Menzies House

General George Patton – McTernan’s alter ego?

Bertel Torsten in Canberra

Even the best political spin-doctors have their bad days.

Whatever else you might think about Hitler’s fabulously titled Minister for National Enlightenment and Propaganda, Dr Josef Goebbels, he was a consummate master of the dark art.

In 1941 when the war from his perspective was going quite nicely, came the shattering news that the Deputy Fuehrer Rudolf Hess had secretly flown to the UK on a lunatic mission to try and broker a peace deal.

The acknowledged spin doctor of his era went into a complete meltdown, fled to his country residence and went into a massive sulk. Begged by his offsider for guidance on what to say, Goebbels shouted down the phone, “Say whatever you please. I don’t know what to advise you. There are situations which even the best propagandist in the world cannot cope with.” Then he hung up and went to bed.

Centenary of the 1913 Federal Election

A couple of weeks ago on 31 May 2013 was the centenary of the 1913 federal election, which went unnoticed.  It was one of the most critical elections in Australian history and its story needs to be retold, writes John Ruddick 

Between 1901 and 1910 Australia had eight Prime Ministerships with no party having a majority in either the House or the Senate.  The backdrop to this period of political flux was the seemingly inexorable rise of Labor. 

In 1901 Labor had just 14 seats in the House (out of 75) making it the smallest of the three parliamentary parties.  In 1903 the Labor tally almost doubled to 23 and then strengthened in 1906 with 26 seats.  The election of 1910 saw Labor not only win a clear majority in the House (42) but almost two thirds of the Senate.  It was a historic victory - Labor was the first openly socialistic party to win a national election in the world.

Campaign Diary - Is Australia ready for a Brian Harradine 'of the 21st Century'?

After returning recently from a trip to Tasmania, I suddenly started wondering if Australia is ready for another Brian Harradine writes Assistant Managing Editor, Tim Humphries

It was an inauspicious arrival. Yours truly, the proverbial Queensland parochial disembarking from the plane with my state of origin scarf, ready for an Antarctic blast. Suddenly I clap eyes on a security beagle as it sniffed its way through the assembled throng making sure the main landers hadn't surreptitiously attempted to bring fruit and other contraband to the apple isle. 

What proceeded from this point was ten days of non-stop touring and photo taking, note taking, speaking to Tasmanians and getting a handle on the candidate Peter Madden and his 'Family First' focus. As a volunteer this process was intriguing.

Maurice newman explains Labor

ALP's entitlement society must be transformed under the Coalition

by Maurice Newman

The Australian March 25, 2013

IT is not being partisan to say that since 2007 successive Labor governments have shifted Australia's economic and social compass sharply to the Left. With surprising speed, taking full advantage of unforeseen events, Labor has managed to give voice to those progressive elites and rent-seekers the fiscally conservative John Howard had frustrated for 11 long years

Read more: Via The Australian 

THE PUBLIC SERVE US?

The past fortnight has seen amazing developments in the United States.

The Internal Revenue Service has been monitoring and targeting the financial transactions of organizations which are conservative or connected to the Tea Party movement.

Was this over-diligence? Or was it a case of deliberate political profiling in order to harass, intimidate or disadvantage these organisations? It raises serious questions about the nature of the civil service; and just who is it meant to be serving.

Australia does not have the same tradition as the United States where the election of a president from the opposing political view results in a complete replacement of the upper echelons of the civil service so that the new administration properly reflects the political viewpoints of the new presidency. Australia’s Public Service follows the British model of a supposedly politically neutral Public Service, dedicated to implementing the policies of the elected government of the day.

This leads to ask some questions about possible political bias in Australia’s Public Service.

Mad About Madden

I first met him at a conservative forum aimed at building skills and networking within the conservative movement, writes Tim Humphries

He was well spoken, genuine and the sort of Australian whose character was demonstrated by the authenticity of his handshake.

My initial impression was that he was a Liberal Party candidate. However upon further investigation it was made known that he was in fact the lead Family First candidate for the Senate in the great state of Tasmania.

Disabled Veterans prove you just can’t trust them!

Allan’s continuous support for veterans casts a dark shadow of shame upon this Labor government. Considering savage budget cuts to the Australian Defence Forces and the disgraceful treatment of war veterans It is obvious to all that the Gillard regime harbours a deep resentment toward our armed forces.

With punitive actions as such described herein Australia will soon find that there are insufficient enlistments to protect the nation. GC.Ed@L.

During Julia Gillard’s recent week long crusade into the supposed Labor heartland of Western Sydney she was confronted by a group of Veteran’s representatives wanting to know why a fair go in regard to the indexation of their superannuation was being dismissed by her Government.  She ignored them, refused to talk to them in public and breezed past them as if they were lepers.  Later and probably after being told by her advisors that her ignorance could have undesirable results at the ballot box, she promised to meet with them personally.

Another broken promise,  another insult.  She didn’t turn up!!!  Instead she sent along one of her ‘senior advisors’ to say that she was just too busy.  The advisor advised that there would be no decision made on the matter of ex-service superannuation because the associated costs had not yet been finalised.  Not finalised??  This recalcitrant Government has had five years to get the funding organised and they are still using it as an excuse.  They just don’t intend to honour their contracted debt to Veterans.

Politics defined and reviled

Opinion

From which to choose? For whom to vote?

Two musty old parties that boredom and disinterest has rendered indistinguishable in many ways. Such is the sorry state of politics in Australia caused by what is essentially a two-horse race. Horses too haggard for the glue factory.

The remedy is simple but to date unachievable. A few parties have tried to break the vice-like grip held on the levers of power so long held by the Labor and Liberal duo. The Democrats, One Nation, and the Greens were the more recent contenders, only the Greens have survived—for now—for what?

The two major parties are like old furniture, they don’t take kindly to being moved or threatened by an interloper to their patch. In fact, Labor/Liberal, supposed political enemies by nature, will unite in villainy should their positions be threatened by an outsider. Their sense of entitlement has become a genetic imprint.

This assumed inheritance is also a savagely protected right to the taxpayers’ purse and the only change tolerated, reluctantly, is a parliamentary swap from one side of the house to the other. Either way, salaries, pensions, and perks are assured.