Clawtopsy posted:

Will anything actually come of this, or is it too high-concept for the general public to get worked up over?

starkebn posted:

The way I understand it, it's basically that Brandis has told parliament he spoke the other lawyer about something, because he is supposed to, but he didn't - he just told them he did to push something through.

Nibbles! posted:

Younger drivers should certainly be targeted as they're heavily over represented in accidents but the rates also shoot up after 70 or so and no one really talks about that.

ewe2 posted:

Brandis won't go anywhere. Shifted to the backbench at most, and then only after a Senate crisis. The LNP moderate faction desperately need him to hang on, but really he's been a disaster for them; it wouldn't surprise me if the Right engineer a face-saving changeover at Xmas when the media are otherwise engaged (it's not as if they could be bothered now anyway), completely coincidental of course. A public disgrace is not what Turnbull needs right now.

Cleretic posted:

He's part of the Liberal moderates?

Cleretic posted:

He's part of the Liberal moderates?

Cartoon posted:

Brandis is as guilty as hell and needs to resign. So in the firm tradition of LNP dirt bags will hold on till force-ably removed by the armed proletariat.

Cleretic posted:

He's part of the Liberal moderates?

ewe2 posted:

By the batshit insane metrics of the LNP, yes. They actually think they're real conservatives, compared to the Right faction. Pyne's been under this delusion from the start.

Schlesische posted:

Admittedly, I don't actually know, and this is more a question for what the batshit insane metrics of the LNP are.

quote:

No new commitment on renewable energy target till 2017 review: Frydenberg

State energy ministers have dismissed today's snap COAG meeting in Melbourne as a 'stunt' and a 'talkfest'. South Australia Treasurer and Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis wants a national energy intensity scheme, to 'incentivise' gas and close coal fired power stations. Josh Frydenberg, Federal Environment and Energy Minister, refused to commit to a national energy intensity scheme on RN Breakfast. He also would not make a commitment to new targets for the Federal Renewable Energy Target (RET) beyond 2020. He told Breakfast a 2017 review of energy and climate policy would be 'critical', and would examine a whole suite of policies, including the RET, the Emissions Reduction Fund, energy efficiency and the work of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). Mr. Frydenberg said Labor's 2030 50 per cent renewable energy target would cost $48 billion--'how are they going to pay for that policy?'

quote:

SA Weather: Appalling management to blame for prolonged blackout , Barnaby Joyce says Updated yesterday at 4:52pm

It was "appalling management" and not cyclonic conditions that caused SA's power to be out for up to three days, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says. The devastating impact of a mid-latitude cyclone that smashed SA on Wednesday last week and brought with it several tornados has sparked nation-wide debate about the state's renewables and what contribution they made to the outage. South Australia is 40 per cent reliant on renewables, mostly wind power, and questions are being asked about what role that had in the outage. This is despite a regulatory report released yesterday admitting the primary cause of the outage was damage caused by severe weather. It resulted in a Victorian interconnector shutting down to protect the system and, consequently, a statewide power outage. The interim report, released by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), also said there was a reduction in wind farm generation at connection points leading up to the blackout, but more analysis was required to discern what that cause was.

Mr Joyce criticised the State Government for blaming the storm for the prolonged nature of the blackout.

"It wasn't a hurricane. It was a severe thunderstorm. They've had severe thunderstorms before," he said. "But this idea that a storm caused the blackout. No rubbish, Sherlock, we got that part. But why couldn't you get the system up and running again?" South Australia has the most expensive electricity in the nation and in July this year suffered a price spike when wholesale prices jumped from $60 MWh to $9,000 MWh. "There's things in common. It's unreliable. It's expensive and it's in South Australia," Mr Joyce said. "And now you've had power spikes in the last two months. You've got an absolute crisis down there. It's appalling management."

It said engineers had described the damage to the lattice steel towers, which were made in the 1980s, as unprecedented.

Economists in favour of renewables

A number of energy experts and economists have spoken in favour of renewable energy at a summit held in Adelaide today. The State Government convened the meeting, as debate continues over the role of wind energy in the system shutdown. Australia's Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel said his reading of the situation was that the source of the electricity was irrelevant. "If you had a natural gas generator there, and the voltage was collapsing, and the frequency was collapsing, that natural gas generator would have taken itself off the grid just as rapidly as the wind farms had taken themselves off," Dr Finkel said. That is the intention of safety circuits — safety circuits at the end of the day protect the device."

Premier Jay Weatherill is touring Melrose today after officially opening Sundrop Farms' new solar powered greenhouse near Port Augusta. The 20-hectare facility includes a field of more than 23,000 mirrors that capture the sunlight and direct it to a central receiver at the top of a 127-metre "power" tower. Mr Weatherill acknowledged the intermittency of wind power was an issue that needed to be addressed urgently. But he said the Federal Government should not be playing politics and should concentrate on a COAG energy summit in Melbourne on Friday. "My [energy] minister will be going on Friday to propose a national enquiry." He said South Australia would continue to move towards its renewable energy targets. "The renewable future is South Australia's future. Nobody's going to be building any more coal-fired power stations. It's completely unrealistic," Mr Weatherill said.

Port Lincoln MP seeks answers

Liberal Member for Flinders Peter Treloar said he wanted a detailed explanation about last week's outage, which caused parts of the Eyre Peninsula, including the town of Port Lincoln, to be blacked out for three days. AEMO only made brief mention of Port Lincoln's situation, saying that all three back-up units "tripped" and multiple attempts to bring them back online failed. "I won't rest until we found out what actually happened because it's all about energy security," Mr Treloar said.

quote:

Painting Blue Poles, worth $350m, should be sold to reduce national debt: Senator James Paterson By political reporter Matthew Doran Posted about an hour ago

The balance between cultural and financial value is in the spotlight, with Victorian Liberal Senator James Paterson arguing iconic Jackson Pollock painting Blue Poles should be sold off to help pay down the national debt. The controversial artwork was snapped up in 1973 with the approval of then-prime minister Gough Whitlam for a record amount of $1.3 million dollars. It has been housed at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, but is currently on loan to the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Senator Paterson said it had proven to be a very good investment, massively increasing in value over the last four decades. "It's estimated for insurance purposes recently to be worth up to $350 million," he said. "But my view is that it's not appropriate for the Federal Government to own a single piece of art worth $350 million, it would be one of the most expensive paintings in the world. It'll only be worth something to taxpayers when we sell it. Some people feel like they've got a real attachment to Blue Poles, and I understand that, but I don't think it's a good enough reason for the Australian Government to tie up such a significant amount of money in a single painting which is hung in a gallery in Canberra most of the year, and which most Australians won't ever see face to face in their lifetimes."

Money 'could be reinvested in Australian art'

Senator Paterson said there was also the possibility some of the funds could be spent on other artwork, and conceded there was a need to protect assets of cultural significance to the country. "But I think in this case, $350 million on an American painting is not a very good investment for an Australian gallery," he said. "Think about the Australian work that we could buy if we just quarantined half of that money to be reinvested in a current Australian artist, or Australian art for the gallery. It's certainly a significant painting, but it's not one that's particularly tied to Australia's cultural heritage, and it's not one that particularly speaks to our cultural experience."

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann told Sky News he was pleased Senator Paterson was looking for ways to improve the budget bottom line. "It's a matter for the board of the National Gallery to determine how they manage their portfolio," he said. "It is a national treasure, and I can't see it being sold."

Lid posted:

The continued hatred the Libs have of Blue Poles is endearing in its mediocrity. A Labor politician with art sense and an icon they vehemontly opposed and criticised? This will not stand.

open24hours posted:

I wonder what will happen to the factories. Get decommissioned and sold for scrap I guess?

I would blow Dane Cook posted:

Blue poles was the reason Whitlam was dismissed

Cartoon posted:

The John Winston Howard memorial dung heap grid.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/creepy-clown-sightings-sweeping-united-states-hit-victoria-20161007-grx2e7.html posted:

The contagion of creepy clowns sweeping the United States appears to have hit Victoria, police say.

Numerous sightings of people wearing threatening clown costumes have been reported across America in recent months, with terrifying accounts coming from multiple cities.

People wearing clown outfits have been terrorising residents in America. Photo: Supplied



Victoria Police said on its Facebook page that it was aware of people parading in public wearing clown masks.

Have you seen a creepy clown in Victoria? Email us at scoop@theage.com.au

In one US report this week, a person in a clown suit intimidated subway passengers in New York before chasing a 16-year-old boy with a kitchen knife through a turnstile and up a flight of stairs.

The first reported sighting is believed to have come in August from Greenville County in South Carolina, where police were told by children that someone dressed in a clown suit was enticing kids to follow them in to the woods.

A woman told police that her son had "seen clowns in the woods whispering and making strange noises", CBS News reported.

Since then there have also been incidents in Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Growing community concern has even prompted a response from the White House, who said law enforcement was treating the problem seriously.

"The clown purge appears to be a copycat of incidents being seen in the USA recently," Victoria Police's Facebook post said.

Any intimidating, threatening or anti-social behaviour would not be tolerated, police said.

Anyone who sees a scary clown is asked to contact their local police station if they have any concerns.

WhiskeyWhiskers posted:

No they were Blue Vietnamese. And the reason he should have been sacked.

open24hours posted:

I wonder what will happen to the factories. Get decommissioned and sold for scrap I guess?

crikey posted:

George Brandis and the struggle for competence

It’s a small matter, but yesterday the Senate committee examining Attorney-General George Brandis’ direction giving himself veto power over access to Solicitor-General Justin Gleeson posted Brandis’ submission. (Remember, Brandis issued a direction in May this year preventing the Solicitor-General from providing any advice within government except with the A-G’s explicit approval. Brandis says Gleeson consulted on the direction and gave it the green light. But Gleeson has proven he most certainly did not.)

It’s a riposte to Gleeson’s utterly damning account of Brandis’ failure to consult him in developing the direction, but it attaches handwritten meeting notes that actually confirm exactly what Gleeson told the committee. The matter of a legal direction was airily mentioned at the start of a meeting last November, but only in the context of the framework of how the use of the Solicitor-General was regulated within government; the actual preparation and issue of a direction of any kind, let alone the one that Brandis tried to impose in May this year, is signally absent from the notes.

But included among other attachments to Brandis’ submission, right before the meeting notes, is Gleeson’s letter that initiated the meeting. Gleeson had already provided the letter to the committee, with some minor redactions, in his submission. Now Brandis provides the same letter — but Brandis has excised vast slabs of it. Fully three-quarters of the letter are whited out, including an entire page. Not merely does Brandis’ own submission verify Gleeson’s damning evidence against him, but the Attorney-General goes to the effort of taking the Liquid Paper to a letter that has already been made public, virtually in full, days earlier.

It’s another example of how almost everything that George Brandis touches turns to poo poo. And not just on legal matters — Brandis’ pretensions to being a jurist are a matter of ridicule within the profession — but on political matters. Here’s an exhausting, if not necessarily exhaustive, list of stuff-ups by Brandis since becoming Attorney-General:

* Single-handedly blew up the Abbott government’s proposal to amend section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act by declaring “people have the right to be bigots” in Parliament;
* Backflipped on his previous opposition to data retention and, lacking a basic understanding of how web browsing works, conducting a disastrous interview so awful it helped David Speers win a Walkley;
* Inflicted major damage on the arts sector by removing more than $100 million from arts funding to set up his own personal fund, before being dumped as arts minister by Malcolm Turnbull;
* Declared Islamic State to be an “existential threat” to Australia;
* Lost his counter-terrorism responsibility to Michael Keenan;
* Launched an ASIO raid on Witness K, the former ASIS officer who, following advice from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, revealed the Australian Secret Intelligence Service’s illegal bugging of the East Timorese cabinet, and demanded the prosecution of K and his lawyer, Bernard Collaery;
* Slashed funding for community legal centres, insisting the cuts were aimed at stopping “policy reform advocacy”, then tried to obscure the cuts in references to global legal funding, before partially restoring some of the cuts late in the election campaign;
* Claimed Edward Snowden had placed Australian lives at risk, but when challenged was unable to produce evidence for it;
*Tried — using his departmental secretary — to encourage Gillian Triggs to resign from the Australian Human Rights Commission by offering her an international job, then denied he’d ever done so despite the evidence of his secretary; and
*Appointed a donor to his own party to a judicial position, one who had defended Brandis’ son in court.

Brandis has also continued a failing of attorneys-general before him of being unable, or unwilling, to force his own department to carry out basic functions effectively. Most notoriously, his department ignored a letter from Man Haron Monis, sent to Brandis himself (which, correctly, his office referred to the department), which could have raised serious concerns about his radicalisation in the week before the Sydney siege.

The department then “accidentally” failed to alert the government’s own in-house review of the handling of the siege to the letter, omitting it from documents provided to the inquiry. Worse, it then misled Brandis himself, and caused Julie Bishop to mislead the House of Representatives, that the letter had been given to the inquiry, and remained aware that Parliament had been misled and failed to act despite senior officials in other departments raising concerns. Such incompetence — to be charitable — becomes understandable when one bears in mind AGD’s long history of bungling on data retention both under Brandis and his predecessors.

The strong theme of this long list of bungles — apart from the obvious lack of competence on show — is Brandis’ political tin ear. Not merely is Brandis a poor lawyer (not necessarily a problem in being Attorney-General), but far more fatally, he is a bad politician, almost Mr Magoo-like in his ability to cause havoc around him while seeming to remain oblivious to the wreckage he has made of the government’s image or plans. There’s a reason why John Howard kept Brandis away from ministerial office for as long as possible, and Brandis has illustrated it on multiple occasions.

There are probably better lawyers than Brandis within the Coalition, but there are certainly many better politicians. In calling for his sacking for misleading Parliament, Labor should be careful what it wishes for — it would be a blessing for the government.

MiniSune posted:

Laserface posted:

So with car production winding up, when the gently caress are the protection tariffs on imported vehicles being removed? I need a new subaru.

WhiskeyWhiskers posted:

I'd hate for Australia to become a place where we had monuments to politicians all over the place. It feels gauche and American.



Picture unrelated.

MiniSune posted:

George Brandis is a stupid attention-seeking arse.