THE Prime Minister resembles a mindless fish which swallows any bait dangled in front of it.
Most are from ABC fiefdoms which realise that any sexual assault allegation, even unprovable, is his Achilles heel. (The explanation for Labor MPs being exempt from such allegations must be that they are all maritally faithful or celibate.)
- Australia lost a worthy successor to Howard, who with Menzies ranks among our greatest.
- To conservative voters Morrison, while vastly better than Shorten, is back on probation.
- The PM shows himself easily distracted from the very issues which should top his agenda.
Character, principle and an ability to lead and communicate are important qualities of leadership. In bringing down Tony Abbott through the vicarious votes of his followers to install the pretender Turnbull, Morrison spectacularly failed this test.
Through his action, the nation lost a worthy successor to John Howard, who with Robert Menzies ranks among Australia’s greatest leaders.
To conservative voters (including traditional Labor voters) Morrison, while vastly better than Shorten, is back on probation.
DISTRACTED
He shows himself too easily distracted from the very issues which should be at the top of the agenda – reversing foolish bipartisan policy for expensive, unreliable electricity; seriously harvesting water now, reviving manufacturing, reducing housing costs, taking back Beijing-controlled assets, ensuring future pandemics are properly addressed and correcting the mess he has made in defending Australia.
Why does he so endorse unproven anthropogenic global warming, which remains so challenged, indeed, discredited by so many scientists?
While the eminent Bjorn Lomborg accepts the theory, he points out that according to the UN, not doing anything by 2070 will not be the end of the world. Applying the UN’s own projections, a person today earning $1000 gross per week would lose about $20 but be earning about $2400 by then.
As to Wuhan, this column argued from the beginning that we should follow democratic Taiwan’s highly successful world’s best practice. This meant no lockdowns, an authoritarian response designed by Beijing. (That most countries adopted the lockdown is not so surprising; most major Western powers foolishly supported Obama in funding Tehran to develop nuclear energy.)
Most politicians today, including Morrison, behave as if they are automatons controlled by a shadowy trio, computer modelling, “the science” and expert advice. They forget Burke’s observation that we choose our representatives for their judgement.
Apart from his failure to use Commonwealth powers to stop some premiers from closing their States for blatant political purposes, the full cost of going down the communist lockdown path will soon be revealed. With JobKeeper going, around 150,000 jobs and 110,000 businesses will be vulnerable in addition to the large number which have already gone.
PLEADED
When it was predicted the budget will not be back in surplus before 2040, Finance Minister Cormann pleaded “What was the alternative?”
Nature having made us two remote islands, all we had to do was control entry, concentrate on the vulnerable and wait for Donald Trump to deliver the vaccines which he and not Biden soon did. If we’d done just that, about one thousand lives, billions and billions of dollars and unknown numbers of jobs and businesses would have been saved.
Coming to the question of defence, Morrison seriously erred not only in publishing the Brereton report but especially in his appalling endorsement of its “brutal truths”, thereby removing the right to the presumption of innocence from the few men living today who have risked their lives for Australia.
Having done that, the sensible solution argued here was to require any prosecution be launched by Easter. But no, Morrison adopted an excruciatingly slow process. So the threat of prosecution will hang over the heads of our veterans for what will seem an eternity. Thank you, PM.
The result is that the morale of those who served, those who are serving and those who would serve has been seriously, perhaps irreparably damaged.
Add to that, raiding the defence budget for political advantage to produce that monstrosity, a multi-billion contract to convert to obsolescence twelve nuclear submarines with delivery delayed such that they will not all be available even for the 2045 Sydney Harbour VJ Centenary Naval Review by King William.
FAILED
Will the enemy wait, Prime Minister? Like his class, Morrison is far too influenced by polls. As demonstrated here before the election, the polls were smitten with a fundamental error about preferencing. In addition, they failed to detect that a sufficient number of traditional Labor voters felt betrayed by Labor. The polls were wrong then; why think they’re right now?
As a minister, Morrison acted correctly over the fake refugee issue, but then he was under the direction of a Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, who had courageously determined correct policy to the ridicule of the elites and the commentariat.
Contrast that with Morrison as Turnbull’s Treasurer, when he inexplicably targeted that mainstay of the Liberal Party, the self-funded retirees. The result was a strike and worse, resignations.
This is not to deny that discrimination, sexual assault and rape are extremely serious. That is why the rule of law and properly endowed and professional law enforcement forces, primarily State, are essential.
One thing is clear. Contrary to neo-Marxism, the overwhelming majority of white heterosexual males are not responsible for the assaults, rapes, gay-hate and racist crimes which have been and sadly will be committed.
INFINITESIMAL
And if there is what is called a “woman problem” in the Liberal Party, the answer is not quotas, if only for the simple reason that such neo-Marxist identity politics requires there must also be quotas for an infinitesimal and never-ending list of groups, indigenous, Asians, gays, etc.
The only criterion for pre-selection should be merit. Given preselections are too often now decided by a candidate’s allegiance to some powerbroker, all political parties who share in the cornucopia of legal and taxpayer-funded financial privileges should be required to be open, democratic and transparent, with preselections decided by primaries among registered party supporters.
Time for the return of Tony Abbott?PC
Tony Abbott was not a great Prime Minister. But in comparison to the two before him and the one after him he shone like a star.
Gladys is good. But she is constrained by the quality of the politicians elected by the people. Some of them have learnt in office; remember Brad “Health” Hazzard and the cruise ship disaster. He has learnt from that, which is why NSW is the outstanding state as far as Covid goes.
As far as the Abortion Bill is concerned, the problem was that there was no problem! Abortion was not illegal in NSW prior to the passage of the Act. It was subject to the common law, which meant that it was not illegal as long as the health of the mother was not damaged. However, if a woman waned an abortion in days gone past, the only recourse was to a ‘helpful’ lady armed with knitting needles or drugs like pennyroyal. Sometimes the abortion was procured and the lady suffered no injury. More often the lady was injured and sometimes died. The offence was that of injuring the lady by attempting an abortion. The Crimes Act provided a term of imprisonment for an “illegal abortion”.
A prosecution for an ‘illegal abortion’ was rare, and there were numerous abortion clinics in NSW which undertook abortions quite legally. “the 1971 case of R v Wald found that an abortion is permissible if there is an “economic, social or medical ground or reason” upon which a doctor could honestly and reasonably believe the procedure could avoid “serious danger to the pregnant woman’s life or her physical or mental health.” ”
The intent of the Bill as presented to Parliament was to enable a free for all as far as abortion was concerned, including right to the last moment before birth of the baby. I was amongst others presenting a strong rearguard resistance to the Bill, and we succeeded in putting in several important requirements (we did not get all we wanted, but we did get a lot). These included that the abortion must be undertaken by a competent person. Go to the NSW Gov web site for the Abortion Law Reform Act 2019 to see what it really says.
As far as Matt Keane is concerned, he bungled in appointing Turnbull, but he redeemed himself in part in sacking him! The notion of getting NSW to Zero net emissions by 2035 is both ludicrous and unnecessary!
“Gladys is good.”
Gladys is a socialist, and she facilitated the passage of a bill that allows for the slaughter of unborn children, who are completely innocent, and who also happen to be the most vulnerable members of our society. That is to say, she is nothing but a cold-hearted amoral butcher, and, unless she repents of her sin of mass murder, she shall most certainly rot for all eternity in the fires of hell, where her worm will not die and her fire will not be quenched, and where she shall weep and wail and gnash her teeth.
There are moral absolutes in this world, and for those who transgress there is judgement, and punishment that is as certain as it is terrible. Gladys affects to be a Christian, but she is actually the epitome of religious hypocrisy, and she cannot hide her deceit from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Anyone who votes for her or her party, or supports them in any way whatsoever, is complicit in her crime, and will thus bring judgement on themselves also.
David, I have always held a lot of respect for your views and moral fibre. So while I agree with your view about quotas for female representation rather than electing on merit is not the answer, I do not agree with other views you express in your editorial. At risk of doing Scott Morrison harm, I will not debate all your points but I suggest you have a rethink at a deeper level. The PM is not mindless or spineless but rather leading very well in my view!
Current politics in NSW is a very tricky business at this time as you will no doubt agree, so I will chose my comments carefully. Members must act with care and much consideration very often, to survive, otherwise we would have a revolving door of leaders because they would get the same treatment as Tony Abbott. In fact it is my firm view that for the sake of the nation, if Scott is knifed, our Parliament should elect a leader from another state such as Peter Dutton, to take the power from our puppet masters here.
As things are our PM must walk the tightrope to survive – and in my view he is doing very well. He stands up for the national interest in the final analysis. Sinodinos action not Scott Morrison, cost us Tony Abbott. And Sinodinos got what he deserved and has now scurried to the US.
Scott has appointed a very capable Minister in Peter Dutton to take over the Defence Portfolio and our Defence personnel, past and present are very much in favour of his work. Scott is granting a Royal Commission as well as oversight commissioners to carry through recommendations made, in reply to the Brereton Report and its shortfalls.
I also believe that Tony Abbott is not of a mind to return to front line politics. Sometimes more good can be done from behind the scenes, and the effort is less fraught. Surely you are aware of that. Tony has done his part as front man.
You also know enough about politics to read between the lines of my reply, so I seriously hope you will reconsider your views about Scott and give him the support he deserves!
My issue with Morrison is that at any sign of trouble he seems to instinctively dive to the left for cover. The great leaders have always stood their ground and fought for their beliefs.
Morrison is either a closet leftie or too scared to stand up for centre-right values, in my view.
“The PM is not mindless or spineless but rather leading very well in my view!”
“Your view” does not constitute definitive and incontrovertible fact – to put it bluntly, you are wrong.
The Liberal party is a socialist party in all but name; if you can’t understand that you should best refrain from voting.
He was perhaps our most decent PM so far, certainly the fittest, and we mourned him when he went. That said, he continuously made the bad mistake of trying to placate his enemies, who were never going to be appeased, which is why he lost office. Keating put it best when explaining that he’d much rather retain the same as enemies, to be worn as a badge of courage on his sleeve. If Abbott were afforded a PM’s re-run now, he’d make exactly the same mistake again. Peter Dutton does not suffer from this disadvantage, and we know that he’s a great candidate when ‘the Ghost’ tells us that he’s unelectable. Ask the defence forces what they think of Dutton! You can’t win when trying to appease the left, it’s not possible, and Dutton long learnt not to waste time on them.
Had Abbott remained relentlessly unapologetic he’d still be there, but he never accepted that the mob would prey on the first sign of weakness, thence him winning so easily, then falling like a stone. He even thought that he had to appease the ghost, despite knowing what a narcissistic misfit he was. The great pity is that but for this critical failing he could have been a great PM for a long time. He remains a true, selfless party servant.
Oh yes, it would be SO beneficial to have Tony back in the place he belongs. He love Australia he’s caring he’s honest……he’s just the caliber the Liberal Party is lacking at this time.
BRING HIM BACK
Yes! #bringbackabbott! He should still be leading our wonderful country. Unlike Morrison, he has the strength of his conviction. He sees the importance of affordable power for industry and domestic users; he knows our economy relies on paring back climate change policies; he is not afraid to hang on to our traditions and the western way of life; he is a true Liberal with the conservative values that the base also shares. Yes! #bringbackabbott!
Abbott was genuine but the seat of Warringah has been infested with left leaning latte sippers from over the bridge. Liberal can’t dislodge Steggle with the current candidate. Abbott is the best hope the Libs have. Trouble is, can Abbott be dislodged from his cushy wicket in London?
Dear Morrie,
You write well, but stridently, however I’m compelled to say – it’s extremely easy for us to sit and criticise.
So, on a more positive note, just who do you have in mind to form the policies of the Liberal Party?
I’m not as angry or pessimistic as you and can see that there are very many wise, conservative heads around – both in – and on the periphery of the Liberal Parties. Although needing repairs, the LNP ships are still making good headway.
Labor in Government projects a truly bilious, destructive spectre; small One Nation has some great ideas for potential policies, but of course lacks numbers or strength; Independents are mostly useless, with little clout and very limited, one-eyed agendas, (exception – Craig Kelly).
It’s hard to see exactly what you are proposing – a new Party or ….?
Hello Jennifer,
You are quite correct in your assertion that this is a tricky problem to address, but it is most pressing, and, if nothing is done, it will continue to fester. It is true that there are many good people in the Liberal party, however what is germane is not whether there are such people, but what they can achieve – and on the basis of experience of the last few years, the answer is “not enough”. The left remains ascendant in the party, and those of conservative bent are variously outwitted, marginalised, or found to be entirely lacking in moral courage. It is the last of these three that is of the greatest concern – the unforgivable supineness of our elected representatives in the face of socialism’s scourge, which is an existential threat to this country.
The appropriate course of action in these circumstances is to deny the Liberal and National parties any oxygen whatsoever by voting informally in lower house elections (except in circumstances where it’s clear a good minor party may get up, as in the upcoming by-election in the Upper Hunter), and to vote for a decent party in the senate with a one above the line. There is no other way that the stranglehold of socialists on the major parties can be broken.
The time is ripe for Tony Abbott to return to the political Arena. We lack firm and stable Leadership and if it had not been through the intrusion of the lying, backstabbing, hypocrite Turnbull and then the through the influence of the Soros backed Get Up he would still be there .
Hi again Morrie,
Oh Dear! The obvious fault in your plan of voting informally in any upcoming election, is that by negating so many votes, it would of course, ensure the dyed-in-the-wool socialists, Labor, will be a shoe-in to grab power.
LABOR – THE PARTY that definitely no longer represents the working Aussie – the Party that would massively increase all taxes, that would spend with terrible profligacy, would absolutely ruin – lay waste to our energy, mining and export sectors, would play footsie with China, selling out the independence of our institutions and in short, set Australia’s whole economy, our wonderful lifestyle back many, many years) – Yes, they would easily waltz in – (or should it be ‘twerk’ their way in?)
Except for the shocking mistakes of appointing Matt Kean to the Energy Portfolio -(it’s imperative he goes) – and approving the ghastly late-term abortion bill, Berejiklian has been doing a pretty good job in NSW. The NSW Labor Party ranks are very inferior, with hang-overs of militant trade unionism still imbedded.
I would add to my last paragraph of April 15 that One Nation has no strength, contests minimal seats and of course, most Independents and minor parties are to be dismissed completely.
AN INDISPUTABLE FACT: Government is only effective if run by a LARGE, STRONG PARTY made-up of sensible, intelligent and loyal Members who are prepared to commit fully and work hard for their electorates and for the greater good of their State, their Country.
What would help would be a HUGE push by a band of leading, strong Conservatives to secure a much larger membership base of like-minded true-blues. Conservatives must definitely gain a much stronger, louder voice in the RUNNING of the Party.
Hello Jennifer,
It’s true that Labor, when compared to the Liberals, are the greater of two evils. The salient fact, however, is that both those parties are toxic by virtue of left-wing cant – having to choose between them is like being given a choice of consuming either hemlock or hydrogen cyanide: you’ll die whichever you take, but the former will kill you in around three hours, whereas the latter will see you leave this mortal coil in just three minutes.
You say that Gladys “has been doing a pretty good job in NSW”, which shows a misunderstanding of her intent on your part. She is a “moderate”; that is to say, she wishes to ultimately control everything you do, everything you say, and everything you think – for her, the endgame is a dystopian world where you will either conform by kowtowing to the left, or you will be sent to the gallows or the gulag. The reason you may not be fully aware of this is because it is being achieved by numerous small steps over a protracted period of time (look up “gradualism in politics” on the Internet), and because the Liberals take great care to disguise what is going on by appointing as leaders those who present as bland, inoffensive, and unthreatening. Gladys is actually the N.S.W. analogue of Scott Morrison in that respect, being no more than a puppet – how else do you think it is that Matt Kean still has a job?
Once one understands that *both* major parties have sold out this country and its people, it’s easy to see that the key is in having true conservatives gain control of the Senate, from which position they can restrain the woke madness of Liberals and Labor alike. In military terms one would consider the Senate to be a strategic choke-point, control of which is imperative because it will determine the outcome of the battle. I would therefore contend that my plan has considerable merit, and that it is certainly a far better option than ceding political ground by default to the Liberals and slowly succumbing to the consequent creeping authoritarianism imposed by their socialist masters.
I note your contention that “One Nation has no strength”, but that is not entirely correct, and, to the extent that it is, that situation is rapidly changing as disaffected voters are drawn to it, even if for no other reason than the dearth of compelling alternatives. You would be surprised at the quality of some of those who are joining One Nation; they represent broad spectra professionally and socially, and include those who present as exceptionally erudite and discerning, and as well experienced in their various fields of endeavour or areas of subject matter expertise.
What can one say to the assertion that Tony “[…] with Robert Menzies ranks among Australia’s greatest leaders.”? The aphorism that springs to mind is this: “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king”. The truth is that Tony was not a “great leader” at all; he was a mediocre leader who bears up well in comparison to other Prime Ministers who have ranged in quality from pathetic to disastrous. As I’ve commented here before, Tony is a nice enough bloke, but, in common with most other politicians, he lacks sufficient real-life experience. Most crucially, he is not a good judge of others – no one expects a politician to know everything there is to know, but what *is* expected is that they will be able to identify with ease those who have the requisite degree of common sense and discernment to offer informed and helpful advice. As the proverb correctly holds “Where no advice is, the people fall; but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.”
Any clear-eyed analysis of the “Liberal” party would conclude that that it is well beyond repair; the longed for second coming of a supposed political messiah can no more save it than a new emperor could have preserved the Roman Empire at its end. If a ship at sea suffers damage to the hull and is taking on water, the first step is to man the pumps in the hope that it might be saved; this is plain common sense. However, it is also common sense to realise that if the rate at which water is being taken on exceeds the capacity of the pumps to expel it, then the ship is going to be lost no matter what is done. Working harder on the pumps will not change the outcome, nor will wishful thinking, nor will pining for the “good old days” when when there was a half-decent captain in charge, rather than the moron who has deliberately and maliciously grounded the vessel on a well-marked shoal. There comes a point when it’s clear that all that could be done has been done, and that the ship is on the cusp of foundering – at which time those who remain at the pumps, no matter how well intentioned, risk going down with her.
The major political parties do not have the market cornered with regards to capable individuals; far from it, in fact, as is attested to by their sad record of egregious conduct and serial betrayals of the voters of Australia. It’s time for long-suffering Liberal supporters to leave the past behind and start looking to the future – to let go of their political Stockholm Syndrome, repudiate their would-be masters, and chart their own course with men of integrity who have a genuine concern for this country and its people, and who will serve accordingly.
Surely this can’t be too difficult to grasp?
TONY ABBOTT’S RETURN: Professor Flint, I fully endorse your every comment re. Tony Abbott, however, would HE wish to make a come-back??? The problems in our previously sturdy and sound Battleship ‘The L.N.P. Canberra’ have profoundly multiplied of late!
WHEN I’M TERRIBLY INCLINED TO SHOUT AT THE T.V. SCREEN – after hearing of more anti-conservative bilge washing around the decks of our good ship, – my husband has just to remind me of how absolutely toxic the alternative (Government?) would be for our wonderful Country.
BUT STILL, IF OUR SHIP IS TO STAY EFFECTIVE – & AFLOAT – it must build some new – (very clear – devoid of rot) – hardwood beams into its structure and jettison the rotten, decayed, red/green ones, with which it’s now riddled and which threaten to scupper it.
AS THAT GREAT INDIVIDUAL (& ‘CLIMATE-CHANGE’ SCEPTIC) – PRINCE PHILIP once reminded all in a T.V. Interview – The State is there to protect the Individual and his rights – i.e., it’s not elected to stifle free speech, individual thoughts, beliefs and preferences.
With the Govt. now proposing new and excruciatingly absurd Workplace Rules – ROWAN DEAN VENTED WELL ON YESTERDAY’S UNRIVALLED T.V. PROGRAMME – ‘OUTSIDERS’ : The Government is NOT ELECTED to direct our speech, nor to replace our natural Australian optimism with guaranteed paranoia, vindictiveness and create fearful, dull and dreary, work environments. It CANNOT remove the presumption of innocence, nor remove the rights of every individual to think and act within the primary laws, without fear of repercussions.
Then there is the shocking premise that any serious endeavour cannot function without the imposition of imbecilic ‘QUOTAS’! HOW MORONIC IS THIS PREMISE? It only ensures the employment of second and third-rate personnel with inadequate minds and grasping egos, – more likely to sink us.
MERIT IS THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE GUIDELINE!
MORE ROTTEN BEAMS:
(A) TO BE CUT OUT: THE GREEN/RENEWABLES ENERGY PERVERSIONS that threaten and burden our previously, clear sailing and sensibly-run BATTLESHIP! Increased energy prices, plus increased fragility and instability of our whole energy system will result – PLUS – the obvious devastation of our economy.
It goes without saying – IT’S AN UNDENIABLE FACT – A NO-BRAINER – THAT WE MUST USE OUR GOD-GIVEN NATURAL RESOURCES to power our homes and our hopefully regenerated manufacturing sector. It’s been proven – over and over; it’s a fact, – that the threat from increased carbon dioxide and ‘CLIMATE CHANGE ‘ is all 99.999% untrue!
(B) TO BE CUT OUT: THE INCREASING PERVERSION OF OUR CHILDREN’S MINDS. Surely there must be some way for the Federal Government to emphatically ‘advise’ the ostrich-like, State Governments to STOP THEIR EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS FROM BURDENING – FROM ACTUALLY SWAMPING – OUR PRECIOUS CHILDREN’S BRAINS with the horribly inappropriate, child-bilious dogmas of ‘sexual orientation and diversity’ and ‘critical race and gender theories’!
IN SCHOOLS – IMPOSING ANYTHING ALONG THESE LINES – ON THESE IMMATURE, VULNERABLE AND NAIVE MINDS – HAS A MULTITUDE OF DANGEROUS PITFALLS. IT IS POTENTIALLY, EXTREMELY HARMFUL AND IN FACT, – AMOUNTS TO VERY OBVIOUS CHILD ABUSE!
Stopping this insanity in our schools will free more time for the basics and the unadulterated imperatives of a decent, modern education.
P.M. MORRISON & CABINET – REPAIR, – THEN STAY ON THE RIGHT COURSE!
Form your own sensible and true conservative policies, without risking even one kilometre of sailing towards the left-wing maelstrom. DO NOT STRAY FROM YOUR INTELLIGENT COMPASS BEARINGS ——- (OR YOU WILL CERTAINLY BE SUCKED DOWN INTO OBLIVION!)