Party room backs Abbott on citizenship. Disaster, say insiders
Backbench revolts are bigger threats than cabinet leaks, despite what’s said on the ABC.
The official line. Peter Dutton, Australian Agenda, Sky, yesterday:
What the government’s proposed, what cabinet endorsed, is also what the partyroom endorsed and that is that we had a pretty good look around at our allies to see what they were doing in this space. And the United Kingdom, they have been revoking citizenship since 2006. So we believe that we’ve based the model on sound legal advice, on sound process … We’ve also got a discussion paper, a consultation process …. talking to people with their suggestions about how it could work.
Not good enough. Karen Middleton, Insiders, ABC TV, also yesterday:
It’s a long way from the tight ship they had on the ocean over the budget period ... They got their act together ... and a number of people are saying that that was a really good, healthy process and that they’ve emerged more successful in the public eye as a result, but now you seem to see the process falling apart again.
The understated David Marr, also on Insiders:
This is the biggest leak in half a century.
But even former dissidents are happy. Herald Sun, Saturday:
Thirty-seven backbenchers have signed a letter calling on cabinet to go further in plans to strip citizenship from Australian terrorists. The campaign, organised by Luke Simpkins and Dan Tehan, follows a cabinet row which saw the government delay a decision about stripping … citizenship ... Afterwards, the government said it would revoke citizenship for dual-national terrorists, but would consult on other proposals, including UK-style laws to strip citizenship from non-dual nationals … The politics around the backbench push are significant because Mr Simpkins was one who brought on the leadership spill against Mr Abbott in February … A number of those who signed the letter include MPs who voted against Mr Abbott, but now seem to be locking back in behind him.
Terrifying ghost stories. Bill Shorten, Weekend Today, the Nine Network, yesterday:
I’m very confident that our party is united. We’ve learned the lessons of the past.
Period pain. Claire Harvey, The Sunday Telegraph, yesterday:
Just in case you’re checking my maths, here we go: on an $8.97 packet of 32 Libra regular tampons, I calculate the GST component is 89c.
Um ... Since you asked, Claire:
It’s 81.5c ($8.15 plus 10pc GST = $8.97).
A new era of debt and deficit. The Weekend Australian, Saturday:
Senate blockades will add $101 billion to ... deficits over the next decade.
With new negative consequences. City A.M., Wednesday:
The world’s ageing population is causing a huge pile of debt to build up, the European chief of Goldman Sachs Asset Management has said. Andrew Wilson … warned that it would be impossible to pay off national debts under the current system because of the “major issue” presented by changing demographics. “With life expectancy increasing rapidly, we no longer have the young, working populations required to sustain a debt-driven economic model in the same way as we’ve managed to do in the past.”
Latte Left. Promotional email from The Monthly, Friday:
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Sounds like a capitalist tool to us. Its recommended retail price is:
$1999.