Parliament House Staff Appall Me

[nomadpete]

Nev. The problem I see is that our two major parties have been converging for decades. Their platforms and behaviour are getting too similar, and it looks to me like neither party is trustworthy.

 

Do I 'let them get away with it'?

 

I don't have the power to make politicians live morale or ethically.

 

Parties seem to be bully groups that try to railroad their way through implementing policies and legislation that suits their benefactors.

 

Ideally if a policy or legislation is proposed, that benefits the electorate, then both parties and the independents should vote it into place. But we just end up with the bully boys yelling insults at each other.

 

Elections end up being all about

 

"Vote for me because I'm not HIM" (or her as the case may be)

 

How do you propose to improve things?

[old man emu]

2 hours ago, nomadpete said:

How do you propose to improve things?

Put Bromide in their tea.

[Marty_d]

6 hours ago, nomadpete said:

How do you propose to improve things?

Support a strong independent media.  Counter lies with fact.  Do your best to work out who the best candidates are and vote for them.  Raise your children to have an interest in and participate in democracy.

 

Progress is made slowly.  But I don't think the current lot are any worse than years gone by - yes we can argue that we don't have great orators like Whitlam or wit like Keating, but what about Julia's "misogyny" speech?  

The title of this thread refers to the toxic culture of Parliament house, especially the treatment of women.  But was it any better in previous days?  I'd point out that there were a lot less women on the benches back then, in fact in the public service, when a woman got married she automatically lost her job.  I don't think it's got worse - I just think they haven't changed as quickly as the rest of society.  The place still seems to think it's the 80's, or a boy's club - and I think the scale of the backlash is having an effect.  Scotty from Marketing is sniffing the wind and has banished Porter and Reynolds from their portfolios.  No longer is he stubbornly resisting calls for a quota of female MP's but actually saying he supports the idea.

I don't think that pollies necessarily have to be role models.  I don't give a monkey's about some NSW pollie shagging call girls - look at the head on him, he hasn't got much choice.  But like any other employee anywhere, he shouldn't be doing it or arranging it in the workplace.   

 

I worry more about the extremely respectable members of parliament whose far-right or neo-liberal views threaten to minimise action on climate change, increase the gap between rich and poor, and entrench power in the hands of big business leaders.  They're far more of a threat than some stupid staffer who films himself jerking the gherkin, or even an MP who calls an ex-staffer a "lying cow".  As unsavoury as they are, they're a sideshow distraction.

[Jerry_Atrick]

The one thing I would add is an independent and diverse press council funded by general revenue rather than the press itself, and has teeth to enforce misinformation. I also think that stds of unregulted websites shoudl be monitored and where there is incitment, hatred, etc, there should be action taken (if on our shores)... Again, it has to be an independent body that does it, and there has to be fairly certain and unequivocal rules as to what constitures unacceptable content... The internet is another medium - or media - and it shoudl be treated like it.

[Old Koreelah]

...and make that regulator fully independent and take their funding out of the reach of the government of the day. Unlike our Federal government, NSW has an Independent Commission Against Corruption, but Gladys has been trimming it’s budget, yet she finds heaps of money to pork barrel elections.

A bit like Scomo has been trimming Auntie ABC’s budget for years; death by a thousand cuts.

[Yenn]

If we don't want Scumbag and his lib nat mates in parliament and I certainly don't, then we have to vote for someone else. Yesterday I saw in the press that Albo is going for paid maternity leave as one of the things Labor will promote for the next election. Funny thing I thought that was Tony Abbots idea and Labor didn't want it. 

Albo up to his old tricks how can we snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?

[Marty_d]

Did you miss the bit about supporting electric cars, neighbourhood batteries and bringing back manufacturing?

Of course it probably won't do them any good, having actual policies compared to the LNP having none didn't do them any good last time.

[facthunter]

I DON'T believe BOTH are as bad as each other by a long shot. That's usually a Lib/Nats comment when THEY get caught/found out. Why? One side has a far more developed mantra around entitlement and money and WHO you know not what you know.Under them  the difference between the top 3% and the rest will grow and grow, because that is the small and getting smaller MOB they serve because they make it worth their while after Parliament as well as during it. The middle class is fast disappearing here and the USA. I don't believe in CLASS at all really, especially when it's based on how much wealth you have accumulated and gross conspicuous consumerism. Often the WAY it was done (getting wealthy) doesn't stand scrutiny. Greed is the term for it. God wants you to be greedy.? and piss on the  ones who have fallen on adverse times. Lifters and leaners and private Prisons prosper and people have to sleep in the streets and their cars. Others get food out of skip bins.  Nev

[Old Koreelah]

37 minutes ago, facthunter said:

I DON'T believe BOTH are as bad as each other by a long shot. That's usually a Lib/Nats comment when THEY get caught/found out. Why? One side has a far more developed mantra around entitlement and money and WHO you know not what you know...

Scomo (one of the architects of the RoboDebts fiasco) showed that most blatantly when challenged to demand big companies refund the millions in profits and bonuses they received under Covid. 

 

He dismissed the idea as “politics of envy”.

 

[willedoo]

7 hours ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

and has teeth to enforce misinformation.

Jerry, that reads like making misinformation compulsory.

[facthunter]

"Politics of Envy" as they present it is like victim blaming raped workers. Their policies are currently inflating house prices and making a recession later more likely Unsecured loans at very low Interest, Buy now and get  cash back.. ALL ridiculously stupid and opportunistic. They have folios with many houses in them. It's also putting all your eggs in the one basket. Never a good Investment idea. They also appear to be sabotaging super for many people. Nev

[Jerry_Atrick]

2 hours ago, willedoo said:

Jerry, that reads like making misinformation compulsory.

Er.. yeah.. maybe I was thinking of applying for a job at Sky News at the time 😉

 

Enforcing proceedings against misinformation is what I meant...

[Jerry_Atrick]

3 hours ago, Old Koreelah said:

Scomo (one of the architects of the RoboDebts fiasco) showed that most blatantly when challenged to demand big companies refund the millions in profits and bonuses they received under Covid. 

 

He dismissed the idea as “politics of envy”.

 

I heard that Premier Investment (I think) owned by Solly Lew turned its biggest profit and is handing onto its last payments under the Covid scheme in case they need it... In othner words, we will hang onto it as long as we can to make some interest on it... This is a culture that is nurtured in our politics.

 

In the UK, there was a similar situation - a lot of retailers that were online (so most of the biggies and a few of the smaller) made bumper profits, yet furloughed staff and took big payments. The government made gestures that they may have to apply a special tax to cover the cost of furlough payments - and as we know, once a tax is charged, it rarely is removed after its original objective has been met. The majors were very quick in repaying a lot of what they received in furlough payments.

 

I think Tesco, one of the biggest traditional major supermarket chains here even offered to pay it back before the government made the threat...

Edited March 31, 2021 by Jerry_Atrick

[octave]

On this subject I have a conundrum to put. This is a real life problem. At the beginning of the year my wife joined a sports club. I say sports club because I want to keep it vague on the off chanced that someone reads this and makes a connection.   My wife did this sport as a teenager but was quite out of practice.   She found that when this fellow was coaching he was  pretty hands on. She felt uncomfortable about this but accepted that it might just be his way of coaching.  Now that she is competing she finds that he still touches her at every opportunity including away the actual training.   This has made my wife so uncomfortable that although she loves this new found involvement with this sport she feels inclined to quit. We were discussing this the other day and we came up with a few scenarios.  One was she could just not go back.   Another scenario was to talk to the head of the club.  This would be awkward and may lead to the man, who is otherwise charming being  humiliated.    She could talk to the man himself, again humiliation and perhaps anger.   Se feels that whatever she does she will be considered the villain.

 

 

This fellow is probably not malicious but has just failed to keep up with changing social standards.  She feels that her 2 choices are quit something she loves or be the villian. 

[nomadpete]

1 hour ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

Er.. yeah.. maybe I was thinking of applying for a job at Sky News at the time 😉

 

Enforcing proceedings against misinformation is what I meant...

Jerry, I think that Mr Trump would have loved to be able to control all that 'misinformation' that cost him the election.

 

How can such rules be made 'foolproof'?

[Marty_d]

52 minutes ago, octave said:

On this subject I have a conundrum to put. This is a real life problem. At the beginning of the year my wife joined a sports club. I say sports club because I want to keep it vague on the off chanced that someone reads this and makes a connection.   My wife did this sport as a teenager but was quite out of practice.   She found that when this fellow was coaching he was  pretty hands on. She felt uncomfortable about this but accepted that it might just be his way of coaching.  Now that she is competing she finds that he still touches her at every opportunity including away the actual training.   This has made my wife so uncomfortable that although she loves this new found involvement with this sport she feels inclined to quit. We were discussing this the other day and we came up with a few scenarios.  One was she could just not go back.   Another scenario was to talk to the head of the club.  This would be awkward and may lead to the man, who is otherwise charming being  humiliated.    She could talk to the man himself, again humiliation and perhaps anger.   Se feels that whatever she does she will be considered the villain.

 

 

This fellow is probably not malicious but has just failed to keep up with changing social standards.  She feels that her 2 choices are quit something she loves or be the villian. 

Your wife shouldn't be forced to make this choice.

 

If the guy is just out of touch and truly doesn't realise that he's making people uncomfortable, he may actually appreciate a firm but friendly comment - in a private setting - that she's not liking the touching.  Yes he may feel mildly humiliated but wouldn't it be less humiliating than if she made it public or went to the head of the club?

 

Either way I feel for her.  Sorry she's going through this.

[willedoo]

23 minutes ago, nomadpete said:

Jerry, I think that Mr Trump would have loved to be able to control all that 'misinformation' that cost him the election.

 

How can such rules be made 'foolproof'?

That's getting into one big grey area. What happens when you give the rule makers the power to dictate what is and isn't misinformation. Look at the role of the British Army's 77th. Brigade, in particular it's No.5 Column. It's scary stuff when a government presents itself as the only trustworthy keeper of real news.

[nomadpete]

Willie, would you rather leave it all to Murdoch?

[nomadpete]

PS

At the other end of the spectrum, China hasn't got a problem with misinformation.

They seem to only have one source of information. So social Harmony for the majority is simple (simply compulsory).

[Marty_d]

I think that's what Willedoo's worried about.

 

Possibly what's needed is some sort of independent agency which fact checks ALL news.  Then it could report on how much valid content each news service had each month or whatever (eg:  ABC 87% true, Murdoch 55% true, Sky News 2% true...)

[willedoo]

40 minutes ago, nomadpete said:

Willie, would you rather leave it all to Murdoch?

I'd rather leave it to the reader to use their own brain and judgement to make his or her own decision  on what is or isn't worth believing.

[willedoo]

16 minutes ago, Marty_d said:

I think that's what Willedoo's worried about.

 

Possibly what's needed is some sort of independent agency which fact checks ALL news.  Then it could report on how much valid content each news service had each month or whatever (eg:  ABC 87% true, Murdoch 55% true, Sky News 2% true...)

Then who fact checks the fact checkers. It's a never ending circle; just one big rabbit hole.

[octave]

1 minute ago, willedoo said:

I'd rather leave it to the reader to use their own brain and judgement to make his or her own decision  on what is or isn't worth believing.

 

My only problem with that is what we feel is true is not necessarily true. I think one of the big problems we face is that people think their gut feeling is the best way to determine truth.    I am nowhere near smart enough to have knowledge across every area.  If anyone asserts anything to me I will check it as best I can from multiple reputable sources.    If we all decide what we think or feel is true we can end up believing all sorts of nonsense. I am just not knowledgeable about enough areas to assert anything without rigorous factchecking.   

[Old Koreelah]

1 hour ago, nomadpete said:

Jerry, I think that Mr Trump would have loved to be able to control all that 'misinformation' that cost him the election...

 But he didn’t lose; he won, big time!

[willedoo]

12 minutes ago, octave said:

I am just not knowledgeable about enough areas to assert anything without rigorous factchecking. 

That's the point I was making. You've used your own brain and judgement to do your own research and factchecking. I wasn't advocating flipping a coin on whether or not to believe something. Only to do your own research instead of blindly accepting something.

Edited March 31, 2021 by willedoo