The Coalition ‘Cupid Shuffle? What was Warren Truss thinking when at a recent media doorstop he singlehandedly emasculated the National Party in Victoria? For that matter, what was Sophie Mirabella thinking when, during this same media event, she deposited six years of her career in the ”can’t actually deliver” bin? Warren Truss, in the final […]
Northern #VicVotes at war as Libs payback Nats for McGowan #IndiVotes support: @Jansant reports
November 27, 2014
Yesterday The Border Mail reported altered how-to-vote cards had been handed out during pre-polling in Wangaratta, Northern Victoria, with Coalition partners saying a “rogue Wangaratta volunteer” was responsible. How-to-vote cards for Tony Schneider, the Liberal candidate for Euroa, had been altered by hand, advising a below the line vote, placing National Party Legislative Council candidate […]
Time to be Alert … And a little bit Alarmed? – the @sarah_capper column
September 20, 2014
Yes, that’s right, last week Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the Government was raising Australia’s ‘terror alert’ status to ‘high’. While technically this means a terrorist attack on Australian soil is now regarded as “likely”, the PM was quick to clarify that “this does not mean that a terror attack is imminent. We have no […]
Cigar wielding wealthy motorist entitlements: the @sarah_capper column
August 23, 2014
Sitting on the train, surrounded by other poor people, sans cars, it’s hard not to wonder whether the Abbott Government is becoming increasingly out of touch with its constituents. Sure, there are a lot of discrepancies on public transport – for example, on the not-so-rough Sandringham line, taking in Melbourne’s bayside suburbs, I’m guessing some […]
Senate Bingo! The @sarah_capper column
July 19, 2014
A whole new class of players joined the Upper House this month, and with a record number of cross-benchers – 18, including the Greens – there will be deals-a-plenty and the “spin cycle” on overdrive. Cards will be kept close to chests; cards will be put out on the table; and, as the last week has shown, […]
Tinkler at #ICAC: The art of of good and bad cops by @boeufblogginon
May 20, 2014
#icac Watson is on the point of corralling Tinkler in the questioning of Tinkler. Very clever. — Joan Evatt (@Boeufblogginon) May 16, 2014 Law students should have been at the ICAC hearing on Friday afternoon when Nathan Tinkler was being questioned. They would have seen a fine example of corralling a witness and one […]
#Indivotes independent candidate @jenpodesta explains why she’s joined the ALP
May 2, 2014
Last year I stood as an independent candidate in the federal Seat of Indi – now famous for the outstanding win by another independent, Cathy McGowan, over the three-term incumbent Sophie Mirabella. Much has already been said and written about that. The experience of standing as a candidate was at once exhilarating and heartbreaking, but […]
Civil disobedience and the #leardblockade: @adropex comments
April 22, 2014
[clear] It was in January, whilst on a family beach holiday, that I first became aware of the protest happening at the Leard State Forest. I had not heard of the Leard before, however the words ‘Maules Creek’ and ‘Whitehaven’ vaguely floated into my consciousness as I read a Twitter report of the action […]
The #MarchinMarch Canberra in pictures, by @Jansant
March 23, 2014
By Wayne Jansson @jansant 23rd March 2014 Roll over photos to read captions or click for slideshow. Read More from the March In March Archive
Sssshhhh, don’t tell the media, but politics is changing from the ground-up, by @ariadne_syd
March 21, 2014
Ariadne Vromen, @ariadne_syd Source: The Conversation University of Sydney 21st March 2014 Political participation in Australia will soon be about hope – and the transformation of citizenship engagement in this country. Here is why. Traditionally, Australian political participation was centred on, and supported by, the electoral system, political parties and major political organisations. Most media commentators tend […]
