Brogden resigns (2 Viewers)

[Iron]

Keating had principle. Heck, he fought to keep cameras out of the House, but now Parliamentary debate has to be reduced to a lunge for the evening news. MPs sign up for psycological abuse, their families dont.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

As he stood beside his wife, Mr Carr launched a scathing attack on his former political adversary.

"Brogden has no character, Brogden is a featherweight mediocrity who ought to be voted out of the leadership of his party this week," he said.

"We'll leave it to his party to decide his future because there are good people on that side of politics who won't have (any) truck of what is a slur against every Asian family in Australia."

Mr Carr said Mr Brogden had shown his true colours.

"Every Asian family in Australia has been diminished by John Brogden's racism and it's only taken three bottles of beer for what he thinks about Asian background people to come to the surface," he said.

"These comments are, as Helena reminded me, the only time in all the years since she came here as a student in 1965 that any Australian has made a racist comment.

"That says something good about Australia but something very bad about this guy."

here... another funny thing

When asked whether she thought Mr Brogden had committed political suicide, she said: "I suppose that's right."

Zing.

Heck, he fought to keep cameras out of the House

What's your issue with the cameras?
edit: oh I see, you worry that because there's camera's there now that parliament is just full of people trying to make a quick quip that will get them on the news? That's fair enough... but I think the gain of people being able to watch politics is more important. It's the news that needs to change.

I can't see how there's a huge moral jump from making a very insulting public comment about someone, to a drunken comment about their wife being a mail-order bride.

 

[nwatts]

Good on Carr. I especially liked the "it's only taken three bottles of beer for what he thinks about Asian background people to come to the surface" comment. I thought the same. "What? Is he 15 years old? Three beers is nothing!"

 

[nwatts]

I can't see how there's a huge moral jump from making a very insulting public comment about someone, to a drunken comment about their wife being a mail-order bride.

Are you talking about Keating or Carr who made "a very insulting public comment"? If so, what was it? I'm out of the loop!

 

[llamalope]

Good God! I can't believe Brogden attempted suicide last night! What is the world comming to??????

(an evil aside: I can't see him winning too many seats now. Surely he's too unstable to continue being an MP. And yet apparently he is staying on as member for pitwater...go figure)

 

[xxEmoHitleRxx]

i relate so much to brogden right now... we need a man like him in politics hopefully his next move will be to buy some cool glasses and start delivering policy through poem

 

[Generator]

It's leetom's way to write in polished, exaggerated, Soviet-style rhetoric. He simply said that the ALP doesn't go for family...
Lets just stick to what we know.

The Victorian factions, anyone? Threatening behaviour that many thought had been left behind, anyone?

The ALP is just as dirty, it's just that they feel no need to bother attacking the Libs when they have more than enough 'fun' keeping it in house (well, those comments that are reported, anyway). What makes the 'antics' of the ALP worse, though, is that they are orchestrated, whereas I am yet to see such a campaign from Libs against their Labor opponents. To suggest that the party is in some way honourable when compared to the Libs and the Nats is just laughable. I'm with NTB on this one.

Jeff Kennett's comments (as a former Liberal leader and current head of a depression initiative) on the matter were excellent - The AM transcript is yet to appear, but the general thrust of his point was to criticise the double standards that we apply to politicians as illustrated by the ongoing nature of the attacks despite his apologies.


Llamalope, he said that he would carry on as the member for Pittwater early on Monday, so it isn't right to just 'go figure' when the circumstances have changed somewhat dramatically since then.

Edit (in general): It's a bit rich to suggest with an authoritive tone that his comments about Helena Carr were racially motivated when we aren't aware of the context within which they were made. Still, that's hardly going to stop the hordes of self-righteous fools who have never made an inapporpriate comment (we cannot say that it is anymore than that given what we know) from passing judgement on someone who has been 'unlucky' enough to fall foul of unfavourable elements within his own party. Just to be clear, I'm not condoning his actions and comments and I do believe that (at this point in time, anyway) he isn't the right person to lead the state party given the events as reported over the past few days, but at the same time I'm not going to ignore my own faults or just believe that politicians should be entirely wholesome and honourable.

 

[transcendent]

News! O Farrell is standing down the leadership challenge. It's now down to Debnam.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national...leadership-race/2005/08/31/1125302594673.html

 

[transcendent]

Debnam becomes leader on Friday:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/debnam-to-become-liberal-leader/2005/08/31/1125302594673.html

 

[Iron]

What makes the 'antics' of the ALP worse, though, is that they are orchestrated, whereas I am yet to see such a campaign from Libs against their Labor opponents.

Dirt unit? Race card? The ALP have been more than happy to throw away an election on principle, such as political plurality rather than banning political parties, continuing reform rather than being relaxed and comfortable, knowledge nation rather than boat people...
These are a matter of public concern, rather than internal factional deals, which do damage the party. But I dont see how, say, the Nats aren't a Liberal/conservative faction - look at the muck Barnaby got.
Or look at how Howard sabbotaged his party to regain the leadership.

 

[llamalope]

forgive me generator, i heard that he was staying on, on the radio this morning, AFTER he had attempted suicide...so obviously they were wrong...Or there was some mis-communication.

 

[rcandelori]

Liberal/conservative faction - look at the muck Barnaby got.
Or look at how Howard sabbotaged his party to regain the leadership.

But you could similarly argue that his decision to "sabotage" his party was what was needed to break free from the internal bickering that did nothing but bury the party in deeper political shit. Now he's PM and never looked back.

 

[Generator]

The point, Iron, is that the ALP is far from being this altruistic entity that you ane Leetom believe it to be, and that the factional politics are just as cancerous as the dirty campaigns against the ALP as conducted by the conservatives. In fact, I am of the belief that the ALP's antics are in many ways worse given that they are in opposition and are hardly proving themselves to be the worthy party in relation to the what I would consider a Coalition that is hardly deserving of its 'doing alright by us' tag that many seem to grant it (more often in resignation as to some they represent the lesser of two evils, sadly). I will admit that I have been rather derisive over the past few days, but that it isn't to say that I now agree with your point.

Sorry, Llamalope. I didn't mean for that particular part of the post to come across so strongly.

 

[Iron]

I will admit that I have been rather derisive over the past few days, but that it isn't to say that I now agree with your point.

Well, you've been sitting on the fence for a long time, but the Iron still hasn't entered your soul. (Best pun ever)

 

[Generator]

Haha

To tell the truth, I have always found it strange when some have claimed that I'm a centrist or that I sit on the fence. Then again, when compared to some (e.g. calculon) and when being critical of the state of today's ALP (a national, if not international, tragedy), I can see why some would consider my position to be somewhat centrist and on the fence when it comes to party allegiances.

For what it's worth, I support the Democrats and preference the ALP. I'm of the opinion that meaningful compromise is required in order for tanglible reform to occur, but that is accompanied by a belief in the value of collective consumption and a proper balance being struck when it comes to employee/employer relations (one that actually considers the role of the employee as a parent in a meaningful capacity, be they a mother or father, too) as opposed to minimalistic government and the unfettered neoliberal market. I'm not one to support today's Liberal Party, although I must admit that I would be willing to register the odd protest vote against the ALP (preference vote, anyway) if the Liberals were led by a moderate, or if they were dominated by the moderates (at the state or federal level). However, given recent events, that's no longer a possibilty at the state level, and it never was much of an option at the federal level (as far as my voting life is concerned, anyway).

Or, in a social sense I'm a mild liberal, and in an economic sense I'm a social democrat.

 

[Kutar Maggi]

liberals suck, labour suck, greens suck ...................ONE NATION all the way

 

[withoutaface]

liberals suck, labour suck, greens suck ...................ONE NATION all the way

Labor *

 

[Kutar Maggi]

Labor *

NO! the political party Labor rules. but its labour (as in slave labour) that sucks

 

[rcandelori]

but its labour (as in slave labour) that sucks.

I do believe you are forgetting yourself in that statement as well.

 

[santaslayer]

ahahahah...he attempted suicide....lolz