Brendan Nelson new Opposition Leader (2 Viewers)

[Iron]

It's one of my favorite modern Australian speeches.
Die-hard Crean fan to the end

edit: Gen: they are linked: "A war unnecessary to achieve the disarmament of Iraq because there remained an alternate way. [Saddam Hussein must be disarmed, but this is not the way"
I dont think anyone expected the ALP to have its own intelligence service double-checking Government/departmental reports on such matters. The point is that there was still a very valid case against the war, and they took the risk in making it. For all they knew, it would be over in a month and make the gvt very popular

 

[Generator]

edit: Gen: they are linked: "A war unnecessary to achieve the disarmament of Iraq because there remained an alternate way. [Saddam Hussein must be disarmed, but this is not the way"
I dont think anyone expected the ALP to have its own intelligence service double-checking Government/departmental reports on such matters. The point is that there was still a very valid case against the war, and they took the risk in making it. For all they knew, it would be over in a month and make the gvt very popular

I don't disagree, and I believe that the Howard Government's refusal to confront the fact that it's actions were based on poor and faulty intelligence was and will always be much like a slap to the face for the people of Australia, but... I don't know, I just don't like the holier than thou attitude seemingly adopted by many within the ALP and by many of the party's supporters. It's the bloody ALP, after all - vicious, pragmatic and above all self-serving.

 

[jimmayyy]

just going back the OP topic for a minute, Nelson is so urgh on tv. love him or loath him, at least Howard presented some sense of power, and certainty and strength. nelson looks like a middle management no hoper.

 

[jb_nc]

I can't stop looking at his hair.

It's just so... odd and hypnotic.

 

[sam04u]

Why the fuck is it always the case with the super-duper-lefties that we have to construct the gallows for the broken man?

You speak alot of truth.
Regardless of Australia's involvement the war would have happened. But we wouldn't have the blood of the mass of Iraqis that were killed directly, lost their homes and lives, and were killed as a result of the power vacuum and destability in Iraq on our hands.

Another Vietnam. Why did we do it? Hans Blix (whose interview you can see on Youtube with an Australian program) made it very clear that Iraq was no threat to us, no threat to the U.S and not a threat to anyone. If anything, the country was poor and broken because of the U.S sanctions.

The only thing we know for certain was that after the U.S led invasion of Afghanistan, was Saddam's decision to back the euro rather than the dollar.

Read this article, it's really one of the most important articles of modern times.
http://www.thinkandask.com/news/thedollar.html


However, the cost both indirectly and directly of the Iraq war, and the uncertainty of controlling Iraq's government means all that money was wasted. Now they're going for a 2 for 1, an attempt to put it in another Shah in Persia, another Iranian dictator that will not make the decision Ahmadinejad has threatened too. The same which Saddam did, and the older, democratic leader of Iran Mossadeq.

Their weapons of mass destruction is their own sovereign decision to nationalise their resource. Oil.

 

[banco55]

You speak alot of truth.
Regardless of Australia's involvement the war would have happened. But we wouldn't have the blood of the mass of Iraqis that were killed directly, lost their homes and lives, and were killed as a result of the power vacuum and destability in Iraq on our hands.

It was worth it in terms of maintaining the American alliance. It's cost Australia a few hundred milliion and a handful of casualties.

 

[Rafy]

Newspoll:

Preferred prime minister
Rudd 61%
Nelson 14%

preferred Liberal leader
Nelson 18%
Abbott 9%
Bishop 14%
Turnbull 34%

To put this into some context, Rudd's first PPM result was Howard 39%, Rudd 37%.

Early days for Nelson though and Rudd is of course going to have a bit of a honeymoon.

 

[kaz1]

nelson is the most boring politician ever
he will never be PM

 

[Rafy]

Shadow Ministry:

http://www.liberal.org.au/documents/mediareleases/ShadowMinistry.pdf

 

[Iron]

And so Bronwyn Bishop returns to storm the world with a Thatcherism scarcely concievable to the masses!
Taking a firm broom to the rot of veteran socialism indeed

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

Wow Tony Abbott was knocked down a bit eh? Chris Pyne got shit, lol. And they gave Macarthur MP, Pat Farmer, a shawodw portfolio? He was one of the worst performers in the election. That's somewhat odd.

 

[jb_nc]

George Brandis SC got a position he deserved.

Dr Nelson would have made a good health minister considering a) he is a doctor b) president of the AMA and c) actually achieved a lot of stuff outside of politics.

I wouldn't say Abbott has been shafted, I can see Aboriginal affairs being important this next term since Rudd has committed to bridging the health gap between the two.

 

[ks21]

Predicting a Turnball leadership challenge late next year ...

 

[Brendan Nelson]

Predicting a Turnball leadership challenge late next year ...

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22896721-5013871,00.html

 

[Captain Gh3y]

Do we have to have a bos account for every MP and senator?

 

[David Bentham]

Do we have to have a bos account for every MP and senator?

Yeah that's silly. Some backbenchers really aren't important enough.

 

[Stevo.]

Where is Penny Wong?

 

[jb_nc]

Where is Penny Wong?

In Bali.

It would be absurd to expect her to post when she is doing such important work.

 

[Stott Despoja]

Do we have to have a bos account for every MP and senator?

Yeah that's silly. Some backbenchers really aren't important enough.

I was going to say something about Doc Martins and such but with Mr Bentham's arrival I'm afraid that I'm just not up to scratch .

Anyway, this account will retire with the Senate term (or maybe a little earlier, like now, or better yet in a moment with the final fullstop of this particular post).

 

[Lyn Allison]

Our future is unknown.
After the change in the Senate we won't have any federal representation. We already lost NSW representation earlier this year. Some may like to think our party is in tatters, others have even predicted our doom but we will persevere. We were outpolled by Family First in both the upper and lower houses which is a bad sign.

However, we will get back in to keep the bastards honest. While we collect ourselves we are glad that the Greens will keep a socially progressive foot in parliament.

Since the election we have been inundated with young members. We will need to rebrand out socially progressive party. Our proenvironment policy is just but the Greens stole our thunder. What the public needs to understand is that our purpose is much broader than that of the Greens. A vote for the Greens is close to single platform. We have a record superior to the Greens. We have played a far more important role than they have in the Senate and we hope that in our absence the voters realise our importance.

I hope that after my term ends Sandra Knack serves our party and her people well.

If you are interested in joining the Australian Democrats- https://secure.democrats.org.au/join/

Regards,

Senator Lyn Allison
Australian Democrats Parliamentary Leader
Senator for Victoria