The Australian politics thread

[Craig]

I have been meaning to ask, but Gelman did you see Andrew Bolt's scathing attack on Christine Nixon?

He had a point or two for mine? How can a skinny woman ina tutu grab a well built police officer's baton and yet the guy won't do anything about it?

[Adamc]

I've got no problem necessarily with artists seeking to enforce copyright protections on their own artwork. That's their business, and that of their record label or publisher or whatever, and they can do what they like. The proposed laws are quite different. Here's a section from the article Gelman linked and an addition to the quote he provided:



It's absolutely ridiculous. Not only is it practically unenforcable except in the most selective fashion imaginable, it's absurdly over the top and targets common users who actually support artists and the music industry. To put it simply, if I buy a CD, copy the tracks on to my PC and load them onto my ipod so I can listen to them away from home, I'm committing a criminal offence and could recieve any number of draconian punishments. I can't see how anyone could support such a law, whether it would be enforced or not.

Strangely enough, Ruddock seems to have done an about-face on this issue now. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599...007146,00.html

There are other elements to the Copyright bill, that are aimed at ensuring consumers are not treated like copyright pirates and copyright pirates are not treated like consumers. They include:

- Making it legal for people to record TV or radio programs in order to play them at a more convenient time.

- Legalising 'format shifting' of material such as music, newspapers, books - meaning people can put CD's they own onto their iPods or MP3 players;

Which is good I guess.

I found this amusing as well:

The new provisions in the Bill for consumers and for parody and satire will commence after Royal Assent in mid-December. For parody that will be too late for the second Test, which starts in Adelaide tomorrow, but in time for the Boxing Day test in Melbourne. That means the first place that The Fanatics and other supporters will be able to act without impunity is the Melbourne Cricket Ground. They should be in full voice by the Sydney Test, which starts on January 2. I imagine a few people will be armed with their songbook too.

Given the way the first Test went, the series may be over by then. Either way patriotic Australians will be free to mock the British team without the threat of lawsuits.

[FaaipDeOiad]

Rudd's finally mounting a challenge. Don't let the door hit you on the arse, Kim.

[pasag]

Yeah it's about time.

[Slow Love™]

I think it's a mistake. I also wonder if Rudd's not being set up by elements of the NSW right.

Everything I've read has always indicated to me that Rudd's numbers within the party are very poor. I realise that the latest Newspoll, where the Rudd/Gillard leadership team was preferred to Beazley/Macklin 2 to 1 would have scared a few people, but I don't think the public appeal is matched within party rooms, and I kinda wonder if this isn't just an attempt to embarrass Rudd and rush him on to go down in flames in the party vote.

I read in an article in the Australian last night by Lib party hack, Dennis Shanahan:

Last night Mr Beazley's office confirmed it had been told that some NSW right-wing MPs - a crucial part of the Opposition Leader's support base - would support Mr Rudd.

Maybe I'm paranoid, but I wonder why Beazley's office would confirm this... And the vast majority of the NSW Right can't stand Rudd. Either way, as I said earlier in the thread, I don't see Labor winning this election, period, and for their own political careers, I think both Rudd and Gillard (I have no idea if there's to be a deputy spill though, in her case) would be best off waiting until after the loss for a fresh start hopefully free of Beazley's hecklers. Unless the ALP has a more realistic sense of what this period will entail - a rebuilding of trust in order to improve their standing this time, in order to seriously contest (and hopefully win) the election following.

Maybe I'm wrong though. I'd certainly like to be, and I definitely have more faith in that leadership team to have some real impact than sticking with Beazley.

[vic_orthdox]

Beazley to win. Easy. Wouldn't be happening to so quickly if he weren't to win.

[pasag]

Agree with SL, looks like a trap by the NSW right who hold all the keys in the ALP. Hope not though.

[Johnners]

Rudd's finally mounting a challenge. Don't let the door hit you on the arse, Kim.

tbf to Kim it'll hard for the door to miss

[vic_orthdox]

I have been meaning to ask, but Gelman did you see Andrew Bolt's scathing attack on Christine Nixon?

He had a point or two for mine? How can a skinny woman ina tutu grab a well built police officer's baton and yet the guy won't do anything about it?

Not as good as his rant today about Borat.

Best when he brought out all the anti-semitism stuff.

[pasag]

Yeah dire rant by Bolt on Borat. Totally misses the point.

[FaaipDeOiad]

Yeah dire rant by Bolt on Borat. Totally misses the point.

Has Bolt ever got the point with anything? I love how the most recent entry on his blog is a page-length statement from Baron Cohen about why the film isn't anti-semetic, where he says that the joke is effectively on the people who are inspired to atrocious behaviour in the film by Borat's antics. This is followed by Bolt's smug one-line rebuttal in which he implies that Baron Cohen is saying that his fans and audience members are stupid and the joke is on them...

[pasag]

Has Bolt ever got the point with anything? I love how the most recent entry on his blog is a page-length statement from Baron Cohen about why the film isn't anti-semetic, where he says that the joke is effectively on the people who are inspired to atrocious behaviour in the film by Borat's antics. This is followed by Bolt's smug one-line rebuttal in which he implies that Baron Cohen is saying that his fans and audience members are stupid and the joke is on them...

Yeah, the problem I have with the piece is that Jews as a rule love Borat. Look at the Australian Jewish News, it runs 10 pages features on it in praise, it even offers heaps of free tickets, the session I went to was 90% Jewish all who came out with massive smiles on their faces. Every Jew I know loves and imitates Borat to death. My parents do as well.

Therefore, I fail to see why he has to cry anti-semitism, I fail to see why he is offended, when the Jewish community aren't even offended themselves and if anything the exact opposite.

[Craig]

Yeah, the problem I have with the piece is that Jews as a rule love Borat. Look at the Australian Jewish News, it runs 10 pages features on it in praise, it even offers heaps of free tickets, the session I went to was 90% Jewish all who came out with massive smiles on their faces. Every Jew I know loves and imitates Borat to death. My parents do as well.

Therefore, I fail to see why he has to cry anti-semitism, I fail to see why he is offended, when the Jewish community aren't even offended themselves and if anything the exact opposite.

Yeah that is the thing I never seem to understand, people (academics/pc losers) move to ban something because they are worried it will offend somebody when it clearly doesn't nor do they even ask if it does offend them. Like changing 'Happy Christmas' to 'Happy Holidays' because it they are worried it will offend 'non-Christians' yet they go out buy gifts and the like for their children and that anyway.

Maybe it is just me.

Anyway I find it quite remarkable how at a federal level, love them or hate them, the Libs/Nationals are very much united and yet there are so many divisons in the ALP federally. Yet (only speaking for Queensland) the Libs/Nats couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewry if they tried. That is what cost them the state election here. Replace a popular leader in Bob Quinn for some idiot called Bruce Flegg (the amount of gaffles he made was amazing) who hadn't been in politics for very long.

Anyway despite how much the Unions and the ALP say that Howard must be voted out because of the IR Reforms (I have never been forced onto anything, and if anything I earn more and work less hours then my last job. I did nearly have job at place where they build cars but he rans rather dodgy and I didn't get it because his offsider was staying on), if they can get their act together then they will probably be voted back in. If this isn't a PR boost for the Coalilation then what is?

Anybody agree/disagree? Fuller, SL anybody else perhaps?

[Craig]

Not as good as his rant today about Borat.

Best when he brought out all the anti-semitism stuff.

Should be in Sunday's paper.

[Matt79]

Hope Rudd gets up. My dummy spit here a week ago notwithstanding, I think he's the best hope for ALP to actually win the next election, and perhaps the smartest MP in the house at the moment. Hope he's as smart as aa politician.

If Beazley wins, surely Rudd and Gillard will suffer some sort of demotion and in the process ALP will lose two of its stronger performers, and with it, I would suggest any chance of defeating Howard.