. Update: Joe De Bruyn has had his tribute upon retirement pulled due to his ridiculous stance on gay marriage. All I can say is that it's about fuckin time he retired. His marriage views are positively prehistoric.
A tribute to long-serving union leader and retiring ACTU senior vice-president Joe de Bruyn was pulled on the final day of the labour movement’s triennial gathering because of outrage over his stance on gay marriage and his union’s approach to industrial agreements.
Based on a draft resolution obtained by The Australian, the ACTU congress would have awarded Mr de Bruyn its “meritorious service award” in recognition of his long leadership of the conservative Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association.
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Other delegates had planned to stage a protest by turning their backs on the union warrior, who is known for his outspoken opposition to gay marriage and his long leadership at the SDA dating back to 1978. Some are upset the ACTU has been unable to take a more definitive stance on the issue of gay marriage, which they said was because of Mr de Bruyn’s blocking influence, while resolutions were passed on a range of other issues including the right of the Saharawi people in the Western Sahara to self-determination. more
Think I might go to this one. There's been so many of them over the years, but this one may be different given the current climate pushing for equality now.
*Update: Business economists are now talking "recession" The adults are in charge spending at a rate equivalent to Labor under the GFC, running away from the green industries of the future whilst hugging the coal commodity that everyone is divesting from, letting entire industries die without gov assistance, cutting back and firing public servants left right and centre in the name of blind austerity, and have now reached this point.
It's gov policy pure and simple, why Australia's housing and rental market is so outrageously over priced. It may well be good for those investing in property and selling on for more, but for the average person it's a big ask. It goes without saying that those on meager benefits are the one's being hit the hardest, many of us being forced into living on just $18 a day after paying for accommodation according to a new survey from the Salvation Army. I can believe it. For example us. I dunno how much daily it is but this fortnight's pay we had to pay back money loaned off a friend, and had to get Zac registered for life at the Council before they took us to court over it, making a total of $100 down for the fortnight. We've managed to pay for everything (including the monthly internet *whew* Not letting that one go) and we appear to have enough food until next Wednesday, but other than that we haven't got a cent to our name until then. Still waiting for that trickle down from Gina :s Sorry SSJoe, still can't do any heavy lifting for you.
Major Paul Moulds said the average person had just under $18 a day to live on after paying for accommodation.
"If people didn't have to spend so much on housing if there was greater access to affordable housing options in the community, or even if there were some major policy changes that led to the rental housing market being a little bit more affordable for people, then that would solve a large part of the problem," he said.
"People who are on an aged pension or a disability pension are in a slightly better position than the kids we are seeing who are on parenting payments, NewStart allowances, which is people who are unemployed.
"So we have been saying to government, you have to re-look at these because there is very limited indexation there been no real shift in those payments for a long time."
The Salvation Army said most respondents said a lack of relevant skills, health problems and parenting responsibilities were preventing them from finding jobs. more
Another one bites the dust. This one is a beauty. He's another high profile anti-gay christian morals bla bla bla bloke. Over many years has voted against anything gay. He is christian hero extraordinaire Dennis Hastert. A "former House Speaker" in the US Congress. Described as a reliable voter for christian values and all. Only thing was it turns out he was fucking a youth wrestler before all of this, one of his male wrestling students.
On Thursday, a federal grand jury indicted Hastert, alleging that he agreed to pay a man $3.5 million over several years in exchange for the latter’s silence about his prior relationship with the lawmaker, the Associated Press reports. According to the indictment, Hastert gave $1.7 million to the man between 2010 and 2014, who Hastert knew from his past career as a high school teacher and wrestling coach, as compensation for Hastert’s “past misconduct,” and for said misconduct’s concealment. Although the indictment provides little information about the nature of that misconduct, the Los Angeles Times, citing law enforcement sources, reports that Hastert was paying to cover up sexual indiscretions with a a person of the same gender he knew from coaching youth wrestling. “I felt a special bond with our wrestlers,” Hastert wrote in his 2004 memoir. “And I think they felt one with me.” more
Here he his bla bla-ing about the good fight against gays and the rest to much hero applause .....
A fascinating look/leak into the Abbott gov's cabinet meeting on Monday night. In it there was open revolt against Abbott, even by his own deputy Asbestos Julie. The subject matter was of extreme importance to Australia, to do with one of humanity's basic human rights; that of the right of citizenship and not to be made stateless. Unbelievably, Abbott and Dutton wanted to be able to strip an Australian of their citizenship over some expansion of anti-terror laws. Incredibly, not after the person had gone through the courts and been found guilty of terrorism, but simply on the suspicion of the defence minister Dutton. A stupendously stupid idea that would no doubt be roundly condemned in the community at large. Not to be dismayed by this though, Abbott, Dutton and (of course) Morrison actually argued the implausable case for such an outrageous measure.
The Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton, was proposing that he should have the power, at his own discretion, to strip an Australian of his or her citizenship. Even if it's the only citizenship they have. It was not for any random reason, however, but specifically for use on people suspected of terrorism-related offences. more
But, as if that wasn't enough, this plan had been hatched in secret and the cabinet had no notification that this was going to be discussed at the meeting. Not even deputy PM Asbestos Julie knew about it. A situation completely beyond protocol and which beggars belief. The legislation was a giant captains call, ambushed onto the cabinet by said captain.
The matter was not listed on the cabinet agenda. There was no cabinet submission. There was no written proposal of any kind in front of the ministers. Abbott brought up the subject only at the end of a cabinet meeting on other business, then asked Dutton to speak on it. It emerged during debate that there was a discussion paper on the subject, and Brandis volunteered that he had seen a copy and had been debating the idea with Abbott in the inner sanctum of cabinet's National Security Committee. It was at this point in a tense and difficult debate that Bishop stunned the meeting with a further revelation: "I haven't seen a discussion paper." The ministers around the table instantly understood. The Prime Minister had tried to ambush his cabinet. Bishop is the deputy leader of the Liberal Party, the Foreign Affairs Minister, the minister with oversight of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, a member of the National Security Committee of cabinet and a central figure in Australia's effort to defeat the terrorists of the so-called Islamic State. The depth of mistrust between the Liberal leader and his deputy was starkly exposed. more
Judging from the article, the discussion that followed wasn't in the least measured or polite. Abbott ended up being rolled on it, by none the less than his own cabinet. What's more, the Terrorgraph had been informed of it before Abbott's own Cabinet.
Turnbull was incensed: "Here we go again," he told his Prime Minister in the meeting. "Talking about something as momentous as this and there is nothing in front of us. There's a discussion paper that only a few of us have seen. This is a shambles."
Turnbull asked Abbott directly if the Daily Telegraph had been briefed on the proposal for the next morning's paper, which would have meant the cabinet meeting had been pre-empted by the Prime Minister's press office. The Telegraph is a favoured Abbott outlet for signalling his moves in advance.
It had not, replied Abbott.
Yet the next morning the Telegraph carried a report saying that the proposal would be "included in the bill" that had been approved by the cabinet the night before. Oops. more
So we have a situation where Abbott's own cabinet, including his own deputy the second in command, the deputy prime minister, doesn't trust Abbott. How in the hell are the rest of the community supposed to trust him then?
FFS on Monday he lied to his own cabinet. He just can't help himself.
The Abbott gov is all up in arms about the ABC's Q&A show. The one where the audience member grilled SSJoe about his wife's Canberra house he stays in whilst claiming staying away from home allowance. They say is an evil leftie biased show. Are they fuckin serious?
In frustration with the political system and how it wasn't representative of Australians views on marriage equality, GetUp made this video and put it on YouTube way back in 2011. For a time it was the most trending video on YouTube in the world. Three and a half years later the political impass has remained and we're still waiting. Abbott even annulled Canberra same sex marriages via the courts only hours after they were married a while back. Surely now, after Ireland, it's finally and belatedly time.
After years of disappointment in Australia I'm very loath to get hopes up, but this time I get the feeling something is in the air that wasn't there any other time. Abbott has been caught out by Shorten who has forced him to take action on marriage equality. Not because he wants to, but they've put it in political terms for Abbott which is about the only thing he understands. Abbott, freaked out that Labor and the minor parties will get all the glory on a very popular issue, has had his hand forced into action. I suppose that's one way of booting him up the ass about it. Now big business in Australia, including large multi-national corporations, have taken a full page add out in The Australian newspaper backing marriage equality.
Corporations including Google, Qantas, Optus and the ANZ and Commonwealth banks have put their names to a list of Australian businesses backing marriage equality.
Others supporters include law firms Slater and Gordon and Gilbert and Tobin, and the Football Federation of Australia.
Australian Marriage Equality national director Rodney Croome said the corporations approached the organisation send the message that Australia's business community was behind marriage equality.
"It was about corporate saying it's not just about us individually supporting this, we want to do it collectively and send the strongest possible message," Mr Croome said. more
Oh look, another self righteous anti- gay ultra conservative paedophile. Good grief, they're falling like flies:
An ultra-conservative one-time Brooklyn city council candidate — whose campaign slogan was “Our children are our future” — has been nabbed for possessing and sharing kiddie porn, prosecutors said Friday. Joseph Hayon, 37, was arrested Thursday and admitted to police that he traded the sick pics of kids between the ages of 2 and 12 in December 2014 using his email account ArtModel@juno.com, according to a criminal complaint. At his arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court, prosecutors said a tip led police to search Hayon’s Midwood home, where the stash of child porn was found. Cops confiscated Hayon’s two laptops, five desktops, video camera, Samsung cellphone and one DVD, prosecutors said. He was also slapped with an order of protection Friday barring him from coming in contact with his four children, ages 9, 7, 4 and 15 months. He was released on $50,000 bail. more
A tweet from paedophile Josh Duggar with Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum in March. Rick Santorum has sad he was sickened by Duggar's actions. I do note the reference to "Religious Freedom" though in the tweet. Apparently for Duggar that meant the freedom to cover up child sexual abuse and sue the DHS to try keep them out of his life, and then pretend to be all holy and righteous, condemning gays to be the biggest threat to society ever or some shit.
Another evening of cat love aplenty. Zac decided he was going to give Natasha a big hug. I'm not sure how much she's enjoying it but she certainly let him have his way. Zac is about the smouchiest cat we've ever known.
This technology is still in it's early stages, but it's already working and mind boggling. And it runs on Windows 10. Check it out. Think I just got future shock.
Does anyone in Canberra have any idea how excruciating it is to see such a basic right as marrying the one you love, be turned into political conning by the prime minister? So Shorten has offered a way forward by putting up a bill next week. Abbott turns around and says no we can't do it that way because Labor will take credit for it (um, who fuckin cares?) and refuses a conscience vote if the Labor bill is involved. He then proclaims some moral high ground (yes, Abbott claiming moral high ground, you read that right) by saying it should be "above party politics" and a bill should be presented by someone more neutral. Bullshit. If that was the case Abbott would have allowed a conscience vote by his own party zonks ago. He's playing politics with our fuckin lives. And what about annulling the Canberra marriages a while back, was that "above party politics"? Oh he just so full of shit. He wants to take credit for marriage equality in Australia. The idea would be hysterical if it wasn't so offensive. After spending years blocking it, leaving Australia in the western dark ages in this issue, now he wants to maneuver his way politically to take credit for it? How stupid does he think gay people, and the wider population, are? If it does happen in this parliament it will be the end of a very long period of frustration with Canberra politicians and Abbott in particular. We are hardly going to be thankful to Abbott for that. BTW, even if all that happens, then the Lieberals first have to vote in the party room, to decide if they can vote with a conscience on the parliamentary floor without having to resign their ministry.
Speaking in the Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Abbott, who remains personally opposed to broadening the Marriage Act, acknowledged that momentum for change within the community, and within his own party, meant a vote would occur at some point, However, he made clear, progress would not be ceded to the ALP.
"If our Parliament were to make a big decision on a matter such as this, I want it to be owned by the Parliament, and not by any particular party," Mr Abbott said.
That was a response to an attempt by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to seize the initiative on Tuesday through his own private member's bill.
Mr Abbott believes the reform, if is to be debated, must be relieved of any such party branding. To that end, he has given his imprimatur to former government whip Liberal MP Warren Entsch to seek a suitable backbencher on the Labor side to co-sponsor a new private member's bill. more
Like I said, it's just absolutely excruciating watching this dumb fuck weasel his way through this. The ultimate goal I'd suggest is that he doesn't want to be going with this into the election next year without it being sorted out and becoming a bloody great election issue. Pathetic.
Some pro-gay marriage Liberals might be railing against Bill Shorten’s pre-emptive private member’s bill but its effect has been to suddenly raise the prospect of common political ownership of the issue.
Liberals remain divided on marriage equality but united on not wanting Shorten, who has given notice he’ll introduce the bill next week, to have carriage of the push for reform.
Tony Abbott’s opposition to marriage equality won’t change, but one gets the impression he’s realising this tide can’t be held back for much longer.
Abbott might be thinking about how to avoid personally looking too bad in defeat – and also the way to prevent Shorten or the Greens taking all the kudos on a popular issue if a vote is carried before the election. more
It seems the Duggar story of sheer hypocrisy is going viral worldwide. It has now ended up on my home page in Australia, referred back to the New York Times. With new even worse revelations about Duggar christian hypocrisy, if that's even possible. It has come to light that after the police closed the case due to the statute of limitations running out (BTW there are no statute of limitations in Australia for child sexual assault) the case was referred on to the US Department of Human Services. The DHS then had the power to intervene in the family to address Josh's behaviour. Something that one would think the parents and family would welcome as a plan forward for the whole family; a helping hand in a time of terrible distress and need. But no. Incredibly, Josh sued the DHS to try to get the DHS out of their lives. This is beyond belief.
Police referred the matter to the Families in Need of Services agency, which has jurisdiction over minors. The Department of Human Services (DHS) was then brought into the case, In Touch has learned. Nine months after those agencies entered the Duggar molestation case, Josh Duggar sued the Arkansas Department of Human Services. A trial was held on August 6, 2007. The results of the investigation into the Duggars and Josh’s trial are sealed. But a source familiar with the Duggar investigation told In Touch it was likely that Josh “appealed the DHS decision or finding from their investigation.” The source notes that DHS had the authority to apply “restrictions or stipulations about him being at home with the victims. “Josh would be considered an in-home offender, giving DHS the authority to do an investigation. As part of your appeal rights you can request a DHS hearing to challenge what they found and their ruling.” The Duggars are refusing to comment on the intervention by either department and Josh’s trial against DHS. They also are refusing to say if their family was monitored by a state agency after the 2007 actions and forced to undergo counseling by a licensed mental health professional. more
So that was the family's response to the offer of help from the DHS. Shoot the messenger and cover it all up. How very righteous upstanding christian of them. Sounds very much like what happens in churches worldwide, particularly the Catholic church doesn't it. There is a pattern of shooting the messenger, covering up the crime, and moving on. All the while proclaiming to the world how fuckin holy and clean they are. *pffft* Incidentally, one of Josh's victims was only 5 years old.
Although many details in the police report are redacted, based on the ages of his siblings and the dates of the molestations as described to police, one of Josh's victims was as young as five-years-old when Josh touched her private parts. It was part of an escalating series of attacks by Josh. more
I've said it many times before, I'd put secular morality up against christian morality any day.
.....part of the reason the Duggars are hated by so many good, decent Americans, is that they are EXTREMELY anti-gay, they tell people that transgender people are going to rape their little girls in the bathroom, and other stuff and things. These are people who portray an entire minority segment of the population as predators. It’s not that people are “bloodthirsty,” and they’re certainly not HAPPY the Duggar girls were sexually abused. God, no. This is a story about how wingnuts really shouldn’t go around baselessly calling entire groups of people child molesters, especially when they’re hiding their own child molesting past.
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Election results ABC News Sharma heckled yesterday in Wentworth Independent Kerryn Phelps it looks like will take the seat of Wentw...
About me
After 30 years of very physical full time work in the printing industry our print dept was outsourced and we all lost our jobs. As I'd gotten HIV beforehand and was having trouble attending and doing work I discussed with my HIV doctor whether I should apply for the Australian Disability Support Pension. He agreed,and I became a DSP pensioner under the new Gillard rules of adherence that now sees 75% of DSP applicants rejected.
Have been diagnosed with PTSD, severe depression, chronic kidney failure, and of course HIV. I'd become suicidal in 2009 after 3 extreme life events in a row; My best friend killed herself in the US (I don't make friends easily BTW), my teenage/young adult daughter had me charged by the police with a minor problem, and I was diagnosed with HIV. All in three weeks.
Some say god won't give you more than you can bear, my reply is "Well what happened to me?" If not for the HIV support here in Australia and me being able to have access to it I'd likely be dead by now. Unbearable pain often causes suicide, no matter physical or mental.
Today I've not worked since being made redundant. I remain with episodes of depression and panic attacks, sometimes severe. I may be fine and happy to leave the house, at times I'm paralised in bed, secure and safe and not willing to face the world.
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