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John Quiggin 
Anthony Albanese cops a lot of stick on this blog for his passive approach but it must be acknowledged he has played a Marnus Labuschagne-like blinder in this fire season. Calm, constructive, above the fray, he has allowed all the attention to be focused on Scotty from Marketing who in two weeks has used up two years of political capital by making one blunder after another. Scotty has been transformed from political genius to the Billy McMahon of his generation in the blink of an eye. If Albanese had gone on the attack from the get-go he rather than Scotty would have been the story because the public does not want this appalling tragedy to be politicised as it is happening. But he showed restraint and now Morrison is badly wounded, perhaps mortally.
Well played Albo.
Smith9 said “Well played Albo.”.
I agree Albo has played it well.
But it seems we have short term memories.
Election 8 mths ago, Labor with a stance positive towards social justice, equality and support towards mitigating global warming.
And they tossed it overboard. Had they continued to stick to pre election stance, they would seem vindicated and solid, instead of fragmented and Lib lite.
Albo will need to play well continually, never falling or he too goes “from political genius to the Billy McMahon [labor equiv – Bill?] of his generation in the blink of an eye”.
As happened in qld with labor wipeout / newman, /labor landslide, sticking to something and not reflagging labor vessel would have produced a trust and confidence in labor, translated to box office, long term, imo.
Albo my play well, but I select on consitancy and relevance of message. If Labor can flip flop why would not voters flip flop?
Now we’ve really got LibLab.
And I am very unsure of your comparison with Albo to:
“In just 10 matches, he made 1114 runs including 5 centuries and 5 half-centuries at an average of 65.53 with a highest score of 182. He scored twin centuries against Worcestershire. He also contributed well with the ball picking up 19 wickets.”
https://www.sportskeeda.com/player/marnus-labuschagne
Keep it up Albo.
Albo can’t have it both ways ie he can’t continue to support both the coal industry AND renewables.
That was my thought. I mean, he quite obviously can continue to support both, he just can’t pretend to have a coherent climate policy while doing both. At this stage it looks more like “blue collars jobs regardless of cost” or more likely “avoid offending Rupert at all costs”. Just sitting there quietly supporting everything costs nothing. But it also gains him nothing IMO.
How is this supposed to convince the Liberal-all-my-life voters who’ve been burned out of the Coalition that it’s worth voting ALP? Does he really think that Liberal Lite with no convictions is going to do it? Is he hoping that “not as radical as The Greens” is going to cut it when not radical is very obviously what got us here?
1942, radio news: Singapore has fallen! Many ships lost! Japanese forces have bombed Darwin, taken Java and Rabaul, and are moving on Port Moresby! Invasion threatens!
Morrison: Don’t panic, we’ve been here before, something will turn up.
Albanese : [says nothing, whistles Waltzing Matilda]
Chorus of shades of Curtin, Churchill, Blamey, Nimitz and Macarthur: Or you could look for somebody who, like us, grasped the threat, made mistakes, but had an actual plan to win.
“Well played Albo.”
Aw c’mon, is this selective amnesia, short memory, a one-eyed “blinder in this fire season”, or the success of the supposed winning low profile me-too bomber Beasley small target strategy that no one notices?
Recall that as Slomo headed for tropical Hawaii, Albeasley headed for the tropical coal fields, and endorsed Smoko’s holiday as quite appropriate. After the msm finally began to report on the truth deficits surrounding Scummo’s conspicuous absence Their Albo said *Smirko was a good man, a decent man.* Weeks later when Scotty from Marketing began boosting himself via partisan abuse of the ADF Albo said Smoko should have sent in the ADF six weeks earlier hoping, and apparently successfully so, that noone would recall for that six weeks Albungler had not pressed for an ADF callout himself. Cripes, this is an opposition leader!
*ABC tv clip. It comes to mind that blathering Bomber blabbered the words “decent” and “decency” pretty often too, and with little effect other than to personally profit later – to hell with the country.
twitter.com/breakfastnews/status/1203754887734890496
Anthony Albanese is on a tour of regional Queensland today and he comes with a message: Labor is not coming for your coal 11:15 AM – 8 Dec 2019
theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/10/albanese-plans-coalmine-visit-on-first-queensland-tour-as-labor-leader
sbs.com.au/news/anthony-albanese-balances-climate-and-coal-on-tour-of-queensland-mine-regions
“…Labor copped a hiding in Queensland at the last election, with the party’s primary vote dropping to 27.4 per cent. A confusing stance on coal and the cost of the party’s climate action bit hard, with the debate over Adani’s Carmichael coal mine front and centre during the campaign.
Mr Albanese has called on Adani to deliver the jobs it promised.”
theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/oct/30/labor-accused-of-sucking-up-to-coal-lobby-as-mps-go-on-the-road-with-minerals-council
Labor accused of ‘sucking up to coal lobby’ as MPs go on the road with Minerals Council (4 of the ALP members of LIB Craig Kelly’s new Friends of Coal parliamentary group)
smh.com.au/national/labor-mps-flock-to-join-craig-kelly-s-friends-of-coal-group-20190731-p52cn0.html
Labor MPs flock to join Craig Kelly’s ‘friends of coal’ group August 1, 2019 — 12.00am
It feels like the Labor Party has a new attitude when it comes to the dreaded “C” word: coal.
Craig Kelly and Joel Fitzgibbon have had plenty of interest in their parliamentary Friends of Coal Exports group.
There’s been a veritable stampede to join renegade Liberal MP Craig Kelly’s new buddy club: Parliamentary Friends of Coal Exports.
smh.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-says-australia-should-continue-to-export-coal-20191208-p53hyp.html
smh.com.au/national/nsw/morrison-defends-hawaii-trip-as-parental-juggle-while-firefighters-prepare-to-work-through-christmas-20191223-p53mcl.html
“…Mr Morrison denied that his office sought to keep the Hawaii trip under wraps, saying “I texted the leader of the Opposition about it myself”, and that criticism of the apparent secrecy surrounding the holiday amounted to “point-scoring” by political opponents.”
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7811589/Scott-Morrison-return-home-Hawaii-holiday-criticism-bushfires.html
“…Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese had said the prime minister’s leave was a matter for him.
‘He made the decision and it’s a matter for his judgement when he goes on holiday,’ Mr Albanese told reporters at a bushfire ground outside Sydney.” 18:37 AEDT, 20 December 2019
bbc.com/news/world-australia-50737887
Why Australia’s PM is facing climate anger amid bushfires 20 December 2019
“…Mr Albanese had said the PM was entitled to a holiday, but criticised the “lack of information and transparency”.”
news.com.au/national/politics/criticising-morrisons-family-holiday-is-cheap-albanese/video/93ba95b091d1dc12b9d7e2a9d4c09db2
Criticising Morrison’s family holiday is ‘cheap’: Albanese
“..Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says criticising Scott Morrison’s overseas holiday while the bushfire season continues is “cheap politics”. Speculation arose on Tuesday the prime minister was holidaying with his family in Hawaii following the end of parliament’s sitting calendar for 2019. “I’m not going to be critical of Mr Morrison personally in terms of his circumstances of him taking leave with his family that would be cheap politics and I am not into that,” the Labor leader said.
news.com.au/technology/environment/foreign-media-rips-into-australia-over-climate-change-policy/news-story/2be3ca5bef0129b6306e00d45126d0d9
Foreign media rips into Australia over causes behind bushfire crisis January 6, 2020, 8:11pm
The rest of the world, still transfixed by Australia’s bushfire crisis, has warned we are trapped in a “spiral” – one partly of our own making.
“…“Incredibly, the response of Australia’s leaders to this unprecedented national crisis has been not to defend their country but to defend the fossil fuel industry, a big donor to both major parties – as if they were willing the country to its doom.
“While the fires were exploding in mid-December, the leader of the opposition Labor Party went on a tour of coal mining communities expressing his unequivocal support for coal exports.
“The Prime Minister, the conservative Scott Morrison, went on vacation to Hawaii.”
RELATED: Photos emerge of Scott Morrison in Hawaii
RELATED: PM’s dismissive comment from Hawaii holiday
Mr Albanese did voice his support for coal exports – to an extent – before departing on his Queensland tour last month.
“If Australia stopped exporting today there would not be less demand for coal – the coal would come from a different place,” he said.
“So it would not reduce emissions, which has to be the objective. I don’t see a contradiction between that and having a strong climate change policy.
“The proposal that we immediately stop exporting coal would damage our economy and would not have any environmental benefit.”
Flanagan continued his piece by citing a comment from Channel 10’s Hugh Riminton, saying Australia is a “burning nation led by cowards”.
“To which he might have added ‘idiots’, after Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack blamed the fires on exploding horse manure,” he said.
“Such are those who would open the gates of hell and lead a nation to commit climate suicide.””
If Albo sticks to chanelling Bomber there’ll be lots more “exploding horse manure”, self inflicted, and Shorten will emerge from the Albo dump.
Svante
Your analogy with Beazley is flawed because Morrison is not .John Howard. Unlike Morrison, Howard did not score continual own goals and he had much better judgement. Can you imagine Howard making a propaganda video the day after Port Arthur or Bali?
Albanese will eventually have to outline what he stands for, but the next election is still a long way off, and for now he is smart just to play rope-a-dope.
“Albo can’t have it both ways ie he can’t continue to support both the coal industry AND renewables.”
Put this way, then the obvious answer is No. The critical word is “continue” because it suggest an unchanging process (of ostensibly contradictory statements) such that ‘time’ can be taken out of the analysis.
When time is introduced in planning framework, then other possibilities arise, which are no longer contradictory. For example, coal for domestic consumption (eg energy production) is faced out rather fast, but slowly enough to build up renewable energy production (taking note of locations) and consumption such that the impact on jobs and water consumption (and some other factors) is minimised. Coal production for export is faced out at a slower pace because (and there Mr Albanese has a point), Australia is not the only coal exporting country although it is the biggest coal exporter. Some international coordination – overt or covert – is called for.
Compared to Mr Rudd, Mr Albanese has a more difficult problem because more than 10 years of inaction of ghg emission reduction, not only in Australia, have resulted in the human induced global warming problem having become more urgent. Furthermore, during this time period, income and wealth distribution problems have become more severe in Australia and elsewhere (eg house prices, reduction of disposable income due to changes to penalty rates, etc), particularly after the GFC. The reaction of voters to the finely balanced policy proposals at the last election in May 2019 in Australia doesn’t help either. Perhaps Mr Albanese is getting a bit of support regarding the urgency of the problems by widely publicised statements from public figures outside politics narrowly defined, such as Russel Crowe’s statement.
So long as part of the Labor Party’s funding comes from coal industry donations (and the gas and petroleum industries), we cannot be justified in believing that any of Labor’s (or Albanese’s) statements on fossil fuel issues are in good faith. This is true for the LNP and Morrison too of course.
In addition, most of the public are not living in good faith either. I refer here not to religion but to applied adherence to one’s own knowledge, beliefs and ethics. I know nobody personally and of nobody in public life who has made any personal sacrifices to reduce carbon emissions (other than Greta Thunberg maybe). Yes, we will do a few token things and feel-good things which make marginal differences but nothing serious. My household is a case in point. There are solar panels on the roof and 3 cars for 3 persons living in our house. The contradiction is obvious and we are typical in this.
Yes, the rich and the corporations have set up a system which automatically and inevitably destroys the planet. But the we the people have complied and been bought off by our messes of pottage. It’s all our own fault.
https://primeministers.moadoph.gov.au/topics/i-had-to-come-to-see-for-myself
I had to come to see for myself
Prime ministers, natural disaster and the people
Dr Rosemary Williamson discusses what we expect of our prime ministers in times of natural disaster.
“How do our prime ministers present themselves as leaders of Australians when disaster strikes ? Cynics might say that natural disaster has become a media opportunity for those keen to show themselves in a favourable light. Others might say that natural disaster presents a singular challenge and accentuates qualities of leadership less obvious in other contexts.
Whatever your view, parliamentary and newspaper records of some of Australia’s worst natural disasters show a long tradition of prime ministers acknowledging the effect of natural disaster on Australians. Over time, these records also show prime ministers themselves, as leaders, affected by natural disaster. […]
Reflections on natural disaster and leadership
This overview is selective, but it is revealing. While prime ministers have consistently expressed sympathy and support following disaster, there has been a growing emphasis in parliament and press on the prime minister ‘being there’ for Australians – physically and emotionally – when disaster strikes.
Natural disaster, as we’ve seen, becomes part of political stories because it can throw a spanner in the works. Disaster can quickly shift attention to the qualities of the prime minister at a time when Australians are most vulnerable. It can have us all – people and prime ministers alike – thinking and talking about the nature of leadership under extraordinary circumstances, and whether our leaders measure up…”
I agree with Smith. I think it would be mind-numblingly dumb for Albo to signal this far out from an election that he is going to consign 30,000 coal workers to the dole queue. Imagine how much ammo that would give the Murdoch culture warriors. Albo can not win an election if he turns the ALP into a Greens mini-me.
Besides, as I understand it, Indian coal is mostly of well below average quality whereas Australian black coal (the exported stuff) is mostly well above average, which means a displacement of local Indian coal cuts GHG emissions. We all want a fresh loaf of bread but sometimes a somewhat stale half-loaf is the only realistic option.
“..a somewhat stale half-loaf is the only realistic option.”
Not if the flour is poisoned.
“…consign 30,000 coal workers to the dole queue. Imagine how much ammo that would give the Murdoch culture warriors.”
You imagine they don’t simply make up ammo? From Murdoch down to the ABC in train it will be set up that way in any case. You cant trust Labor ever with the economy, nor coal, nor boats… can’t trust,… can’t trust… can’t trust.
Albungler has to credibly find 30,000 other acceptable jobs in a way that satisfies enough voters on the coal fields. He has to stick it to coal, and have coal workers stick to him like true believers, or he can stick it big time to yet more city and senate seats.
Why are Islamic madrassas tarted up as schools even permitted in Western countries?
***www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-51019018
Hugo. My madrassa is bigger than your madrassa. Mine is white, christian and in plain site. “This is not what you put on a gun unless you’re saying Christians have a right to kill people who aren’t one of us.”
And I am more fearful of this one:
“Donald Trump Jr posts crusader symbol image amid Middle East turmoil
“President’s son poses with assault rifle bearing Jerusalem cross
Historian criticises Instagram post as ‘inflammatory’
“Donald Trump Jr was criticised on Monday after posting to Instagram a picture in which he posed with an assault rifle bearing a heraldic Jerusalem or “five-fold” cross, as carried by medieval knights on crusades in the Holy Land.
“Nice day at the range,”the president’s son wrote. The picture showed Trump Jr holding up the weapon, safety-catch off and finger near the trigger. The magazine was decorated with an image of Hillary Clinton behind bars.
“Adding a little extra awesome to my AR …” he added.
“This is not what you put on a gun unless you’re saying Christians have a right to kill people who aren’t one of us.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/07/donald-trump-jr-gun-crusader-symbol-iinstagram
Oh the irony. Wasn’t it the Knights Hospitaller who after slaughtering so many had a pang of conscience, formed an abulatory aid group and went back to medically assist these very people? Who they crusaded against?
Today they exist as the St John Ambulance.
“The Order of St John traces its origins back 900 years to the from whom St John today derives its inspiration and maxims – Pro Fide Pro Utilitate Hominum, ‘For the Faith and in the Service of Humanity.’
“The Order of St John itself is an Order of Chivalry of the British Crown with 25,000 members around the world. The full name for the Order of St John is The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.”
https://stjohn.org.au/about
Much better use if time and energy.
And in the tit for tat “others” war perhaps we need to call out our “others” spades. Like Don Jr and dangerous christians too.
Re “make up ammo… From Murdoch down to the ABC… cant trust Labor ever with the economy, nor coal, nor boats… can’t trust,… “.
Cncerning those boats, some ‘on water’ facts that haven’t been allowed to wash through the msm even after 6 years and 3 elections:
https://johnmenadue.com/john-menadue-the-facts-on-boat-arrivals-that-the-media-wont-face/
A pity the facts about Labor and fossil fuel emissions aren’t so clear, but in that case it is they who seek to muddy the waters and compromise themselves and our future for dark money from murky sources.
There’s no such thing as a system which it would be impossible to improve, so I’m sure it would be possible to improve the English system for regulating non-government schools, but it’s not clear what improvement you would suggest.
It would not be an improvement to have a system which allowed people to set up non-government schools, but barred them from doing so if they were Muslims.
I wonder how many people lost their jobs when Abbott and Hockey pull the plug on the car industry?
Ok. Those working in coal mines 37000, those employed in tourism on GBR 70000. Why are mine workers more important? I absolutely believe that a transition to other employment is essential. But the same is true of ‘shutting down coal tomorrow’ being bs, so is 37000 jobs lost in one hit. It’s a transition. With the Murdoch media, sky news and people like Craig Kelly, I’m not sure how we change the narrative. Maybe we need to find some like Peirs Morgan (gawd never thought I would be saying that).
Thanks for the segue Debbieanne. .. ” I’m not sure how we change the narrative.” I am, I just haven’t got Twiggy’s ( $70m of our foregone tax) money to implement narrative change.
JQ’s story + another and tools, for a better future.
Below is another “story” of a future where climate is stabilised and society freed from business as usual. Here is JQ’s story – https://johnquiggin.com/2019/01/19/socialist-utopia-2050/
( I’ll try to put in commas!)
… and this one below, need to be merged imho. With democratic socialism / economic focus plus a climate fix woven in, would be a worthy skeleton for a full script + “tools to place yourself into imagined future”.
With the addition of “Epistemic & Personal Transformation: Dealing with the Unknowable and Unimaginable” a framework may emerge from the story/ies which people can feel assured of ‘Dealing with the Unknowable and Unimaginable”. The Unknowable and Unimaginable is what we want to avoid.
Such stories with embedded tools – “Explorable Explanations” – would allow us normal humans to “imagine a potentially known and imaginable future”. Such stories with tools would go a long way to to tilting perceptions of change towards favourable, instead of ” but I’m a capitalist/ it’s enevitable/ catastrophic, let’s hoard/ stash/ wall/ profit”.
But if you really want to change to future to positive, we will need mass communication. Movie/ book/ tools + localisation & affiliation. Sorry books ( I suffer from Tsundoku), the zeitgeist is calling for vision and interaction, not just words in a page, however empowering. And digital tools to personalise your self into the scenario.
Here is the brief synopsis which prompted this comment, of how to get to a better place by 2050 and avoid dystopia;
“In 2030, we ended the climate emergency. Here’s how;
“If words make worlds, then we urgently need to tell a new story about the climate crisis. Here is one vision of what it could look and feel like to radically, collectively take action.”
…
“That is what we have to do now, in the first days of 2020. Dream unashamedly big dreams, dreams that reimagine the more just and loving world we want to live in, not the one traditional science fiction or even the media suggests is inevitable. Put these dreams to paper, speak them into the world, and work together to make them a reality.”
https://thecorrespondent.com/214/in-2030-we-ended-the-climate-emergency-heres-how/28330740746-6b15af77
Although brief and text seemingly platitudinous, every claim has a link hidden. Great if you have enough time and education to make sense of via words and symbols.
Population percent needed to accept change?
My rule of rhumb for social change is 25% needed before change happens. But a link in the story above says;
“The ‘3.5% rule’: How a small minority can change the world
“Nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed as armed conflicts – and those engaging a threshold of 3.5% of the population have never failed to bring about change.”
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190513-it-only-takes-35-of-people-to-change-the-world
3.5% for change to utopia? I doubt it. Yet I will be one of the 3.5%.
Tool format to imagine change and provide agency over personal place during change: input ‘your’ future after the movie /book/, as an explorable explaination:
https://explorabl.es/economics/
https://explorabl.es/social/
For those who can’t see behind the paywall, today’s edition of AFR
————————————
Morrison is now counting the cost of climate denialism
Phillip Coorey. Political Editor
Jan 9, 2020 — 8.00pm
In May last year, in the run-up to the election, the government refused to countenance the economic cost of climate change. Instead, it was parading highly contentious economic modelling by Brian Fisher claiming all manner of financial doom should Labor win the election and enact its emissions reduction policies.
Fisher did not address the economic effects of not acting, and the government did not consider that to be a shortcoming when it was pointed out.
Yet, for more than a decade now we have been warned that the longer you wait to mitigate climate change, the greater the cost.
The $2 billion in recovery assistance Scott Morrison rolled out the door this week will not in itself drive the budget into deficit. Everything else being equal, it will reduce this year’s forecast surplus from $5 billion to $4.5 billion, next year’s from $6.1 billion to $5.1 billion, and from $8.4 billion to $7.9 billion the year after.
But everything else will not be equal. As Morrison said, the fires are still raging, the fire season is yet to peak and the $2 billion is most likely a down payment.
Government sources say the Prime Minister, who so badly underestimated the scale and severity of the fires, has shifted from a position of parsimony when it came to protecting the surplus to one of “I don’t care what it costs”.
Although the government may not spend the budget into deficit this year, its fear is that secondary effects on the economy may do it – a further collapse in consumer confidence, a further ravaging of the farm sector and a marked decline in domestic and international tourism, for starters. (Given his own Hawaiian nightmare, it was ironic this week when the PM urged international tourists to keep coming to Australia.)
If almost $8 billion in tax cuts rolled out on July 1 failed to stimulate the economy, it’s doubtful the bushfire recovery money will do much.
And given the bushfire season now runs for a good six months every year, there is every indication we will be back in this position again before we know it.
When the immediate crisis passes, Morrison should use some of that internal authority the election victory gave him. He must get together with the states to boost and co-ordinate bushfire response assets and protocols, and he should take on the climate change deniers in his party such as Craig Kelly.
Those still claiming that there is no climate change link to the fires, or that there is nothing unusual about the weather, are akin to the Roman Catholic lunatics who, in the 17th century, denounced Galileo for heresy and imprisoned him for life because of his belief that the Earth and other planets revolved around the sun.
At least in the 17th century such things were still contestable, given the lack of technology to unequivocally prove the Copernican theory to which Galileo subscribed.
Today’s denialists say there is nothing unusual. They drag up old newspaper articles from the 1800s to show we’ve had devastating fires before, as if there is some equivalence. Back then, fires were fought, if at all, with wet wheat bags. There were no planes, personnel or fire trucks, and the fires were neither as frequent nor as widespread as they are today.
He talks of the drought and climate change as if they are separate factors, when the drought is a product of climate change.
Morrison says he accepts the science of climate change and this week acknowledged the fires were linked. But internal politics mean his language and actions remain couched in ambiguity and trepidation.
He talks of the drought and climate change as if they are separate factors, when the drought is a product of climate change and facilitates the fires.
He is surrounded by those either too stubborn or too ideological to admit they are wrong, so they perpetuate the myths that a lack of hazard reduction and arson are the real reasons for this fire season.
As firefighters – both individually and as organisations – continue to point out, hazard reduction burning, typically done in the colder months, is becoming harder and more dangerous because the bush is invariably too dry.
While there may be areas where better hazard reduction would make sense, to suggest it could be carried out across millions of hectares and failure to do so is responsible for the current catastrophe is plainly absurd.
As for arsonists, well, we’ve always had these creatures in our midst. The only difference is they can now can set rainforests alight.
Given the near-existential threat facing his country’s habitat and its consequences for the economy, Morrison should use the world stage to take on the big polluters, instead of leaving the campaign to impoverished Pacific Islands and Swedish teenagers.
Australia has never been shy in the past of spruiking its interests abroad. We lecture nations much more powerful than ours, for example, about the need to tackle terrorism and cyber crime, or to not retreat towards trade protectionism. At the United Nations in September, Morrison made a call to tackle the scourge of plastic in the oceans, yet gave a defensive account of his government’s efforts on climate change rather than have a poke at others.
While in US, the Prime Minister did, however, put a rocket up China for continuing to designate itself a developing nation within the World Trade Organisation, which affords it concessions under numerous international commitments, including climate change.
In the case of the Paris Agreement, developing nations are allowed to increase their emissions until 2030, while developed nations such as Australia are committed to reductions by then.
“The emissions increase is actually happening in a lot of those countries, China included,” Morrison said. “If the goal is to reduce emissions, then we have obviously got to focus on the places which have the largest emissions.”
Bagging China earned him criticism back home but his statement was warranted. Now even more so.
But it’s hard to lecture others when you are barely doing the the bare minimum yourself, and your government is riven with denial
Debbieanne says January 9, 2020 at 7:00 pm – “With the Murdoch media, sky news and people like Craig Kelly, I’m not sure how we change the narrative.”
Don’t forget the sell-out dumb dastardly unions. The ACTU, and notably the CFMMEU, and AWU, and the rubbish they spout not at all primarily in the interests of their members, but for money and power within the ACTU/ALP derived from member numbers covered and for support of that through deals with mining company boards. The unions are as bad or probably in fact worse than the old fossil mine owners in blocking any change for the better.
And don’t forget just the federal ALP MP members of Liberal MP Craig Kelly’s “buddy club: Parliamentary Friends of Coal Exports.” There’s Opposition frontbencher and Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon (member for CFMMEU/AWU), the Member for Macarthur, Mike Freelander, the Member for Paterson, Meryl Swanson, and the Member for Oxley (and the Qld AWU), Milton Dick. That’s only those who came out in August, 2019. There’s likely a big bad few more Labor apparatchiks who haven’t come out of the coal buddies’ closet yet and who are loyal to the ALP machine that in turn is loyal to its hidden big fossil donors.
“Swanson was born in the mining town of Kurri Kurri to a coal-miner father, and her electorate takes in the industrial surrounds of Newcastle.
Dick recently spoke of the “huge job” facing Labor if it wants to win back trust from the resources sector and voters in his home state of Queensland.
They’ll have plenty to discuss with the Coalition members of Kelly’s group: George Christensen (who received a positive swing in coastal central Qld instead of being ousted), Kevin Andrews and new Townsville MP Phillip Thompson (a swing seat that was/is Labor’s up for grabs).”
https://www.smh.com.au/national/labor-mps-flock-to-join-craig-kelly-s-friends-of-coal-group-20190731-p52cn0.html
“3.5% for change to utopia? I doubt it. Yet I will be one of the 3.5%.”
Will you or have you been arrested and imprisoned? Been denied a phone call to your legal rep? Been strip searched, repeatedly. Held naked, and watched? Held on remand for possibly months in solitary in maximum security prisons?
Are you or will you be a prime target for surveillance by state and federal agents under the world’s worst police state federal and state ‘laws’ introduced or fully backed by the ALP?
Have you or will you be assaulted by police, be abused in custody, be abused in court, suffered draconian punishments such as those now introduced by Fed Libs backed by Fed Labor, introduced by Qld Labor/proposed by Tas Libs, and likely to be introduced by the liblab governing systems around the rest of the country?
If you don’t fight you lose. There’s no such thing as a consequences free fight. 3.5% need to actually fight. The rest need to see their plight.
3.5% need to put themselves on the line before the rest fall in behind.
Distribute your assets into safe hands before joining those 3.5% bands. It’s always taken a fight that for some has always taken everything.
Here is the policy adopted by the ACTU at its most recent Congress:
Click to access climate-energy-and-just-transition.pdf
I would like to be told what’s wrong with it.
J-D, that ACTU policy is very good. There are some specific points on which my personal opinion is that it could be stronger (e.g. we should be aiming for zero net carbon emissions by 2050) but given the consensus-seeking processes by which the ACTU develops policy, it’s probably as good a policy as could be expected, and praise for the ACTU for developing such a policy should outweigh criticism of specific points.
“Here is the policy adopted by the ACTU … I would like to be told what’s wrong with it.” – JD.
It’s about 30 years too late.
Svante – “Distribute your assets into safe hands before joining those 3.5% bands. It’s always taken a fight that for some has always taken everything.”
Wow. Always interesting what we react to. I shouldn’t have appended the 3.5%
Unfortunately Svante, if we are “poor” you are correct and give good advise.
If you have power and capital as per the 1%, who cares, just fight.
I have actually considered gifting my assets for exactly the reason you state Svante..
I thought the idea of scripting a better future with interactive tools to see your tragectory into a new future a good idea.
Now see the 1,000 tonne rule and see what you think.
https://johnquiggin.com/2020/01/09/slow-burn-2/#comment-218516
“I would like to be told what’s wrong with it.”
A rhetorical request, is it? As if, J-D, you can’t immediately see it.
Ok then, at a canter, but too sickmaking to detail closely, nor indeed to make it all the way.
It’s a motherhood statement. Word, words, words. They’re always good at that. Show me deeds please, not cheap empty words. Next you’ll be trying on ALP motherhood statements…
10. CLIMATE, ENERGY AND JUST TRANSITION
CLIMATE
“1. Congress declares that Australian unions will fight for decisive action to reduce emissions…and rapidly develop low carbon technologies while creating secure jobs.”
Where have they done this. What union has done this. At what cost to them? Show me where they have put their money in their mouths to any significant ongoing effective extent. What ALP fossil donor have they taken on industrially? Their picket lines have gone rather the other way, no?
“8. Congress notes the failure of the current Government to effectively address climate change…”
So what? What have the ACTU and Co effectively done? Why no mention of the ALP being in bed with the Libs at times?
“9. Australia, has much at stake if the world fails to act effectively. As a leading per-capita emitter, Australia must lead by example…”
Where have they actually picketted let alone called for picketting of fossil mines, fossil power, fossil ports, fossil transports, etc?
“10. Congress believes that national emission reductions must occur at a domestic level without the use of international carbon offsets.’
Can you actually believe this? The mind boggles. Again, what have they done?
“11. The ACTU calls for concerted national and international agreement and investment, both public and private, to avoid catastrophic climate change…”
Ditto.
And.
They haven’t even divested from investing their reserves in the fossil business. Of all their associated Industry Super Funds trillions of dollars of investment, I believe only one has divested from fossil fuel investments, and one other has divested down to the weak extent of still investing in businesses deriving up to 35% of their revenue from fossil fuel related activities.
“12. Congress recognises that Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities, along with Indigenous communities globally, are the most severely impacted communities when it comes to climate change. There is therefore a need to consult and work in partnership with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities to ensure these impacts are reduced and reversed for all Australians.”
Ditto motherhood.
“13. Congress supports the proper resourcing of Australia’s publicly-funded research organisations to enable their critical contribution to improving Australia’s environment and tackling climate change.”
Fossil fuel businesses support numerous publicly-funded research organisations such as the CSIRO and University sector. Where has the ACTU done likewise with, one would hope, an opposed vested interest? Where is it they have put their money where their mouth is again?
ENERGY
“12. Australia, like the rest of the globe, is changing how we produce and use our energy and use resources as part of our efforts to respond to the threats posed by climate change, and there is no doubt that the Australian energy and resources sector is currently in a period of evolution.”
Where has the ACTU been seen sitting round the table with Big Fossil Fuel negotiating its phase out?
Measures to Reduce Emissions in the Energy Sector
“13. Congress notes with alarm that the energy crisis in Australia has continued unabated under the Coalition Government, with the pinnacle of dysfunction being the continued policy paralysis around measure to reduce emissions in the energy sector.”
No mention of Labor governments such as those previously in NSW and federally let alone that currently in Queensland. Why? Honesty? Actions?
“15. Congress calls for a workable emissions reduction mechanism for the electricity sector that will allow Australia to meet its commitments under the Paris agreement whilst equitably distributing benefits and costs of the mechanism.”
They are negotiating with, threatening, Big Fossil Fuel on this where?
“17. Congress calls for increased investment, both public and private, in renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean technologies to drive new industries and jobs whilst decarbonising our energy generation sector.”
Again, they haven’t even divested from investing their reserves in the fossil business. Of all their associated Industry Super Funds, I believe only one has divested from fossil fuel investments, and one other has divested down to the weak extent of still investing in a business deriving up to 35% of its revenue from fossil fuel related activities.
“20. The energy market should serve the needs of the community, not deliver profits to a few large companies.”
So ACTU and Co, divest already. And invest more appropriately.
“21. Congress considers that the privatisation of electricity generation, distribution and retail is a failed neoliberal experiment that has resulted in rising electricity prices, critical job losses in regional areas and a diminished government capacity to invest directly in clean energy production.’
Much of that due their ALP.
“22. Energy companies need to be, where necessary and appropriate, restructured and reclaimed to the public sector to allow for such democratic involvement of those affected and public oversight, including that of workers’ participation.”
Always this takes the form of workers’ participation mediated by a union with other vested interests after negotiating adequate compensation for their participatory role and ‘wise’ counsel.
“23. …Government policy should also support household investment in solar, encourage cooperatives and other local modes of energy production.
24. Government action to create good jobs in renewable energy, low emission and energy storage and in regions and communities affected by climate change”
Their own & co divestment and reinvestment? Money in their mouth where? How much?
“25. Australian unions are committed to driving the shift to a clean energy economy by representing the interests of workers in carbon-intensive, trade-exposed industries, and supporting job growth and industry viability through private and public sector investment.”
Again, their own & co divestments and reinvestments have been where? Their money in their mouth is where? How much? Percentages?
“26. Congress is concerned at the proliferation of low paid, insecure work mainly delivered through labour hire practices, that is currently present in the private renewable sector. Making these jobs well paid, decent and secure must be a priority.”
BS. Unions love Big Australia. Big Australia drives low pay, insecurity, the precariat, and beyond their workplaces, should they be so lucky, all manner of social and environmental destruction including that through fossil emissions.
I won’t go on. It’s one of the longest of pathetic motherhood statements ever seen made in aid of faking it. Nothing put on the line from them. Spectacular ommissions… no dark corners. Nothing to see here but gloss. A vision of revision. All down to others. All empty calls and no balls.
JQ Salman is inside for a script to turn into a movie. “Movie/ book/ tools + localisation & affiliation.”
“Salman Rushdie gets back to his day job
“… As a writer, one of the things we all learned from the movies was a kind of compression that didn’t exist before people were used to watching films. For instance, if you wanted to write a flashback in a novel, you once had to really contextualize it a lot, to set it up. Now, readers know exactly what you’re doing. Close-ups too. Writers can use filmic devices that we’ve all accepted so much that we don’t even see them as devices any more.”
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/salman-rushdie-gets-back-to-his-day-job/article4512195/
Svante said:
“10. Congress believes that national emission reductions must occur at a domestic level without the use of international carbon offsets.’
“Can you actually believe this? The mind boggles. Again, what have they done?”
“The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
– George Orwell, 1984
2010s = 1984: The decade we finally understood Orwell
https://mashable.com/article/1984-george-orwell-2010s/
Svante = just another old man behaving badly.
Hugo is off sailing on that river in Egypt.
“10. Congress believes that national emission reductions must occur at a domestic level without the use of international carbon offsets.’
I read this as emissions could only be measured as actually occurring and not be the beneficiary of offshore carbon schemes.
That said I don’t think it is deserving of the opprobrium.
Let’s see if we can figure out how one of the under-mentioned organisations is the odd one out:
Athletics Australia has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
The Australian Baha’i Community has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
The Australian Conservation Foundation has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
The Australian Council of Learned Academies has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
The Australian Council of Professions has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
The Australian Council of State School Organisations has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
The Australian Union of Students has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
The Australian Youth Affairs Coalition has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
The Business Council of Australia has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
CHOICE has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Community Mental Health Australia has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
The National Association of Community Legal Centres has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
The National Farmers Federation has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
The National Rural Health Alliance has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Reconciliation Australia has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Volunteering Australia has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
We’re not having much luck finding the odd one out yet, are we? Let’s try something a little different.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out Athletics Australia because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out the Australian Baha’i Community because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out the Australian Conservation Foundation because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out the Australian Council of Learned Academies because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out the Australian Council of Professions because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out the Australian Council of State School Organisations because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out the Australian Council of Trade Unions because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out the Australian Union of Students because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out the Business Council of Australia because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out CHOICE because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out Community Mental Health Australia because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out the National Association of Community Legal Centres because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out the National Farmers Federation because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out the National Rural Health Alliance because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out Reconciliation Australia because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Svante has not condemned as a dumb dastardly sell-out Volunteering Australia because it has not picketed coal mines, it has not funded CSIRO, and it is not negotiating a phase-out with Big Fossil Fuel.
Are we now making more progress towards identifying an odd one out?
KT2, there really is no need for you to resort to racist tropes
Could it be intentional? No, I’m sure it is otherwise. Poor J-D cannot see what he/she has done yet again. How many times is that now? Thanks yet once more J-D for helping to make my point(s) by shooting yourself in the foot, over and over. Hint: only fools rush in, you might in future try thinking first.