Australia General Discussion 2.0

[GoTfan]

Did anyone see Fraser Anning's speech?

As a rule, you should never say Final Solution when talking about immigration.

Or praise the White Australia policy.

Quite

I used to think Katter was alright, especially on economics. If he wants to tie himself to this lunatic . . .

Katter is one weird man.
I've always found that with Katter and especially Jacqui Lambie that they're absolute lunatics but now and again they say something I completely agree with.

I call it the Paul Five Minute Rule, after Ron and Rand Paul: The Five Minute Rule states that any member of the Paul family will make sense on any political issue for exactly five minutes. Precisely at the 5:00:01 mark, however, he will say something so far off the rails that you will find yourself looking at him as though he has sprouted a reptilian head out of his sternum.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

You know your in trouble when PAULINE HANSON says you've gone too far, not to mention being 'straight from Goebbels' handbook'.

Though it's still horrifying that Katter is calling his speech "absolutely magnificent, it was pure gold" "He stumbled on a bit of a malapropism there ... but he didn't get to a university, he doesn't know the significance of these words"

[AustralianSwingVoter]

You know your in trouble when PAULINE HANSON says you've gone too far, not to mention being 'straight from Goebbels' handbook'.

Though it's still horrifying that Katter is calling his speech "absolutely magnificent, it was pure gold" "He stumbled on a bit of a malapropism there ... but he didn't get to a university, he doesn't know the significance of these words"

HEADLINES YOU DIDN'T THINK POSSIBLE:
Malcolm Turnbull, Bill Shorten, Pauline Hanson unite to condemn Fraser Anning over immigration 'final solution'

[DavidB.]

Great speech.

[Intell]

Great speech.

Just admit you're a fascist and be done with it.

[morgieb]

Great speech.

You're Jewish. You do realise what "Final Solution" is a reference to, no?

[DavidB.]

Great speech.

You're Jewish. You do realise what "Final Solution" is a reference to, no?

I don't think he meant it as a reference to Nazi Germany. And the actual content of his speech, i.e. an end to mass immigration and support for an immigration policy that takes into account cultural compatibility with Australia, was great and refreshing.

Too many people always look for a reason to be outraged with someone supporting ideas they oppose, find one thing (usually out of context or deliberately misunderstood), and use it to discard the entire argument and smear the person who said it.

[Intell]

Great speech.

You're Jewish. You do realise what "Final Solution" is a reference to, no?

I don't think he meant it as a reference to Nazi Germany. And the actual content of his speech, i.e. an end to mass immigration and support for an immigration policy that takes into account cultural compatibility with Australia, was great and refreshing.

Too many people always look for a reason to be outraged with someone supporting ideas they oppose, find one thing (usually out of context or deliberately misunderstood), and use it to discard the entire argument and smear the person who said it.

Oh, fyck me he literally advocated for a white-Australia policy and a white ethnostate.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Great speech.

You're Jewish. You do realise what "Final Solution" is a reference to, no?

I don't think he meant it as a reference to Nazi Germany. And the actual content of his speech, i.e. an end to mass immigration and support for an immigration policy that takes into account cultural compatibility with Australia, was great and refreshing.

Too many people always look for a reason to be outraged with someone supporting ideas they oppose, find one thing (usually out of context or deliberately misunderstood), and use it to discard the entire argument and smear the person who said it.

Come off it, man. The phrase "Final Solution" is permanently associated with the Holocaust, and it strains credibility that somebody in the context of making an anti-immigration speech could use the term innocently. He used it purposefully (and he added the phrase personally to the speech) because he wanted to ensure his speech would be as notorious as possible.

The content of speech was racist, xenophobic and homophobic bile. I know those words are little more than buzzwords nowadays, but I struggle to identify much in there to  take lightly (especially given that the mainstream Australian establishment are hardly hippy dippy pro migration activists themselves).

[DavidB.]

The Holocaust had absolutely nothing to do with anti-immigration policy*. Nothing. If this speech was about getting rid of minorities with Australian passports already living in Australia, I would wholeheartedly agree with you. I also agree that this was poor wording exactly because of the connotation of this term. But I don't think this was intentional.

* its scale would have been smaller if third countries had opened their borders to Jews being persecuted, but that is a very different point.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

The Holocaust had absolutely nothing to do with anti-immigration policy. Nothing. If this speech was about getting rid of minorities with Australian passports already living in Australia, I would wholeheartedly agree with you. I also agree that this was poor wording exactly because of the connotation of this term. But I don't think this was intentional.

I'm not suggest that Anning wants to commit the Holocaust against Muslims in Australia; what I am saying is that he deliberately used the language he knew was the most edgy and inflammatory to ensure it would cause the maximum level of outrage so he could then play coy afterwards. In the English language, the phrase "final solution" does not crop up organically outside discussions of the Holocaust; it doesn't even make that much sense in the context he used the phrase if you ignore the Nazi usage of the term.

[AtorBoltox]

The possible ascension of Dutton to the top job shows a liberal party in the complete grip of far right extremism. How have the conservatives in the party so fundamentally misread the national mood?

[AustralianSwingVoter]

BREAKING NEWS FROM SMH:
Leadership twist as report claims Peter Dutton could be ineligible to sit in Parliament

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

BREAKING NEWS FROM SMH:
Leadership twist as report claims Peter Dutton could be ineligible to sit in Parliament

Is this good or bad for Turnbull?

[AustralianSwingVoter]

BREAKING NEWS FROM SMH:
Leadership twist as report claims Peter Dutton could be ineligible to sit in Parliament

Is this good or bad for Turnbull?

Thing to remember is this; Dutton has to be referred to the High Court by Parliament. Dutton's eligibility can't be ruled on by the Courts unless some Liberals defect.
Rumours I've just got from friends in the Division Party are that Turnbull is hanging this over Dutton. If Dutton launches a spill against him Turnbull will place a motion to refer him to the High Court, and he and his loyalists will support the motion, remembering that Labor only needs a couple of Liberal defectors.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Dutton is probably Turnbull's least competent rival outside of Tony2, so the Right coalescing around an alternate leadership contender could be quite bad for Mal.

I notice he has completely folded to the Right factions on the carbon emissions issue.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Dutton is probably Turnbull's least competent rival outside of Tony2, so the Right coalescing around an alternate leadership contender could be quite bad for Mal.

I notice he has completely folded to the Right factions on the carbon emissions issue.

No, Dutton is Turnbull's most competent rival by far. The fact is, there is no real bench of Conservatives federally, really the only members who are remotely leadership-capable are Abetz, Abbott, Andrews, Dutton and Cormann.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Catherine McGregor in the SMH (link)
"Abbott is a vulnerable, passionate human being."

[GoTfan]

Catherine McGregor in the SMH (link)
"Abbott is a vulnerable, passionate human being."

[Lachi]

In other news, Victorian Liberals are about to commit political suicide per the notice papers for tomorrow's sitting of the Assembly.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

In other news, Victorian Liberals are about to commit political suicide per the notice papers for tomorrow's sitting of the Assembly.

It's entertaining to think that our Victorian colleagues feel that:
1) They can somehow get a majority in the House.
2) They feel it is a good idea to launch a motion of no confidence less than 3 months before the election.

[GoTfan]

Confirmed: Liberal Party leadership declared vacant; Dutton to challenge.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/peter-dutton-to-challenge-turnbull-in-liberal-leadership-spill

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Confirmed: Liberal Party leadership declared vacant; Dutton to challenge.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/aug/21/liberal-leadership-dutton-turnbull-energy?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

Word is Abbott might be Dutton's deputy.

[GoTfan]

Confirmed: Liberal Party leadership declared vacant; Dutton to challenge.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/aug/21/liberal-leadership-dutton-turnbull-energy?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

Word is Abbott might be Dutton's deputy.

Hey, they wanna go and lose the next election, I don't have a problem with it.

[GoTfan]

Well that was quick.

Turnbull wins 48-35. Is it fair to say that Turnbull's going to refer him to the High Court?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-21/politics-live-malcolm-turnbull-in-partyroom-meeting/10146280