bob brown

Dead. Buried. Cremated. Freddy Krueger IS Workchoices.

Submitted by Rick Eyre on July 20 2010, 11:06 am

If you consider the continuity errors in Tony Abbott's glib slogan proclaiming that Workchoices is "Dead. Buried. Cremated.", then maybe you are looking for an "Exhumed" to be inserted into that sequence - at least once, maybe more often. Abbott's serial non sequiteurs on the talk-radio circuit on Monday suggest that neo-liberal IR reform, whether named Workchoices or some other moniker, is not about to disappear from the tory agenda. Where's Freddy Krueger when you need him?

Youtubes do dia: Bob and Lyn and Kate and a singalong and Bob's John Howard moment

Submitted by Rick Eyre on October 30 2007, 12:43 pm

My selection of election ads for today. Firstly, GetUp.org - the Australian copy of the US's MoveOn.org - got Lyn Allison, Bob Brown and Kate Lundy into the same ad (not all into the same shot) to support a vote against the Coalition in the Senate. Steve Fielding told Insiders on Sunday morning that he wasn't invited - would he have played ball anyway? And why did Labor send a nonentity such as Senator Lundy to do the GetUp gig? Why not John Faulkner, Penny Wong, or Stephen Conroy? (OK, not Conroy.)

Youtubes do dia: The People's Forum

Submitted by Rick Eyre on October 23 2007, 5:07 am

The leader of the Greens wasn't invited to the Leaders Debate, so he organised his own. Not a debate as such, but a forum held on Sunday night concurrently the Diet of Worms. Organised at short notice, with the promise that parties other than the Greens will be invited next time, this was essentially the Bob Brown and Friends Show.

Intended as a live stream which failed, it was posted on Youtube in chunks progressively during Sunday night. I've assembled the eight videos into a playlist which runs approximately 53 minutes.

Greensblog, the official blog of the four Greens senators, did live blogging of the People's Forum, which is handy to follow as the sound quality on the video is not crash-hot at times. Also included in the live blog was reportage of the Kevin 07 v John Ol'55 contretemps.

Youtubes do dia: The chaser, the copier, and Bob.

Submitted by Rick Eyre on October 20 2007, 9:07 pm

I am starting to think that the Intertubes are not going to have the impact on this Federal Election that the major parties may have been hoping for. Nonetheless, it's good for having a squizz at the TV ads without having to anywhere the Dreaded Commercial Television.

Top of the bill tonight, the Liberal Party's latest Truthful Scrutiny Ad. It's a cheap shot, but nonetheless it's one of the most incisive election ads I've ever seen, as much as anything for its simplicity. It just happens to be based upon a false premise.

Secondly, an excerpt from Bob Brown's address to the National Press Club on Wednesday (full transcript in PDF here).

And finally, a Dead Man Powerwalking verbally abuses a giant rabbit.

Happy 10th anniversary

Submitted by Rick Eyre on March 3 2006, 3:00 pm

JOHN HOWARD— Militarism and aggression are the foundations of his [Saddam Hussein's] regime. If you doubt this, consider his actions against Iraqi Kurds, against the Shiah majority—particularly the Marshland Arabs. Consider the estimated 400,000 combatants and civilians who lost their lives in the war that followed his invasion of Iran—

Darfur who?

Submitted by Rick Eyre on July 22 2004, 4:07 am

John Howard has an extensive archive of transcripts of interviews, press releases and other statements on his Prime Ministerial website, www.pm.gov.au. Considering his keen interest in international affairs, as evidenced with Iraq, I decided I would do a search of his website to see how often he has discussed the tragic situation in the Sudanese province of Darfur.

My search for "Darfur" on the PM's website came up with no matches. Searching Hansard on the Parlinfo website also drew a blank.