Auspol March - C U Next Trollday, Auspol - The Something Awful Forums

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Auspol March - C U Next Trollday, Auspol

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Quantum Mechanic posted:

Nope. Suffer, brief mortals.

Also while I'm on my NSW soapbox, goddamn PLEASE join the Greens or sign up to volunteer. This election is going to be disgusting, and if you think Federal Labor are an uninspiring and torpid opposition, NSW Labor will leave you utterly dumbfounded. We have a real chance to make a difference and we need every hand on deck possible.

I made an effort post about the local electorate, asked for suggestions and heard jack poo poo back. I guess I'll click your link and volunteer then.

# ¿ Mar 1, 2015 02:18

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# ¿ May 13, 2024 20:48

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

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# ¿ Mar 1, 2015 07:27

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Baird and Co just can't stop lying for their election publicity. My favourite one is the anti Labor scare scare campaign. "They will be fighting dirty" (etc.) Excuse me but without painting the Labor party as blameless isn't it always the LNP getting caught for these sort of things every election?

Finally heard one good come back question when Troy Grant (Dep. Premier and Nationals buffoon) said that not privatising the grid in regional areas was a massive win for the bush. He was asked "Doesn't this mean it is a massive loss for the cities?" Magic wanded that away and ploughed on continuing to blame Labor for everything.

Mathius Corman kept talking about Labor's "trajectory" to unsustainable debt. I really wanted the interviewer (Fran 'Journalism is a second language' Kelly) to ask how Labor's trajectory differed from the LNP under Howard. She didn't.

Arsetralian posted:

2 Mar 2015 The Australian SARAH MARTIN

30 years working for dole a reality

JOBSEEKERS in remote indigenous communities �with no economy� may never get a real job and could spend up to three decades working for the dole. However, Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion told The
Australian that as long as jobseekers are taking part in 25 hours a week of meaningful community activities, working for the dole in perpetuity was not a negative outcome. �I don�t think that is a bad thing,� he said. �They are engaged in purposeful activities in their communities, where they choose to live, and they are choosing to live in an area where there is no economy and a growing population. And while people may say, � How can you possibly do this to people?�, there are no alternatives.�

The government is planning to introduce tough new rules for the Remote Jobs and Community Program that aim to end passive welfare and the harmful effects of �sit-down money�. Under the tightened welfare rules, which come into effect on July 1, jobseekers in remote areas aged 18-49 will be obliged to undertake work-for-the-dole activities for 25 hours a week, five days a week, for most of the year. Approved activities would include helping getting children to school, aged care, volunteer work, learning to drive and literacy and numeracy training.

Senator Scullion said the scheme could improve living standards, citing unhygienic conditions in remote areas that contributed to chronic disease. �Many of my communities live on the floor, it is like a cave,�� he said. �I think that one of the characteristics of civilisation must be that you don�t have to eat at the same level as your animals, it must be something like that. I feel very strongly that we should try to provide furniture.� On Friday, a Senate inquiry heard there would not be an exhaustive or exclusive list of approved activities as the scheme needed to be flexible enough to meet individual requirements. Senator Scullion insisted the program would not provide free labour to companies in remote areas, but businesses should be engaged where possible.

He again stressed that the government would take a hardline approach to passive welfare. �Staying at home like a couch potato with the channel clicker is probably not amongst (approved activities) because this is about moving people from a dangerous and vulnerable place to a more positive place, and ensuring that they are connected with the sort of skill set and the sort of environment that allows them to move into work when it becomes available,� Senator Scullion said.

Consultations on the final design of the scheme � including potential for annual and cultural leave � is continuing with remote communities and jobservice providers. The policy will apply to both indigenous and non-indigenous recipients of Newstart and Youth Allowance in 60 remote areas, covering 76 per cent of Australia�s area. About 37,000 people are covered by the Remote Jobs area, 83 per cent of them Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

Slavery by another name.

It is no secret that there are enormous needs for relevant services in remote communities. Rather than fund real jobs to provide those services (and where necessary pay for appropriate people to undergoing relevant training), we have this sort of bullshit spilling ungoverned from the mouth of yet another white ninny. Ffs.

Muppet Government.

# ¿ Mar 2, 2015 02:12

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Sulla-Marius 88 posted:

I can see why he wouldn't bother meeting the union representatives after Jan 2014, he needs to wait for mandatory data retention to pass and be implemented, then his buddies at the AFP et al. can do a bit of snooping and scrape together some blackmail material. No point wasting time on 'negotiations' when you're in the game to destroy unions utterly

quote:

tax office, have all moved to take industrial action over pay and conditions.

Over reach is when you get the ATO to contemplate industrial action. ASIO and the AFP may be the King and Ace of Spades but the ATO is the whole loving suit of diamonds. A week long strike at the ATO amounts to ~ 1/100th of the annual revenue not collected. Yes it might get collected later but that page on the balance sheet will remain blank forever.

# ¿ Mar 2, 2015 09:45

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Sulla-Marius 88 posted:

I don't know how super worried they'd be about treading on ATO's toes given their overall approach to government so far. So long as they keep the businesses happy, the reality of the economy and the budget doesn't seem to matter to them. They haven't gotten rid of Hockey and they're not backing down where ideology conflicts with economic management - they're still just looking for a different way to sell the same old poo poo. Howard gutted Australia like a squealing pig and we'd put him on the $100 note if we could.

Agreed, but the sheer volume of sqwark coming from the Treasury building would be hard to ignore and it would get the attention of all sorts of inconvenient outsiders like the reserve bank board.

# ¿ Mar 2, 2015 10:16

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

So far in it's short history the NTATA* government has lost two ministers:

Arthur Sinodinos - Assistant Treasurer.
David Johnston - Defence.

One for findings of corruption that are only being stalled from going further by a claim of blatant incompetence. The other for what amounted to political suicide by incompetence. Muppet Ministry blah blah blah. Unfortunately this doesn't gel well with their previous dialogue about why they have so few women in cabinet. You might remember the reason given was there was such a huge number of talented people. :laugh:

Now I'm not having a go at Sussan Ley here but it was more a case of so little talent they had to try and fill spots with who ever they thought looked most believable and being staunch patriarchs to a man it was inevitably a man.

You can't defend Sinodinos on the basis of a surfeit of talent, well not with out reopening the pesky corruption question to further scrutiny. I hear people who should know tell me Johnston was an actual defenc-phile and had a broad knowledge of the portfolio that was quite unprecedented in a minister. That unfortunately doesn't make him a competent minister. His gaff was so spectacular that even the crown prince of gaff had to throw him under the bus. If they go forward with a spill it will be fascinating to see who gets pushed in and out of the ministry but I assure you there won't be a surfeit of talent, not even if they only elevated women.

I previously mentioned Josh Frydenberg and his 'trajectory' for surplus. I really wish that our media pack would listen for and identify the upcoming buzz words and stomp them into the ground as a matter of course. He was on the radio again talking about the new trajectory to surplus and it is such a load of twaddle that he needs to be picked up on it every time. The official dumping of the Medicare co-payment and 46 billion in previous budget measures remaining unpassed are just towering stacks of embarrassment waiting to be dropped on this muppet by an alert and informed journalist. Has there ever been a less successful government?

I really don't know what the Tele thinks it is playing at here.

Lets assume they have fingered the right bloke. If I was his defence council I'd have this front page out of my briefcase and in front of the judge before you can even think 'mistrial'. Even worse if it turns out the po po stitch him up Lindi Chamberlain style on the basis of hostile media reporting. Australian's seem to have the shallowest understanding of due process and judicial fairness of anywhere in the universe. Could this be the straw that forces the press council's hand :laugh:

-/-

Property bubble anecdote. It has already burst here on the Mid North Coast. The state valuations office has written millions of dollars off local commercial real estate and prices in both residential and commercial are lower than they were twenty years ago. There was a sustained rise due to Sydney-siders buying up 'cheap' properties but it ran out of steam about ten years ago. Maybe the state government should consider a massive tax on Sydney properties to slow sales volumes. That's what conventional economics would suggest as a break on run away growth. Dropping federal interest rates may actually crash the whole economy. The RBA's statement this time will be very sobering reading.

* Noted Torture Apologist Tony Abbott

# ¿ Mar 3, 2015 01:36

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Zenithe posted:

That van actually says Peddo's?

Shock! Horror! It's a bad Tele Photoshop. The guy is called Spedding hence "Speddo's". It was fruit too low for team Tele to resist.

# ¿ Mar 3, 2015 02:17

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Freudian Slip posted:

Just further proof this Government doesn't support good science

Oh we passed the 'Good Science' event horizon sometime before the actual election. The GP copay is a classic example of ignoring basic arithmetic.

This government supports no form of logic so science is a distant aspiration at best - probably as close as you'd come to an accurate statement about their science policy.

Chump Ignorant Muppet Government (on a trajectory to surplus!)

# ¿ Mar 3, 2015 04:06

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Hardly worth of a post in this august forum but one thing I have been noticing in senate estimates is the utter lack of any quality in the cut, style and fit of the suits that senior bureaucrats are wearing. They must be the cheapest AT LOWES! shite that they can get their middle-aged overweight hands on. Are we not paying them enough? There was a time when a fitted Armani suit was the stock and trade of a departmental head (or Jack Victor if you had actual taste).

Nothing screams take me seriously less than an empty suit in a cheap badly fitting suit made of poor fabric. If that is the only substance you ever had going for you then at least it should be pretty. I get the feeling they have all stopped trying.

# ¿ Mar 3, 2015 04:33

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

iajanus posted:

Anyone have the time to investigate if they're lying (I just assume they are because they always do)?

Theirs is the only image that comes out of a google image search missing the letter and it looks shopped. :shrug:

I suppose I could drive to Bonny Hills to check. It isn't that far away.

# ¿ Mar 3, 2015 04:37

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

tithin posted:

Considering your profile, not the best idea.

Yeah the Tele might shop a picture of my van to say FARTOON and then what would I tell the neighbours?

# ¿ Mar 3, 2015 04:46

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

MysticalMachineGun posted:

While I'm in a posting mood, look at this load of bullshit:

Sweatshop conditions for all!

I love how an actual economist uses an example of the US manufacturing recovering (as a result of transport costs improving competitiveness in the US market) and then tries to push the same logic at Australia. A market less than a tenth the size separated from most other markets by enormous distances.

Congratualtions Bob Baur! You are now officially Bozo of the day!

# ¿ Mar 3, 2015 04:57

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

adamantium|wang posted:

I was wondering why they had an image credit next to the photo instead of the usual notice that it was a digitally altered image. I guess this way they can blame a third party if anyone raises a fuss.

Following up on the Photographers name I found these additional images. Now it is possible that someone has tampered with the van's actual signage. The image that made the front page of the Tele has definitely been altered. If only to clean up the lack of the 'S'.

In a way I hope the guy did do it because the consequences for them are already horrific.

# ¿ Mar 3, 2015 05:19

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Zetsubou-san posted:

The van could actually be defaced.

^ this one lack the writing on the side panel. Older van?

It actually is there it's just partially obscured behind the open door. There was an earlier permutation where there was other signage on the rear side panel but hasn't been seen on any of the recent shots.

# ¿ Mar 3, 2015 09:19

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Rougey posted:

ALP becomes the new right, Greens the new left.

And in fifty years time, the Greens will become the new right party

They're the right party right now m8.

# ¿ Mar 3, 2015 10:20

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Nationals NSW.jpg

# ¿ Mar 4, 2015 00:16

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Sulla-Marius 88 posted:

Same thing happened here, a friend from England who worked for Unilever got sent for a 9month placement to Rome and the other staff there (all Italians) were super lovely at her, just treated her like crap and accused her of stealing jobs. I guess it was bad timing to send a new placement over at a time when they had just announced they were laying off like 3/4 of the department. But then again, apparently the Italian office is just remarkably unproductive and ineffective, so you can't blame Unilever for trimming some fat

Well I would and do. Cutting headcount is bad management. Unless you are in R&D or something like it your workers are what are adding value to your product and/or services. Cutting your workforce reduces your capacity to produce value within your company. The people who add no value in a business are the sales staff but even the dullest of managers won't cut sales staff because they can actually figure out that less sales = less money. Cutting head count improves the business bottom line at the cost of the business capacity to generate value. Once you have gotten to head count you need to have done everything else first. There are legitimately occasions when a market shrinks and there are no possible options but I would argue these are fleetingly rare (You can diversify, ask government for assistance, develop the market, move into new market segments, redeploy workers to more profitable areas of the company {etc.}). The sunk costs in staff and corporate knowledge are enormous in any case. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

NTRabbit posted:

I'm not sure you know how beards or orchards work

I certainly use a slasher in my orchard.

Sulla-Marius 88 posted:

People who watch Eurovision are literally worse than Adolf Hitler. Fact

People who ~care~ about Eurovision are the real bad apples. While I am offended beyond all reason by this unfair treatment of TISM, Guy Sebastian smacks of us trying to win which is anathema to great Eurovision.

Somewhat housing bubble related.

http://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2015/mr-15-03.html

tl;dr - To prevent further overheating in both the residential and commercial property sectors of some capital cities the RBA can't cut rates despite it being required for a broader recovery.

Another complicating factor in all of this, and I hate to be the one to say it, is that the three main macroeconomic reforms that would assist the structural deficit are: Altering negative gearing, altering the Capital Gains Tax Concessions and restructuring the Superannuation system. It is arguable that so doing might cause the shock that bursts the property bubble. Certainly if one were to alter the settings and the bubble was then to burst everyone would point to this as the cause. *sigh*

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-05/intergenerational-report-to-be-released/6281598

The intergenerational report is shaping up to be an even more blatantly partisan exercise than the last one. Joke Hockey's assumptions are even more ridiculous than in the MYEFO. but don't be disheartened!

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/leading-research-facilities-face/6281760

We will have crashed the future viability of all segments of the Australian economy into the mountains (mining excluded) long before 2050.

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/christopher-pyne-on-higher-education-reforms/6281994

As Chris Pyne outright excludes any possibility of not being a wrecker unless he can get a good kicking in.

Angry Petulant Muppet Government

Cartoon fucked around with this message at 01:12 on Mar 5, 2015

# ¿ Mar 5, 2015 01:00

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

hooman posted:

Opening your FB must be pretty akin to opening the ark of the covenant.

A list of insane ramblings from a racist, sexist, violent shithead then your face melts off.

So you've met my Dad then.

# ¿ Mar 5, 2015 02:09

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

katlington posted:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-05/bali-nine-executions-not-this-week-indonesian-president/6281690

Ms Bishop had proposed to repatriate three convicted Indonesian drug criminals in return for the lives of the two men.

It is understood Indonesia did not accept the offer during a tense phone call on Tuesday between Ms Bishop and her Indonesian counterpart.

Apparently Abbott is trying to get Joko Widodo on the phone. I really hope they've given him the playtime Barbie one again. Otherwise :rolldice:

# ¿ Mar 5, 2015 04:38

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Hey! That twitter account is 100% serious :mad:

# ¿ Mar 5, 2015 09:33

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Ler posted:

Are we using drones?
https://twitter.com/samhighley/status/573770348836999168

Yes

http://www.airforce.gov.au/Technology/Aircraft/MQ-4C-Triton-Unmanned-Aircraft-System/?RAAF-BYjCaU6eHptQ3E2EiHw9jKOLJvauES8Y

# ¿ Mar 6, 2015 10:28

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Systematic posted:

You mean our sovereign land that we STOLE off the Aboriginal people?

They weren't using it efficiently. We needed to take over so that it could achieve its full potential.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2015 00:19

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Can we just rate the obvious trolls out of ten or even give them :d:

and move the gently caress on. Ratbag has demonstrated that he can't be taken seriously so why bother?

# ¿ Mar 7, 2015 01:21

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

katlington posted:

A solution that causes additional new problem without addressing the original issue? Yeah that sounds about right for Hockey.

Even better! A full time employee on minimum wage will have a super balance that would be a deposit on a house in Sydney ($800,000 price borrowing 95% at current interest rates) in only twelve years! I think Joke Hockey has been listening to eleventy billion sized numbers for so long $50 K sounds like the change you find in the Lexus centre console.

Muppet Baby Government.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2015 02:19

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

katlington posted:

Abc headline, "Sexual harassment rife in medical profession, senior surgeon Dr Gabrielle McMullin says" Lol. 😧

Prime Minister NTATA asked for comment:

"Ah ah if they didn't want to play Doctors and Nurses ah ah maybe they shouldn't have become surgeons."

# ¿ Mar 7, 2015 06:32

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

1.3/10 - Far too obvious! Even the most hair trigger of the troll biters will have trouble feeling outraged.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2015 06:48

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

The 0.3 was for sheer audacity.

As to NSW there is a teenie tiny chance that it will end up as a hung parliament with a hostile upper house. I'll be campaigning hard against the Nats in my seat. I don't really care who else you vote for just not them.

That's why. As a safe Nationals seat in NSW for forever and a day that's what we've got. Decay and neglect.

If anyone has sportsbet figures on the election that would be nice.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2015 07:01

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

I'll just do all the work then I guess.

Only registered members can see post attachments!

# ¿ Mar 7, 2015 09:40

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

SadisTech posted:

I think I don't want to live in such a cold and awful reality as this one

Only registered members can see post attachments!

# ¿ Mar 7, 2015 10:20

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Your Omniscient Sentience, Piece Of poo poo.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2015 10:43

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

A slight update on the peddo van business. One of my sources was down in the area and reports that the man in question had two foster children removed from his care three years ago and this is why he is a person of interest to the police. They didn't sight the van however. The person has not been charged of any crime (related to children) at any point and I am now effectively just spreading rumour.

In NSW election news the LNP are guaranteeing power prices will fall if they privatise the poles and wires and have banned speaking in Abrabic in prison if you are a 'terror' offender.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/03/08/hazzard-imposes-arabic-ban-goulburn-jail

quote:

Hazzard imposes Arabic ban at Goulburn jail

Inmates charged with terror offences will reportedly be banned from speaking Arabic during visits. (AAP)

NSW's attorney-general has ordered that high-risk inmates charged with terror offences will be banned from speaking Arabic during visits and phone calls.

8 MAR 2015 - 6:15 AM UPDATED 1 HOUR AGO

High-risk inmates charged with terror offences will be banned from speaking Arabic during visits and phone calls in the super-maximum prison unit at NSW's Goulburn jail, it's been reported.

From Sunday, 13 inmates classified as Extreme High Risk Restricted will be forced to speak English when communicating with the outside, News Corp Australia reports.

Letters will also be required to be written in English under the new restrictions at SuperMax.

NSW Attorney-General Brad Hazzard said he ordered the restrictions in response to the nation's heightened terror climate.

During visits, prison officers will stand within earshot of inmates and record their conversations, with the power to eject visitors if Arabic or other languages are spoken.

Chilling. Welcome to the new police state! Dog whistle included!

Misguided Muppet State Government.

# ¿ Mar 8, 2015 03:33

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Just on the 'Greens are behind it' propaganda. :siren:

Anecdote incoming :siren:

An acquaintance has recently suffered a fruit bat infestation. After doing everything they thought appropriate they went to the local council (A move only the truly desperate would contemplate). Now even accounting for the confusion in one of our local council employee's head at a rate payer who hadn't already illegally bulldozed the habitat or illegally and unethically poisoned everything for a couple of kilometres, It's hard to understand the advice. The council can't do anything about it because of The Greens. The Greens who haven't been in power in any jurisdiction within hundreds of kilometres. Yep those Greens. Clearly we need to be afraid of The Greens as they are using eldritch power beyond the keen of logic or science.

Also LOLOLOLOLOL at attempting to find a scientific basis for an LNP policy. We'll get the Minister right on it! Those who haven't had the pleasure can take solace in the knowledge that he is thicker than any of the shortest two planks available in the Western world and wouldn't know a science if it ran over him on combine harvester. He additionally has all the vision of a large block of rusty scarp iron.

# ¿ Mar 8, 2015 06:53

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

CrazyTolradi posted:

So Ratbag Craig, still keeping to your whole "alleged" view now or are you going to suddenly announce your shock and outrage at this and how it was hidden from you?

Plan A - *crickets*
Plan B - Obfuscate. No issue with torture happening here, was clearly the case all along. It's those other alleged countries. <Reserved for ad hominem about reading comprehension>.
Plan C - Make poo poo up. Maybe it will work this time :shrug:

Plan D - Come out swinging.

# ¿ Mar 9, 2015 00:07

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

I'm in Brisbane (3rd) 4th to 5th (6th) April. Delivering round brown lumpy objects all over Brisbane backyards.

# ¿ Mar 9, 2015 00:51

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Well it was basically obfuscation with some ad homenim for taste so I get B/ Crossed off my bingo card on this occasion. The only worthwhile prize would be to stop responding to the gently caress knuckle entirely.

# ¿ Mar 9, 2015 03:10

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Still waiting for someone to post the signup sheet I believe.

# ¿ Mar 9, 2015 08:23

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Graic Gabtar posted:

Why would he do anything else?

The main criticism in that article is that this report somehow damages Australia on the world stage.

Last time I checked the world stage doesn't get a vote in Australian federal elections.

Also, much of the talk about this report is about "independence". To be honest that doesn't carry much weight with many people.

OK so he's now gone for A/ Only two more gang! Fingers crossed :pray:

# ¿ Mar 9, 2015 09:17

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Anidav posted:

Goon and A, hosted by Mills, co-hosted by Fruity. Panel of Cartoon, Hockey, Clive, Pyne and BCR.

I'm not sure I could dumb down economics enough to have a meaningful conversation with Hockey.

# ¿ Mar 9, 2015 10:05

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

That's a D/ Come out swinging, only C/ Make poo poo up to go :dance:

-/-

Adnar posted:

Keating has written an piece for SMH re Super:

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/hockey-plans-to-smash-a-worldclass-superannuation-system-20150309-13z1gc.html

OK today I'm angry about obvious stuff that nobody every brings up.

I did an effort post about this recently. Even without considering the long term impacts on our super system this is dumb. First home buyers haven't been in the system long enough for their accumulated super to look anything like a house deposit. Like the medicare changes it only makes sense if you are actually trying to break the system.

-/-

Stopping deaths at sea

quote:

There are other, more immediate actions the government could also take to help prevent further deaths at sea. One is to remove its harsh people smuggling sentencing laws along with the policy of confiscating asylum seeker boats. These policies only incentivise people smugglers to utilise vessels that are unseaworthy, overcrowded and manned by inexperienced, uninformed and often desperate and underage Indonesians, altogether increasing the risk of a tragedy at sea.

The other is to improve Australia�s search and rescue procedures. When the SIEX X sunk in 2001, resulting in the deaths of 353 mostly women and children, it was later revealed through a senate inquiry that the federal
police had withheld critical information about the boat being overdue for four hours to protect the classified source who provided the information. Unfortunately, almost a decade after the tragic sinking of the SIEV X,
the same mistakes are being made. On the 3 October 2009, authorities became aware that an asylum seeker boat was in distress and taking on water. Yet, once again, the federal police and customs waited four hours
before passing on that information to maritime safety to mount a rescue so that they could protect their source. The 105 asylum seekers on board all perished. When a boat capsized in June 2012, the Australian authorities left the Indonesian search and rescue agency in charge without adequate information and even though they were hopelessly under-equipped to mount a rescue. Vice-Marshal Daryatmo, head of Indonesia's
search and rescue agency, said his organisation was �hopelessly under-equipped for ocean rescue and needed help from Australia if it were to save asylum seekers at sea.� Ninety asylum seekers drowned.

Even over a decade since the SIEV X disaster and multiple governmental inquiries, mistakes continue to be repeated time and again. It is time Australia got its priorities straight regarding the safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers. We must work towards establishing the conditions whereby people are presented with other genuine opportunities before being forced to risk their lives at sea.

How quickly we forget that Australia had (and still does) a policy of actively assisting the deaths of Asylum seekers at sea. The reason there are no more boat arrivals is 100% smoke and mirrors in any case. An island in Darwin Harbour doesn't count. If we tow them back or let them go in doctored lifeboats it's not our problem if they are subsequently harmed.

But even then:

Like throwing your garbage over the fence into your neighbours yard, the macho 'on water' bullshit doesn't remove the huge number of desperate people fleeing persecution and warfare (Wars we may have started and regimes we often either helped install or support). It just increases the danger to them as they seek other channels. These may or may not be as perilous but suggesting we've solved the issue of deaths at sea is loving ludicrous.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/31/italy-sea-mission-thousands-risk

Every time anyone tries to suggest our current policy has somehow prevented deaths at sea they should be pilloried. It's a lie. Here's some graphs that are tangentially related to other myths and some resources.

http://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/docs/news&events/rw/2010/4%20-%20Myths%20and%20facts%20about%20refugees%20and%20asylum%20seekers%202010.pdf

http://www.asrc.org.au/pdf/myths-facts-solutions-info_.pdf

-/-

I think we have begun the long spiral into the Tory vote recovery (despite that last poll). We now need a :siren:

NEW WAR ON DRUGS!!!!! ICE EPIDEMIC OH MY GOD LAW AND ORDER!!!! :siren:

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/australia-seeks-help-abroad-in-ice-battle/6292670

quote:

Australia seeks help abroad in ice battle

Tuesday 10 March 2015 7:35AM

The Federal Government has shared Australia's experience and asked for international help in the war against the drug ice.

Assistant Minister for Health Senator Fiona Nash told RN Breakfast in 2014 that the war against ice was a number one priority.

Well if they were actually listening to any sane advice 'abroad' they'd know that 'battle', 'war' and incarceration were a spectacular gently caress up. To the point that if anyone mentions War on Drugs seriously they should be mocked relentlessly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Drugs

Everybody who isn't a nincompoop knows this has been a ghastly, expensive and embarrassing failure. The Australian population isn't really that stupid are they?

Muppet Government for Muppets, by muppets.

-/-

And I'm not done being mad yet. ANZAC day :australia:

A reminder. ANZAC day is commemorated (Note - not celebrated) on the anniversary of our involvement in a futile misadventure at the direction of a distant foreign (Although historically connected) power. This is the day we chose because it reflected the widespread view that we should never throw the flower of our nation away in anything so futile ever again. The historical gravitas of the commemoration and the solemn intoning of 'Lest we Forget' is also meant to encompass this view.

To usurp the message of ANZAC day is about the most deeply disrespectful thing you could do to the memory and wishes of my ancestors. I never got to see a large number of my great uncles and uncles because of the stupidity of 1914 and the subsequent horrors of 1939. I will not be lectured on the fighting spirit of our brave service personnel by the likes of NTATA who repeats the lessons that our forebears begged us all to never forget. gently caress that.

# ¿ Mar 10, 2015 01:25

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# ¿ May 13, 2024 20:48

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Matthew Beet posted:

no it was a joke.

You should understand by now why you needed to point that out.

# ¿ Mar 10, 2015 05:17

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Auspol March - C U Next Trollday, Auspol

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