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Friday

8.8 out of 10 based on 12 ratings

104 comments to Friday

  • #
    ozfred

    Who understands the workings of the AEC reporting?
    blank (THE NEVER) vote in the Senate is a strange occurrence in Australian voting
    True in the Lower House every listed candidate must be numbered. The Senate voting does allow for blank “recognition” once you have listed a modest number (varies by state?).
    I still would like to see a tabulation on the count of blanks by party from those who voted above the line in the Senate.
    Can we get the AEC to divulge the actual numbers?

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  • #
    Skepticynic

    …had Mr Wild been permitted to prosecute the case for abandoning net zero, he could very well have been victorious

    Within a few months it will be glaringly apparent to the Coalition that they could and should have fought the recent federal election by vigorously opposing Labor’s energy policies and the insanity of pursuing net zero. A recent opinion poll by the Institute of Public Affairs shows some 56 per cent of Australians are primarily interested in the ‘affordability’ of their electricity, whilst only a pathetic 21 per cent prioritise ‘meeting the net zero emissions by 2050 target’.

    [Snipped text back closer to 10% of content which may be more acceptable for copyright content copied without permission. – Raquel]

    From the Spectator
    The toxic topic

    https://archive.md/cc6NM

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    • #
      Robert Swan

      Skepticynic,

      That Spectator article starts with this:

      Within a few months it will be glaringly apparent to the Coalition that they could and should have fought the recent federal election by vigorously opposing Labor’s energy policies and the insanity of pursuing net zero.

      It’s always futile saying what might have won the election when the election has already been lost. In this case it’s also not very believable.

      Firstly, how would Labor have responded? Seems likely they’d have howled: The Libs are coming for your rooftop solar. The Liberal focus group people probably wouldn’t have let that continue and, even if they had grown enough backbone, the Labor scare tactics might well have worked.

      Secondly, how many of the Liberal members would *really* have gone in to bat for an anti-net-zero position? They showed no conviction in the campaign they actually ran; seems unlikely they’d have had any conviction for this one.

      And to lose on this issue would make defeating Net Zero even harder in future, much like nuclear power is now political “kryptonite”.

      The federal Liberals are a lacklustre operation that deserved to lose. Same goes for Labor.

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      • #
        SteveR

        If shouting “they will come for your rooftop solar” then explain the plan to drain every battery and EV whenever they need to stop blackouts.

        40

        • #
          Robert Swan

          SteveR,

          That’s a fair line of reasoning, but how well did the Libs fight off the repeated Nuclear will be $600 billion claim?

          Bearing that in mind, how would they have done with this more complicated argument against domestic batteries? I think Albo (with a helpful media) would have been all over them with how much better for “Shtraya” his subsidised batteries plan was than their relentless negativity.

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  • #
    Skepticynic

    Breaking out of the net zero straitjacket
    Australia’s lonely and insane crusade

    Three cheers for Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, a potential party leader, for speaking the plain truth on the ABC’s Four Corners. Hastie rightly described the policy of net zero emissions by 2050 as a ‘straitjacket’ – one he’s already cast off.

    Hastie also put his finger on the fundamental question too few politicians are willing to address: should Australian families and businesses be paying more for electricity while we continue to sell coal and gas to India and China, but deny it to ourselves?

    That’s the debate we need. Instead, we get hollow slogans and magical thinking.

    From The Spectator
    https://archive.md/hp2zz

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  • #
    Skepticynic

    Australia’s delusion
    Net zero insanity
    Ian Plimer

    The Finnish Geological Survey has just given us a touch of reality with their recent report entitled Estimation of the quantity of metals to phase out fossil fuels in a full system replacement, compared to mineral resources. If you thought the title was comprehensive, try the 296-page report.

    Pie in the sky future energy ideology such as Germany’s Energieperspektiven 2050+ plan cannot deliver net zero by 2050, cannot improve energy efficiency in all sectors and cannot replace petroleum-powered transport with electric vehicles, cannot replace oil and gas heating, cannot replace nuclear power and cannot smooth intermittency with battery storage.

    Nothing is impossible but the Finnish report shows that replacement of existing coal, gas, nuclear and liquid fuel energy systems is as close to impossible as one can get.

    While the rest of the world is abandoning net zero, Australia goes in harder and, as a result, collapses into deeper and deeper debt.

    https://www.spectator.com.au/2025/05/australias-delusion/

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    • #
      David Maddison

      collapses into deeper and deeper debt.

      See my post #12.

      60

    • #
      Yarpos

      Funny how the cry of OMG! We are falling behind! When promoting the latest PC cause. But when the world changes direction, we seem to be the last to wake up. Failing to “keep up” because it acknowledges all that proceeded was BS. Just stop talking about it, a couple of Look Squirrels! and slowly slowly talk about emerging reality as if its all very surprising and new.

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  • #
    David Maddison

    The latest Starship had a successful launch but then there were problems for re-entry for both Starship and the booster.

    You can see the relevant video here:

    https://youtu.be/NVYGWN5YrZM

    All previous fixes were applied and worked but apparently this failure was due to new problems.

    Elon Musk’s philosophy is to learn from every failure and keep trying.

    I’m confident he will get there.

    Don’t forget, Starship is the biggest, most powerful rocket ever launched with a gross mass of over 5,000 tonnes.

    One of its first jobs apart from moon and Mars missions will be to deliver Starlink satellites.

    A SpaceX Falcon 9 can deliver 23 v2 Starlink satellites to orbit while Starship can deliver 54 v3 satellites. Each Falcon 9 launch can deliver 3 terabits/s capacity to Starlink but each Starship launch will be able to deliver an extra 60 terabits/s of Starlink capacity.

    The v3 satellites are much larger and more capable than v2. The v3 satellites are too big to launch on Falcon 9.

    There are a lot of Musk detractors. Musk Derangement Syndrome is a terrible thing. It’s usually a comorbidity with Trump Derangement Syndrome. I call the combined condition TEDS. Trump and Elon Derangement Syndrome.

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  • #
    MeAgain

    Who knew – if you caught a bus in Toowong in the mid-80s, you might have been on one of the first attempts at a hybrid. REG – Unlike many modern hybrid systems, this one didn’t involve a battery. The most important feature was a couple of big pressure accumulation tanks, which used hydraulics and nitrogen gas to convert braking power into driving power

    http://www.qocs.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ABC-Article-Nov-2015-on-Bus-498.pdf

    ***SPOILER ALERT***

    It didn’t work. For some reason it was connected to the power steering and took away from that. The extra weight also did not offset the fuel savings of the system.

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  • #
    David Maddison

    Here is a look at 25 different geographical oddities in the US, including the so-called Northwest Angle of Minnesota, a part of the United States but you have to travel through Canada to get there, unless you go by lake but that is frozen in winter. It came about due to a misunderstanding of the geography of the area when borders were being drawn up.

    https://youtu.be/KcxQeq4QHqM

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  • #
    David Maddison

    Quote “Ideas are bulletproof.”

    From “V for Vendetta“, 2005.

    50

  • #
    David Maddison

    What’s to bet this company will be soon looking to hire more humans to replace the other humans they just sacked (fired).

    https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/they-let-go-of-the-four-of-us-team-of-sydney-medical-receptionists-replaed-by-ai/news-story/7ac2afaf35618b27de4c6d981974cf6c

    ‘They let go of the four of us’: Team of Sydney medical receptionists replaed by AI

    A Sydney office worker has detailed the moment she and three of her colleagues were called into a meeting and told AI had replaced them.

    May 29, 2025

    A Sydney medical receptionist has described the dreaded moment she and others on her team were replaced by artificial intelligence, marking a concerning leap in AI from job-threatening to job-taking.

    Katherine, 24, worked as a medical receptionist at a clinic in the Inner West of Sydney. Four days before Christmas her and three young co-workers were called into a meeting where they were informed their roles were being replaced by AI.

    “They basically brought us in and said, ‘thank you so much for all your work here, unfortunately we found a system where we can now use AI to put through the phones that will be on hold to a natural computer AI so no one else has to pick up the phone unless they have a free moment,” she told news.com.au.

    Staff were told emails would be automatically filed into separated mailboxes and patients would be greeted with a generic computer-generated message, saying “thanks so much, we’ll get back to you shortly”.

    SEE LINK FOR REST

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    • #
      wal1957

      I rang BIGW in January about the return of a Christmas gift.
      BIGW had recently deployed AI.
      After approx 10 minutes I eventually was able to get the message across to the AI that it was not helping regarding my query and I needed to speak to a real person.
      The lady I talked to informed me that BIGW had only recently deployed tha AI as a “trial” version. I very politely told her that the AI was worse than useless and BIGW management should never have deployed it in its “trial” state.
      She was lovely. Very appreciative of my comments and told me that others had similar complaints.
      The AI was worse then one of those foreign call centres that some Australian companies use.

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      • #
        Yarpos

        I think we are going over the crest of inflated expectations on the hype curve with these sort of commercial systems. It all smells a lot like drone delivery.

        The trough of disillusionment awaits.

        00

  • #
    David Maddison

    Ongoing electrical grid dismantlement in Australia, what’s next?

    Jo has already reported that the only thing stopping widespread power blackouts is large payments from the taxpayer to the aluminium smelters to enable them to be “load shed” when the wind stops blowing and the sun stops shining.

    But what happens when they inevitably shut down due to unfavourable business conditions in Australia PLUS one or more additional power stations are destroyed?

    There will be no “spare” power to liberate by shutting down smelters and insufficient power from power stations.

    What’s stopping the lights going out then?

    I’m guessing the government will secretly purchase or lease large numbers of diesel generators as I believe has already been done in Tasmania and SA at various times. So will generate grid power like they do in Third World countries because they don’t have proper power stations.

    Or will the lights go out.

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    • #
      TdeF

      So where will they get the diesel? With coal and gas we have power at no cost for hundreds of years. So the government forces us to import fuel? Why?

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      • #
        Graeme No.3

        Well, we could use brown coal** to produce diesel fuel. Known technology and it would cut down the cost of importing diesel.

        **I believe there are large amounts laying around in Victoria where they might be used.

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        • #
          Hanrahan

          Germans did that during WWII. They were limited with octane rating but that may have been not knowing of or not having the additives such as lead. Their ME 109s ran on regular petrol while the Allies’ aircraft used green 100/130 which allowed more boost.

          50

        • #
          TdeF

          So use brown coal to produce diesel to generate power so that brown coal is not used. That would count towards Net Zero. Chris Bowen would agree.

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          • #
            Graeme No.3

            TdeF:
            Not necessarily; you have to move mining stuff for export to the wharfs and bring in those manufactured goods (that we can afford) to the cities and towns.

            HANRAHAN:
            The Germans used diesel engines for aircraft, having expertise (for aero) back to the 1920’s or earlier. Presumably they gave some thought to the possible future (unlike our governments).
            One of the faults with the British R101 was their decision to use only British (marine diesels) so their 4 engines weren’t that powerful and there was a fifth engine (unnecessary weight) purely to handle reverse movement. German aero diesel motors were lighter and some could also be used for reversing.

            00

            • #
              TdeF

              Yes, but what if you use coal burning boilers directly in the aircraft? The Dornier Pfeil had propellers both ends and could reach 800km/br but a similar coal burning Chris Bowen craft could double as a helicopter by counterrotation.

              00

      • #
        Lestonio

        And there are “Summer” & “Winter” blends too for variable climates.
        Double diesel storage capacity required to meet safety standards.
        Some “O” rings & gaskets fail in some climes if not matched to fuel.

        20

        • #
          TdeF

          We could even make town gas! And briquettes, which could be used as a match for black coal in energy content but starting far less black.

          40

    • #
      wal1957

      I think “load shedding” or “demand management” should be given a different name that correctly describes the situation.
      Something like “controlled blackout” seems to be more appropriate to me.
      It is after all a shortage in generation capacity that is the cause of the problem.

      110

    • #
      Ronin

      Those diesel generators have been around, the first we heard of them was when Tassie lost their ‘extension lead’ during a drought, then once the emergency was over, they were shipped off to South Australia, then Western Australia, then Broken Hill, then back to South Australia.

      60

      • #
        Vladimir

        Not every cloud has silver lining but…
        I hope the election forced upon Australia a pause to rethink the whole issue, from the foundation up. Not from the top down, fixing each crisis as a day brings it.
        Just as example – the need for common power grid. It is good idea for many countries but Australia, even Canada may be easier.

        Just before the election some prominent Labor people have openly said the nuclear future is inevitable. Strangely enough conservatives missed those words, they deserved the loss.

        To me the irrational fear of nuclear energy is irrational, that is it. Though EHV and/or gas mixture above LEL are invisible, people deal with them daily, some people – all days, all their professional lives.
        Why nuclear energy is different?

        In one respect today it is different – it is a cutting edge of science, not just technology, like super-efficient HC burning. The jury is still out.

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        • #
          Gob

          Nuclear future is only inevitable in the minds of the emissions shy; we’ve hundreds of years supply of brown coal here in Victoria, so sometime in the next twenty years when the last of the wind turbines has clagged out there’ll be no other option but to produce electricity from it.

          40

        • #
          el+gordo

          A lot in the Labor movement over the years have supported nuclear power, including Bob Hawke, but its come to nothing. The ordinary folk don’t want a bar of it.

          The Coalition is back together and the nuclear option is still on the table, so now they are going to try and lift the bans. They might be successful, but I’m confident that the expense and time to build make nuclear power unviable in the short term.

          The Coalition should go to the next election with coal and gas on their platform, telling the masses along the way that CO2 does not cause global warming, its a scam. Blackout Bowen would lose his seat.

          21

          • #
            TdeF

            Those quotes were ridiculous. The first one is the most expensive and they get dramatically cheaper, as do all things with volume. But you are building for the future as they have longevity which windmills and solar panels do not. One is an investment in base load. The other is just blowing in the wind.

            30

    • #
      Yarpos

      Speaking of dismantling

      https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/sustainability/not-financially-viable-australias-first-commercial-wind-farm-set-to-be-decommissioned/news-story/744890ae13917de8e69bb7e4056092d6

      Shame such a “perfect” site cant be redeveloped. You would think subsidies could be ratcheted up just for the PR optics.

      10

      • #
        TdeF

        Wow! Lasted 25 years before completely useless? But what happens to the transmission line? Who gets their money back. And who pays for dismantling all this?

        00

        • #
          TdeF

          And ““At this stage, Pacific Blue is not pursuing a repowering option for Codrington,” a statement from the company said.” Which is puzzling. Surely wind is renewable and free? Or do they have to use their own money this time to get another windfall from the public?

          00

  • #
    MeAgain

    You don’t have to look far to find out there is a lot we really don’t know….

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Mweru_Wantipa

    Lake Mweru Wantipa or Mweru-wa-Ntipa meaning “muddy lake” (also called ‘Mweru Marsh’) is a lake and swamp system in the Northern Province of Zambia. It has been regarded in the past as something of mystery, displaying fluctuations in water level and salinity which were not entirely explained by variation in rainfall levels; it has been known to dry out almost completely.

    However at various times in the recent past it has been reported to be not a lake but a swamp with hardly any open water surface, and even to be a plain of dried out mud (littered with fish scales and bones, and the skeletons of dead crocodiles and hippos). These variations in open water surface occur not just within a single dry and rainy season cycle, but over years or decades. For instance it was reported as being a lake in 1890, 1897, 1911, 1919 and 1938, but a swamp in 1892, 1900–11, 1912–19, and 1922; and as having dried out around 1916. Its greatest depth has been reported as 5 m, but at times may be less than 1 m deep over most of its surface.

    The salinity also shows long term variation, it was reported as being freshwater in 1929 and 1939, but saline in 1949.

    90

  • #
    David Maddison

    Recycling. ♻️

    Humour. Or is it?

    https://youtube.com/shorts/bGAMecJk53I

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  • #
    David Maddison

    Total Australian Government debt, federal, state and local, about to roll over to $2.1 trillion.

    There’s nothing stopping them now!

    http://australiandebtclock.com.au/

    The Sheeple, typical Green, Labor and Teal voters neither understand or care – as long as they keep getting the “free stuff”.

    Enjoy!

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    • #
      John Michelmore

      That is exactly why they now target unrealised capital gains in the massive Australian Superannuation funds. How many Australians were aware of this tax before they voted?

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      • #
        Yarpos

        Wouldnt have made a difference, Labor isnt going to lose votes by taxing people with $3M in Super, regardless on rationality or long term impact.

        80

        • #
          Ross

          Exactly, they’re impacting those people least likely to vote for them. It’s like the Victorian Labor insert rude swear word here with their fire services level. It’s affecting farmers and business owners, both groups with the least likelihood of voting for the socialists.

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        • #
          David Maddison

          Yes but the Greens already want to reduce that to $2 million and inflation will soon bring that into the realm of regular people’s super (retirement funds). A Green vote will be needed to pass it through the Senate.

          Plus the wealth tax, which is what it is, will no doubt expand to other areas via scope creep.

          Topher Field discusses:

          https://youtu.be/HNh0FAjM09s

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          • #
            John Michelmore

            Not to mention that in future, that “bracket creep” will mean many will have $3m in super in a few years.
            The $4 trillion and growing super piggy bank will be an irresistable honey pot for future governments happy to give other people’s money away to stay in power.

            60

          • #
            el+gordo

            The Greens were hoping a minority Labor government would bend to pressure, but that didn’t come to fruition.

            Its dodgy policy and already we find that anyone with over $3 million in Super are putting it into liquid assets like gold.

            41

          • #
            Hanrahan

            I’m sure they have discussed inheritance tax behind closed doors.

            These wealth taxes only generate a lot of tax if they aren’t indexed. NOT to index is taxing inflation.

            50

            • #
              David Maddison

              The fake conservative Liberals were talking about death taxes in 2015.

              https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/turnbull-government-refuses-to-rule-out-return-of-death-duties-20151114-gkywn9.html

              The Turnbull government is being urged to resurrect death duties and Treasurer Scott Morrison isn’t ruling it out.

              Australia abolished its state and federal inheritance taxes almost 40 years ago but a number of economists believe the government should consider a new national scheme as part of its tax reform process.

              The Uniparty want to take it all.

              Australia needs a conservative party.

              61

              • #
                Hanrahan

                David, you DO get tiresome, we already know your thoughts on this. How did your vote for a third party candidate go, did it alter anything?

                27

              • #
                Annie

                I think he helps new readers on Jo’s blog to know they are not alone. I value David’s input. Just occasionally I value yours Hanrahan.

                60

              • #
                Hanrahan

                Annie, I always respect that you may read my posts and avoid harsh speech and taking the Lord’s name in vein, but you must respect my right to disagree with the group-think so prevalent here. Think of me as the Devil’s Advocate.

                00

          • #
            Yarpos

            No, there is no yes but. We are talking getting elected and swaying the general voter. Its about the buzz from hit the rich and no clue or care about obvious things like inflation and future tweaking. Those arent even on their radar.

            00

  • #
    Greg in NZ

    Back in the old days, ie. BC or Before Climate, it always snowed on Queen’s Birthday (this weekend for us, next weekend for Aus except WA & QLD) however, now it’s renamed as King’s Birthday (not his real birthday) a 3-day-long weekend, the snow has arrived two days early:

    https://www.snow.nz/area/nz/queenstown/theremarkables/

    My old stomping grounds, The Remarkables (7,500 ft) have turned from grey/green schist to pristine wintry white a whole 48-72 hours earlier than *average* – not enough to open yet locals will be getting excited. Some will claim this premature snowfall as humanity’s fault (we’re changing the seasons), some will say King Charles’ green credentials have soothed the boiling planet [sic], while others will deal with it as they do regarding any fickle slight anomaly with the weather.

    Up north here it’s calm, sunny, 18*C with the ‘odd passing shower’, typical autumnal bliss before winter’s full blast arrives. Methinks the alarmists doth complain too much!

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    • #
      Kalm Keith

      I have only visited the top of Australia’s highest mountain once, and there was no snow. Back in BC, about 1966, you could drive almost to the top and walk the last 100 yards. My second hand ’59 VW was able to get up there, no dramas.
      Kosciusko is only 7,310 ft so your mountain’s higher.
      As for his highness, is somebody who “can’t see” the ugliness in the society he’s supposed to be ruling really a King?

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    • #
      Johnny Rotten

      I thought that BC meant Before Covid.

      10

  • #
    another ian

    FWIW

    Why Musk’s move

    “Somehow the AP forgot to mention that it has now been 130 days, the maximum number of days permitted for a “Special Government Employee” under law.”

    https://x.com/fentasyl/status/1927890975554224322

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  • #
  • #
    Ian

    Strop
    May 29, 2025 at 12:36 pm · Reply

    I replied to your post of yesterday but have posted again in case you missed it. In that post I gave Liers from Liberals

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/1868571110083520/posts/has-anyone-compiled-a-list-of-peter-duttons-lies-failures-embarrasments-backflip/3943413855932558/

    04

    • #
      Robert Swan

      Ian,
      How does this work? Strop spoke of Albanese’s many lies. You challenged him. He provided examples. Now you say Well Dutton lied too. How does this disprove Strop’s original claim? Do you keep some sort of balance sheet where, as long as they lie equally, it’s ok?

      It’s not dissimilar to climate scientist logic: We said drought, you got flood. Still bad weather, so it’s climate change.

      Incidentally, the spelling is liars.

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      • #
        Ross

        Amazing that in 2025, people have to be reminded that all politicians lie. We have come to the point of the lesser of two evils almost constantly in our Australian political choices.

        40

    • #
      Strop

      Thanks. I just replied to your post there. I see you had a link to a Renew Economy article in addition to the facebook link above, which you are using to paint the Liberals as liars as if that is a defence or excusing Albo for his MANY lies.
      I’ll take the non-rebuttal to the Albo lies as confirmation you agree he told MANY lies.

      What a pathetic feeble response, both here and the other reply. Thursday #2.2.2.1.2

      As for what you say are the Liberal lies.

      Let’s start with renew economy article in the other post.
      The article itself lies in that it twists what Dutton said about having a 44% cheaper policy than Labor as meaning 44% cheaper power prices. Dutton did not claim power prices would be 44% cheaper. He said their policy (cost of power generation) was 44% cheaper than Labor’s and he only claimed that cheaper infrastructure costs mean cheaper prices. That is not a lie. Ironic that you use a lie to pretend Dutton was lying.
      Then you get to the part where it says power prices would go up under Dutton’s policy and it makes out he lied. Another lie by that article because he didn’t claim prices would go down. He only claimed the power prices would be cheaper under his policy than Labor’s policy because of his policy having cheaper infrastructure costs.
      I didn’t read the rest of the article. I knew I could stop there as soon as the first two points were actually lies to pretend Dutton was lying.

      As for the Facebook post listing what you call lies. Is that really the best you can find? I doubt you even read it. It’s not even a list of lies. It’s basically a list of policy gripes and the Lib’s policy backflips.
      The author lists them as “lies, failures, embarrassments and backflips during the 2025 federal election campaign?” It’s actually a list of policy gripes, arguable poor policy, and backflips. Only two on the list are fact based items and again they lie to create the appearance of a lie. It claims that Dutton said the Indonesians had made an agreement with Russia. He didn’t. He said Russia had approached Indonesia. That is true and actually it was the Labor party who lied to try and make Dutton look foolish. The truth came out.
      We can agree it wasn’t a good campaign. But they’re not lies.

      Thanks for replying but it is a pathetic attempt to excuse Albo’s MANY lies by pretending the Libs did the same. You’ve actually kicked more own goals in your reply, and show the lying is so habitual that you’ll use lies to pretend there is a lie. Just admit Albo did it.

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      • #
        Ian

        There’s a lot in your reply much of it fairly ordinary but most significantly you state

        “It claims that Dutton said the Indonesians had made an agreement with Russia. ” He didn’t. He said Russia had approached Indonesia. ”

        This is what Dutton actually said:_

        “Peter Dutton has admitted he made a mistake by wrongly claiming the Indonesian president had announced a proposal for Russia to base military aircraft in Indonesia,

        https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/16/dutton-admits-he-made-mistake-on-indonesia-in-abc-leaders-debate-as-albanese-evasive-on-electricity-prices

        10

        • #
          Strop

          Trying to dismiss my reply as ordinary doesn’t work. It was all correct. Unfortunately for you you can’t deny that Albo told many lies and you’re really scratching around to find any the Libs told. Of course, I don’t pretend the Libs are angels. But in the scheme of things across the campaign they were were quite good. As opposed to Albo who openly lied in the debates and regularly across the campaign. It’s even worse because he promotes himself as honest.

          This is what Dutton actually said:_

          “Peter Dutton has admitted he made a mistake by wrongly claiming the Indonesian president had announced a proposal for Russia to base military aircraft in Indonesia,

          You can’t write “This is what Dutton actually said” and then provide a quote from an article that isn’t a Dutton quote.

          Your Guardian article proves what I said was correct.

          This is the lie claim in your facebook link.

          falsely claiming the Indonesian president had done a deal with Russia to use military bases in Indonesia

          My response to that was, “He didn’t. He said Russia had approached Indonesia.”
          Nowhere has Dutton ever claimed the Indonesians had done a deal.

          The error in what Dutton had said was that he attributed the source to the Indonesian President. He clarified in various interviews that the source was the Indonesian govt. In the debate he admitted it was a mistake to directly attribute the source as being the President when he meant the President’s office. If you want to claim that it was a lie then go ahead. But if you’re going to hang your hat on that one verses the MANY Albo told then you are delusional. The fact is that the essence of what Dutton said and the point he was making was 100% true and not misleading or a lie, regardless of whether the Indo President personally said it or if it came from his govt. The Russians had approached Indonesia to use a base.
          The real lie in this whole saga was Labor saying there was absolutely no truth in any of it, including that the Russians had not approached Indonesia.

          But the truth came out.

          Would you like to keep digging? We can still see your head.

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      • #
        SteveR

        When is Albo going to be investigated about the many millions of tax payer funds he spent on the new road to his mansion?

        10

  • #
    Rowjay

    First drones, now anchor warfare…

    The most recent incident came when Polish intelligence detected a sanctioned Russian-linked vessel, identified as the Sun, sailing under the Antiguan flag, performing suspicious maneuvers near the critical Poland-Sweden power cable. This 600-megawatt undersea line is essential for energy exchange between the two nations, and Polish prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that the Polish military intervened. A patrol flight forced the vessel to alter course, and the Polish Navy’s reconnaissance ship, ORP Heweliusz, was dispatched to the site. Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating that since Sweden and Finland joined NATO, the Baltic Sea has become a key marine area, where the largest number of incidents related to cable breaks and sabotage occur. Poland has made it clear that any threat to Baltic infrastructure will be met with a firm response.

    This latest episode follows a string of Russian sabotage efforts in the region. Russia has been linked to numerous incidents of undersea tampering with 11 known undersea cables taken out since 2023 as stated by a deputy commander of the Finnish coast guard. The most recent confirmed damage occurred end of 2024, involving the Estlink 2 power cable between Finland and Estonia. Investigations revealed a huge anchor drag mark on the seafloor, attributed to the Russian-linked oil tanker Eagle S. These acts are widely seen as components of Russia’s hybrid warfare strategy: destabilizing European states without overt military confrontation.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhzFAqB–Ps

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    beowulf

    Looks like the Bidengate-Autopen scandal just got worse. No real shock for those following the game.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_shgDqoCR0

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    Rowjay

    Has President Trump succeeded with his Nato re-arming strategy?

    Why Germany’s Military REBIRTH Is a Total NIGHTMARE for Russia

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuJ3PB1XYhg

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    Ross

    Posted this yesterday. Not my own work, it was from a post on X.

    Trump accomplishments in 4 months (May 2025)

    Borders closed
    
Crime Down

    Prices down

    Gas prices down
    
Record Investment

    Commitment to Global Peace
    
Men out of Womens sports
    
Universities told to balance ridiculous far left bias
    
Millions saved from fake NGO’s being shut

    Tax reductions on Tips, Overtime, Pensions
    
Balancing Trade with China, India, UK and soon EU

    Golden Dome

    Exit of Paris Climate Scam
    
Record oil drilling

    55% popularity (Rasmussen)
    
Reduction in government fraud
    
Investment in Nuclear
    
Record Defence spending
    
DEI out of military

    Promotion of AI strategy in US

    Actually doing what he said he would do … rare

    Could Albansese /ALP in Australia or Starmer/ Labour in the UK put together any sort of list like this? Nope.

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    • #
      Vladimir

      Exit of Paris Climate Scam – even it is just his word (which is not) is invaluable for recovery from AGW cancer.
      Some other points are also good, even if reversed when pendulum rushes back.
      Golden Dome ? Let us talk again in few years time…

      Commitment to Global Peace ?!!
      From good Putin’s friend?

      30

  • #
    Ross

    Beyond meat and Methane emissions

    A number of years ago the market capitalisation of “Beyond Meat “ company was estimated at about $ 8 billion (US). Thanks to big investors like Bill Gates etc. Beyond meat were the main company developing and manufacturing fake meat that we were all supposed to eat to save the world from CLIMATE CHANGE (had to put it in capitals to make it sound more scary). You know, all that meat free Fridays stuff etc. Plus, in order to market and sell more fake meat there had to be a scare campaign. So, all those burping/farting cows were contributing significant amounts of methane to make the earth boil. Or, so we were told. One problem- no one bought the meat!! The sectors capitalisation was largely based on significant increase in uptake of the fake meat products. But it never happened. Even during COVID when people were fighting over toilet paper and cheap mince meat, the fake meat very often went unsold. In addition, the sector was also aided by US government initiatives, like the inflation reduction act. It was why I could never understand how the methane scare was re-invigorated over the last 5 years. Because that scare was virtually debunked during the 1990’s, as wise people pointed out how natural sources of methane were far and away more significant than cow farts. What was the point of decreasing your cattle herd when the world’s termites produced nearly as much methane anyway? It was completely illogical. So, the media got on board with the whole cow burp scare campaign and actively promoted fake meat. No doubt helped along with seed money from those investors in companies like “Beyond Meat”. Bill Gates himself went on many shows spruiking fake meat. Then scientific institutions got on board as well, conducting research into methane reduction technologies and products (I’m looking at you, CSIRO). What’s happened now? Well, due to the lack of popularity of the fake meat products amongst us plebs, the big end of town have now quietly pulled their investment money from the sector in the US. Tried to cut their losses. The market capitalisation of Beyond Meat is now only in the hundreds of $millions- not billions as before. I’m hoping now that the scare campaign vs methane will again slowly fade away and so it should. Because it was junk science at best.

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  • #
    another ian

    FWIW

    “In much better developments, two days ago, Stat News ran a story headlined, “‘Corrupt’ medical journals have to change, RFK Jr. says, or the NIH will publish in-house.” The sub-headline dug in deeper: “The health secretary said The Lancet, NEJM, and JAMA have been influenced by the pharmaceutical industry.” ”

    More at

    https://open.substack.com/pub/coffeeandcovid/p/literally-thursday-may-29-2025-c?

    And other things

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  • #
    another ian

    FWIW

    “The Change Of Guard (Well, Not Really)
    [Comments enabled]
    Category thumbnail
    There comes a point where you have to decide.

    You see, there are many topics you just can’t talk about with “advertising” these days. Like, for example, the Spanish power outage. Go where the logical information leads you, and suddenly nobody wants to run advertising against it. I’ve challenged that, but then again will I win that challenge? I don’t know.

    But what I do know is that if you are told you can’t entertain logical debate without being told “oh that’s not what our advertisers want you to talk about” then there is no debate, there is no discussion and in the end we all make bad decisions as a society because we can’t put the arguments on the table and run them into the ground as only one side of the debate is compensated — the other is deliberately silenced.

    Shouting louder while doing everything you can to force others to shut up does not make make your point of view correct.”

    More at

    https://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=253343

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    John Connor II

    UK – rapist victim gets 17 years in prison

    Stabbed her attacker fatally.

    https://youtu.be/_TYoStIDRJE?si=TZsnAbd56oQc9OnD

    Justified? Excessive force? Feared for her own life and maybe the same fate?
    Would you put your attacker’s welfare ahead of your own to appease the police?
    An immigrant doing the same would get off free no doubt.
    Like we saw in yesterday’s news – violent teenagers wielding machetes in a (drug fueled?) home invasion. Should we consider their unfortunate history before defending your loved ones?
    Me – no [snip] way!😎 I’m skilled enough to not end your existence but you’ll probably wish I had.
    Again, yesterday, we saw the Coles carpark incident with steel bars. Better ban those too now. Kebab skewers, sharpened plastic straws…why not them too!

    Babylon Bee world.
    https://youtu.be/UNW5tPu2xcM?si=cr724q_QQfU87aow

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    • #
      John Connor II

      As DM might have said, “I censored it so you don’t have to”
      😉

      /but did anyway.😁

      Sticks and machetes might break my bones but memes will get you jail time.
      /2025 revision

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    • #
      Ronin

      That’s ridiculous, what happened to ‘ better to be judged by 12 of your peers than be carried by 6 of your friends’.

      10

  • #
    John Connor II

    Hawaii becomes first state to introduce a climate change tax on visitors

    The new law will begin in January of next year and will consist of placing a 0.75% tax on visitors staying at hotels and rentals.

    The new law will also be aimed at cruise ship passengers who will pay a prorated tax for the number of days their cruise ship is in a Hawaii port.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/05/hawaii-becomes-first-state-introduce-climate-change-tax/

    Why not tax planes flying overhead while you’re at it.

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    David Maddison

    From the nation of copiers and spies comes the Chinese copy of the US Hummer.

    No wonder TRUMP’s imposing tariffs on them.

    There are plenty of videos of this on YT.

    https://youtube.com/shorts/ZEqP_qVdCU4

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  • #
    John Connor II

    Truck explodes in Chicago suburb

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/jaw-dropping-video-shows-rental-truck-explosion-in-chicago-suburb/ar-AA1FzGLd

    Even the humble propane tank can be dangerous. Very dangerous.

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    • #
      Johnny Rotten

      And they want Hydrogen?

      When I see a “Pollie” in a hydrogen powered vehicle – car, plane, ship – then I will laugh my head orf’.

      Never going to happen.

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  • #
    John Connor II

    Nobody seems to see the drama unfolding right before our eyes

    I’m sure some of you have become aware of new COVID-19 (C-19) outbreaks in several Asian countries (Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, China, Japan). But even in Australia, NB. 1.8.1 is now spreading, and it has already made landfall in the US as well.

    This is not going to have a happy ending (in highly C-19 vaccinated populations).

    https://voiceforscienceandsolidarity.substack.com/p/nobody-seems-to-see-the-drama-unfolding

    Yup.

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    John Connor II

    Scientists warn city-killing asteroids could be headed for Earth within weeks after revealing fatal detection flaw

    At least three city-killing asteroids that could strike Earth are hiding behind our closest neighbor in the solar system.

    A new study warns that Venus is blocking out our view of many near-Earth asteroids – large space rocks that cross or come near Earth’s orbit – setting up the potential for a devastating impact.

    These three asteroids near Venus have MOIDs of less than 0.0005 astronomical units (AU), which is about 46,600 miles – closer than the Moon’s average distance from Earth.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14754795/city-killing-asteroids-headed-Earth-weeks.html

    Everybody think “Canberra, Canberra” 😎

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    RickWill

    Just had lunch with two old work colleagues and we were comparing where we are with household energy. None of us have paid for electricity this year so far. The two of us still living in Victoria will both be paying the connection fee after the Victorian FIT goes to zero. The one living in Queensland will continue to get income from his FIT.

    I am the only one with battery now but they are both planning for batteries this year.

    I believe AEMO and the distributors can see the writing on the wall. Blackout could very well end up with “renewable” white elephants in remote locations with no connection to the grid and tax payers paying a return on their capital for no electrical energy.

    People who own a roof will be just using the grid as insurance against consecutive cloudy days while leaving those who do not own a roof paying the high cost of Blackout’s white elephants and the dispatchable power plants needed to keep the grid viable.

    AEMO’s ISP is in tatters with the pace of powerline construction not even measurable. Just one example:

    The first leg of a new interconnector between Victoria and New South Wales has yet to proceed. AEMO recommended this project in its inaugural 2018 Integrated System Plan (ISP) and predicted it would be operational by 2023. The developer has said it will begin construction after the Victorian election in late 2026. The project has yet to receive all the necessary approvals. It would not be surprising if it never gets built.

    https://www.vu.edu.au/about-vu/news-events/news/central-planning-is-failing-australias-energy-transition

    Now AEMO are finally recognising that distributors are a key element of the grid with distributed generating resources. This is something the Distributors pushed in the submissions for the first ISP but was completely disregarded by AEMO. Now that transmission is in the TOO HARD basket they are looking at the distributors and the value of rooftop generation:

    AEMO has now begun engaging with distribution networks to incorporate important insights about their networks and the impact on CER into future ISPs.

    https://aemo.com.au/-/media/files/stakeholder_consultation/consultations/nem-consultations/2025/2025-electricity-network-options-report/draft-2025-electricity-network-options-report.pdf?la=en

    None of this will lead to lower cost electricity. It is a matter of who pays the high cost; poor consumers or taxpayers. Rooftop owners get a free ride if they so choose.

    00

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