Australianewsflash

In Australia a federal politician by law cannot hold dual citizenship.  They must legally hold only Australian citizenship so that their allegiance to Australia is in no way divided. Recently almost by chance it has come to light that several current pollies accidentally mostly by birth, hold dual citizenship.  The matter has even involved the Deputy Prime Minister.  Some of these pollies have resigned and some are holding fast with all affected now awaiting a decision by the High Court of Australia.  There may have to be an amending of the laws and/or a few by-elections to clear the scene.  It has even been suggested that Federal Parliament be prorogued until the matter has been clarified. As if our federal government isn't having enough trouble keeping faith with its electors. May the Force be with all pollies and those who elect them! GD

The current conservative Federal government continues to fight and bicker internally.  The latest subject for this infighting is a plebiscite on same sex marriage.  Some dissenters want the parliament to get on and vote as all the polls show the Australian great unwashed are ready for the legalisation of same sex marriage.  The government is firm in adhering to its election promise of asking the Australian people in a plebiscite, which will cost the taxpayer upwards of $160 million and probably create a forum for those who would persecute the LGBTI community by making their bitter and twisted attacks during this process. Why can't there be a vote and get on with it. May the Force for tolerance be with us! GD

Malcolm Turnbull our Australian PM is on his way home from the G20 summit.  I am proud of the way he presents on the world stage, yet he feels he needs from London to defend his liberal politics at home. It is shame that the PM he defeated in the party room, Tony Abbot, continues to undermine our PM by claiming that he is not true to the right wing conservatism of the Liberal Party.  Malcolm Turnbull today gave Mr Abbot a history lesson about how the founder of the Liberal Party, Sir Robert Menzies, saw liberalism as being at the Centre of politics, certainly not to the left nor too far to the right. Malcolm Turnbull is making headway as our PM by getting legislation through an often hostile senate (upper house of review) and is to be admired how he juggles the tensions within his party.  I defend him yet I am more to the left than him being a rusted in Labor Party voter.  All Mr Abbot is succeeding in doing is making the leader of the Labor opposition, Bill Shor...

Andrew Bolt a renowned columnist and blogger in Australia and an ultra conservative today puts forward a really skeptical view of climate change.  He cites authorities who say global temperature rises are not as much as had been forecast.  He even cites our own very respected Chief Scientist as saying that Australia's efforts to halt carbon emissions are only going to have a minor effect on the overall world results in this battle.  I hasten to add that this is not meant to indicate that our Chief Scientist says we should not participate in reducing global carbon emissions.  In a recent report on the whole issue of electricity supplies he sees a future for renewable energy but is realistic about the need for some continuing support for coal as a source of electricity as we gradually ramp up renewables. Elon Musk of Tesla has made a deal with the South Australian government to provide them with what he sees as the largest battery storage facility in the Southern Hem...

Tony Abbott, who was ousted as Australian Prime Minister by the incumbent Malcolm Turnbull, declared after his defeat that he would not stir the pot.  He was quiet for a while but now is hard at his activities that can only be seen as undermining the Turnbull government.  Abbott claims that he is only trying to bolster the right wing conservatism of the Liberal party to keep it true to its foundation principles. Be that as it may our country has already been through this destabilisation with the Rudd, Gillard Labor Prime Ministerships.  We the great unwashed have had enough.  I for one don't want Tony Abbott back as he does not display the statesman like qualities that our PM should have.  Malcolm Turnbull has the statesman like qualities and deep down a real empathy for the Australian people.  He is hamstrung from within the right wing conservatism of the Liberal party room.  He is a successful businessman turned politician and still has a lot to le...

The Federal Government Treasurer in a recent interview has come out strongly to warn that Australians have a very low opinion of its current politicians.  He unfortunately cited Donald Trump's approach as trying to overcome this.  He also unfortunately refers to the political class when silly me I thought each politician was one of us who had been elected to represent us.  Maybe he meant that I am correct and that the politicians have become a political class.  What happened to the Ben Chifley's of this world, a locomotive driver who became our PM. Anyhow he is reported to have said : "The forgotten people have decided to forget Australia's political class, .....the major parties had lost the trust of the ordinary people who were demanding answers and not petty point scoring." (Wright Shane, "Public's trust gone :  Morrison", The West Australian, "  24-25 June 2017, p18.) One only has to watch federal parliament on TV to see the game playing...

Constitutionally school education is a matter for each Australian state but the Federal Government over the years has kicked in with funding as it is the major collector of tax across our country. Recently a report known as the Gonski Report commissioned by a Federal Labor government recommended needs based funding.  The recommendations were put on the back burner when the Federal government changed to a conservative coalition government.  Now that government has come up with Gonski 2.0 and it is in the throes of seeing this legislation through to becoming law.  They have to negotiate with various political representatives from other parties in the Senate (the upper house) if they what to achieve this.  Gonski 2.0 is also needs based but will not deliver the funding levels that the previous Labor government supported in Gonski 1.0.  There is a bit of a consensus around the traps that Gonski 2.0 is a good start. The Catholic schools are up in arms as they see...