The Turnbull Government's signature economic policy — the one on which it (rather flimsily) built its 2016 election campaign and raison d'etre — has gone down in flames in the Senate.

Sure, the Government had been able to get tax cuts for small to medium-sized business through the Senate some time ago.

But tax cuts for big business were rejected by the Upper House, despite the most desperate of last-minute moves to make them crossbench friendly, including the suggestion that you could somehow carve the big banks out of the tax cut.

So much political capital and energy has been expended and exhausted in trying to justify these cuts and, on Labor's side, to make the glaringly obviously political point about how inequitable it appeared to be giving "tax cuts to the big end of town" when people were feeling the pinch from years of stagnant wages and increasing prices.

And now... for nothing.

Read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-22/malcolm-turnbull-key-economic-poli...

Moderate MP and Turnbull backer Trent Zimmerman says it's still hard to tell if there will be another leadership spill. He also points out there has been a lot of disinformation pumped out tonight to create a sense of chaos and momentum. 

From what we've seen tonight there's been rumours swirling. It's fair to say you'd almost think that there's a lot of Vladimir Putin fake news happening.

Mr Zimmerman was asked about his colleague Jane Prentice's remark about there being about nine signatures on the petition for a party room meeting:
 

That's not enough to cause another spill. 
 

We made a decision earlier this week and I'm hoping my colleagues will stick by that. It's time we moved on. Australians are sick and tired of this type of internal naval [sic] gazing. We need to be focused on providing the needs of all Australians.

Read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-22/liberal-party-leadership-dramas-au...

Journalists in the cold of the floodlit courtyard noted carefully the loyalists filtering to Turnbull’s bunker: Christopher Pyne, Julie Bishop, Simon Birmingham. Barnaby Joyce wandered by, demanding, unnecessarily: “What are you lot up to?”

Of Peter Dutton there was no sighting.

At time of writing, the vigil continued, all questions unanswered.

Read more:

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-moodily-desperate-late-night...

In a move to heighten pressure on Mr Turnbull, assistant minister James McGrath insisted on resigning after the Prime Minister had declined to accept his initial resignation on Tuesday.

Other frontbenchers continued to back the Prime Minister, with Social Services Minister Dan Tehan saying: “I will not vote against a sitting PM.”

One of Mr Turnbull's supporters, Queensland MP Jane Prentice, dismissed the petition as she left Parliament House on Thursday night, saying she had heard the document only had nine signatures and there was no need for another ballot.

"I think people should stop thinking about themselves and think about the people of Australia," an angry Ms Prentice said.

The moves came hours after five ministers who voted for Mr Dutton declared their loyalty to Mr Turnbull in Parliament, highlighting the rapid shifts within the party room and the bad blood on both sides of the vote.

Read more:

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/people-should-stop-thinking-about-themselves-government-split-after-mps-launch-second-strike-against-turnbull

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I seems they ment Wednesday night... Thursday night is tomorrow

No matter whether Malcolm has the numbers or not tomorrow, the goose is coooooooooked for the Liberal (CONartists-servatives). The NEG came straight out of the Trump administration song book. We need to do MUCH BETTER THAN THIS...  urgently.

Widespread view amongst government MPs and commentators that forces include News Corp papers, Sky News evening commentators and talkback radio hosts

Read more:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/aug/23/turnbull-says-for...

All the luminaries of this Murdoch-led media HATE the sciences of global warming... By "refined" pussyfooting about it with a NEG, Mal, you made a stick for them to hit you with... 

But parliament NEVER operates in a vacuum! So what you refer to is what all politics and politicians have to cope with, NOT JUST YOU. And at some point, you were savvy in using these "outside forces" for your own fucking gain, Malcolm. Welcome to crap-media!

Read from top.

And by saying "forces 'outside the parliament' have worked to destabilise leadership" he should go and visit the GG tomorrow to dissolve parliament, because it looks he has no idea about anything and... one could ask the question: is malcolm the full quid?

Dear Malcolm, you might survive this SELF-INFLICTED Kanbra-Krap tomorrow but not for long... I could be wrong though. But as a politician, you failed MISERABLY. You thought your mob of sycophant psycho-megalomaniacs were trustworthy? Let me laugh! You think "external forces" are at play in your troubles, as if these "forces" never existed ever for all your predecessors? You're kidding me? That is grand bullshit! 

You forked out more than a million bux of your own cash to salvage a moribund "Liberal" party at the last elections — a supposedly "broad-church" party that is no more than a collection of mostly scientific illiterate neo-nazis, who would knife you in the back as soon as they could, with the help of Mr Murdoch's monkeys, especially Abbott? No respect? And, should "you go", you expect the nation to still be led by this mob of dirty dealers? Come on! Do the right thing for once! Call an election NOW! We will be grateful for the rest of our short life! No sweat!... Stop being a whimpering wimp! Stop being a whimp!

I know, you're still wearing that beige cardigan with pride... Go away.

Who is the man who brought a lump of coal to Parliament and went on to become PM? Martin Zavan says Scott Morrison is a leader this nation can ill afford.

AFTER EVERYONE in Australia’s collective heads stop spinning at the assassination of yet another Prime Minister, thoughts may turn to the character of the latest man to step into the top job, again over the political corpse of a vanquished rival.  

Despite more than a decade in office, there are many Australians who still don’t know much about the man they call Scomo.

Newly sworn in Prime Minister Scott Morrison is widely viewed as a moderate but a more accurate description would be that of a chameleon and an opportunist.

His duplicitous nature was on full display as recently as two days ago, when he was asked if he would challenge Malcolm Turnbull for the Liberal Party leadership. 

Morrison threw his arm around his leader and smiled broadly as he declared:

“Me? This is my leader. And I’m ambitious for him."

A bemused Turnbull smiled and thanked the man who would take his job and end his career, less than 48 hours later.

Read more:

https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/the-lump-of-c...

See also: funny? why oh why? in press fuckdom...

In case you did not notice, but in the toon at top, MALCOLM IS PUPPETEERING SCOMO...