Saffron: You're a good man. Mal: You clearly haven't been talking to anyone else on this boat.

'Our Mrs. Reynolds'


Natter 75: More Than a Million Natters Served  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, butt kicking, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


billytea - Aug 26, 2018 4:35:03 am PDT #28835 of 30002
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.

The deputy PM won his by-election, then two months later announced that he had impregnated a former staff member, and was leaving his wife and four daughters to raise his fresh spawn. He didn't see any reason why this should concern his electorate, and remains a member of Parliament.

In the interim, Australia held a referendum on same-sex marriage. This was demanded by the conservative faction and designed to try to nobble the "yes" vote. Turnbull gave them almost everything they wanted. It came to naught, and Australia voted in favour - 62% of votes on an 80% turnout (the vote was voluntary). Tony Abbott's electorate went Yes by 75%. It is now law.

Now. When Turnbull knifed Abbott, he cited the fact that the Libs had lost 30 Newspolls in a row. Turnbull's government has now lost 38 Newspolls in a row. The govt did poorly in July by-elections. The one thing keeping him was in the job was that they had no one better. The final straw was when he got rolled by Abbott's mob on energy policy. To try to stop a revolt, Turnbull jettisoned Australia's emissions target from the Paris Accord. It didn't work. Instead one of Abbott's acolytes, Peter Dutton, attempted the most cack-handed coup in Australia's history. On Friday he forced a leadership vote. Turnbull promptly declined to stand again. Dutton lost the vote to Turnbull's Treasurer, Scott Morrison. Abbott etc brought down the government in order to make no change to government policy whatsoever.

One final parting gift. Turnbull had earlier promised that if he lost the leadership he would resign from Parliament, as it was too destabilising to have a former PM hanging about like Banquo's ghost (I'm looking at you, Abbott). He is still promising to do so, forcing a by-election. A reminder: the government's majority in Parliament is... one seat. Vale Turnbull. As one commentator said, "He leaves a proud legacy of the banking royal commission he failed to stop, corporate tax cuts he failed to start and the National Energy Guarantee he failed to understand."

In conclusion, a bit of trivia for you: the Australian PM is the highest-paid government leader in the OECD. This is some value for money we're getting, I think you'll agree.


Dana - Aug 26, 2018 4:38:55 am PDT #28836 of 30002
I'm terrifically busy with my ennui.

Damn, billytea. That is epic.


billytea - Aug 26, 2018 4:47:14 am PDT #28837 of 30002
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.

Damn, billytea. That is epic.

Seriously. The last time a PM served a full term in this country was over ten years ago. Stability!


Laura - Aug 26, 2018 4:57:28 am PDT #28838 of 30002
Our wings are not tired.

I confess to not following the Australian politics closely, but have subconsciously noted that they seemed to be in my world newsletters more frequently. My dictum remains, if there must be political corruption it should at the very least be entertaining.


billytea - Aug 26, 2018 5:05:08 am PDT #28839 of 30002
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.

I confess to not following the Australian politics closely, but have subconsciously noted that they seemed to be in my world newsletters more frequently. My dictum remains, if there must be political corruption it should at the very least be entertaining.

I don't know I'd call any of this corruption. Self-serving, yes; not serving the national interest, certainly; but not actively corrupt. Small mercies, I suppose.


Shir - Aug 26, 2018 5:30:02 am PDT #28840 of 30002
"And that's why God Almighty gave us fire insurance and the public defender".

billytea, I actually woke up this morning and decided that I probably need to follow another country's politics as a hobby and as I miss the mere appearance of sane politics and the news here are a celebration of gossip and horror. So thanks for covering this.


Jesse - Aug 26, 2018 5:36:34 am PDT #28841 of 30002
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

Amazing, billytea.


Consuela - Aug 26, 2018 6:08:15 am PDT #28842 of 30002
We are Buffistas. This isn't our first apocalypse. -- Pix

Wow, billytea, that is indeed epic. Best of luck to Australia.


Sheryl - Aug 26, 2018 7:04:58 am PDT #28843 of 30002
Fandom means never having to say "But where would I wear that?"

Timelies all!

{{Karl}}

Going to go have lunch and get groceries. Later we will go to a birthday party for one of my FIL's friends.


Karl - Aug 26, 2018 10:25:49 am PDT #28844 of 30002
I adore all you motherfuckers so much -- PMM.

Glad to hear your dad's doing better, Sue. I hope the improvement continues.