- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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Hey hey HEY HEY it's not April yet get the gently caress back in the other thread
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Mar 31, 2016 01:09
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May 12, 2024 00:21
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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Giving money to politicians only encourages them.
I wonder what's more immoral, avoiding tax or paying a politician to pass laws you like? In any case, I find it pretty difficult to get worked up about this kind of thing. The entire economy is set up to encourage this kind of behaviour and the faux outrage from the political class is all a bit much.
It's faux outrage because the Libs want to cut corporate taxes with their usual bevy of excuses - a leak like this just provides further evidence that no, corporations aren't struggling due to a heavy tax burden like Mal would like you to think.
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Apr 5, 2016 04:33
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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For the first time in my life I wish I'd seen ACA last night because how the gently caress do they spin this
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Apr 8, 2016 06:32
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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UPF trying really hard in the lead up to ANZAC day. I mean like there's always mixed feelings about ANZAC day but I'm worried/disgusted if the ultra-nationalists get a hold of it and start influencing the content of the services.
Too late!
About 15 years too late, actually.
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Apr 12, 2016 23:57
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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Oh my word:
Miranda Devine: Tony Abbott lovers call me the Wicked Witch of the Left
I AM a conservative pariah. I have been dis-invited to dinners and given the cold shoulder at conservative functions. Twitter followers once my most ardent fans abuse me as a “leftie”. I am accused of being either paid by or in “love” with Malcolm Turnbull.
Elder statesmen of the Delusional Conservative (Delcon) movement send me more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger missives accusing me of gross naïveté.
All because I have resisted the delusion that Tony Abbott was a conservative warrior cut down in his prime by leftie treachery, and that he will return to reclaim his throne once Malcolm Turnbull fails.
The Delcon movement is tiny but viciously punitive to those it regards as heretics. It was empowered last week by its first taste of blood; a Newspoll showed the Coalition falling behind Labor for the first time since Turnbull ousted Abbott as PM.
Of course, the collapse of Turnbull’s support is not among Coalition voters, but among Greens and Labor voters disappointed Turnbull has not turned out to be their progressive hero. The joke is on the Delcons, carrying water for the Left.
I was sorry Abbott was ousted and argued against it. But I was not surprised. After a 25-year association, my fondness for him softened criticism of his failings.
But since his demise I have been told by friends that he is going around town blaming me (and Janet Albrechtsen) for not being sufficiently supportive.
So here we go. In the tradition of “defending my legacy”, here are some of the reasons for conservative disillusionment with Abbott.
1. Safe schools
Labor might have legislated the homosexual propaganda program for students, but it was the Abbott government which funded and launched it, in June 2014. Early last year Nationals senator Barry O’Sullivan raised concerns in the party room about the so-called anti-bullying program, wanting funding to be axed. Abbott, as prime minister, spoke in favour of the program, saying that times had changed. By then, problems with Safe Schools were abundantly clear. I had even written a column and front page story about the NSW version in October 2012.
2. Same sex marriage
Under pressure from his advisers to get the issue “off the table”, Abbott was preparing to allow a conscience vote before furious conservatives revolted. With numbers in the party room running more than two to one against changing the definition of marriage, Abbott was forced to promise a plebiscite.
3. Taxes
The deficit levy, a centrepiece of the first budget, was a hike in the top marginal rate of income tax to 49 per cent, from the PM who had promised no new taxes.
4. Spending
Before taking office, Abbott promised to match Labor’s unfunded multi-billion dollar promises on the NDIS, Gonski and health spending. He also promised no cuts to the ABC, which continued its cultural jihad during the Abbott years, a time of extreme austerity in media companies paying their own way. Paid Parental Leave (later dumped), a medical research fund, infrastructure projects, and the NBN were big new spending programs which contradicted the narrative of a government elected to fix a busted budget.
5. Climate change
The $3 billion Direct Action was another green scheme pretending to lower the global temperature. Abbott also pledged $200 million to the international Green Climate Fund.
6. Family tax benefit part B
Cutting help for single income families was seen by conservatives as a betrayal of traditional families, especially when childcare subsidies for double-income families were increased.
7. 18C
Abbott abandoned changes to section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act because he didn’t want to get offside with Muslims.
8. Islam
Abbott described the Lindt café siege as a “brush” with terrorism which had nothing to do with Islam. “The ISIL death cult has nothing to do with any religion, any real religion.” He changed his tune later.
9. Prince Phillip
There was nothing conservative about enlivening Australia’s dormant republicans by giving the Queen’s husband a knighthood. It crystallised disquiet about Abbott’s judgment.
10. Losing his job
Echoing the dysfunction of the Rudd-Gillard years, Abbott refused to heed warnings to take reasonable measures to save his prime ministership.
11. Defence force cuts
In wartime, pay and benefits of armed forces were cut.
12. Changing the constitution
Abbott infuriated conservatives with support for referendums to recognise indigenous Australians and local government in the constitution.
13. Natasha Stott-Despoja
One of the first acts of an Abbott government was to appoint the avowed leftist and former Democrats leader to a bogus job as Australia’s Global Ambassador for Women and Girls. Former union leader Greg Combet also was awarded a cushy post.
14. Cory Bernardi
Abbott exiled the most prominent conservative Liberal. Bernardi was forced to resign as Abbott’s parliamentary secretary over statements opposing same sex marriage. When Bernardi published his Conservative Manifesto, in defence of traditional families and Christian values, Abbott said his “views do not represent the position of the government”.
Today, Bernardi finds Turnbull more inclusive.
“The PM has been very receptive, he’s been very respectful about some of the views I’ve put to him and some of my colleagues have,” Bernardi said two weeks ago.
“We’ve had some … significant wins. The Safe schools coalition for example, when I raised that in the party room, the PM was among the very first people to recognise there was an issue here.”
Abbott was no conservative prime minister. I don’t know whether that was because he wasn’t a genuine conservative or because it was too hard to combat anti-conservative forces once he took office. Either way, appeasing the left cost him the support of the party room. No one is under any illusion about Turnbull’s ideological leanings, but so far he is not making the same mistake.
No poo poo, it includes this image
loving 
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Apr 15, 2016 04:42
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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If Shorten builds a cement block with Labor values on it we're all screwed
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Apr 18, 2016 11:46
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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According to an email from Adam Bandt... it's happening?
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Apr 19, 2016 03:16
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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Isn't the best thing about Uber being able to order and pay for onew with your phone and you know how much it is up front? Also the GPS data so you know when they'll be there to pick you up? If taxi companies just got on board with that I don't see how Uber is any better really?
disclaimer: I take one taxi every few years at best
That would be great but surely they can only give you an estimate?
Taxis tariffs tick up based on time, so if you get a particularly nasty red light it'll cost more than if you coasted through.
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Apr 21, 2016 03:22
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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so what makes a difference to shitheels whether they're in a toilet or out of it? How is having separate gender toilets now stopping someone from being a shitheel?
If a trans person who identifies as female but was born male is forced into using the men's room, those shitheels may assault her.
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Apr 22, 2016 00:50
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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I think he's arguing for gender-neutral bathrooms, not against respecting trans peoples' gender identities.
I was more responding to his "shitheels gonna shitheel" question. Don't forget in Queensland there's still gay panic laws on the books.
Gender neutral bathrooms wouldn't hurt anyone - just have nothing but stalls - but there's always going to be people uncomfortable sharing a bathroom with other genders.
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Apr 22, 2016 01:26
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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I'm priapusexual, only attracted to guys with a large phallus. How am I supposed to check out if a guy has a big package without urinals?
Glory holes?
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Apr 22, 2016 05:57
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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Unrelated - moved to the US two months ago, so I've not been keeping up on Australian politics, but how the gently caress is Mirabella back?
While she was defeated in 2013 I don't see anything saying she quit politics altogether. Guess they kept her quiet while she didn't have a seat.
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Apr 22, 2016 06:03
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May 12, 2024 00:21
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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Whose vote would possibly be swayed by how many likes a pollie has?
Or is this more about gaming the FB news system so they come up as suggested posts and the like more often?
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Apr 26, 2016 13:38
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Mar 31, 2016 01:09
