BF2S Forums Australian politics thread.

Its hugely entertaining, all the wars and bombings which seem part and parcel of US politics somewhat reduce the hilarity value.

In case you aren't aware we had an election a week and a half ago.

A change of government is always something to talk about. Especially when the changes to the ministry portfolios are as follows:



It's something to note here that Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world, so a minster for water is quite important. Especially with the Murray-Darling river system being vital to a core of Australia's agriculture industry. Rationing of water quotas had been vital for decades now, since it flows at 1% of what it used to.

The other portfolios shouldn't need explanation to their importance. Minister for sport? wtf

Last edited by Jaekus (2013-09-17 05:11:02)

Jay wrote:

Yes, you all talk like every detail is life or death. Americans by and large ignore politics outside of presidential elections.

But then your election campaign runs for about two years out of four.

Could we have a minister for blokes please.

I think it takes a severely deranged mind to see, (or not see,) the significant problems one has on women's issues and conclude that you should be the man in charge of women's affairs. What could he possibly be thinking? I can't imagine that Tony Abbott stood up and said "Minister for Women, that should be me right - because I have not-bad-looking daughters" and no-one thought to maybe take issue with that.

This is a man with quotes like "I think there does need to be give and take on both sides, and this idea that sex is kind of a woman’s right to absolutely withhold, just as the idea that sex is a man’s right to demand I think they both need to be moderated, so to speak." A man who has referred to abortion as 'a matter of the mother's convenience'. A man who has dismissed women in leadership roles because of 'physiological reasons'. A man who opposes the cervical cancer vaccine for his own daughters. Who seems to seriously over-emphasise the importance of virginity as a women's issue. Who has a history of intimidating female political opponents, (one would hope he's grown up since his university days though I haven't seen evidence of it.) Who made no apology for effectively endorsing protesters calling the country's first female PM a bitch and a witch, who made no move to reprimand MPs for taunting her for being 'barren', and provided nothing but excuses when her anatomy was vulgarly joked about at a party fundraiser. Then there's the multitudes of gaffes and idiotic phrases. Houswives of Australia doing the ironing, sex appeal, body contact, not-bad-looking daughters, joking with a station's only female firefighter that she 'must be popular'. And now there's the fact that under his leadership he has found himself in a position where he only has one women he can realistically appoint to a senior leadership role.

The man's mentality and understanding of women is stuck somewhere between early high school and the 1940s. He must have bought into the the LNP excuse-making or the Murdoch Media bullshit parading Margie and the girls around under headlines like "My Tony understands women" if he thinks he can be the Minister for Women. If that's the case then he is far more deluded and psychotic than even I would have thought.

I also think it's a bit of an insult to Julie Bishop that she wasn't the natural choice given she's the only one without a dick in cabinet, (allegedly.) Julie Bishop, the token woman. Always the loyal deputy, never even rumoured to be a possible future leader. Seriously, in the rare times when Liberal leadership does rear its head all we hear about is Turnbull taking over or Hockey taking over or even Mal Brough - but never Bishop. Yet she continually defends the Coalition on this front parroting the exact same lines of the blue ties around her. Never ruffling any feathers. It's been a good strategy for her, I'd imagine had she tried anything else she would have been abandoned long ago. I keep on thinking of that scene in The Dark Knight when ever she opens her mouth:

"Don't talk like one of them, you're not! Even if you'd like to be... They need you right now but when they don't, they'll cast you out. Like a leper! "

Very prophetic.

Anyway the new Abbott Government is turning out to be more hilariously bad than even I thought it would be. Early days yet of course. Good times.

Because women, making up over 50% of the population, need representation in Parliament. As they do not have proportional representation it is the role of the Minister for Women to ensure women's issues get a fair hearing. That's the gist of it anyway. Same goes for roles like Minister for Indigenous Affairs, (which, due to some bizarre turn of events, is also Tony Abbott.)

It's not like it is up to the party to select who they want to run, is it?

I could've sworn I detected invisible [sarcasm] tags around his post

I don't think there are enough asians in the cabinet.

Australia has lots of asians, there should be more in the cabinet, at least there should be a minister for asians.

There should never have been a 'Minister for Women' or any other specific group, its retarded.
All this whining that there isn't one now is dumb.

Last edited by Dilbert_X (2013-09-19 04:41:56)

It's not just about proportionate representation. Ministerial portfolios arise because there is a need for them. That is why portfolios like Indigenous Affairs and Women's Affairs exist; because matters important to both groups weren't being properly addressed. If you have a better solution I'd like to hear it.

Anyway, I'm going to take a break and bask in the realisation that this is an actual excerpt from Hansard in NSW Parliament: