Quantum Mechanic posted:

One more piece of proof that Camden is a garbage place for garbage people

Quantum Mechanic posted:

Electorate MPs do a few things but primarily they're a a sort of customer service layer for the government - they refer issues that constituents are having with Federal services to the relevant Minister or Department. They also lobby in Parliament for the needs of their electorate and often also work on committees on policy areas they're interested in. They're also local dignitaries and attend community events and meetings.

Most of the time you see someone referred to as "a good MP" it means they're responsive to community complaints, attend lots of meetings and do a lot of local media work - or alternatively they're just an independent liberal or former national because Australians love that for some reason.

Whether Tony actually does those things or not is up for debate but that's the actual role of an electorate MP.

Now, ask that question again of a Senate or Legislative Council major party backbencher - I worked in NSW Parliament for six months and still can't tell you what an upper house backbencher does with their time.

Halo14 posted:

Thanks, would be nice to see some sort of accountability. How can he go to the gym or ride multiple times a day. Geeze.

Also....

You Am I posted:

Whoa, an actual attack on Turnbull on the Terrorgraph?

I would blow Dane Cook posted:

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsAust/status/854576156300816384

Konomex posted:

The white-ish Australia policy?

Bogan King posted:

tithin posted:

https://twitter.com/Adam_Creighton/status/854089477978849281

I would blow Dane Cook posted:

Toyota Australia has hitched its wagon to Melbourne’s boom in high-rise living with plans for a massive four-tower apartment project over its dealership just outside the CBD.

The proposed development – with more than 1000 apartments earmarked for residents and student accommodation – has taken a step forward, winning endorsement from Melbourne’s city council this week.

That backing will add weight to the plan which now goes to the state government for a final decision.

JBP posted:

I assume people are going to read the senate ticket properly next time and not vote for Leyonhjelm.

Solemn Sloth posted:

IDK, Australians are really loving dumb

JBP posted:

I assume people are going to read the senate ticket properly next time and not vote for Leyonhjelm.

Antony Green posted:

It should be noted that the victory of the Liberal Democrats in South Metropolitan region again showed evidence of voters confusing the Liberal Party and Liberal Democrats.

The only region where the Liberal Democrats appeared on the ballot paper to the left of the Liberal Party was in South Metropolitan region where the Liberal Democrats polled 3.9%. (LDP in column 12, Liberal Party column 19)

This Liberal Democrat vote in South Metropolitan was four times its vote elsewhere where it was drawn to the right of the Liberal Party on the ballot paper. The Liberal Democrats received more votes in South Metropolitan Region than in the other five regions combined.

East Metropolitan 1.0% (LDP column 15, Liberals column 9)
North Metropolitan 1.1% (LDP column 6, Liberals column 4)
Agricultural 1.1% (LDP column1 5, LIiberals column 9)
Mining and pastoral 0.7% (LDP column 18, Liberals column 16)
South West 1.0% (LDP column 14, Liberals column 8)

I would blow Dane Cook posted:

https://twitter.com/GhostWhoVotes/status/854592697167880192

Solemn Sloth posted:

IDK, Australians are really loving dumb

The ABC posted:

As the Prime Minister hosted gas industry executives in Canberra today, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann confirmed the Government was looking at ways to send natural gas from Western Australia to the eastern seaboard.

Malcolm Turnbull called the gas companies to Canberra in his quest to find a solution to eastern Australia's gas shortage.

One idea, first pitched decades ago, would see a pipeline built to send natural gas from Western Australia's east.

It has been floated publicly in recent days by former WA premier Colin Barnett.

Now, Finance Minister and fellow West Australian Senator Cormann has confirmed it is being considered by the Commonwealth.

"This is absolutely something worth considering," he said, speaking from the United States.

"In fact, we are currently considering it as part of the work we are doing about improving energy security and affordability.

"Obviously, before taking any potential project like this any further, it has to be properly assessed to ensure it stacks up.

"There are also potentially other options available to supply Western Australian gas to the eastern states market, which need to be considered at the same time.

"This could be a great opportunity for WA, but there is a lot of homework that needs to be done, to ensure we come up with the best, most appropriate way forward."

Another possibility would be shipping gas from WA to the east coast.

Pipeline could build on current projects

Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said such a project would be "nation building" and as such very appealing.

"Clearly the economics do need to stack up, but we're very serious about investigating the potential for such infrastructure," he said.
"Given there's an abundance of gas on the west coast, and a tightness in the east coast gas market, it would build on other projects the Government is looking at."

The Government is currently doing a feasibility study looking into a north-south gas pipeline from the Northern Territory.

Mr Frydenberg said all options were being considered, including expanding that feasibility study to include scoping of a west-to-east pipeline.

He said the current situation of gas cost was unacceptable, with the rise in gas prices for commercial users.

Mr Frydenberg said at the conference today the Government made it clear to domestic gas producers they would like them to service the domestic economy.

He said the Federal Government had secured an agreement from the suppliers to meet the forecast shortfalls in the years ahead, and a commitment from pipeline operators that the gas was transported where it was needed at a reasonable price.

Solemn Sloth posted:

I haven't checked out any details but a big part of me says this is good, a car lot is a massive underutilisation of a prime spot in terms of location

open24hours posted:

How long would it take a pipeline like that to pay for itself compared to shipping?

open24hours posted:

Why can't the cronies work in public transport instead of gas and roads?

Schlesische posted:

They do?

Halo14 posted:

Thanks, would be nice to see some sort of accountability. How can he go to the gym or ride multiple times a day. Geeze.

Also....

Anidav posted:

Crikey leaked policy documents that show that the Government plans to repeal and replace Medicare. Can someone post it, this is insane.

Brown Paper Bag posted:

Well Lionhelm has been elected twice now, and an LDP guy just got elected to the WA Legislative Council due to...

Anidav posted:

Crikey leaked policy documents that show that the Government plans to repeal and replace Medicare. Can someone post it, this is insane.

quote:

LEAKED: Government proposal abolishes Medicare

In line with the successful unveiling of the Turnbull government’s new skilled-migrant policy — under which 457 visas are to be completely abolished and replaced by a 100% new kind of visa system under which temporary migrants will be allowed to come to Australia only if employers can establish that they’re needed to fill a skills shortage — the government would like to announce a suite of additional exciting new policies.

1. Massive budget savings are to be achieved by the scrapping of all unemployment benefits. The unemployment benefits scheme will be replaced by a completely new system named Job-Deficiency Plus: under this, instead of providing unemployment benefits, the government will simply pay a certain amount of money on a regular basis to people who can establish that they do not currently have a job: this to be established by the filling out of certain forms.

2. The inefficient and costly Medicare program will be dismantled, adding billions to the bottom line. The savings achieved by the abolition of Medicare will assist in setting up Medisave, the government’s new healthcare body, under which Medicare’s unwieldy infrastructure will be replaced by a simple system wherein patients requiring medical care will be able to see a doctor, and then make a “Medisave Connection”, which will inform the Medisave servers that a doctor has been seen, upon which Medisave operatives will make a request to the Medisave Treasury for a payment to be made to defray the cost of the doctor visit. This is anticipated to result in massive improvements in both the expense and the quality of care.

3. Medisave will be supplemented by the termination of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, to be replaced by the Subsidised Medicines Plan. No Australian will be worse off under this change.

4. Skyrocketing house prices will be eased by the end, effective immediately, of negative gearing. Instead of negative gearing, which provides unreasonable benefits to the investor class and helps shut first-home buyers out of the market, the government has created the concept of Positive Gearing. With Positive Gearing, property investors will be prevented from amassing real estate empires through the use of negative gearing, but will be compensated by being allowed to reduce their taxable income by the amount lost on their investment in a property on an annual basis, which they are expected to consider extremely positive. Hence the name.

5. On consideration of the expensive duplication in responsibilities and duties of government in this country, the Turnbull government has decided to abolish states. This will result in massive savings to taxpayers, as they will no longer be forced to support three levels of government and their accompanying bureaucratic mechanisms. Although the government is excited about the streamlining of governance in this country as a result of ridding us of the burdensome irrelevancy of state governments, it also acknowledges there will be a certain loss of amenity. To compensate for this, we will be introducing a new system to replace the states, under which the country will be divided into a number of large geographical regions. Each geographical region will be assigned a regional authority to administer regional affairs and provide basic services to the inhabitants of the region. Decisions of the regional authority will be made by representatives of the local populations, who will be chosen by means of a public vote held at regular intervals. The regional-authority system is expected to be a vast improvement on the outdated “state” system.

*Satirist Ben Pobjie discovered this draft policy announcement lying around on the relevant minister’s desk