as some of you may have noticed in the news Prime Minister Gillard has decided to reverse the ALP's long standing position which prohibited the exportation of uranium to India. Now this is a large issue that has a very long history that I do not wish to bore you with, suffice to say that the ALP's opposition to sending uranium to India centres around the fact that India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Now I have my views on whether this new trade deal should proceed or not, however what I want to focus on here is firstly the timing of this decision and secondly the hypocrisy which it exposes.

Wayne Swan is preparing the first mini-budget in two decades in order to salvage the election promise of returning to surplus in 2012/2013. I think that it is noble that Swan is trying to ensure that Labor at least keeps ONE of its election promises, but the simple truth is that with declining revenue and the ALP's spend lust (and Swan's incompetence...) it looks unlikely that we will be returning to the black any time soon. Unless, of course, we find a new market to sell our resources to... With uranium exports bringing in a cool billion every year, Wayne can hear the till ringing by opening this market up to one of the largest nations in the world (which desperately needs power). Perhaps I am just cynical, but the timing seems awful convenient, don't you think?

Now Labor is no stranger to hypocrisy; in fact they have turned it into an art form. Resources Minister Martin Ferguson, when discussing the need to ensure that India has sufficient power to meet its demands was quick to point out the environmental benefits that this trade deal would have...

"At the moment, I might say, 70 per cent of their [India] energy actually comes from coal-fired power. The main thing they wanted to talk to me about last week was, 'Can you actually just find us more coal, thermal and coking coal?' This decision is also important from a climate change point of view, nuclear power is baseload reliable clean energy."

Did I just hear correctly? Do my ears and eyes deceive me? Did a Labor front bencher just sing the praises of nuclear power in the fight against Climate Change? It would certainly appear so... but if that is the case then where is the discussion of nuclear power being used here in Australia? Surely if this is truly a government committed to Climate Change action then it would consider all option right? Wrong; after all the ALP must pander to the will of their bedfellows, the Greens. Despite the nonsensical ranting of Team Bob, nuclear power must be considered as an option is we do want to move to a low carbon economy. Now I am not saying I support the move to atomic energy, all I am saying is that we need to have the debate. If we have Labor Ministers identify nuclear energy as a key factor in the low carbon equation, then it is time for a serious, considered, rational debate on Australia's energy future.

Obituary: Australian Democracy

Today, the eighth day of November 2011, my good friend, one who I loved dearly, passed away; I am speaking, of course, of our dear friend, Australian Democracy. We are gathered here today to celebrate Australian Democracy's life, but also mourn its untimely and, ultimately, unnecessary passing. I still remember the first time that we met... it was a state election, sunny day where we all got to cast our vote and have our say. While one side always wins and one side always loses, the process was orderly and peaceful, which is something not to be taken for granted.

This passing is not entirely unexpected; we all knew that Australian Democracy had been unwell for some time. It suffered a blow in 2007 from which it never really recovered from. While many were misguided enough to believe Australian Democracy's new physician, Dr Rudd, some of us saw the beginning of the end. It wasn't until Australian Democracy's significant decline in 2009 that the medical board, spooked by the publics outraged, switched to a new physician, Dr Gillard. Unfortunately with her came the naturopath loony 'Dr' Brown. Dr Gillard, under direction from Dr Brown, attempted some radical surgery, such as removing the profits growth from the mining gland using a Resource Rent Tax-lobotomy. In addition Gillard tried (and failed) to shore up Australian Democracy's immune system from foreign pathogens - boat flu - using an untried Malaysian solution. In a final, last ditch attempt to keep Australia Democracy (and her career...) alive, Dr Gillard tried to insert some Carbon Tax Implants into Australia Democracy legal system, despite clearly stating that she would not perform such a procedure prior to her promotion...

The procedure was a success, thanks to Dr Brown and his band of quacks... however the shock was just too much, and Australian Democracy died on the table. Cause of death: gross malpractice and incompetence. While we may all be angry now we must always remember the good time that we had with Australian Democracy... and hope and pray that the Abbott can resurrect our dear friend before it is too late...

Why Australia should abandon the 1951 UN Refugee Convention...

We live in a dynamic, ever-changing world, so it seems incredibly odd to me that Australia in 2011 is bound by 60 year old UN convention on refugees that was designed to deal with post-World War 2/Cold War Europe. It is absurd - ludicrous even - that the people of Australia must adhere to a policy that was built to solve a problem that existed before many of us were even born. At the heart of my distaste for this convention is how the term 'refugee' is defined, and how this must change to recognise the difficulties governments face now, as opposed to 60 years ago.

The convention defines a 'refugee' as a person who has a "well founded fear of being persecuted" should they be returned to their country of origin. This made sense in Cold War Europe, with the KGB willing to take care of any traitors to the great socialist cause. Those brave few who managed to escape over the Berlin Wall and break free of the Soviet Bloc would have without a doubt faced persecution and death if they had been returned to the Red Side of the Iron Curtain. That is in stark contrast to the so-called 'refugees' that we have piling up on our shores today.

While those fleeing communism faced the very real threat of death upon their return, do those who Bob Brown and Sarah Hanson-Young roll out the red carpet for face their untimely end should the boats be turned around? Of course not! These are not people fleeing death and destruction, these are not wartime refugees, they are economic refugees. It is not push factors leading them to our shores, but pull factors, such as Australia's economy, our work, our opportunities, our indoor plumbing. If these people can afford to spend over AUS$30,000 to a people smuggler in order to jump the queue, for the sole purpose of economic gain, then they are not genuine refugees. They are opportunists taking advantage of an inept government that leaks more than the boats carrying these people here and which fails at everything it attempts. These are people too lazy to work to improve their own country that they travel to, and exploit, ours!

Do these people look like genuine refugees?

Australia must swiftly abandon this 1951 UN convention, an out-dated relic of history, and put the interest of its own people ahead of those who seek to steal our jobs and our opportunities. If we continue down this destructive path that the Greens and Gillard have set us on, whereby any and all have the red carpet rolled out for them at the expense of the Australia tax-payer, we are going to be over-run with every third world opportunist who can point their raft in the direction of Christmas Island and cry persecution. The truly sad thing is that while these leeches con their way into this great nation there are genuine people in need, with the very real threat of death hanging over them, doing the right thing and waiting in the UN Refugee Camps. These true refugees are having their place in our quota stolen by selfish opportunists who are exploiting this stupid, incompetent government.

The Grand Deception, the Ultimate Betrayal...

Only hours ago the Carbon Tax legislation passed through the House of Representatives and Julia Gillard completed her ultimate betrayal of the Australian Nation and its people. Gillard's unholy alliance with the Greens has now been sealed; irrevocable and beyond redemption. The government of Australia, regardless of its ideology, is charged with protecting and promoting the interests of this, the greatest of nations on Earth. By doing this deal with the Greens Gillard has demonstrated her casual disregard for the people, with her sole objective being maintenance of power, regardless of the cost. And make no mistake, there will be costs...

The Labor Heartland will bear much of the economic burden, as manufacturing is forced off-shore, unable to compete with economies that are not held back by this illogical tax. Families will find their struggle to keep their heads above water even harder, with this unnecessary tax simply adding more pressure to already tight family budgets. Scraping some money together for luxuries or treats for the kids will become impossible, as Gillard and Brown pursue their doctrine of economic suicide. The pair of economic illiterates will wring every last available dollar out of hard working Australians, all for the single-minded goal of advancing their socialist agenda. To borrow - and alter sightly - a quote from the great Winston Churchill: "Never before will so many lose so much because of the incompetence of so few..."


The kiss of death, for the Australian economy...

 That is the crux of the matter: economic pain. Make no mistake, there will be pain. Never before in the history of our nation have we seen such a legislative abomination, the likes of which will destroy the livelihoods of hard working Australian families. While the Green elitists, sitting in their inner-city cafes sipping soy lattes, may be happy and able to pay this tax that does not mean Australia families should be made to carry this burden. It must be nice to be an eco-nut, with no ability to see or confront reality. The economy is not as strong as you think! People are losing their jobs and families are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet! Why would you want to cause economic devastation?! For what, so that you can save the environment? I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but this Carbon Tax will do NOTHING to help the environment! Perhaps you should take your sanctimonious, self-righteous eco-propaganda and have a chat with you comrades to the North! Without China, India or the USA taking action there will be no benefit to the climate. Why embark of a program of economic self-harm when all you are going to end up doing is wrecking havoc on our economy, our way of life?

This is truly a say day in the history of Australia. Gillard and Brown will end up hurting all Australians with this poorly conceived tax. "There will be no Carbon Tax under any government I lead", the grand deception, the ultimate betrayal. One promise I know that will come true is that there will be no family celebrating this sad day.

How to throw a Labor Party...

I was going to write about the Tax Forum that is currently underway in Canberra... but I got about 1 sentence in and lost interest. It is a talkfest, plain and simple. For two days representatives from business and community groups, as well as the motley crew of the unholy Labor-Greens-Independent Alliance, will yabber on about how “the system is broken” and that there “needs to be change”, without actually doing anything. Bob Brown will undoubtedly have his stock standard tirade over big corporations and the evils of capitalism and freedom (can’t let the plebs have too much power, Comrade...). However the Tax Forum did get me thinking, not about the economy, but rather high-school politics and the ‘popularity game’. You see I have just caught up with some old friends from high-school and we were chatting about the good ol’ days and a few of the memorable parties that had been thrown... which is when I suddenly saw some parallels between alcohol fuelled teenage shenanigans and the current parliament.

Let us start, of course, with Julia Gillard. Within her circle of friends she is not nearly as popular as she once was and, in attempt to remain Queen of the Classroom, has invited everyone round to her place for a party. You see her parents are away and have been silly enough to trust her with their very expensive home which, given the global economy, is looking far better than the neighbours (especially that Greek family’s home down the street...). Wanting to ensure that her place at the top of the pecking order goes unchallenged, Little Miss Gillard invites not only her core social network, but a few others to shore up her power base...


"Why didn't I get an invite, Julia? I know how to throw a WINNING party!"

With the jelly shots setting in the fridge the first guests arrive exactly on time which is, of course, a social faux pas; everyone knows that it is fashionable to show up 1 to 1 and a half hours late... Who is at the door? Why, it is Bobby and his band of eco-whinger; you know the type, self-righteous, constantly lecturing you about recycling, annoying and very, very, uncool. They are socially inept, bringing organic snacks and rainforest friendly dip; Gillard doesn’t want what they are offering, but has to accept it if she wants their support. “So much for my promise of no tasteless bland snacks under any party I throw...” Gillard muttered to herself as the nerds come in, all the while complaining about the how difficult the drive over was and wondering why no-one has introduced a congestion tax.

Next we have one of the school’s most annoying pair, Oakeshott and Windsor. Little Miss Gillard was initially surprised that they showed up, given how badly they will get beaten up for even being seen in the same district as her. They don’t seem to mind all that much, they are just glad to have some new found popularity, despite not realising that most people hate them and think they are a pair of idiots! The little pesky kid Wilkie also shows up... demanding that there should be no gambling at this party and if there was he was leaving! For some reason he seemed to be under the impression that people cared about what he had to say...

"Just so we're clear, you are not invited to my party, Kev... Please don't cry again..."

Slowly Julia’s real friends started showing up... although there seemed to be far fewer than the last time she threw a party (that was before August 2010...). Her bestie, Wayne, followed her around the whole time, worried that his former friend Kev would beat him up. Of course Kev couldn’t make it to the party, he was too busy jetting around the world trying to get over his break-up with Julia... they had worked so well together... then she cheated on him with those damn thugs, the Faceless Boys. The Faceless Boys were there as well; despite being from another school they still thought that they could tell Julia and friends what to do...

While it would seem that Gillard had invited everyone she could think of, there were some notable exceptions, such as that lad from the Catholic School that she had been fighting with. Julia would always bump into Tony on her way to school, and he would always block the footpath and not let her pass. “You won’t get pass me! Ner ner ner ner!” Tony would taunt, laughing in an abrupt, course fashion. “Stop it Tony! You just get in the way for the sake of it! Be constructive for once!” Julia would complain, despite knowing that Tony was smarter and more popular than she was... and that was why she was secretly in love with him...

"I'm sorry, you think I'M crazy?! Have you SEEN Bob Brown?!"

As the night progressed the party degraded into a shambolic display. The Faceless Boys and their thugs tried to bully their way through the crowd, damaging and destroying whatever they could. Bobby and the eco-nuts hid out in the backyard and smuggled in a bunch illegal foreign gate-crashes, despite Julia telling them she didn’t want them in her party (she secretly did, but what would the neighbours think?). Garret jumped on the karaoke and belted out some tunes, while Craig tried to mount anything that moved. Eventually the party wrapped up; the house had been practically destroyed and Julia it seems emerged just as unpopular as before, despite making out with everyone at the party...

When Julia’s parents got home they were horrified to see the damage that had been done to their beloved home. The damage bill would be in the billions, all thanks to the foolishness of her and her friends. “Why can’t you be more like that Abbott boy?!” Julia’s parents scolded “Do you realise how much debt we are going to incur because of your stupidity, young girl?!” With that her parents went to see their friendly local banker, a Chinese fellow with a bright red tie and a big smile. Business had been booming for him lately; there had been lots of naughty liberal minded children causing a great deal of damage in the neighbourhood...

Bob Brown is an idiot, plain and simple...

Tony Abbott is often criticised by Bob Brown, in fact it seems to be Brown's primary function (in addition to destroying the economy...). One of Brown's favourite lines of attack revolve around Abbott's 'thought bubble' policy ideas; uncosted, unplanned and unrealistic are usually the words used by Bob & Co. when trotting out this offensive strategy. However it is now becoming clear that if any federal party leader is guilty of not just unrealistic, but dangerous, thought bubbles then it is Bob Brown, the Policy Clown. So what is the Clown up to now, you ask? Why Bob (or should that be Bobo?), the leader of the 'Free Speech Haters Alliance', has decided that, in the wake of the Andrew Bolt ruling, all journalists should be licensed. That's right; if you want to have an opinion then you must first seek permission to express it from Comrade Brown.

What scares me the most is who Bob thinks should handle the registration body. No, not an independent licensing commission run, perhaps, by the journalists peak professional body - oh no! - Bob want to control it himself through a state-sanctioned authority. An authority that would have the power to award practicing licences to individual journalists with the flip side of this being they would also have the power to strip them of their licence. Censorship, anyone?


Coulrophobia: A fear of clowns...

This typifies the stupidity of Brown and the Greens. Now this may sound like a strange thing to say, but while I don't agree with ANYTHING that Bob Brown says I would do all within my power to defend his right to say it. Every person, regardless of how stupid, moronic and uninformed their views and opinions might be have the right to be heard. For example, Sarah Hanson-Young is an absolute half-wit who would be lucky to have to functioning neurons to bounce an idea between. Yet, despite how much I loathe the woman, I would gladly stand up and defend her right to spout her neo-Marxist nonsense. This is what it means to live in a free society. This is what it means to have true debate, where in the political forum any and all can stand and have their views and opinions heard. You may not like what is being said, but at least you have the right to, in turn, stand and rebuke the opinions of others. It just frustrates me when our elected officials who sit on the Left (i.e. those who hate freedom) seem to think that they can strip the citizenry of their right to speak their mind.

The national political discourse will be richer for having a wide debate where all can express their views. Bob Brown doesn't see this; he wants to silence the dissenters and create an Australia where the only opinions you hear are sanctioned by the state... While Bob has the right to speak his peace, he most certainly does not have the right to strip that fundamental entitlement from others, simply because he doesn't like what they are saying.

P.S: It should be noted that Bob Brown discussed this policy idea at the 'Intelligence Squared' event in Sydney on Saturday. If I was putting together a list of potential guests and speakers for an event called 'Intelligence Squared' I can assure you that Bob would be way, way, way, way down the list of candidates...

Bob Brown, the 'Policy Clown'

Sometimes all you can do is shake your head. Sometimes Bob Brown out does himself with such ridiculous policy 'thought bubbles' that it takes you aback. These ideas - and I use the word 'ideas' very liberally here - quite literally take your breath away, because they are just so stupid. With the global economy struggling to hold its head above water, and the Australian economy needing all the help it can get, Bob Brown Policy Clown want - wait for it! - another tax. He got his way with the Mining Tax, he got his way with the Carbon Tax, and now, still not content that those greedy corporations are paying enough, he wants another tax, a 'Gold Tax'. That's right, gold miners are too successful, time to redistribute some wealth...

"Oh! I just had a brain wave! What if we tax gold! And water! And old people! And puppies!"

Essentially, what The Clown is asking for, is for the Mineral Resource Rent Tax (MRRT) to be expanded to include gold mining operations; Brown doesn't just want to cripple segments of the industry, he wants to destroy the whole thing! While Gillard has indicated that she would resist pressure from the Greens for gold to be included in the MRRT, Brown has been sending subtle hints to the PM that he would gladly deal with another ALP leader should the party remove her. This is a worrying sign for Gillard, who has always used the ALP-Greens-Independents Alliance as a pillar to prop-up her leadership; an 'if I go the whole house of cards will come tumbling down with me' approach. This slap in the face from Brown makes it clear, she cannot rely on the Greens for protection; they will deal with whoever is willing to give them what they want. Their attitude towards the democratic process is truly disgusting, with Brown stating that Gillard would support gay marriage; apparently it is the Greens that decide Labor policy... but then again, we always knew this...


"SAVE ME! I don't want to go live with that nut! I vote Liberal!"

In addition to Brown Clown's policy joke, today is Julia Gillard's birthday and it looks as though she is going to be getting a puppy from her partner Tim. It is a 'Cavoodle', a cross between a Cavalier King Charles spaniel and a poodle, a breed which is said to be good for powerful people as it won't fret over an absent owner (in other words it will lover her about as much as the Australian people...). To mark the occasion, I thought that I would suggest some names for the 1st pooch for PM Gillard to consider:

-Bob: A boring name which would probably result in an overly demanding dog that barks and barks until it gets what it wants and, when it does, it will just turn around and shit on your rug...

-Wayne: Incredibly loyal... until a better offer comes around.

-Craig: Runs around mounting everything and is the only dog known to man that can use a credit card.

-Paul: Good for advancing your career, but a faceless dog does look a little strange. And finally...

-Kevin: Sure, it looks good, but when you turn your back it will lead over everything and raid the kitchen knifes... Julia would never be able to get a good night's sleep again...

Have a brilliant day people!

The New World Order is coming... unless we stand-up for Democracy

I love my country; I'm a freedom loving conservative and damn proud of it. This is the greatest country in the world, a land of prosperity and opportunity... or at least it was. For you see, my friends, our great nation is dying, being bled dry by the parasitic Left who leech our nation's wealth, it's hopes, it's dreams, and, more importantly, robbing the next generation of opportunity and that quintessential Australian notion of 'the fair go'. The child should not suffer for the sins of the father, and nor should the next generation of Australians suffer the burden of the unsustainable debt-binge that is legacy of the Labor Party. The needless cycle of economic self-harm; spend-debt-tax, repeat...

The current Labor government is surpassing the incompetence of previous ALP administrations, which is no easy feat. This has come about, of course, courtesy of the Labor-Green alliance, one which is pushing our great democracy further and further to the Left. The Carbon Tax has nothing to do with stopping emissions, it is a program of wealth re-distribution. Take the hard earned money from those who worked to build a better life for themselves and give it to those who cannot be bothered to get an education, get a job, and work for their income. Why work when you can live in Brown's socialist paradise, where there is no drive, no innovation, no incentive for self-improvement, just cash handouts and drum circles?

What scares me the most is that Brown and his band of revolutionaries don't want to stop there - oh no! - they have their eyes set on a much larger goal. The Left are trying to bring the West down from within. Unable to provide an alternative model to Capitalism (well, at least one that works...) the Left have decided that if you can't beat them, join them... and destroy them from within. Over a decade of the 'New Labour' experiment in Britain has seen their once great society crumble to the level of petty thuggery and violence on a once unimaginable scale. Obama has set out to completely destroy the US economy in a single term. The ALP and their Green allies have their eyes set on completely obliterating Australia's prosperity and dismantling our social system by opening the door to any Tom, Dick or Mohammad who can get on a leaky boat pointed in Christmas Island's direction! The destruction of the West so that their New World Order may finally become a reality...

For those of you who think that I am over-exaggerating, I suggest that you look at the evidence. Bob Brown has made no secret of the fact that he wants to see a global government. Brown, in his back-room deals to get Gillard to support his Carbon Tax policy, has secured funding to help see this Global Government become a reality. Of the revenue collected by the Carbon Tax, 10% will be redirected to the United Nations. What agenda is the UN pushing? Why it wants resource use decoupled from economic growth and for the wealth of the West funnelled to the Third World. Wait a minute, this sounds familiar... Oh, that's right, this is just Brown's wealth redistribution program but on a global scale, one that we will be helping to fund through the Carbon Tax. And Australia's Left are not the only ones pushing for this perverse global Green government, with Germany already become one of the first 'Green Dictatorships'.

It seems as though the old Communist model is simply being rehashed, rebranded, and sold with a brand new coat of Green paint. While we cannot change the course of other nations, we do control the destiny of our own. Unlike socialist revolution that use guns, bloodshed and fear, we will use our freedom of speech, our sense of justice and, the most important weapon of all, our democratic right to vote. Use your vote wisely at the next election; if the nation chooses to continue down this slippery slope of socialist experimentation, it very well may be the last time we get to vote at a free election...

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...

The ‘Malaysian Solution’: Gillard’s Refuge or Ruin?

The debate occurring in federal politics at the moment is fixed firmly on the Carbon Tax and the economic damage it will wreck on the Australian economy and households. While this is an important debate to be had, it is overtaking and foreshadowing pretty much every other issue in the public discourse. There has been much said in the Australian media about how the government and its chief sales persons, Prime Minister Gillard, need to divert the national conversation away from the poisonous Carbon Tax and begin discussing ‘other things’. Of course the government would want to ‘move forward’ from this toxic tax, but really, what else is there to talk about? A cursory glance over the list of other things which the government has been up to does not provide any bright spots for the PM to seek refuge. Speaking of refuge...

This may come as a shock to some in Australia but, over the past 24 hours there have been two illegal boat entries into our naval territory, with the latest boat carrying somewhere in the order of 60 asylum seekers. Now while the liberal media has done a fairly good job at keeping this under wraps and shielding this incompetent government from this line of attack the asylum seeker debate will surely return as a popular area of discussion in the public forum very shortly, what with the looming ‘Malaysian Solution’ deal nearing finalisation. So what can we look forward to in this Grand Bargain? Well, while there are precious few details out (much like the lead up to the Carbon Tax... is it just me or does this government seem particularly secretive and shifty? Pity they cannot hide their ineptitude!) but what we do know is that we will be offloading 800 asylum seekers in exchange for 4000 refuges. In addition Australia will be footing the bill for the whole affair and, undoubtedly, throwing Malaysia a hefty sum of ‘convincing money’; you know, the type that greases strategic palms...? [wink, wink]



How much longer can we risk having an open, unsecure border?


While we may not know all the details it would be a safe bet to assume that regardless of what the deal looks like the people of Australia will be shafted by this incompetent government. We will foot the bill, we will bear the international condemnation should Malaysia do anything naughty to the asylum seekers we send them (i.e. caning, general assorted beatings, unceremoniously being fired out of a canon into some other country...), and, ultimately, we will still need to deal with the tidal wave of illegal entrants into our territory because this deal will not achieve the government’s objective of stemming the flood of boats washing over our shores.

I question, though, whether this deal will actually go ahead at all. We have already seen the extensive influence that the Greens hold over the Prime Minister (it must be difficult to be a puppet to two masters; i.e. Bob and the Unions), and surely that will extend to this area of policy. Not content with destroying Australia’s economic stability and credentials, Comrade Brown will surely next be ordering his deputy in Gillard to abandon this asylum seeker deal in favour of simply opening the borders to every single person who can jury-rig together a moderately buoyant raft and point themselves in our direction.



"That's it... Dance for the cameras, my pet... Dance!"

“No need for ID papers or a legitimate and orderly assessment process!” Bob Brown will proclaim, his smug grin obvious for all to see as he stand on the dock waving in the illegal boats. “Come on in! It doesn’t matter where you’re from or even whether you are a security risk, just come on down to the People’s Republic of Australia! Be quick, the first five hundred get Centrelink benefits for life... Oh, who am I kidding? Centrelink benefits, for all! Unless of course you’re actually an Australian and have a legitimate claim to assistance... Anyone who questions my glorious edict is a racist, fascist tool of the evil New Ltd. Empire!” All the while Comrade Hanson-Young would stand dutifully by her leader, only speaking up occasionally to state which regional town she aims to bankrupt and destroy next.

For those of you who think that I am being a tad melodramatic and doing nothing more than playing on popular fears in an attempt to whip up contempt for vulnerable refugees, I would counter with this: The Greens have already screwed the taxpayer out of $10 billion for their ‘Green Bank’ to fund their pie-in-the-sky renewable schemes and are currently bullying the government into a soviet-style purge of those in the media who do not tow the party line, wanting all journalists to unquestionably accept their green-propaganda... what next? Is it so hard to believe that their next step, having destroyed the economy and the media, will be to obliterate our border security? This deal will either be vetoed by Brown or will be watered down to such a degree as to rid it of all use as a deterrent.

If only there was a simple solution to this problem... something based in the Pacific, perhaps?