from politicoz ….

Aesop tells the story of the North Wind and the Sun: who is the stronger?

‘Hello, my name is Andrew & I’m here to help.’

Now I know that many of you were shocked by the wicked behaviour of around 100 Muslim demonstrators in Sydney this week, but don’t worry, we have the situation under control.

Church leaders have hit back angrily at controversial claims by a prominent gay activist that Anglican archbishops of Sydney die younger than the rest of the community.

The whistleblower who exposed alleged corruption in two Reserve Bank companies told five top bank officials of his explosive concerns, only to be forced out of his job and warned to keep quiet.

from Crikey ….

Abbott's biffage par for the course in student pollie sandpit

For 40 years I have been raging against the capitalist machine in all its manifestations – war, genocide, poverty, human rights abuses, working class exploitation, economic crises and the racism, sexism and homophobia which act as a glue for the system and the Labor Party and trade union leadership which are its staunchest defenders and the rock on which it survives.

Tony Abbott's role model in developing his style as Opposition Leader was Barnstorming Barnaby Joyce. But this week something changed between the two men. It was an important moment for Australia.

It was Barnaby Joyce who led in developing what's become the Abbott trademark - the angry, populist, fear-mongering attack on the carbon tax.

When Tony Abbott lost the University of Sydney Students' Representative Council presidency, he allegedly approached the woman who beat him and, leaning into her face, punched the wall on each side of her head.

from politicoz ….

Qantas has inked an alliance agreement with Middle Eastern rival Emirates aimed at stemming the Australian airline's losses on the highly competitive route between Australia and Europe.

After months of negotiations and endless speculation, Qantas today unveiled the terms of a 10-year alliance with Emirates on routes to Europe via Dubai, due to begin next April.

British democracy is in crisis. We cannot wish this away. The cause is a precipitous decline in respect for Members of Parliament and for the governments they form. Trust in our rulers has never been lower; faith in their competence is approaching nil. Democratic states cannot function properly in such circumstances. To see what is happening, look at what the polling organisations report.

from politicoz ….

Chinese consortium Shandong Ruyi is seeking to buy Australia's largest cotton farm, Cubbie Station, and the purchase now has the approval of the government.