Cory Bernardi

Once upon a time, in city streets and in branch offices across the suburbs, people used to gather around with like-minded people who believed in the same things they did. Back then, these groups of people were called “political parties”.

Members of these “parties” would debate the big issues. Then they’d pick their most convincing and articulate to be their leaders. Their leaders would slug it out over their visions for the future with the leaders of other political parties. In Parliament, in the press, on the streets.

That’s all passé. In 2006, only 1.3 per cent of the adult population were members of political parties. Political parties and political leaders are so 20th century.

Continue reading "All those activists should come to the political party" »

American celebrity culture and Australian politics don’t often make for useful comparisons - but then, it’s not every day that Charlie Sheen comes along.

Sheen is a highly amusing egomaniac but - unlike most Australian politicians - he also tells the truth. “I believe in the truth and that’s what rules me”, Sheen said in an interview with Andrea Canning for the ABC network in America. He certainly does.

When asked to describe the last time he used drugs, Sheen said, “I probably took more than anyone could survive… I was banging seven gram rocks… that’s how I roll. I have one gear—go.” It’s the answer no one else would’ve given even if they had’ve banged seven gram rocks (which I assume means consuming a lot of cocaine). 

Continue reading "Cory Bernardi is our very own Charlie Sheen" »

This month’s debate about banning the burqa was set off by a blog post written by Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi. But instead of banning a piece of clothing, perhaps it’s time to consider banning him, instead.

Imagine a future Australia with Cory Bernardis on every street corner. Where children enjoying an otherwise pleasant family day at the beach could find themselves distraught by the sight of a horde of South Australian Liberal Party senators descending on the sand with their terrifying political thought bubbles. Is this the kind of future we want?

Left unchecked, Cory Bernardis could form ghettos, with God Save The Queen being played over loudspeakers five times a day. Youngsters dressed like Cory Bernardi will gather to listen to bands that performed at WOMADelaide, flashing their Young Liberals membership cards while they cite studies that say climate change isn’t caused by humans.

Continue reading "Forget the burqa, how about a ban on Cory Bernardi" »

Hardline conservative Christians helped orchestrate the flood of correspondence that convinced Liberal MPs to ditch support for Malcolm Turnbull and the emissions trading scheme.

One site that published repeated calls for direct lobbying of politicians was Catch the Fire Ministries, a church whose pastor earlier this year said the Black Saturday bushfires were divine vengeance for liberal abortion laws.

It has also emerged that Cory Bernardi, one of the Liberal senators who led the revolt against Turnbull, called on supporters in late November to wage an email campaign to persuade his colleagues in the Senate that the public was outraged at the ETS. His email was published and endorsed by a website popular with fringe conspiracy theorists.

Continue reading "The holy war on climate change" »