Sarah Hanson Young

Australian senators accused of leering at each other’s posteriors? Of failing to show respect? Of not “bowing and scraping” sufficiently in deference to the chair?

Formal proceedings are often enhanced by a posterior showing. Pic: AP

Welcome to just another day on the plush red carpet of the nation’s more civilised Upper House.

But then, the final sitting Thursday was never just any old day was it?

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  • James O says:

    07:03pm | 28/11/11

    The world is becoming more homocentric every day. Read more »

  • TimB says:

    03:16pm | 28/11/11

    Palone, Nice try, but I think we both know ‘Slippergate’ isn’t what you were referring to. It hasn’t ruined Howard’s reputation as you predicted. It hasn’t destroyed Abbott. It hasn’t killed the Coalition. It hasn’t resulted in ‘less criticisim of the ALP’. Those were all the things you promised. More… Read more »

 

With significant diversions during Federal Parliament last week one of the more contemptible political back flips in recent memory might have escaped your notice.

No more Barbies, honey. Pic: Guy Bailey

Without a blush, Labor - supported by the Greens in the Senate - took $700 a year from 21,000 parents to fund its reform agenda for the childcare industry.

A little explanatory background is needed.

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  • Bruce says:

    06:05pm | 03/09/11

    Nothing surprises me ! Yep ! They gotta cut money from somewhere to make up for lost money and cock up’s elsewhere ! Read more »

  • Destry says:

    03:37am | 03/09/11

    @TChong: Many of your Greenie mates bat for the other team and don’t reproduce at all.  Which might explain some things they do. Read more »

 

The jostling and lobbying amongst the Greens over who is to replace Brown has quietly continued on in earnest. Tasmanian Christine Milne is Brown’s first choice.

Happy families. Pic: Gary Ramage

Seen as less of a firebrand than her younger colleagues, Brown hopes that Milne will maintain the camouflage of the Greens radical socialist agenda. A camouflage that has been the secret to the Greens’ electoral success to date.

Milne, however will be more aggressive than Brown in pursuing policies that put Australian jobs at risk. Milne would close down mines, make manufacturing unsustainable, and force farmers off their land.

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  • All for themselves says:

    10:07am | 11/07/11

    Greens absolutely do NOT aim for clean water.  Have your tap water tested and don’t be so naive. Read more »

  • All for themselves says:

    09:57am | 11/07/11

    The Greens do not care for the Australian people!  Tis a ruse.  Only 12 months ago Julia was slamming the Greens because of how extreme they are.  Bob Brown is all about Global Governance and the rest is a fast.  Carbon Tax is an open cheque book using money the… Read more »

 

In May this year, the venerable old man of the left, Bob Brown will address the National Press Club.

In the courtyard of power, for now. Photo: Gary Ramage.

He will use the live broadcast to outline his party’s vision for that historic moment on July 1, when his party holds the exclusive balance of power in the Senate.

With four senators to add to the five already in Canberra and a House of Representatives MP thrown in for good measure, the enviro-activist turned ground-breaking politician, sits atop a growing party widely considered the legitimate third force in Australian politics.

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  • John says:

    12:17pm | 05/04/11

    Michael lets say I was a member of xx party and I called for a boycott of products from Iran due thier policies against non muslims, Malaysia for thier policies on non muslims, Pakistan for thier policies of charging extra taxes and not protecting other religions sacred laces, Saudi Arabia… Read more »

  • Christian Real says:

    08:09am | 04/04/11

    jf Even Malcolm fraser said that the Liberal Party under Tony Abbott had moved too far to the right, this story is from ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’ ;  “Former PM Malcolm Fraser quits Liberals”, may 26, 2010 AAP “Former Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser has quit the party, allegedly over… Read more »

 

On Wednesday Bob Brown said two odd things that either proved he is some kind of political genius, or was the kind of rhetoric that sets the Greens up for a big fall in the future. My guess is it’s the former now but will be the latter later.

Just your run-of-the-mill political party.

The first was his apparent objection to the proposed merger of the Australian Stock Exchange with the Singaporean Exchange.

The crux of his opposition was that Singapore had executed the young Australian Van Nguyen for drug trafficking in 2005, and this was a militaristic non-democratic state that we should be careful about handing over our stock exchange to.

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  • Helen says:

    10:25am | 01/11/10

    Jim - sounds like you’re talking about the good old days before neoliberalism, “downsizing”, outsourcing and endless “productivity gains” (i.e. longer hours), right? Read more »

  • Andrew says:

    08:15am | 30/10/10

    PC is killing free speech? Really? You’re sure it’s not just other people using their freedom of speech to tell other people they might be unintentionally causing offence rather than some great catastrope a la Mao’s Cultural Revolution where anyone who uses an ethnonym with fewer than 17 syllables gets… Read more »

 

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young had a good idea. Well, it seemed like a good idea. You be the judge, if you can keep watching after the Bob Brown photo moment.

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  • AlanKS says:

    07:00am | 11/11/10

    Learn The actual Major Techniques For You To Successfully Boost Your Current Vertical Jump Over 12 inches Within just 90 Days Here! Read more »

  • John O says:

    08:39am | 04/08/10

    Bitter much? How do you go through life so angry. She’s young and full of herself. They should air this on national TV and watch the greens vote evaporate as people realise what tools they are dealing with. ost Greesn voters have no idea what their policies are or they… Read more »

 

The one thing uniting the Senate: Sarah Hanson-Young last night. Picture: Kym Smith.

Rightly or wrongly the Senate is currently standing in the way of a chunk of the Rudd Government’s agenda.

The Rudd Bank, Renewable Energy Targets, and a Building Industry Watchdog are all in contention at the moment.

But after Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young suffered what she said was the most “humiliating moment” of her life last night, its been agreed the Senate will debate on Monday the rules over children being allowed into the Chamber. Taxpayer dollars at work.

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  • Lexi says:

    08:42am | 23/06/09

    The real issue here is not whether the child should be in the workplace - most people are of the opinion that it’s not professional. The problem I see is that the major parties are so desperate for the Greens to play nice with them in the Senate, that new… Read more »

  • Karen says:

    02:15am | 23/06/09

    Nobody wants to see children or breastfeeding in Parliament, or anywhere for that matter in public. Too many women, especially mothers, just expect the world to bow down to them and give them everything on a platter because they are nurturing the “future generation”. Big deal. That’s been happening for… Read more »

 

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