The Emporer’s Copenhagen cloak: a fairy tale

Sherlock says:

06:03am | 29/12/09

Australians should be angry at the waste of money in sending 114 people to a summit that had absolutely no chance of success. We should be demanding Kevin Rudd detail the exact amount of taxpayer’s money that was thrown at this colossal waste of time.

The tiger economies have been tell the developed world exactly what they can do with their binding emission targets since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. They told us yet again as recently as July. Why would anyone think they would accept binding emission targets at Copenhagen? Those of us with half a brain were not surprised that they told us yet again where to shove our binding targets. They must be wondering just how many times they need to tell us the same thing before we get the message.

It was easy to predict nothing was going to happen at Copenhagen yet our government wasted our money by sending 114 people. Australians should be furious.

T.Chong says:

06:37am | 29/12/09

Got any actual alternative plans to anything bronny? Or still just mouthing shite, relying on the fact most people know you to be distraction from any serios issue.?
Rudd tried to do something , a lot more than can be said for the puppet “of steel” whos only contribution to anything was to bend over for GW.
Happy new years for the LNP in opposition

James P says:

07:16am | 29/12/09

Bronwyn, can you get onto Rudd’s back about these continueing boat arrivals. Surely having boats arriving almost daily is not acceptable? Is the Government doing anything to discourage these people from doing this? How big does Rudd intend expanding Christmas Island detention Centre (the one Rudd claimed Howard wasted tax payers money building). Also where does the Government plan to send the remailing 63 refugees from the Oceanic Viking? On the Copenhagen talk fest - where’s Rudd been since? Haven’t heard boo from him really since he got home from there, such an important meeting was Copenhagen and now nothing to say? He sent Penny Wong out to bat for him when he got home a couple of times and that was it. Is Rudd actually in the country? or is he having a Xmas break over seas somewhere?

Laura says:

07:38am | 29/12/09

Why does Rudd always go into hiding and let other Ministers go out and face the media? Where has he been since the failed talks in Nopenhagen? He now seems to have nothing to say. He had plenty to say before he left, c’mon Rudd come out of hiding and face the public about your failure at Nopenhagen, and tell us why you were left out of the final talks with Obama and others. T. Chong - “Rudd tried to do something” ? yeh right, tried to Grandstand and feed his ever hungry Ego in Nopenhagen, which obviously is becoming more clear to other Leaders around the world. (hence being shut out of the final talks)

Shaun says:

07:38am | 29/12/09

Sherlock, do you ever get sick of being a right wing mouthpiece?

John A Neve says:

07:43am | 29/12/09

Sherlock @ 0703hrs,
Says “Australians should be angry at the waste of money”. Wrong, Australians should be angry at the downgrading of our democracy and loss of personal rights.

Rather than democracy Australians now live under a political dualopoly. The people don’t choose their candidate, their Prime Minister, are forced by legistlation to vote for a person/party they don’t wont and often don’t have a candidate/party to vote for.

Come on Sherlock, tell us, when haven’t governments wasted money?

Luke says:

07:59am | 29/12/09

Rudd and all his fan fare of 114 entourage was an embarassment in Copenhagen. Not to mention his embarassing speech where he used the kiddy card. Yet another cringe worthy speech, using a letter from 6 year old Gracey in Canberra. Even Foxtel in America made fun of his speech. PLEASE Rudd stop the theatrics, stay home and do some work for the country instead of trying to impress the world, and making us suffer having to watch you and your vanity on the world stage.

bluejay says:

08:13am | 29/12/09

Rudd the dud is a liar, has been from the beginning and will be until the end.  He is the biggest waster of taxpayers’ money than even Whitlam.  He is a coward as well, leaving Gillard and Wong to pick up after him.
Thank God the Liberals got their act together in time.  Thank God the evil ETS has been voted down.  What other ways is Kevvie dreaming up now that will slug us with another kind of tax to help pay for the massive, unnecessary debt he has accumulated so quickly?

Keep up the scrutiny of Rudd and company Ms Bishop, the Lefties hate it

Blaise says:

08:26am | 29/12/09

Shaun, do you ever get sick of being a left wing mouthpiece?

E says:

08:46am | 29/12/09

Laura: Well said. Although Rudd didnt have much to say about the CPRS, except that anyone who is against it ate babies in the dark. Turns out the whole world is against it, so now he has nothing to say.
John A Neve: Too right!
Bronwyn: Meh, I mean most of what you say in this article is correct, but its really uninspiring comming from a politician you know? We know if you were in office you would be trying to rob us blind in a desperate grab for power and the illusion of prestige. So, whatever.

KRudd: Total Fail
Education Revolution: Sold out to the CFMEU/Julia Gillard Memorial Halls programme
Climate Change: Sold out to the CFMEU/Mining Industry charitable CPRS
Sorry: Yeah sorry we voted for you
International reputation, sold out to KRUdds weird narcisitic determination to make a fool of himself every time he leaves the country.

ALP: Total Fail
Liberal Party: Total Fail

Jed Petersen says:

08:51am | 29/12/09

By my reckoning, Copenhagan was one of the most unsustainable events of 2009. When you consider the fossil fuels used to transport the 10s of thousands of people who attended and all the hot air that Kevin and friends spewed into the atmosphere.

Rudd has lost touch with the people that elected him. He promised so many reforms for the benefit of Australians, yet he has done nothing but try to ram through unpopular policy such as the emissions trading tax through his ministers without facing direct scrutiny over it himself so he can travel the globe fulfilling his personal ambitions to be the ambassador to the world.

“And I say to all of those who have voted for us today, I say to each and every one of them that I will be a prime minister for all Australians.’’  K.Rudd November 2007.

Diamantina Dick says:

08:58am | 29/12/09

The clock is ticking for the Emperor of Kirribilli (was to be The Lodge)

Interest rates
Climate Change/ETS scam
Cost of living pressures on working families
Industrial Relations de-modernisation
Assylum seeker unexceptional farce
ABN/Stimulus/censorship controversy

No pressure on the opposition AFAIK, they have nothing to lose.

It will be interesting to see how this Government behaves under pressure now the cupboard has already been raided.

Sherlock says:

09:10am | 29/12/09

@Shaun at:08:38am

No but at least I have something to say. It’s possible that you may disagree with me but rather than post anything resembling an intelligent opinion you decided to waste everybodies time by taking a puerile shot at me

@ John A Neve at:08:43am

I don’t understand where you’re going. Under what system do people “choose their candidate”? I certainly don’t support electing our head of state and I’m quite happy with the present system.

Yes governments do waste money. However that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to stop them wasting more. Especially when the end result of Copenhagen was obvious to everybody

Shane From Melbourne says:

09:39am | 29/12/09

Copenhagen failed because China and India did not not want a pact. Simple as that. Strange how the Liberals campaigned last election on an ETS. Or was that a “non-core” promise?
Personally I think the ETS is a licence to rort the system and should be replaced by a straight carbon tax on domestic goods and services as well as imports into the country. There are other more beneficial actions than an ETS such as the introduction of nuclear power and a local electric car industry.

Wayne Hutchins says:

10:33am | 29/12/09

Great write there Bronny, laughed my arse off…Shane from Melbourne, can’t you get your mind around a change of policy or opinion. They didn’t win the election so why does it matter if they have changed their minds? A lot of Australians have over the past few months. I used to think February didn’t have an r in it. I changed my mind once someone a bit smarter pointed it out to me. (I was then 47) I don’t want a party that is inflexible as things change. Get over the last election, I’m looking forward to the next one.

John A Neve says:

10:34am | 29/12/09

Sherlock @ 1010hrs,

There are many cases where local people have selected a local candidate.
There are even more cases of where party head office overruled the local
choice !!

As to our PM, surely that position should be the people’s/parties choice, not
that of our paid representatives?

Isn’t democracy about the people?

E says:

11:22am | 29/12/09

Wayne hutchins: Nice one
Shane @ 10:39: Yep, tax on imports. Maybe we could also have a ‘human rights abusers tarrif’ so that countries which pay people less than you can feed a salve on in Australia cant unfairly compete with our products. Im serious btw. Its really awful to see corporate conmen grinning about ‘competition’ while they ship good jobs to slaves in the East.

Paul says:

11:56am | 29/12/09

Short memory Bronwyn. Did you forget the food and fuel duopoly swindlers taking us for a ride under Emperor Howards reign? We must be paying nearly $1100 per year in inflated prices Bronwyn, adding Labors do-nothing approach, to Howards pro big business, price gouging legacy? Can we assume more anti-competitive, anti-small business policies from Emperor Abbott?

Lockie says:

12:10pm | 29/12/09

December is almost over - healthcare, the environment, economic issues are all not sorted out. So rudd aka mr. the back stops with me, where are the results we expected?

If travelling overseas and coming up with overblown policies was the game plan that you have done a great job mr. pm!

JACK GILBERT says:

12:21pm | 29/12/09

jack says
why would you want to read what a washed up old politician like Bishop had to say, what about the millons and I mean millions of dollars the liberal party wasted on advertising work choices, poor shelock maybe he and his liberal party playmate Browyn have short memories

Daniel says:

12:32pm | 29/12/09

bronwyn your off with the fairies.

BULMKT says:

12:38pm | 29/12/09

The following quote by American author H L Mencken best sums up the Climate Change hysteria and exposes Copenhagen for the scam it was:

“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

Maurice says:

01:17pm | 29/12/09

All I can say is thank god for Tony Abbott stopping Rudds ETS So what if he changed his mind, It’s OK to change your mind. I’m with James P too, get on Rudds case about the asylum seeker issue. The boat load of 250 Sri-Lankins refusing still since Oct to get off the boat in Indonesia, is caused by the Rudd Government giving special fast tracked treatment to the oceanic viking people, who were allowed to black mail Kevin Rudd into a special deal for them. What a mess Rudd has caused, his border protection policy is a disaster. Boat arrivals almost every day and he has nothing to say. Been too busy sulking since he came home from Copenhagen.

T.Chong says:

01:36pm | 29/12/09

DD 9:58 among your grievances you list “industrial relations demodernisation’
Unlike all us idle Punchers who have time to blog, the average wage earner knows they had every thing to loose under Serfchoices 1, with similar prospects under serfchoices 2 .
I dont know any wage earner who believed the LNP lie of workchoices. The only choice was accept or leave, and move on to another job that offered no security.
In just about any and every occupation there are now locums and temps. If you want that, great, but dont expect to erode the conditions of the majority. in order to undercut everyone else, which is what serfchoices amounted to.
It is living in denial, or accepting Sen Sophies non sense here last week , that the libs were kicked out thru (ungrateful) voter boredom.
Workchoices sunk the LNP. The majority stood up to the greedy minority.

Wombat says:

01:42pm | 29/12/09

So Ken Henry’s report was about ‘so called tax reform’? Obviously I have been ill-informed. I thought it was about tax reform.
Bronnie, could you explain to us plebs what your ideas are on tax reform? Of course there would be no need to make troublesome statements like ‘lower taxes for the rich are good because then rich people get more money.’ You could just dress it all up as a fairy-tale and throw in a few half-baked analogies.

T.Chong says:

02:10pm | 29/12/09

BULMKT you seem to sum up the howards govt approach- vote for us to stop the terrorists, along with evil unionist trying to stop your boss paying you more..
Guess the Oz public woke up and saw thru the Libs fear and loathing campaigns.

Darren says:

02:17pm | 29/12/09

Your statement about Rudd and his posse, “liked to clothe themselves in the latest tale of terror” was most curious. The previous tale of terror, the Liberal version - “The War on Terror”, cost a dozen young Aussie diggers their lives and their families untold grief. But, you hold the high moral ground. Smugness and narcissism are dangerous cocktails Brownie. Especially when mixed with reliance on other countries policies - or none at all.

Haggis says:

03:42pm | 29/12/09

From the Australian newspaper: “Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said yesterday that resolving the Oceanic Viking situation on Australia’s behalf had burdened Indonesian officials and strained relations between Jakarta and local authorities.”
” ’ I don’t think we would be (interested in repeating) the situation in the future,’ he said ‘.”

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s director of diplomatic security, Sujatmiko said recently that Canberra could not expect similar assistance in the future: “This will be the last time we are helping Australia deal with its foreign refugee influx problem,” he said.

Meanwhile, a boat carrying about 255 Tamils, the largest intercepted so far, was taken to the Indonesian port of Merak, where it remains with those on board refusing to get off . . . .

Oh, dear, Kruddy, one damned thing after another - Copenhagen, now this.

Still, your loyal retinue can spin the finest yarns, can’t they.

Dave says:

03:59pm | 29/12/09

Bronwyn, WorkChoices led to the then PM John Howard becoming just the second PM to lose his own seat. If any party is off with the fairies it’s your far-right mob.

stephen says:

04:20pm | 29/12/09

I just bought a can-opener from a supermarket, you know, one of those cheapies made in China.
It don’t bloody work.
Now China reckons it is a ‘Developing Nation’, which is why it reneged on an agreement with the U.S. and instead did a deal with Brazil and India.
China’s right : it is a developing nation, and I hope it don’t take’em another 6000 and a half more years to open my tin of beetroot.

Shaun says:

04:52pm | 29/12/09

Come off it Sherlock. An intelligent response is wasted on you. I’ve tried in the past on blogocracy.

Let’s face it. Same old, same old. Colossal waste of taxpayers money, colossal waste of time - provided it’s done by Labor. Same thing done by Liberals? Sound government.

You’ve done it too many times to count.  It’s just as lame now as it was in the past. And predictable too. Liberals goooooood, Labor baaaad. Every single time. At least I think they’re both bad, only at any given time there is one that is slightly less bad than the other.

You don’t think a Howard government would have sent a delegation over to Copenhagen? Would that have been a waste of time and money?

Davy says:

05:06pm | 29/12/09

If only, like the emporers new clothes, this waste of our dough was also a fairy tale.

Joe says:

06:28pm | 29/12/09

It is a pity that politics has become such a dirty word in the minds of most people. Understandably most people have little or no interest in politics or politicians because of the long list of broken promises by politicians from all parties and the way in which they increasingly feather their own nests while telling the taxpayers to tighten their belts for the good of all. The party system may have had its uses in the past but now while both parties espouse different goals, the country always continues in the same downhill direction regardless of who is in government. Look at the amount of time both Howard and Rudd spent abroad cowtowing to the USA and the UN. Until good people get involved in politics again at the local level and ensure that someone who represents their wishes is elected, party politics will continue and we are condemned to this downward spiral.

Ken says:

08:32pm | 29/12/09

High petrol prices on the way, interest rates going up, no surplus in the government accounts, boat people policy = disaster, ETS back fired, education policy = disaster, healthcare = disaster…......well where is the PM ? Overseas? The people have to send a clear message or we are digging a bigger hole for ourselves under a Rudd led government.

Jacquie Butterfield says:

10:16pm | 29/12/09

I’d say it was a great move to get 114 people to go over and get the feel and the mood of the diverse entities over there in the rest of the world.  Whichever way it pans out, eventually, we need to understand the politics and priorities of all three tiers.  It must have been an eye-opener and we are now more in touch with reality.  Money well spent.  This thing will take as long as the Vietnam War to sort out and I may stay out until it is settled and let those in politics play with it.

Andrew says:

11:07pm | 29/12/09

I don’t like krudd and I think that he has done a very poor job.  I do not feel safe in my country or optomistic about its furure with krudd as PM.

haggis says:

12:38am | 30/12/09

BTW - the heading should be EMPEROR’S etc - funny, it’s the big ones we let through . . .

Kelly says:

06:01am | 30/12/09

Has anyone seen Emporer Rudd? Where is he?

Ronin8317 says:

11:15am | 30/12/09

It’s the Liberal Party’s fantasy to see Kevin Rudd naked??

persephone says:

01:57pm | 30/12/09

Kelly
he was at the cricket on Boxing Day.

Personally, I hope he’s taking a couple of days off and relaxing with his family. We want him relaxed and clear headed when he’s running the country, and so he needs to take a few days off every now and then.

If you’re hanging out to see him every day, I suggest a nice photo for your mantelpiece might help.

Tim says:

04:27pm | 31/12/09

Bronwyn, you make ill.

Climate change science is not settled becase it snows in Copenhagen. What fruit loop planet do you come from?

The Tony Abbott experiment will damage the brand of the Liberal Party for eternity. There is no way that with people like Bronwyn spouting such views that the Liberals can regain the trust of the enough f the community to ever be voted in again.

Kippo says:

09:24am | 01/01/10

KEVIN the dear leader talked up Copenhagen for months and it has exploded in his face. His inability to listen and debate the issue is exciting news for those on the right.  He is Mr win or lose and he has had a big loss. He is no international statesman, just a labour party hack from trades hall.  Good ridance.  He needs to keep a low profile because he has absolutely no idea how to respond when he is WONG.  There is no proof of CO2 induced climate change, the ETS is based on a lie and will sink into the mire along with other hair brained ideas through history.  KEVIN has proven he cannot be trusted with national policy and he must be moved on.

Shaun says:

09:44am | 01/01/10

Andrew - boo hoo, I’m really sorry that you aren’t happy with with Rudd as PM. Oh well, majority rules, too bad - he is.

And with people like Bronny and Sophie Mirabella rising to prominence under Abbott, you may have to be unhappy for some time yet. Sure the 30% rusted on Liberal core seem to like the mad monk’s ascension, but what about the rest of Australia?

Mark M Aldridge Independent says:

11:30pm | 01/01/10

Here is an interesting link to a photo of an article on climate change from 1975

http://www.markmaldridge.com/home_9.html

Mobius Ecko says:

07:25am | 02/01/10

Shaun, latest Newspoll shows an increasing rest of Australia don’t like Abbott one bit as Rudd and his government go further ahead in the longest honeymoon ever.

It’s not beyond realms that the Coalition could lose 20+ seats at the next election under ‘road kill’ Abbott, so Bronny you’re not talking to a majority of Australians, just to a rusted on hard core right who would vote conservative no matter how bad their candidate or party is, of which you are a perfect example.

If you are so certain of your convictions and stance how about changing to a marginal seat for the next election Bronny?

Lester says:

07:42am | 02/01/10

Yes Shaun, we shall see how Rudd goes in the “unloseable” election as it’s being called, should be interesting.

Johnno says:

05:06pm | 02/01/10

Industrial Relations:  Australia now has a system of true enterprise bargaining that is a model for the world. Labour relations over the past 30 years have managed to move from a system of cross enterprise unionism on the left and an individual contracts regime on the right to a true system of balanced negotiation with appropriate protection. We can thank Kevin Rudd. The people have voted for a Government with their immediate and long term interests at heart. If the Liberals try to revert to “work choices” it will be their death rattle.
Climate Change:  I predict that in next election there will be a strong shift to the Greens. The deniers in the Liberals Party who put Abbott in charge have ensured that a new ETS will now have to be negotiated between the Government and the Greens. Hallelujah!
Bronwyn Bishop is part of the dying reactionary rump of the right. Adieu!

Shaun says:

07:07pm | 02/01/10

Lester, I have no emotional investment on Rudd being PM, so whatever befalls him doesn’t concern me.

However, I do tend to prefer moderate, centrist governments that do their best to govern for all people. I think the majority of Australians feel that way, and I really would be surprised to see them hand over the reins to a Liberal party quite clearly in the grip of the right wing of the party.

But well that’s up to the people as you rightly point out, the ballot is the only test. Nothing is unloseable, but for those people in Australia who are not right wing conservative Christians, I sure hope Abbott’s mob don’t win.

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