Doctor Spaceman posted:

What's funny is that there keep being rumours that 30 year infrastructure bonds will be a big part of the budget.

Negligent posted:

I'm the infrastructure prime minister - Tony "toned abs" Abbott

DAAS Kapitalist posted:

No-one not on Whirlpool cares enough about the NBN for it to change their vote. It's not a serious election issue.

It's the constant flailing about on economic policy, and picking negative gearing of all things to take a stand on, that's killing Turnbull to the point that even the Murdoch press can't save him.

Ket posted:

I don't think that's true at all, ladies at my work, even the ones 40+ are starting to realise the limits of bad internet and are getting really shirty at bad upload speeds.

Edit: not to say that women wouldn't complain about technological stuff, it's just my department is like 85% women and these aren't technologically proficient people at all, but they're just who I hear talking about this.

DAAS Kapitalist posted:

Put it this way: the NBN is way down the list of issues Labor will campaign on. It adds to the general impression of the incompetence of the Liberals, but it doesn't rate compared to their repeated attacks on health, education, the environment and the poor while supporting tax breaks for the wealthy.

Gutting the NBN is about the only campaign promise the Liberals have delivered on.

quote:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-29/modern-day-mutiny-as-norfolk-islanders-fight-australian-takeover/7369434
Protesters against the Australian Government's decision to take control of Norfolk Island are occupying the grounds of the former legislative assembly and refusing to leave.

Key points:

• Commonwealth will assume full control of Norfolk Island on July 1
  
• Protesters occupy the former Legislative Assembly
  
• Demands for the removal of the island's Australian Government-appointed Administrator[/b]
  

They are angry that the Commonwealth will assume full control of the small external territory on July 1 this year.

It is the 227th anniversary of the Mutiny on the Bounty, and many among the protesters are direct descendants of mutiny leaders.

The mutinous behaviour has gone as far as calling for the removal of the island's Australian Government-appointed Administrator.

There have also been reports of death threats, sabotage and victimisation of locals perceived to be doing the bidding of mainland authorities.

"Today on Norfolk Island our culture is under threat," John Christian said, a direct descendant of the mutiny ringleader Fletcher Christian.

On the grounds of the island's former legislative assembly, the group are protesting by occupying the space.

For 36 years the legislative assembly, which was shut down last year by the Australian Parliament, was the centre of the island's self-government, and occupying it was a spontaneous act of civil disobedience.

The protest was directed against Gary Hardgrave, a former federal Liberal MP, who has been appointed by the Australian Government to act as the island's administrator during the transition period.

Mr Hardgrave riled the large gathering of islanders by refusing to issue a licence for a protest to be held on ground that they say they consider to be theirs.

The protest went ahead regardless.

The protest meeting culminated with a modern-day act of mutiny, with a resolution to deliver a letter of no-confidence to Mr Hardgrave, urging him to get off the island and return to mainland Australia.

"We are providing you with a final opportunity to do the right thing by voluntarily departing," said Andre Nobbs, the protest organiser from Norfolk Island People for Democracy.

Mr Hardgrave has so far been unavailable for interview about the calls for his removal and the deepening tensions on the island he administers on behalf of Australian taxpayers.

Norfolk Islanders in favour of integration with the mainland have watched on with growing apprehension as the debate over the island's future has at times become increasingly ugly.

But few have been prepared to comment publicly.

Local hotel owner Mike King said he accepts there is a lot of anger amongst Norfolk Islanders against the change, but the level of uncontrolled anger concerns him.

"I respect everyone's right to be heard and to protest, but I implore people to properly inform themselves to the background of the whole issue before they do protest," Mr King said.

"Divisions have occurred in all level of societies on the island and it's very real, it's very palpable.

"It's hurting, there are friendships which have been impacted, which I'm sure will never recover from this — not in my lifetime anyway.

"But we can only do the best we can do to heal that."

quote:

Turnbull rejects New Zealand offer to take 150 refugees from detention
The prime minister says settlement in New Zealand would be used by people smugglers as a ‘marketing opportunity’

SynthOrange posted:

Jumpingmanjim posted:

The argument was that if people are settled in NZ they will gain the right to live in Australia, which is kind of arrogant when you think about it.

asio posted:

Chris Bowen trimmed his beard and it looks worse now

MiniSune posted:

“I had received numerous letters from constituents in my electorate about a program that was screened on the ABC in which a number of transsexuals came on stage wearing G-strings which had chocolate penises attached to the end of them. Another group of transvestites came on state and started to eat the chocolate penises. I cannot tell you the revulsion that I felt after reading these letters.”

open24hours posted:

I do wonder how they can refuse New Zealand's offer to settle them though? I guess they just refused to cooperate and New Zealand isn't interested in granting them asylum unilaterally.

Negligent posted:

There are no rational actors it is a myth perpetuated by economists

Cartoon posted:

Who's the more hosed up? The Three Year old or the person arguing with the Three Year old?

Solemn Sloth posted:

It's not a rational decision, it is a manifestation of the trauma inflicted by reading this thread

Cartoon posted:

Touche.

As good a time as any to ask who is perpetrating the next and hopefully final abomination of a thread.

Birdstrike posted:

doc spaceman called it a while ago iirc