Gorilla Salad posted:

This last page makes me realise we should institute a Bleed for the Dole scheme.

It would be the culmination of the LNP's life's work of bleeding this country dry.

Fruity Gordo posted:

He's a narcissistic Cold War Tory who got elected and ran a government whose raison d'etre was getting reelected while loving people over as much as they would tolerate, and thusly set the tone for Hawke. So, already a capital offense. He apparently regrets the shithouse trajectory his government put us on and so in the early 2000s he started suggesting that maybe it was uncool for us to put refugees in concentration camps/ Because he used to be a Prime Minister who ran concentration camps which were less poo poo, <snip>

duck monster posted:

There was no mandatory detention under Fraser. That was introduced by Keating (Although for a maximum amount of time of around 200 days)

Fruity Gordo posted:

He has no friends left in conservative politics. He sniffed the wind 20 years ago, looked at his bank balance and took a risk because he rightly guessed that he would be vilified in death if he didnt come to jesus

ewe2 posted:

All that fits well with my anecdotal experience as a blood donor. Going by your early posts, I'm guessing the public sector Green/Left doctor fraternity wouldn't be well pleased with the government's proposed new Medicare scheme? It does look like a new front in pitting the private against the public systems. I'm aware that the junior staff are already under pressure from other policies, what are they projecting as to the future should this pass?

quote:

Cairns stabbing: Mother arrested for murder after eight children found dead in Manoora home
Sat 20 Dec 2014, 7:52pm


Mersane Warria, the 37-year-old mother of seven of the eight children found dead in a Cairns home yesterday, has been arrested for murder.

Cairns Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said the mother, who was found yesterday with chest and neck wounds, was lucid and awake and speaking with police.

The bodies of eight children were found following what was believed to be a multiple stabbing on Friday morning.

Four girls aged 14, 12, 11 and two, and four boys aged nine, eight, six and five were found in Murray Street, Manoora, where the 37-year-old woman was also located.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul Taylor said charges would be laid when it was "appropriate and everything's completed".

He said there were five fathers to the children, and police had been in contact with all five men.

"Overnight we had the forensic people in the house. The deceased have been removed from the house," Detective Inspector Asnicar said.

"Today we will have our coroner and pathologist conducting their investigations with the assistance of the family."

Detective Inspector Asnicar said police were not looking for anyone else in relation to the deaths and were comfortable the community was safe.

He dismissed speculation the Manoora house had been the subject of calls from the Department of Social Services.

"It's not a problem house, as has been speculated," he said.

"This is an ordinary neighbourhood, a lot of good people, a lot of kids in the area. This is something that has caught everybody by surprise."

Australians share community's grief: Nicholls

Acting Queensland Premier Tim Nicholls said the police service had made contact with authorities in the Torres Strait.

"Certainly we are aware of the family links to the Torres Strait and to the Cape and actions are being taken to ensure those communities are informed and provided with support," he said.

Mr Nicholls said he knew the incident was coming at a "terrible cost" to many of the community.

"As a father myself with three children under 15, I can only imagine the grief this family is feeling as they come to grips with the events over the last few days," he said.

"I'm sure I speak on behalf of all Queenslanders and indeed all Australians when we say we are with you, we are here to support you and we feel with you the grief this community feels."

Investigations were continuing throughout Saturday and police said autopsies on the children would also occur today.

Police said a number of possible weapons including knives were located in the house.

Seven of the children found dead are siblings and the eighth child is a niece of the woman arrested, police said.

Police said the suburban Cairns home would be locked down for several days while forensic officers conducted their work.

Acting Chief Superintendent Russell Miller said the investigation would take time and officers from Brisbane and Townsville arrived on Friday afternoon to assist with the complex investigation.

Relationships Australia has set up an office close to the murder scene.

Spokeswoman Debra Bennett said the organisation was inviting people in the community to seek counselling there if they felt they needed to speak to someone.

"There'll be a whole range of support services so we encourage people to take advantage of that and to encourage other members of their family and the community if they feel they're struggling with this experience. It's really important that people don't try to do this on their own," she said.

Endman posted:

I sure hope not. I've had to pay full price to see my psychotherapist a couple of times and holy gently caress is mental healthcare expensive.

Pudding Space posted:

In neo-liberal parlance, this is an 'externality', with absolutely no meaning to profit. The idea that society is, both economically and socially, better off with mental healthcare does not factor into a bottom line - it is a cost absorbed by the tax payer, and therefore something that business should not be burdened with. Just like business profiting by an educated work force, or the infrastructure of roads, ports and communication. They want all the benefits of government spending, but none of the responsibility. The commonwealth provides them with a fertile ground - a relatively healthy, educated workforce - but they still like to pretend that they built the log cabin they were born in, and all their success is a function of their initiative.

Pudding Space posted:

In neo-liberal parlance, this is an 'externality', with absolutely no meaning to profit. The idea that society is, both economically and socially, better off with mental healthcare does not factor into a bottom line - it is a cost absorbed by the tax payer, and therefore something that business should not be burdened with. Just like business profiting by an educated work force, or the infrastructure of roads, ports and communication. They want all the benefits of government spending, but none of the responsibility. The commonwealth provides them with a fertile ground - a relatively healthy, educated workforce - but they still like to pretend that they built the log cabin they were born in, and all their success is a function of their initiative.

Gough Suppressant posted:

a consensual transaction between parties can affect parties not involved in the transaction and then your whole system comes tumbling down.

ABC24 posted:

The Prime Minister is expected to announce a ministerial reshuffle this afternoon in Canberra #auspol

Nuclear Spy posted:

Nuclear Spy posted:

Julie Bishop as Deputy Leader chooses her portfolio so it might be unlikely that she moves. So far the speculation is Josh Frydenberg taking Assistant Treasurer while Sussan Ley takes his spot as Parliamentary Secretary.

Anidav posted:

Prime Minister Morrison is slowly looking more likely as he will probably secure a shitload more power for himself. Such as getting Defense added or even Foreign Affairs if Bishop stirred the pot too much and Tony has to start firing warning shots.

Murodese posted:

I think integrating the immigration and intelligence portfolios would be for the best, possibly including defense. This would enable Morrison to be as efficient as possible in his stated goal of establishing the Fourth Reich.

Les Affaires posted:

Apparently Johnston is actually a competent manager and minister when it comes to the department, but he's just prone to gaffs. We'll see.

Tirade posted:

Word from some mates in the department is that he at least has shown a passing interest in the portfolio, which puts him ahead of Stephen Smith.

The bigger problem is that Abbott's office is apparently showing Rudd-era levels of micromanagement of Defence issues that are often at odds with Johnston's wishes, and Johnston has given up fighting against it.

Les Affaires posted:

Yeah I'd believe that. All the best intentions in the world won't make things go better than they are if the people running the show aren't in your employ.