I had a robust set-to with Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Twitter this morning, after he arrogantly informed a regionally based small business owner that if she wanted reliable internet connections she ought to have bought her house in a different area.
Vaucluse, maybe?
Perhaps I was exceptionally irritated by this comment because it reminded me of when my entire family went missing for a week in a Mexican hurricane, & Alexander Downer remarked that it was their own fault for living in a hurricane-prone place.
I didn’t argue with Turnbull about the government’s plans ( I use the word reservedly) for our future communications. I argued with him because every response he made to me referred not to the issues, but to the deficiencies of the ALP when in government. No matter how consistently I pointed out to him that his tactic of attempting to deflect a questioner from her concerns by arguing that “the ALP started it and were worse than us” only serves to convince me that the government fears its own policies aren’t worthy of mention, the man would not cease his epic struggle to gain a political point.
“You’re winning no support trying to avoid questions by point scoring,” I tweeted. ” You’re in charge, govern, in our best interests.” To which the Communications Minister replied” “So it’s shameful to tell the truth is it? Or is it that you are ashamed of the mess Labor left us to clean up?” And so on. The battle is still going on as I write this, though Malcolm retreated a couple of hours ago. I obviously struck a nerve: there are a lot of people wanting governance from this lot, and increasingly fed up with them behaving as if they are still in opposition.
What the Abbott government and their advisers are apparently unable to grasp is that every time they attempt to deflect the focus from their policies onto a critique of the ALP, they reinforce the impression many of us have that their policies either don’t exist, or are too inadequate to be discussed, leaving them obliged to resort to employing critique of the former government as their only narrative. This is not governing the country.
This is not building a better future for Archie:
It isn’t building a better future for Ted:
It’s a serious abrogation of responsibility.
The Abbott government seems to me exceptionally disregarding of the future. This causes me great concern for the well-being of my grandchildren and their peers. Surely it is a government’s job to do everything possible to ensure the best for our young, now and as they become adults.
The Abbott government must understand that governing a country is not a game: it is the most profoundly serious enterprise anyone can undertake, it affects the lives and futures of millions of people, and arrogance and point scoring will not cut it.
You won the election, Mr Turnbull. Get governing, or get out.
No Place For Sheep 
Do you have a copy of the tweet exchange? I read some of them on another website and was horrified that an elected representative could be so obtuse and rude to a voter.
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They are all on my time line, will attempt to pull them altogether!
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Hi Jennifer. Can you please email me?
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Yes, done.
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I couldn’t agree more. Whenever the current government goes on about the deficiencies of their predecessors I want to scream. They seem incapable of addressing the issues. It’s worse than blaming your parents.
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They are inducing a false sense of crisis to create the exceptional circumstances by which anti social or corruption fostering legislation can be passed.
Consent manufacture.
The antics with Sinodinis, the latest episode from that never ending saga that is the giant septic tank that is the Obeid story, gives the lie to the “roon” Chicken Little stuff, plenty of money there is, if you are a fat cat , as Rupert Murdoch could tell you.
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Yes, it is all hopeless. I wonder if things would not go better without a government. I think Belgium during an impasse was without Government for almost 9 months and things went much better.
I mean, parliament has become a charnel house, totally bereft of human beings. A zoo would be a much better place to record and film during a ‘sitting’.
That purple face of C.Pyne like a bull terrier that has lost his bone to my Jack Russell.
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We are approaching a post-parliament era
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I despair of this government. I feel so disenfranchised. Good on you for taking Turnbull on. His comments were belligerent and bullying.
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Yes me too, and what’s most disappointing is that Mr Turnbull has at certain times in the past appeared to have a modicum of integrity and an ability to extend himself beyond the limits of the very limited Liberal party platform.
Perhaps he feels he has learnt from the example of Kevin Rudd and is keeping his head pulled in, but in doing so he is losing the very qualities that once made him seem like he was his own man and worth listening to.
Good on you Jennifer for taking this on.
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mix1127, I used to have some respect for Turnbull, I thought he was different from the rest of them, what a disappointment he has turned out to be.
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He was discredited after the Grech affair, it is hard to be shown to be a lying corrupt coward and come back from it.
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Yes, he is as sleazy and opportunist as the next politician.
He wants the PM-ship.
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Helvityni, yes I did too but that was quickly overtaken by dismay after seeing his performance on QandA one time.
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Post parliament, post habeas corpus, post accountability, post as in impalement.
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i have never been so disillusioned than i am now and every day i get more fearful for our great country. it’s almost like a savage dog has come and started tearing at the things that make us great. i am not sure what i would do if i met tony, joe or malcomn..and that scares me! i feel like just spitting at their feet………and don’t get me started on campbell and his VLAD law!
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You speak for me too, David, if things don’t change, I’ll be packing my bags.
What I find so scary is that so many Australians seem to be happy with this revolting lot…
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I’d like a $1,000 for every time you’ve said that. I’d rival Gina moneybags.
I wonder who is more negative – you or Gerard Oosterman.
Any ideas?
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You seem to have trouble accepting criticism about Australia. How secure are you or would you like me to sing ‘waltzing Mathilda’, or perhaps say oy,oy,.oy a few times together with a little flag waving out of the Holden’s ute window.?
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Your & Helvitini’s sustained underlying contempt for Australian culture borders on racism. Any opportunity to try & make your own culture look superior & ours inferior. That’s how you come across. Anything positive to say about Australian culture…?
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What culture, the only culture is booze, racism, violence in the streets and arrogance.
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Bit of an arrogant attitude.
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Not at all. But as I say above, I’d like a thousand bucks for every time you or Helvi have said you’ve packed your bags. BTW which bag are the Jack Russells in?
Try to be a little more positive.
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I agree Helvi.. it is a nation asleep at the wheel.
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We (the Australians) see all the faults in our country. I ask those who have lived elsewhere during the last ten years their opinion about where they’d rather be.
I am happy to criticise the government, the culture, the easy jingoism, the excessive devotion to sport, cultural naivete of the common herd, whatever – but not all the fucking time!
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Too true. The yanks, poms, just about anyone you can think of, have moth eaten elements within their cultures.
It’s not right to abuse people simply for their nationality or culture but it is not a bad thing to recognise that there may be flaws in even those of us perfect, attempt to identify them and eradicate them, that the blemishes not marr the appearance through the harm of others or self.
We’d expect honest self examination from others and should be prepared to consider certain possibilities ourselves.
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Hey, btw, what did you think of Archie?
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Archie looks the spitting image of granny! None the worse for that. Is he intelligent too, Jenny?
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When we let up they sneak in serfchoices and human trading.
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“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance”.
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When the going gets tough, the tough get going….bye!..have a good life!
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In response to Helvityni’s comments…
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Here you go – I made this specially for you – enjoy!
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Ahahaha! I just put that on Twitter. Thank you!
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Jennifer, to me it looks like you and Archie are very much alike, the little one looks a bit different. Lovely photos.
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My Pleasure!
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By golly, Jennifer- either you are small, or that is a whopping, thriving kid.
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Yes, well done Jennifer. Keep on his case. They are so used to filibustering their way through parliament and interviews that they get complacent.
Stick it to them. š
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What Turnbull overlooks is that the reason we are in this parlous broadband mess is because the Howard govt left it up to Telstra, who had absolutely no vision (and stuck so many of us on RIMs or forced us to use 3g). At least Labor decided to bring us into the 21st century. So rather than blaming Labor, Mr Turnbull should be critiquing his own party. I won’t hold my breath, though.
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Hooray for Marie Ryan.. Come back and post some more common sense comments.
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Hmmm…this sort of thing makes we wonder if I should get onto Twitter one day…but I’d be too tempted to tell the gobshite what I really think of him.
Give ’em hell, Jennifer!
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Nicely put. Kudos!
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