So you support euthanasia, gay marage, better access to abortions? these are things that are well supported by the population.

Or is you don't feel your views are not being enacted in Government rather than the people’s views, yes I thought so.

Kenny,

You are fudging.

I don't agree with all those things you raise either and some I might even be persuaded to agree with. I might just be in a minority, and if so then I'd feel I was imposing my will upon the majority. What I'd like to see in such a case is for politicians to declare their positions prior to an election and have us all abide by the decision of the majority.

Clearly that isn't what has occurred with the carbon tax, refugees, cost of living, petrol prices, economic conservatism with financial waste and industrial relations policy.

That's what people are mostly concerned about... including me.

People while they are concerned about'euthanasia, gay marage(sic), better access to abortion's' they are of much lessor priority ... including to me.

Are 'euthanasia, gay marage(sic), better access to abortion's' your priority ahead of the situation that has arisen in regard to what has occurred with the lie about carbon tax, the disasterous and unconsiousable refugee policy, soaring cost of living including petrol price gouging, fake economic conservatism with attendant massive financial waste and sly backward leaps in 'progressive' industrial relations policy'.

Oh and don't forget the Gillard and Combet acclaimed 'settled science' on global warming which is now being seriously questioned after evidence and peer reviewed literature supporting decelerating rises in sea levels(Peer reviewed) evidence rising CO2 levels occur after warming(Peer reviewed) and the acknowledged fact, by warmists experts and recorded statistics, that global average surface temperatures are not increasing or are now falling.

ie all the basic tenents supporting global warming are reversing.

Ruth Bonnett you do write a load of claptrap! 14000 faceless voters now run our country? By this sweeping observation you are no doubt refering to the Green vote? It is agreed that your fellow Queenslander Joe Ludwig perhaps acted hastily in his quite speedy banning forthwith, all live animals exports to Indonesia without distinction, however in his favour is the indisputable fact that he had support from some 200,000 other voters(members of the general public) who were understandably very much upset and concerned at the complete lack of humane handling of these same live animals exported to Indonesia. This huge support must have consisted of all the Australian political spectrum. Not just the Greens.
Bring on your convoy of no confidence, an exercise in futility!!

Yes , this article is a manifestation of Tea Party style protest . The proposed participants in this convoy will spend a enormous sum on petrol taking part , cause traffic chaos and then bleat about how tough life is for them having to support their high carbon lifestyle . Presumably , the author will , Sarah Palin style , lead the convoy , either riding or sitting pillion on a motorcycle .

For the type of people who will take part in the convoy , motor vehicles are not a means of transport but a means of feeling powerful for which , however , they are not prepared to pay the cost of damage to the environment . The shock jocks will encourage the event and it will assist another redhead conservative politician in pursuing a career , without doing anything to solve national problems .

Oh please!
Australians took the GST bending over, we'll take the Carbon Tax bending over too.

The worst we will do is express our dislike in the opinion polls, but ultimately grudgingly accept whatever the government decides, or rejoice when it caves in on its weak knees all by itself.

I would reckon the only reason the American Tea Party movement started up (aside from political/cultural differences) is the simple fact that for America to introduce its healthcare reform is a gigantic shift in direction for the country and its principles regarding taxation and ownership;

For Australians, a Carbon tax is nothing more than a rubbish tax that will join the already massive pile of rubbish taxes Australians had already gotten used to.

Dear King Hazza,
Well said 'King', when we look back to the introduction of Decimal currency, shortly after which came the introduction of decimal measurement, then countless other changes when fuel and cigarettes rose to an "unaffordable" $1 per packet of fags and fuel, we got over all of it, including the GST, we will get over the Carbon Tax despite Tony Abbotts' scare campaign, go with the flow everybody, there are worse things in our lives to deal with, if that doesn't sate your ire, then think of the poor buggers in other parts of the World, Aussies are doing it well, we don't have too much to gripe about, if too many people have overspent, that is their problem, not the governments, we are still the Lucky country.
NSB

This is a great initiative arising from the desperate circumstances in which Australia finds itself, held hostage by a megalomaniac who is PM by the simple expedient of bribing a couple of turncoat Independents to betray their electorates.

We have a government formed on lies and on people acting contrary to the mandate of their electorates. Juliar Gilliar was elected on a mandate of “no carbon tax”.

Disgraceful as the actions of this cohort are, there is no law which makes their scurrilous behaviour criminal.

A law abiding community can only demonstrate its disapproval in a lawful manner, and this convoy is a most appropriate way to involve the whole of Australia, in showing its displeasure.

This woman has lied, cheated, and ignored the will of the people, up to now, with impunity.

This event will acknowledge the disgust that we feel for her, and give us the opportunity to feel the mutual support of all those millions in the community who want her gone, along with her scurrilous plans to ruin our economy, and to fund the greatest parasite the world has ever known, the United Nations.

LOL. Where do I start? ...aahhh just go with the flow....

This is nothing more than emotive spam dressed up as Banjo Patriotism.

Why not finish your convoy in Ballarat, borrow the Eureka flag from the Fine Art Gallery and man up at the stockade using Bakery Hill as the rallying point?

Never know. You might go down in history as:

- The liberators of Australian democracy who against overwhelming odds defeated 14,000 latte sipping greeny elite voters with a last stand blast of
diesel exhaust.

or

- The convoy that fizzled out along pub stops, visits to distant relatives and the unbearable lament of whingeing.

or

- The first homegrown terrorist organisation to be 'extraordinarily rendered' to Malaysia.

For whispering softly, Howard referred to the 200,000+ people in Hyde Park who opposed attacking a country we were bribing to buy our wheat as a mob. But yer gunna call yerselves a convoy. Well 10-4 good buddy ...breaker breaker.... just watch out for those bears in the air.....

The much maligned Murdoch press in Australia is dead right in describing the American Tea Party movement as right wing nutter fruitcakes.

There are enough loopy causes in the Australia I love without attempting to import anymore.

But hey ..thanks for a good laugh:-)

"The convoy that fizzled out along pub stops, visits to distant relatives and the unbearable lament of whingeing."

Love it, Neutral.

I'll be interested to see how much - if any - airtime this convoy gets in the media. I'll also be interested to see how its success is measured, and how well-supported it actually is. If 1,000 people arrive in Canberra, will it indicate a groundswell of support? 2,000? 10,000? It will be very hard indeed for the members of the convoy to demonstrate that they are anything other than another minority.

Surely this is Pauline rising.

The top five issues which the government should act on (according to recent research by David Chalke) are the economy and public healthcare (both at 41 per cent), education (30), violent crime and unemployment (both 28). Current government focus on a carbon tax and media scrutiny does not come close to addressing these concerns.
The discontent expressed by many ordinary Australians comes from a weak Labor party which is dependent on the support of people with largely divergent views.

Politics is indeed a battle of ideas and not an exchange of online insults between a few cute nicknames. I have been critical of our Prime Minister for engaging in name calling directed towards peaceful protestors, so gentle readers will no doubt be unperturbed if I don’t engage with the ad hominem attacks launched by others unknown.

This convoy is a peaceful and legitimate campaign against a government that is simply unable to heed the concerns of everyday people.

Without freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press, we live in a DIMO: a democracy in name only.

MPs who listen to their electorates are at the core of a healthy democratic government: where each voter has an equal say.

This convoy is not linked to any single political party.

"Surely this is Pauline rising.
Posted by GlenC"

And even THAT didn't happen.
Australia is easily the biggest upholder of non-responsiveness to policy that we supposedly hate or want in the world.

We can hardly even bring ourselves to vote out a party until at least 10 years have passed and they were going so extremely badly that they were advocating work choices (though to be fair, Labor had been massively advocating refugees for the sake of opposition point-scoring (evidenced by them now not doing it), and that was turning most voters off).

"a government that is simply unable to heed the concerns of everyday people."

Agreed. This is probably the only consistency between successive governments. Of any flavour. Why would Labor be any different to the Liberals? There will always be punters marginalised regardless of who is in power.

"This convoy is not linked to any single political party."

The reference to Australia's own (billy) tea movement in conjunction with a convoy does conjure up the Sarah Palin image of pillioning into populism.

Perhaps not a 'single' party but certainly readers can be forgiven for identifying a specific ideological slant as practised by a coalition of parties.

Its easy to sit and whinge - how about you all join the convoy and have your say?

Top 50 reasons coming in from Australians who support the convoy





1... Carbon Tax - "There will be no carbon tax under the Government I lead."



2... NBN - $50 billion but no cost-benefit analysis



3... Building the Education Revolution - The school halls fiasco



4... Home Insulation Plan (Pink Batts) - Dumped



5. Citizens Assembly - Dumped



6... Cash for Clunkers - Dumped



7... Hospital Reform - Nothing



8... Digital set-top boxes - Cheaper at Harvey Norman



9... Emissions Trading Scheme - Abandoned



10. Mining Tax - Continuing uncertainty for our miners



11. Livestock export ban to Indonesia - Over-reaction



12. Detention Centres - Riots & cost blow-outs



13. East Timor 'solution' - Announced before agreed



14. Malaysia 'solution' - STUFF ME - JUST GOT SIGNED & WHAT A JOKE IT IS



15. Manus Island 'solution' - On the backburner



16. Computers in Schools - $1.4 billion blow out; less than half delivered



17. Cutting Red Tape - 12,835 new regulations, only 58 repealed



18. Asia Pacific Community - Another expensive Rudd frolic. Going nowhere



19. Green Loans Program - Abandoned. Only 3.5% of promised loans delivered



20. Solar Homes & Communities plan - Shut down after $534 million blow out



21. Green Car Innovation Fund - Abandoned



22. Solar Credits Scheme - Scaled back



23. Green Start Program - Scrapped



24. Retooling for Climate Change Program - Abolished



25. Childcare Centres - Abandoned. 260 promised, only 38 delivered



26. Take a "meat axe"' to the Public Service - 24,000 more public servants and growing!



27. Murray Darling Basin Plan - back to the drawing board



28. 2020 Summit - Meaningless talkfest



29. Tax Summit - Deferred and downgraded



30. Population Policy - Sets no targets



31. Fuel Watch - Abandoned



32. Grocery Choice - Abandoned



33. $900 Stimulus cheques - Sent to dead people and overseas residents



34. Foreign Policy - In turmoil with Rudd running riot



35. National Schools Solar Program - Closing two years earl

Continued

36. Solar Hot Water Rebate - Abandoned



37. Oceanic Viking - Caved in



38. GP Super Clinics - 64 promised, only 11 operational



39. Defence Family Healthcare Clinics - 12 promised, none delivered



40. Trade Training Centres - 2650 promised, 70 operational



41. Bid for UN Security Council seat - An expensive Rudd frolic



42. My School Website - Revamped but problems continue



43. National Curriculum - States in uproar



44. Small Business Superannuation Clearing House - 99% of small businesses reject it



45. Indigenous Housing Program - way behind schedule



46. Rudd Bank - Went nowhere



47. Using cheap Chinese fabrics for ADF uniforms - Ditched



48. Innovation Ambassadors Program - junked



49. Six Submarines - none operational



50. Debt limit to be increased to $250 billion - to pay for all of the above and much more by us.

And this is coming from all political persuasions - the feedback is real -

Thanks, Cate S for your constructive comments.

Note that none of the posters heaping scorn on this initiative have offered any alternative to dealing with the situation created by this incredibly incompetent and malicious government.

The Tea Party has been effective. So have the lefty imbeciles. We would not be in this mess without the effectiveness of the motormouthed left, always out on the streets inconveniencing sensible people with their demonstrations in support of retrograde nonsense.

A demonstration about something sensible, by right thinking people is most welcome, and any inconvenience is for a good purpose. It will show our opposition to liars and economic vandals.

This woman has lied, cheated, and ignored the will of the people, up to now, with impunity.
LL,
It's like a poker machine & the gamblers !

So why is a Queensland Party STATE candidate waxing right-wing-nutter on a FEDERAL issue?

"There is nothing more valuable, more powerful and more precious than the will of the people."

What a cliche - since when do people (plural) have a will?

Is it rational to attribute the highest value, power and preciousness to something which doesn't even exist?

"Democracy is defined as a form of government which all people have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives."

OK, so it's equal (assuming an ideal implementation of democracy) - BIG DEAL: what good is it if that [equal] say over that which affects my life equals just about 0.000007% (1 over 14 million)?

Surely one should have more power when it comes to decisions that significantly affect their own lives than others whose lives are not significantly affected by those decisions!

I have no interest in affecting your life - why should you want to affect mine?

Great article Ruth – I think that we have had a fundamental failure of the democratic process in this country and desperate times demand some direct “people power” action to send the message. And with the Greens now controlling the senate, we ain't seen nothin’ yet. My prediction is that this country will be set back 10 years in the next two if a change cannot be somehow forced.

Although opposed to both the carbon and mining taxes (for many reasons that are irrelevant here), I can respect that the reasoning and motivations for these proposals have some logical basis. The last straw for me was the snap ban of live cattle exports. This knee-jerk reaction, based on a Four Corners program (for goodness sake) without any apparent thought of the many and varied local and international impacts, is beyond belief. I do not condone the animal cruelty depicted but I wonder if anyone associated with this farce stopped to consider the suffering of thousands of cattle cooped up in holding pens for several weeks? (Maybe Four Corners should do a follow-up program documenting the mess they helped create?)

It is made more ludicrous if you draw comparisons with the Malaysian Solution for asylum seekers. We ban cattle exports because a clever journo discovers mistreatment at the other end but almost simultaneously sign an agreement to enable the export (and trading) of people amid real concerns they might be mistreated at the destination? What the ...?

Cate S – I'm glad someone is keeping score on the failures of this government (there has been so many I had forgotten quite a few). I wish all the participants good luck and safe travels in the convoy and at the demonstration in Canberra. Ignore the knockers here.

Cate S
If the "failures of this government are so drastic" don't you find it incredible that we are the envy of the rest of the developed world? Please don't tell me it was because that serial liar John Howard left so much money in the kitty that we just spent our way out of the problem! I only mention the liar business because now, it seems to be a worry for the conservatives. Tony Abbott deals with that issue by accepting that he does not "tell" the truth, and only writes it, after due consultation with, presumably, his lawyers. Do get a grip Cate! In politics a week is a long time, and what is said in all sincerity today may not be the case next week. In Abbott's case sometimes, the next day!
If this is Australia under an incompetent government, long may they reign!

a fundamental failure of the democratic process in this country .
Peter Mac,
From my observations it's not only a failure of the democratic process that fails this beautiful country. It's the failure of its born & educated here to just not take heed & learn from other countries' blatantly obvious mistakes.
Once bitten twice shy doesn't apply. It's please bite me again & again.

Oh so some think its wrong to protest. WAKE UP PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA.

I for one support the CONVOY OF NO CONFIDENCE purely for the fact that the majority of us have become SLAVES of the government corporations.

For far to long the government have ignored us the people who elect them to serve us, instead they have enslaved us.

My understanding of the CONVOY OF NO CONFIDENCE is to reclaim our DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS which have been cunningly and unlawfully imposed on us.

Regardless of your opinions of the CONVOY OF NO CONFIDENCE look at the bigger picture, IT WILL SEND A MESSAGE TO THE POLITICIANS AND GOVERNMENTS OF AUSTRALIA that we the people WILL NOT BE THEIR SLAVES and it will give us back our DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS!
GYPSY

Its time we the people used our initiative and reclaims our roights and freedoms.

As Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote, "Rise like lions after slumber, in unvanquishable number - shake your chains to earth like dew, which in sleep had fallen on you, - Ye are many - they are few.

We the people are many and they the government are few. We the people have been asleep and not taken notice of what is occuring on a daily basis by our governments. (Federal and State) Foreign investors are buying everything they can get their hands on in Australia and this is condoned by our governments. Soon Australia will be totally foreign owned. Just look at our utilities as an example, our properties to. Most of our rural farm areas are being purchased by Chinese investors. How long will it be before the begin importing their own people to work here in Australia? which will be at the cost of Australian workers jobs and financial future.

said it better than i could Neutral.

give us back our DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS!
Gypsy,
You only need three names with phone nr & address and you have a petition according to the Constitution of Australia.
You address it to the Governor General & by constitutional Law of this Country it has to be brought before Parliament & read out & acted upon.
Forget the nonsensical 20,000 signatures, the pollies know they're not obliged by constitutional Law to act on just signatures. You need a proper petition to his/her Excellency the Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia. Then & only then will it be taken seriously. Get one more person to sign & we're off.

@Neutral: the “Tea Party” introduction was done by the editor. The ‘tea party’ does not really carry the same significance here in Australia.

The only ideological slant is the ‘no confidence’ in a government that is seen to be pandering to a few individuals who don’t actually represent the majority of the people.

If either Labor or Liberal was in power under their own steam, close to half of the population would be satisfied, and the other half not so happy.

Under the current government, most people are left unhappy. Most traditional Labor voters would very likely be unhappy with the handling of the refugees, the apparent misuse of HSU members funds to purchase personal services and with the pandering to the Greens. Most Coalition voters would be unhappy with the live export debacle, the punitive mining tax, the regressive carbon tax and the level of debt.

The only happy people would be the rusted on Greens voters, who represent about 6% of the Australian population due to some recent research published elsewhere on this forum.

@jhay I was asked by someone I respect to write an article for this forum. I offered to write the article and delivered on a promise made.

@Yuyutsu – so the will of the people is just a cliché? The definition of cliché is ”an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, rendering it a stereotype, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. “

I am sorry to hear that democratic principles have lost their meaning to you.

In my experience, the will of the people is an important concept – in Body Corporate law, no major spending decisions can be made without getting the owner’s approval. The only power higher than the decision of the Committee is the decision of the Body Corporate (ie the owners).

This Convoy is a convoy made up of ordinary people from all walks of life who feel like they are simply not being listened to.

Ruth,

"The ‘tea party’ does not really carry the same significance here in Australia."

Not yet. However, with the rise of the Greens and their perceived lunatic 'fringeness', an equal and opposite tea party style lunatic 'fringeness' is arising as evidenced in this discussion. The difference being the Greens are a legitimate party with democratically elected representatives.

As the Liberals married the Nationals for their own political purpose, so Labor has defacto'd the Greens.

Attracting a grass roots fringe who are dissatisfied with the current mob without offering a viable alternative is designed to fail.

I turn off the cartoons on TV for my son and take him outside for a game of footy, or cricket, or tennis. I don't turn off the TV, say "that's enough" and leave him wondering what to do next.

The copy and paste list of grievances is a tedious partisan whinge. For what it's worth lists of 500 could be compiled for both the government and the opposition.

Some items are legimate, some are repititive, some are incorrect and some are lame.

If this is the 'official list' to convoy to Canberra, it will be laughed at.

However as a point scoring list to excite the right wing and it's expanding outer fringes it will no doubt be be a big hit.

You say most people are unhappy under the current government and you are not aligned with any single party, then why not form a new party and present your platform, policies and vision?

I don't think I'd be alone in encouraging any Australian to present a comprehensive and coherent vision for Australia backed up with outstanding leadership.

Wouldn't that cure the election cycle myopia of the political professionals?

Dear Ruth,

"This Convoy is a convoy made up of ordinary people from all walks of life who feel like they are simply not being listened to."

Then the simple solution would be to have them sit down in pairs and take turns talking and listening to each other. Another thing which I sometimes do when I want to be listened to, is to write on OLO.

My ultimate political wish, however, is not to be heard by politicians, but to be left alone to live my own life as I see fit.

"I am sorry to hear that democratic principles have lost their meaning to you."

The democratic principles are wrong, because they imply "cratia", ruling over others. In this particular system, the ruler is neither a king, an aristocracy, a church or a tribe, the ruler is the majority of citizens, but still there is a ruler, which is absurd: why should any person(s) have a right to rule over others? If you find yourself at the receiving end, then what comfort can you draw from the fact that your oppressor is not a king but a majority of people most of whom you don't even know?

"In my experience, the will of the people is an important concept"

A bad concept - different people want different things.

"in Body Corporate law, no major spending decisions can be made without getting the owner’s approval. The only power higher than the decision of the Committee is the decision of the Body Corporate (ie the owners)."

Body corporates are voluntary bodies, the state is not. A shareholder can simply sell her shares and walk out at any time, a citizen may at best (if lucky and healthy) migrate into the jaws of another state (which then usually requires leaving behind one's home, projects, friends and family).

I see nothing wrong about the politicians doing what they want, and not even listening to me or to anyone - so long as they to so with their own lives, not with mine!

"The democratic principles are wrong, because they imply "cratia", ruling over others. ..... why should any person(s) have a right to rule over others? If you find yourself at the receiving end, then what comfort can you draw from the fact that your oppressor is not a king but a majority of people most of whom you don't even know?"

Because like it or not, unless you live in a remote mountain with only un-maintained dirt-tracks for roads made by yourself, and live entirely off your rainwater tanks, home-grown food and solar panels- and never make use of any infrastructure network- you would be drawing resources from a public body and will be situated in a place where your actions affect others (as much as you want to believe otherwise)- and as such, warrant to be subject of whatever the determined best system of managing these resources and mediating behaviour towards other people is- and who better to ask than a census of every other person using these resources and on the recieving end of your acts, also?

Dear King Hazza,

Firstly, there are ways other than living on a remote mountain to minimize your impact on society. You could for example be part of a group (or groups) whose members live independently and interact exclusively between themselves.

Secondly, the government as it stands will not let you off the hook even if you were to live on a remote mountain. They are simply control-freaks and cannot swallow the idea of someone living freely on the land and not bound to them. Of course they would cite such arguments as you brought up - resources and action affecting others, but I wouldn't believe for a second about their integrity and purity of motives.

Yes, such issues as resources and affecting each other do emerge from time to time, but this crazy solution of ruling over others (even with the fig-leaf of equal-voting) is sick and disproportionately cruel.

Instead, the gradient of common-sense solutions include:

1. Ignore and forgive. Most issues are too trivial to fuss over.
2. Communicate. Let them know that what they do hurts you.
3. Call for cooperation.
4. Negotiate.
5. Threaten.
6. Self-defense. Use whatever force is needed to solve the issue, but no more.

Taking the severest approach as the first step and on a permanent basis, assuming the worst and bypassing the inherent goodness of our hearts, is plainly sadistic. Any form of rule, including democracy, encourages sadistic bullies to float to the top.

We have our lives, or what's left of it. Some believe that we live only once, others that we get more chances, but everyone agrees that our sojourn as humans is rare and precious. Why then waste it - and force everyone else around to waste it, on being part of a society of which one does not want to be a part?

Actually living in a remote area- alone or among a commune- very much IS the only way to claim you affect nobody but yourself.

Living among another community, for example, even by locking yourself in your house and living off rainwater, solar panels and mushrooms (any less would create an impact on others) you are still affecting others. The state of your property affects others, including house prices, hygiene, and the environment others are expected to live within. By neglecting your lawn you create a haven for rats and snakes- by mowing it you are subjecting others to your noise and grass fumes.

And keep in mind, living in the remote mountains makes it a lot harder for tax collectors to actually be able to reach your property- let alone post a letter.

As it is, without laws (and more specifically, democratic rule by the public), people in a position to gain at others expense would have absolutely no basis to cease their activities simply because the people they are affecting had asked them to.

Well Ruth, I think we have our answer to your question "Is this the start of Australia's own (billy) tea movement?"

I think it was aptly characterised as the Convoy Of No Consequence in the parliament yesterday. So I guess that would be a No.

And as for it not being aligned with any one political party, Mick Pattel relenquished his endorsement as the LNP candidate for Mt Isa to become the chief rubber duck.

That he is still a member of the Liberal Party gives the government the right to label this as just another partisan stunt: Tony's Tonka Toys.