Earl Hood

I have to report that the Big Mango all seven tonne of it has been hijacked from Bowen in Queensland! I mean this sets up a serious precedent. What are the security arrangements in place for the Big Bannana at Coffs Harbour, the Big Koala, the Big Crayfish at Kingston, the Big Worm at Koorumburra?

The big Murray Cod at Swan Hill, it could be gone tomorrow. The big Gallah, it could be already gone.

I think the big wool bales at Hamilton are safe though. Who is responsible for this security? Is it Commandant Scott Morrison, anyone know?

I have just been informed that a large security contingent has been deployed to guard Goerge Brandis' brand new Big bookcase! These are worrying times we live in.

I think you may have misinterpreted my statement a little. I wasn't disputing if anyone in the ALP was immoral enough to pay for this. I KNOW there are people in there who are. It was more a statement of that they hopefully aren't that tactically stupid to make payments directly from head office. I was hoping that they wouldn't make payments to Craig Thomson for moral reasons but as I said, that was more hope than actual reality.

In the end, who paid what and so forth will be something no one can win on. The facts are the ALP is a huge organization that doesn't operate with a 'borg' style shared consciousness. There will be people in the organization and on the periphery who may be acting without head office being aware.

I don't have a good impression of the ALP but let's not pretend they are something they aren't. They are cynical, Machiavellian and opportunistic, yes. However, they are more Malcolm Tucker than Boris Badenov.

Colin I have to take issue with you on this. I have always thought that Boris Badenov received a lot of undeserved bad press over the years. He was constantly bullied by that pesky squirrel and that Moose! I mean at least Boris was in a conventional, heterosexual relationship with that alluring, goth, Natasha. What do think Rocky and Bullwinkle were up to behind closed doors, hey?

Scott Morrison has raised Cheney to a new level

We now have

Known don't knows

Unknown dont knows

don't know knowns

And the don't know don't knowns

Plus he's added

I don't want to know

I don't want you to know

I don't want you to know that I don't want to know

I don't want you to know that I dont want you to know that I don't want to know

I think it was Donald Rumsfeld actually but him and Cheney whereas mad as each other.

That's enough

Just noticed that several bleeding heart lefties, Malcolm Fraser and Bob Hawk are worried about George Brandis and his decision to release secret cabinet documents on the pink bats scheme! This overturns 113 years of tradition that these papers remain secret for 30 years. These papers are so important to release because of some unfortunate workplace deaths tht occurred on those jobs apparently. There are deaths every week in construction and mining but that is different. Any deaths from our venture into Iraq are different of course. why didn't Labour do an RC into that farce. Well I suppose they were plying the agreed rules of the time, the pre Tony Abbott rules. It is all going down hill from here I assure you, thanks to our Tony.

Thanks to our Tony, ministers in the future will find themselves defending their policy outcomes in courts long after they retire from parliament. History, I feel will not be kind to our Tony, the fair weather friend of all working people.

I happened to read an article in Fairfax today from some bleeding heart lefty going on about refugees languishing in camps outside Oz. he was scathing of the present government's secrecy and the previous Government's policies as well. Where do these guys come from I wonder, he talked of processing refugees in Indonesia while committing to take twice as many legitimate refugees. To give them hope and discourage them to take to a boat. Look I think the guy is delusional, not sure about his credentials either. Any one know about this guy, Malcolm Fraser?

I never voted for him but I wonder if current LNP voters ever stop to think about where they have come from over the last 40 years. The fact the Malcolm now sounds like a lefty says something I think. Labour voters could also have similar reflections on how far they have drifted to the right.

I don't vote for either by the way, just to set the record straight.

Dunn would be little more than depth IMO, Garland can play tall or small.

Underestimating Dunn this season I think. Never been a great fan but I think he is now in a space where he has a mature mind, a strong body, has learnt much about the game and his own limitations. I think under Roos he may have his best season ever probably off half back, occasionally going forward for the odd goal. I like him as a run with stopper, with a big body but I don't think he will be used that way this year.

why do you always have to go off topic and into [censored] for tat arguments?

no i don't think he is pure evil - just a thief and liar who couldn't fall on his sword when caught red handed

his inability to do the right thing kept julia in power

i couldn't understand your previous post which seemed to trivialise his actions and poke fun at it with references to super funds

you reserved your judgement based on "the reasonable"? give me a break hoody, were you blind?

DC I agree I over reacted to your post. I admit some of my comments were inappropriate. I apologise.

Yes Mr Thomson is now a convicted thief and liar and someone who would not fall on their sword. but those people are quite rare, don't you think. And add to that I think he is a fool who thought he could get way with it all. That I suppose was my point, how can these guys be so stupid, that is what amazes me?

I also downplayed his nefarious activities because they fell into the soft white collar crime area, often deemed to have no specific victims. That is something that I think many of us do. I get very aggro at crimes of violence against the weak but not so much against your classic con artist, extortionist types.

I give up too, the fact that the majority of all the politicians that finish up serving a sentence in jail are from the Labor Party, seems to mean nothing to you.

I'm not talking about a milk bar owner who duds a customer out of $2, or a shoddy plumber who charges double the rate; I'm talking about the elected officials of this country who are expected to have higher standards.

That seems too hard for you to understand. You also fail to understand that the training ground for the Labor Party is the union movement and this is why so many of them turn out crooked, they learn their trade early. Don't you want the Unions cleaned up; don't you want the officials to stop ripping off their members? It would appear not, you seem to condone the theft of workers contributions.

If you were in Parliament and they had a minister for excuses you'd be eminently qualified.

Well how many then? What is the split of numbers? Old Joe, Askin, Brian Burke. Those three were as bad as each other but I think it was only Brian who did time. Craig is in trouble but how many others are doing time apart from Obeid and co?

so he is just a fool who got caught, not a thief and liar? hmmmm

I give up DC. No you are right he is the pure evil, unlike anything we have rarely seen it before?

Now the thousands of other Craig's and Craigetts who have done exactly the same through out small and large businesses over many years, usually because they have drug or gambling addictions. What are we to do with them I wonder?

Of course one of the issues here is any malfeasance with Unions which must be dealt with, these days via a Royal Commission of course but other malfeasance in small business for instance, that is just one of those things. Double standards? Never of course.

Hood,

God these blokes are absolute debate cowards. They can be as petty and abusive as they like and will call you idiotic, stupid and moronic but if you dare say anything that goes against their waffle then you are mocking them and being impolite.

No wonder these blokes hated Keating. He basically called them out for what they are without being apologetic about it. It's all fun and games when they get to hop into migrants, welfare recipients, single mothers and people from the LGBT community but when the shoe is on the other foot then we need to call up the war crimes commission in the Hague 'cos that is unacceptable.

Thanks for your thoughts Colin. I think we just have to keep having these discussions and try to keep on topic and not get personal. That would be nice for a change.

There you go Hoody, it's all kosher now.

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/craig-thomson-found-guilty-of-fraud-theft-charges-20140218-32xay.html

We now know he is a thief, that's if we didn't know before.

Fair cop Robbie. I never defended him but I did reserve my judgement based on the reasonable, I thought, thinking that someone who has run fast and loose with their Union credit card and no doubt other dubious practices would not then put their hand up for a Federal seat in Parliament and then not expect to go under the " former life"microscope as they all do!

The best course for Craig should have been to move into the Super financial management industry where you can do everything he did do but to an even higher level with little chance of being detected.

We can surmise from this is that our Craig is not the sharpest tool in the shed and From the evidence I have seen, I think that is a fair assessment.

You are confused your argument is verging on idiotic.

You can do better than that can't you?

Thank God it is only pre season, last week my worst post ever, this week I am idiotic. I might still be up for round 1 though.

I was trying to be facetious, adding in some humour into the relentless to and fro of this argument.But forget that. Your every reply just goes on about the evils of unionists and they must be destroyed. I was pointing out these days there is a judicial process that has to gone through. But no matter. Lets have these Royal Commissions into every area of ALP and Union influence because that is a national priority, isn't it?

Now my points are:

The pink bats issue, it has been gone over by coroners and juicial inquests over and over. What will we now learn from a RC that we don't know already? Do you really think KR set out to set up unsafe workplaces? We have the possibility of cabinet documents being summoned for the inquiry within the 30 year embargo, something unheard of in 100 years of Australian politics. And for what gain? You do understand the precedence that this attack is setting up, don't you? If there is a workplace death involving a project funded by the current federal government in the future anywhere in Australia, well there is no question we will need a Royal Commission! Tony has set us all on a downward spiral to nowhere. Why wouldn't a future ALP government respond in kind and you know they will.

Your obsession with Julia Gillard, as you say the police are already tightening the noose so why the RC? The courts will deal with it all.

Your obsession with Craig Thomson, he is in court already! What more do you want?

Your other concern, union corruption, organised crime and union members being ripped off whatever. How do we deal with this most efficiently? Tony Abbott could instruct the Austalian Crime Commission, set up by Howard to investigate and prosecute where appropriate, to root out criminal behaviour in all all areas where they find it. The minister could direct the ACC to look into these area and give them more resources as required, much less than the $100 million needed for the RC. This is the most efficient way I would have thought. What are the ACC doing? Aren't they looking into these unions if it is such a problem? Or are they corrupt Robbie?

But of course the ACC works behind the scenes with little media exposure but its brief is to identify the bad guys and set them up for the courts to take action. Whereas Royal Commissions are about high profile media inquisitions into their pre determined targets. In this case it is five unions ( just in case the Herald Sun readers don't get the targets).This is the equivalent of a high cost show trial driven by politics, it is not about rooting out corruption as you may want.

My point is these wall to wall Royal Commissions are politically driven, designed to seriously weaken the LNP's opponents, maybe by finding people culpable. but remember a RC can not lay charges. It is not a court. This is all about guilt by association and let's drag this out for as long as possible.

I don't usually go into this boring level of detail but it seems necessary in this case and notice I have avoided any personal abuse! Maybe you and Hadrubal could take that thought on board.

Is there a free market?

Did not SPC have the Eurpeans dumping heavy subsidied food in the market? To some thats may be what the free market is all about, self interest.

What does small government mean? Fewer teachers, fire fighters, police, park rangers etc etc or less services or what I expect less regulation.

The world had just seen the greatest con job, fraud in its financial markets due to the removal of regulation that was designed to stop it from happening. As far as I am aware no more then a handful of people went to jail for this massive crime. Sure no one what silly stupid or out dated rules/laws but everyone needs strong protection from con men and other criminals. What would out country become without good environmential regulation and decisions of development was just left up to the so called free market?

If a company like SPC is unsubstainable or not a business of national importance. Then IMO it should not receive a government funding, but its hard to see how local food production is not of national importance.

When I was studing economics the funniest thing I as told by the Lecture was the theories don't actual work in the real world LOL

DF dont disagree. just check what I actually said

Guilty unless you can prove your innocent, is that the modern legal system? Do any experts know? I am confused.

I remember in times past a women could be accused of being a witch and the test was to bind her feet and hands and throw her in a pond. If she drowned, she was innocent, if she somehow got free and surfaced she was obviously guilty and was dealt with. Is that the type of system we are looking at with these Royal Commissions?

And does anyone know what the Australian Crime Commission does with its resources and funding?

i don't think any expert could enlighten you hoody

too daunting a task even for an expert

Looks like I have been double gazumped by you and RF.

The comment was tongue in cheek Reverse Robin, but I guess that was lost on you.

Of course none of them are guilty; I guess that's why they are before the course at the moment, to show how innocent they are.

Of course you would have to be a bit simple to think that Thompson is innocent or that Gillard was young and naive (at age 36) when she was involved with setting up the slush fund for her boyfriend, which enabled him to syphon money out of employees funds and buy a unit for himself.

You keep on deluding yourself and I'll just live in the real World.

Prince Robbie

I wasn't in the TCF industry I just did a fair bit of work with people that were.

I am trying to find out about some arcane rule of law stuff that maybe some of our Demondland lawyer types would know about and be able to help me. I am trying to identify the process that I think occurs between when a judge hears the charges in court about an accused and when he passes sentence on the guilty party.

I know some process occurs in modern court systems but just wondering if there are any experts out there that could enlighten me?

I believe in free markets. I believe in small government.

I don't believe in helping SPC.

I am with Joe Hockey on this, the Age of Enlightenment is over OK! Lets just get that straight.

The alternative is, of course, to live in your fantasy land where you can't see what these unionists are doing to their own members.

I guess you're happy to see them ripped of by the union bosses; as long as you make that clear.

Of course none of them are guilty; I guess that's why they are before the course at the moment, to show how innocent they are.

How much of their members money do they have to steal before you think it's problem; if they happen to bring down some of the corrupt employers who are playing their game then so much the better.

You're like the reverse Robin Hood, you like to see people steal from the poor to make themselves rich.

Robbie do you want have a good look at what you have written at all? Thank God you went into the TCF industry and didn't build a career in the judiciary. Talk about the hanging judge! If you are in my court it is not to plead your case, it is because your already guilty. Don't bother with any evidence or process, these union bastards are guilty as.

Forget Robin Hood I think you are our modern Prince John! Before he signed up for the Magna Carta under duress that is.

Do you ever consider the possibility that they are all warranted; there needs to be a thorough clean out of the Labor Party to rid it of the corruption, problem is if there was, there would be no one left.

It's about time some of these corrupt unionists and politicians were held to account; do you have a problem with that? Or are you happy to see them rip their members off?

How many tyrants through history have uttered similar comments I wonder. Of course my political adversaries are unfit to govern. They need to be dealt with. Only my party is fit to lead.

Oh and no need to wait for the inquiry, in this case, numerous Royal Commissions to report on their findings, we already know they are guilty because they have been cited in the commissions terms of reference. They must be guilty. As you have just stated.

Good one Robbie. Can you let me know how democracy survives in your world view of good versus leftist evil.

Where is Biff? I am disappointed that he hasn't appeared yet to throw a jerry can of petrol on this fire. He did appear however when hookers and crack were mentioned.

Well I did see Scotty Cam down at Fitzroy street last week hanging around the Gatwick. I think it could be on for next season, a big Reno for the Gat!! That would have the Biff in a spin.

There's not an intellectual bone in your body.

Btw, do you speak with a Scottish accent ?

Ha Ha Good one Hannibal, no I don't have a Scottish accent and I am not a union shop steward. And I have never claimed to be an intellectual, never got to the right schools or Uni.

But I hope your not claiming the intellectual high ground around here, are you?

That is possibly your worst post.

Stupid and undeserving of a rebuttal.

I give in there are no redeeming features and I thought there might be.

Robbie it might have been my worst post ever but isn't it interesting that the events of the past 24 hours add credence to my main criticism of Abbott. He is out to destroy his political opponents. He is a dangerous idealogue, in my opinion. The fact that we now have a succession of Royal Commissions into all things Labour is testament to my case. Pink bats for heavens sake, then a RC not into corruption in certain industries, but into 5 specific unions. The next year will see former PMs Rudd, Gillard and then Shorten called up to these enquiries, the unions and the ALP having to fund hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to defend themselves. I think I smell a politically driven vendetta.

We know of your obsession with Julia's alleged involvement with a slush fund with her boy friend back in the 90's and that you were appalled by the pink bats program but really should these be the Governments top priorities while they are presiding over the dismantling of what is left of Australian manufacturing.

The real issue is that Tony has taken the whole system down to a other level into the dirt because what goes around, comes around and the next time Labour gets in, Tony in particular will need to ready to face any number of Royal Commissions. No one wins with this politics of revenge!

Manufacturing is dead but the new growth industry is for lawyers and judges. Oh and you can add financial planners and their new powers to fleece the poor and ignorant of a goodly portion of their superannuation funds.

What I will never forgive Schwab and Neeld for is their neglect in failing to consult the writings of Nostradamus before they went on their recruiting campaigns for Mitch Clark and Chris Dawes.

"'The young lion will overcome the older one,

On the field of combat in a single battle;

He will pierce his eyes through a golden cage,

Two wounds made one, then he dies a cruel death."

This is clearly a reference to the demise through injury of both players. If only those morons understood the prophesy, it would have saved us a lot of misery. You can throw McLardy in with that lot as well. He could have put a stop to this nonsense if he wanted to.

My God RS there it was written as plain as day and they still traded these guys in! Unbelievable.

Puttin and Buggie. It's Putin and Budgie, never mind.

Well I doubt he'll be able to attend every factory in Australia that's in danger of closing down.

it's the job of the Government to create the environment for business to thrive and consequently employ more staff, taking the carbon tax imposition off them is a good start.

I note you didn't mention his CFA duties or the fact that he will still spend a week a year in an indigenous community I guess that doesn't fit in with the rest of your rant.

Abbott is a decent human being and a much better balanced Prime Minister than the last two who were more about themselves than the people the purported to represent. One was a psychopath who had one face for the public and another in private and the other one is involved in pending criminal proceedings and was only interested lies and deceit.

Yes your right I forgot about his good work with the local CFA, gee I should have been on to that, and his love for his mother and Grand Mother and all the love he has for his wife and daughters as well.

. Thanks for reminding me what a great family man he is. And there is no doubt he is a man of action, never ending movement and interaction. But what has that got to do with his political decisions, his pathological hatred of anyone who opposes him and his obsession to destroy his political opponents. I see him as a very dangerous ideologue, who in league with Ruppert (El Diablo) Murdoch would love to transform the political landscape to see his party rule forever.

Make no mistake whatever Tony does is all about Tony and his ultimate pursuit of power.he is just as obsessed as Rudd and Gilliard. I won't be canonising him any time soon myself. But Cardinal Pell, his mentor may beg to differ of course with my thinking.

Hogan can play centre half back you know. It could be a goer, not unlike Neitz's development. Learn how the big forwards play as a backman. Then go forward. Also takes some of the pressure off in his firstbyear. Just an option if all the talls are available and a contingency plan for if Chip does a runner in 2015.