The Opposition's new communications spokesman, Malcolm Turnbull, has wasted no time in attacking the Federal Government's management of the National Broadband Network (NBN) amid claims of a potential budget blowout.

Earlier today Opposition Leader Tony Abbott ordered Mr Turnbull to "demolish" the NBN as he brought him back to the Coalition frontbench to head up its communications portfolio.

Declaring the NBN would be the "absolute focus" of the political battle of the next 18 months, Mr Abbott said he could think of no better person to "ferociously" hold the Government to account on the issue.

Back in 1995, Benjamin Netanyahu published a scary book called Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat the International Terrorist Network that says that radical Islam is trying to conquer the west and extend Muslim rule. I carried a copy out with me to Jordan. From page 121:

"The best estimates at this time place Iran between three and five years away from possessing the prerequisites required for the independent production of nuclear weapons. After this time, the Iranian Islamic republic will have the ability to construct atomic weapons without the importation of materials or technology from abroad."

Terrorists' biggest bonus was gained when the US invaded Iraq

September 14, 2010

The war criminal, Tony Blair, is to receive an award for his alleged global human rights work.

The ex-Prime Minister will be presented with Liberty Medal by former US President Bill Clinton even as his newly published memoirs reignited debate on his political leadership.

The medal is given annually by the National Constitution Centre to individuals or organisations whose actions aim to bring liberty to people worldwide.

Mr Blair is being honoured for his work with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, which promotes religious tolerance, and for his initiative to improve governance in Africa.

from Crikey .....

The day Free TV Australia didn't like a bit of free speech

Canberra correspondent Bernard Keane writes:

Political staffer:

"Hey, Rob I'm just going to the parliamentary canteen. Did you want the pasta or the salad roll?"

Rob Oakeshott:

"Well, look. I mean, yikes. I'm not pretending this is easy. It's been line ball, a points decision, six to one half a dozen the other, it really could go either way, in fact it's going right down to the wire. I mean, I like pasta. I like it a lot. Over the years I have eaten a lot of pasta, it's, you know, it's a carbohydrate, and you can have it with a variety of sauces.

Did 9/11 make us all go mad? How fitting, in a weird, crazed way, that the apotheosis of that firestorm nine years ago should turn out to be a crackpot preacher threatening another firestorm with a Nazi-style book burning of the Koran. Or a would-be mosque two blocks from "ground zero" - as if 9/11 was an onslaught on Jesus-worshipping Christians, rather than on the atheist West.

At the insistence of the Greens, we are about to get a full-scale parliamentary debate on our military involvement in Afghanistan some time soon - the only foreign policy demand in our 17 days of political haggling.

So let's hope our kinder and gentler MPs do their homework and make the best of it, instead of resorting to the usual pieties about standing behind our fighting soldiers until the job is done.

The question is: what is the job? Fortunately, some very good discussion papers are starting to come out of respected think tanks and policy groups to guide our thinking. And some bad ones too.

In a normal country, war is front-page news. It is a big deal to invade and bomb another nation. Most of the world's people can probably name all the foreign governments their own government is at war with.

"America's strategic and economic interests in the Mideast and Muslim world are being threatened by the agony in Palestine, which inevitably invites terrorist attacks against US citizens and property."

Ever since 9/11, readers keep asking me my views on these attacks. I have been barraged with emails until my head spins with engineering studies about melting steel, controlled explosions, claims about nefarious plots, and wreckage analysis.

One of the most colorful theories comes from Gen. Hamid Gul, former director of Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI. He insists that 9/11 was staged by Israel's Mossad and a cabal of rightwing US Air Force generals.

Two conflicting urges struggled within Tony Abbott's breast on Tuesday evening as he dealt with the news that Julia Gillard would form the next government.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Abbott began his press conference at Parliament House. "The longest election is finally over. The Coalition won more votes and more seats than our opponents, but sadly, we did not get the opportunity to form a government."

This was the first urge, to frustration and anger, as Abbott promised to hold the government "ferociously to account".

The atmosphere was speech day at a minor Christian college as Tony Abbott handed out prizes for most "indefatigable" (the member for Swan, Steve Irons); "outstanding" (the member for Macquarie, Louise Markus); and a new award - "first indigenous" - won by the member for Hasluck, Ken Wyatt.

By a clear margin, the Wyatts stole the applause. Death Stare was all smiles. Bygones were bygones. Peter Dutton, Sophie Mirabella, Alby Schultz and Don Randall, who all walked out of the Reps during the apology, joined the warm applause. So did Eric Abetz.

from Crikey .....

Gillard thanked us for being fair and balanced: The Oz editor

Jason Whittaker writes: