Hasbeen,

"....picturesque belongs in pictures on the top of biscuit tins..."

Spoken like a true Aussie philistine.

"...& who would want to live in a biscuit tin...."

Sounds like you do,

Poirot, just because some horrible village was a suitable defensive form for vulnerable people in the middle ages, does not qualify it as quality housing today.

Tongue out of check. If the damn fools want to live that way, good on them, but most of us would hate after a few days.

Alan, if you think Australian journalism is poor quality why don't you set a good example?

People in glass houses ....

Interesting discussion. Thank you all.

Good questions, SPQR. On the violence, are you sure the PM had seen all the footage we have now seen when she made those comments. Sure, she was told there was violence, and clearly believed what she was told. But do you believe that was violence? In none of the footage available on line was there anywhere a punch or a slap or even a push. Except by the police. Yes, there was a lot of shouting and finger ponting. But is that what we call violence these days?

On the grin, SPQR, I actually changed the draft from grin to smile and back again a few times. Because I could not find the right word for it. No, the two other pics you have posted are broad grins – as opposed to grins of the wry, embarrassed, determined, approving, sneaky or other kind. Maybe smile would have been better. But terror?!

On this, did you see this report?
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/01/29/a-put-up-job-that-boomeranged

Agree with most of your observations, Imajulianutter. But would be a bit cautious believing anything The Australian writes about the NBN. It was found guilty by the Press Council last year of fabricating data – three times. The Council expressed concern that “within a short period of time three articles on the same theme contained inaccurate or misleading assertions.”

Hasbeen and Poirot, you raise a fascinating topic re housing. Yes, the villages are picturesque, but challenging for contemporary lifestyles. But in the larger cities you will find the French do medium density housing pretty well – functional, durable and really extraordinarily attractive.

Cheers, AA.

Alan

http://www.zdnet.com.au/telstra-nbn-showdown-over-tassie-devices-339331743.htm

Our PM tells us lies.

That's endemic in Labor .

Where has Labor lost it?

I can only come to this conclusion.

I grew up in a labor home.(Albiet my mum was liberal and never voted. She hated the conservatives as much as she despised the socialists.) My dad was labor through and through as were both my Granddads.

In my forties my Dad and I became great mates and one day I asked him how granddad would regard me since I operated a business, employed people, made profits and voted liberal.

His response astonished me.

'Keith', he said 'your Granddad would be as proud of you as I am.' Dad, Graddad and ally to my kids continued, 'Dad became involved in the Labour movement for the same reason most of his mates did. He wanted to see his family rise above the mire and dispeciable conditions of the working class. You've done that.'

Now a couple of the truths I was taugh by both parents were: Always be true to yourself and you cannot serve two masters.

Today most of the Labor Party politicians and operatives, Neo-Labor, have achieved the aims of their grandparents. Most of them haven't yet learned that they cannot serve two masters ie. be true to themselves and to represent those who share the aims of my grandparents.

It seems to me many of those neo-labor people don't need to struggle to get their families out of the mire and conditions of the working class. In thinking they can share the values of or truely represent working class people they are dishonest with themselves and quite obviously now honesty is the central issue with the Labor Party.

These neo-labors should stand aside and allow real working class people to represent themselves. The neo-labors should show belief in those people instead of attempting to keep them in the working class state simply to provide themselves with an ongoing constituancy.
ie these neo-labors are intent on keeping working class people working class people ... and poor.

Everyone sees it but cannot yet enunciate it.

regards

Hi again Keith,

Agree with much of your last post. Especially your father’s observations.

And certainly agree with your critique of the ALP. You affirm the findings of the 2010 official review of the party by Bracks, Faulkner and Carr. Ended up in the shredder, tragically.

But would you agree both sides of Australian politics have been hijacked by party apparatchiks? It seems so.

Don’t yet agree with you that "Our PM tells us lies" or that "That's endemic in Labor". The evidence seems to suggest this particular failing is more one of the Coalition than of Labor. Though I accept the popular perception is the other way around.

But open to persuasion based on evidence. On other OLO threads I have asked for examples of a Labor politician telling a direct lie to the nation, like this one satirised here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvYzLIywCiA

Or this one, from a few years ago:

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2003/s933534.htm

So far, none have been forthcoming. (My definition of a direct lie is a false statements made knowingly, excluding – because of their peculiar character – comments about leadership challenges and climate science.)

Happy to revise my opinion as instances arise.

Cheers, AA.