Hello Kenya, Brazil, the Netherlands and Italy, and welcome to what I'm calling the 399th post...close enough...and the farcical carry-on in South Australia's parliament is made to look almost acceptable by the extraordinary shenanigans in Victoria where it appears the state is run by former Liberal now alleged Independent Geoff Shaw...
Victorian Parliament, having been repeatedly 'suspended' late last year by the (now) former speaker Ken Smith, yesterday gave him the arse and appointed a new speaker, Ms Christine Fyffe...(what the heck's going on over there?-Ed)...couldn't really say, but it looks like Mr Shaw continues to effectively run the show because it was him withdrawing his support for Speaker Smith that led to his removal.
Now Geoff Shaw has brought the parliament to a stand-still by siding with Labor against Premier Dennis Napthine's Liberal party on a tax bill?, supply bill?...(sorry, didn't catch exactly what). What a bizarre state of affairs that the Parliament has been suspended or gridlocked more sitting days than actually sat, across repeated episodes in the last 3-4 months...but back in SA...
Bernard Finnigan: remains on full pay, in Parliament, voting on bills, etc, whilst the now 3 year old Child Pornography charges against him have gone in and out of different jurisdictions, been repeatedly reduced and/or changed, up and down till now only 1 charge remains...and this legal posturing all around the issue of whether the children or not are identifiably 14 years old or younger...
(Yes, you've been through all this many times...Labor's Acting Police Minister when arrested, then immediately booted from the Labor Party whilst Premier Rann, Jay Weatherill, etc, were screaming "innocent until proven guilty", and still drawing a $200k annual salary with superannuation, etc, etc, so what's your point?-Ed)...well this morning on ABC Radio, local lawyer Mr Rymill was discussing 'sexting' laws re the distribution/possession of Child Pornography...(and?-Ed)...
Well he said that there were various laws at play, and the law was 'behind' the technology...(aaand?-Ed)...but that if the images were of children under 16 years of age "then all hell breaks loose"...(sorry, are we discussing the extraordinary disparity between what the law says and what the law does?-Ed)...yep, and who the law is and isn't applied to...
Back In The Hood: we're having a state election on March 15th 2014 and the associated bullshit is flowing thick and fast...for example, last weeks ludicrous machinations re the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme have flowed into this week, and the only thing clearly established is the collusion between the Labor Party and alleged Independent Don Pegler.
Yet again yesterday on the ABC (Afternoons with Annette Marner) Don Pegler was taking credit for last weeks sudden about-face by Labor, repeatedly praising up the Labor $2.5million "commitment" as being 'rock-solid', then criticising the Liberals $1m PATS increase as a "vague promise" with no detail...I've posted about this already, but now most apparent is the lack of response from the Liberals...(obvious by it's absence. nice-Ed)...
When Labor Health Minister Jack Snelling was on ABC Radio Monday, and Don Pegler on Monday and again yesterday (Tuesday) cross-praising each other and the sudden announcement, there has been no response from the Liberal Party, least not that I've heard...on the Monday it was stated that Liberal spokesperson Rob Lucas wasn't available, and I don't think candidate Troy Bell was in Mt Gambier...but I don't know what happened yesterday when rejected Liberal Don Pegler yet again took out his anti-Liberal frustrations on the truth...where are the Liberals? why are they not vehemently defending their policy?
I can say with some surety that it does appear to me that Don Pegler is already getting preferential treatment from the Mt Gambier media who have completely failed to hold him to account for his clearly conflicting positions re the PATS Review and recent funding promises...for all I know Troy Bell and/or the Liberals have been trying to respond but have been blocked...don't know but wouldn't surprise me other than I don't believe Annette Marner would engage in that sort of behaviour...
The Border Watch, for example, was so rabidly biased toward Don Pegler at the 2010 state election, they allowed 'senior reporter' Sandra Morello to print Don Pegler's press releases, prepared by her husband Frank "The Ghost" Morello, as actual news items...and then when caught out, pretended to be shocked, and moved her briefly to other duties...(well you don't sack someone for doing what you want them to do-Ed)...indeed...(and the ABC in Mt Gambier is just a propaganda instrument in the full control of the Labor government and big business-Ed)...you do listen....I'm touched...
I don't know whether this 'propaganda proliferation' is strictly related to Labor or just a standard modus operandi regardless of the Creed of government, because I've only really experienced Mt Gambier ABC whilst it's been under the control of the Rann/Weatherill Labor government...what's more, I don't care...I don't care when or how they have become so compromised...perhaps it is a result of the St Martins stuff, perhaps the St Martins stuff is just symptomatic...regardless, what's happening right now, is happening.
And it's not about me...but it is me that's been banned from TBW and the ABC, and threatened with the police and/or defamation, and attacked at public meetings, etc, etc, etc...and when I say it's not about me, it absolutely is about what I say...and this blog is what I say...and any separation between me and what I say has become indistinguishable for some...and so it has become about me...(I'll give you that-Ed)...ta...
And so the changes to Electoral rules re Nomination are not specifically about me, but they are are specifically about denying people like me a chance to participate...the peasants are revolting and the Liberal/Labor 'Ruling Class' coalition don't like it...no sir, don't like it at all...
Back In Ya' Box Peasant: is the clear message entwined with the outrageous changes to Nomination Criteria that were introduced only months ago...and Electoral Commissioner Kay Mousley yesterday ran as fast as she could away from any responsibility, 'it's just my job to apply the legislation, not make the laws'...(what a cop out...but didn't she also say that it was part of her responsibilities to report issues of disparity and/or concern to government for them to address?-Ed)...yes, and all that in the middle of a discussion about how the massive cost increase is designed and applied to deny people being able to even nominate.
She openly stated that this "$3,000 deposit" is to stop people nominating 'frivolously' and clogging up the Ballot papers, etc...(so it's all about providing a level playing field where anyone and everyone has the opportunity to engage in the Democratic Process-Ed)...exactly the opposite...if you fit these very specific criteria and have $3,000 to gamble on getting the 4% of the vote you need to obtain for refund of that 'deposit', then you can play...other than that, get stuffed.
It's a farcical and deliberate contrivance that does exactly as openly described, denies many people the opportunity to participate...for shrek sake, it was only $450 at the 2010 state election, and only $1,000 at the September2013 Federal election...who has $3,000 to spare?...I know dual-income households that don't have that sort of money lying about...(accept 'donations' from developers and lobbyists-Ed)...but that would be like bribery really...(welcome to politics, where bribery is called 'accepting donations'-Ed)...
And 20 Nominators who as per the federal election have to give their names, addresses and signature, etc, which means that there's no problem if you represent a group of vested interests, you can run calling yourself an Independent, but if you're genuinely independent you have to get 20 people to agree to sign what looks for all intents and purposes to be a contract to support the Nominee, and by inference be responsible for their actions.
I've been through that process and you can see the doubt bordering on fear in peoples eyes when asked to sign what looks like a document that will officially link them to the Nominee...and I appreciate that few people would choose to identify with me publicly because they are fully aware of the retribution that will be visited on them, their businesses, etc...and asking relative strangers to 'nominate' is an exercise in futility, albeit also understandable...'hello stranger, give me your name, address, and signature on this official political document'...bloody hell, I wouldn't sign it.
Enough for today, but for the 400th post,
Tomorrow: More Fracking Nonsense and Tourism Stuff
Yet another state government advertising campaign that doesn't even mention Mt Gambier, etc, etc...when will people wake up to the fact that the South East has been written off by both major political parties with the complicit compliance of alleged Independents.
I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...cheers and laters...
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