Stage 1. Complete. Stage 2. November.

He’s come a long way in a short time. 4 years ago he was a little known politician from Chicago.

Now’s he on the brink of the biggest political post in the world.

He just has one more thing to do.

WIN.

Take Your Pick America.

So, it’s been a long Primary Presidential Campaign for Obama and Clinton.

One might think that after this time you might say something stupid.

Hillary was the first to snap.

“My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don’t understand it.”

Right. So, let’s interpret that.

“I’m sticking around in the race, even though I know I’m losing, because after all, Obama might get shot and that means I’m in!”

or

“I wanna be president…waaaaaa!”

Who should be the next US president. Hmmm?

Hi! Look at me! I’m just like my hubby! Don’t shoot meeeee!

Budget Rebukes

So, the budget came down on Tuesday. It was one hefty budget, with a crap load of initiatives, but it seems that the biggest deal is the means testing of welfare payments to restrict families who earn over $150,000 from the baby bonus ($5,000 for a new slug) and Family Tax Benefit Part B ($125 a fortnight).

Ok, am I being short-sighted in thinking that if you earn $150,000 jointly in a household, you’re probably doing ok? Is that extra $125 a fortnight going to help with the cleaning lady? Need it to do some extra detailing on the car(s)? Maybe you needed to put that extra money away for your annual trip to the Maldives?

Get your hands off it. Welfare payments are for the people who are less fortunate. Perhaps they work in lower earning positions, perhaps they aren’t as savvy or smart, or perhaps they would rather do a job they love, earn less money but be happier in the process. Whatever the reason, it shouldn’t matter.

This country has been riding on the ‘Howard Train’ for too long. Greed, money, luxuries and spending have been the order of the day in the last 11 years, but as a whole the country has forgotten about a social conscience or helping those less fortunate.

Let’s take a look at some comments from the Daily Telegraph today –

My husband and I earn a combined income of $150,000 and do not consider ourselves “rich”. Why should we miss out on the baby bonus and other family tax benefits available to other working families? We work hard, just as hard as any other worker whether they earn $30,000 or $100,000 – Belinda, Bateau Bay

So, Belinda, you have to be “rich” to avoid benefits, but because you don’t consider yourselves rich, you should get them? No-one’s saying you don’t work hard (where was that in the budget?)

The term “working families” obviously stops when you achieve $150,001 in joint income. Ridiculous. Those of us in this position have worked long and hard to get there. – Justin, Sydney

Your point being, Justin? Is this just a statement to show off how much you earn, or are you trying to say something? Just piss off and work harder. Then you can afford that Rolex you’ve been eying off.

I’m sick of how everything is always for families. There’s never anything for singles. – Paul, Newtown

Wah Wah Wah. Maybe if you weren’t such a whinger, you wouldn’t be single. You want the baby bonus? You want Family Tax Benefits? What exactly do you want? The tax cut doesn’t cut it? You want less tax on the booze to help you pick up? Not quite sure really.

Look, I could go on all day, and honestly there were a couple of things in the budget that I am not that happy with (FBT on laptops and not enough assistance to the elderly), but overall I am pretty happy with it.

Oh and another initiative from the Budget was to ensure that International touring acts use a local support band on their tour.

The painfully annoying Piers Akerman had this to say:

“The Government will provide $1.7 million over four years to ensure that international touring companies employ at least one local band or artist as a support act. This will boost the employment opportunities and exposure of Australian music industry performers technicians.”

Which is an absolute load of retro-garbage.

Call this the Budget’s 2020 Rear Vision Summit gesture to Cate Blanchett, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and the other celluloid celebrities Prime Minister Rudd aches to hang out with.

Call this a sad joke. The sort of sad Labor joke most people thought went out of fashion with the failure of Ausmusic, the Labor-funded folly of former Victorian Federal MP and perennial adolescent Pete Steedman.

Treasurer Wayne Swan must be a frustrated air guitar player with a deep commitment to the Labor luvvies in the performing arts if he thinks it is smart to inflict higher ticket prices on concertgoers who will be forced to endure a performer they didn’t wish to see or hear solely to satisfy an ALP whim.

As for those international groups which might prefer not to be handcuffed to a performer or act, will they be compelled to kick in to some union-dominated “industry” slush fund?

This measure will boost bad performers and, doubtless, add its measure to the inflation dragon the Ruddites have vowed to slay.

I mean, no-one really gives a flying fuck what this guy has to say, as he is about as far up his own arse as you can go, but seriously.

This will “boost bad performers’? What the hell are you talking about Piers? It can only increase global exposure of our quality local music scene as well as providing an amazing opportunity for small local acts to experience playing on a big stage.

Mr Akerman always has to bring it back to his hatred of Unions, ” will they be compelled to kick in to some union-dominated “industry” slush fund?”. Go fuck yourself your dim prick.

11 Years of Shame.

The 11 years of John Howard will be a time that I personally want to forget.

The fact that every living former Prime Minister plus the Governor General were present in parliament today to hear the sorry declarations except for one John Howard speaks volumes about the mean spirit and nastiness of the man that ran this country for too long.

I don’t really care though. I don’t want to ever see his face or hear his voice again.

Even watching old clips of him makes me shudder.

I enjoyed hearing him the K Rudd speak. His re-counting of his meeting with a member of the Stolen Generation was well told and I liked his honesty about what really happened.

He did well and this day will go down in history.

Photos courtesy of Daniel Boud at Boudist

Sorry…

I’ve been thinking about what to write today.

Thinking a lot.

There will be so many responses to what Kevin Rudd will historically do today.

You’ll have your right-wingers saying that they didn’t do anything wrong so why should I apologise and that there go our tax cuts in compensation claims. Then you’ll have your left wing bleeding hearts who say this is the start of a new era in Australia’s history, and that finally, reconciliation can really happen.

What do I think?

It doesn’t really matter.

All I can say is that it’s way way overdue, and as I heard today; after the theatrics of the apology, life will not change for anyone. The Stolen Generation, the People up north affected by the NT Intervention, the average blue collar worker, or me.

Nothing will change, because the apology is just a single positive act. One positive act is not enough to reverse the multitude and continuous negative acts that have affected the indigenous people of Australia.

As much as us bleeding hearts wish it would be the start of something special that could help unite this nation, I just can’t see it happening.

But…

It is something, and something is better than nothing.

At least we know that Kevin Rudd is a man of his word…..so far.

Kyoto Protocol & A ‘Sorry’.

..

I tried to explain to my 9 year old daughter today what it was about.

She asked, ‘Why did they take the babies away?”

I didn’t quite know what to say, but I explained that sometimes, if parents are not looking after their children properly, their children are taken away, until the parents are good enough to look after them.

What I couldn’t explain was why, history shows, that so many were taken away from loving families and never returned. How do you explain that to a 9 year old?

She said, “Oh yeah….that happens in ‘The Sims‘. When you don’t look after your baby, these people come and take it away.”

…

At least she can relate it to something, and at least she can relate it to something that is not real-life.

---

The full apology:“I give notice that, at the next sitting, I will move:

That

Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations – this blemished chapter in our nation’s history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.”

Gay and Wanna get Married? Move to Sunny Canberra!

The ACT Government, in particular Chief Minister Jon Stanhope and Attorney General Simon Corbell, are working hard to give homosexual Canberrans the opportunity to legally join together in a same-sex union. (ie. Marriage, without the actual term, Marriage)

In an effort to get it past the Federal Attorney General, Robert McClelland, they have been required to look at changing the rule that will only allow Canberra residents to partake in these unions.

So basically, you wanna have a ‘legal union’ with your same-sex partner? You gotta move here!

It does beg the question, why not just let them get actually married?

My guess is that they are not able to amend the Federal Marriage Act, so that is not a possibility. A State or Territory can still legislate to allow for same-sex couple to have the same rights as their hetero counterparts.

Mr Corbell clarified the difference between a gay marriage and a civil union.
The former is where same-sex couples are allowed to marry under the Marriage Act in the same manner as heterosexual couples; the latter is where a distinct “civil union” legal framework is set up for same-sex couples. The ACT is pushing for civil unions (called partnerships).
Victoria this week flagged new laws recognising committed homosexual relationships with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Under the laws, same-sex couples would also be eligible for part-pensions and other entitlements available to married heterosexual couples.

I’m glad that the ACT is taking the lead on this. We are, after all, a progressive territory of Australia. (Fireworks, Porn and Pot!). Maybe we can add poofters to the list 🙂

I think it’s just a matter of time before the Marriage Act is amended. But I don’t think it will happen whilst we have the current GG and PM. Disappointingly, Rudd has already specified that he is against changing the Marriage ACT to recognise same-sex couples.

Maybe the next PM will be a little more progressive.

Election Campaign 2007 – Day 2

I’m already scared.

Channel 10 News last night were reporting that Rudd needs to secure a number of swinging seats in QLD to have any chance of winning the election. WTF?

I have to not get excited yet. I can’t let myself believe.

Can someone tell me? Is this election in the bag or not? Is Howard going to scare the bejeebers out of everyone and then hand them a few measly bucks a week as compensation?

FUCK THAT. The last election was all about greed and back pockets.

People were (are?) more concerned about their summer house, their holidays, their new cars and their super to even give a second thought about environment, human and gay rights, education and health.

Money. More important than a decent society?

Don’t believe him. He’s a snivelling little toad.

And look, I agree, Rudd’s voice is already annoying, but fuck, GET RID OF HOWARD.

Call it Tomorrow?

Hypocrite Howard.

Stanhope agrees with McClelland

I agree with McClelland’s comments.

A life is a life. No-one has the right to take someone else’s.

Be it an Australian’s or not.

Howard is an alien though isn’t he? That changes all the rules.