With Julian Assange now fighting the next stage of efforts to extradite him to the United States, some Australian politicians have found their voice.聽Binoy Kampmark reports.
Barnaby Joyce
Politicians and bureaucrats have launched endless inquiries in an effort to appear to be dealing with the water crisis in New South Wales. Yet these same bureaucrats have been very slow to implement any of the recommended reforms and few steps have been taken to deal with the mismanagement, water theft and corruption that led to this crisis, writes Elena Garcia.
The fact that Barnaby Joyce has been forced to step down from the leadership of the Nationals is a good thing. Not so good was Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's reframing of the former deputy PM's wrongdoings in terms of a paternalistic, sexual moralism.
Rather than address Joyce鈥檚 abuse of parliamentary privilege to ensure his partner maintained her well-paid media advisor job and questions over Joyce鈥檚 expenditure claims for travel and accommodation, Turnbull decided to play the moral card.
Are you sick to death of the endless debate about whether odious Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce has a right to privacy?聽
Of course some of that debate has now veered into thoughtful comparisons of how a misogynistic press 鈥減awed鈥 over the private lives of female politicians, such as Julia Gillard and Cheryl Kernot. But generally it remains fixated on whether public figures have a right to keep their private lives private.
Barnaby Joyce thought he was untouchable. But for the Malcolm Turnbull government in crisis mode, it seems he could be dispensable.
The week before last, it appeared that Joyce鈥檚 media and parliamentary advisors may have just managed to save his skin. After the tabloids splashed news of his affair 鈥 including a picture of Vikki Campion, Joyce's former media advisor and now partner 鈥 we had the 鈥淟ook, I never said I was an angel鈥 line.
There was a celebratory mood on social media when the High Court ruled on October 27 that Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce was ineligible to sit in parliament.
The government has lost its one seat majority and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's over-confident prediction that government politicians would be safe has been shown to be partisan bluster.
Right wing buffoon Malcolm Roberts has been kicked out of the Senate along with Deputy Leader of the National Party Fiona Nash.
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has re-launched his verbal war against his successor Malcolm Turnbull, with obvious relish.
In recent speeches, Abbott criticised leaked internal Liberal Party moves to bring forward a bill for marriage equality; called for an end to all new spending except for national security and infrastructure; and advocated freezing the country's 鈥 already inadequate 鈥 renewable energy target.
Environmentalists are outraged that Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has called for a review of the protection status of Victoria鈥檚 faunal emblem, the critically endangered Leadbeater鈥檚 possum, so new logging zones in Victoria鈥檚 central highlands can be opened.
Joyce wrote to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on March 26, criticising the decision to reduce the logging quota offered to Gippsland鈥檚 Heyfield mill operators Australian Sustainable Hardwood (ASH) from 155,000 cubic metres a year to 80,000 cubic metres in 2017鈥18 and 60,000 cubic metres in the next two years.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has approved moving the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) from Canberra to Armidale, despite one in five regulatory scientists quitting rather than move.
The $25 million move has sparked allegations of pork-barrelling, given Armidale is in Joyce's electorate of New England.
A Senate Estimates hearing heard APVMA staff have been working out of the local McDonald鈥檚 because no office space was available. The hearing also confirmed a new facility would need to be built to accommodate the agency.
Something smelly has been swirling around Canberra lately, and I am not talking about Clive Palmer鈥檚 locker at Parliament House, which hazmat teams are still trying to contain. No, I am talking about the fetid stench of parliamentary politics under capitalism.
Carlo's Corner: Make that sheep Australian of the Year; plus Brexit, Corbyn and Boris Johnson's hair
Some weeks can bring mixed blessings. For instance, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull claimed a narrow victory for the Coalition in the federal election and on July 12 deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce was by a sheep on his farm.
Opponents of Shenhua-Watermark's mega coalmine in the Liverpool Plains in north-western NSW have been given a boost by the Chinese government-owned company's annual report released on March 24, which hinted it may not proceed.
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