Its near on 20 years now, in 2004, Mark Latham presented himself to the Australian people as the man they could trust to be their next Prime Minister. Unfortunately for Latham he led the Labor Party to a crushing defeat at the federal election of that year, giving John Howard an easy 12 seat majority. Latham left parliament in 2005, but remained an ALP member until 2017, at which time he resigned from the party and joined the far right, Pauline Hanson's One Nation, gaining a seat for them in the New South Wales Legislative Council at the 2019 state election, he was narrowly re-elected again this year. However One Nation did badly this year, and much of the blame for the parties poor showing was sheet'd home to Latham by party boss Pauline Hanson, Hanson then sacked him as NSW state leader, giving herself party control in the state, even though she is a Senate representative for Queensland.

Latham's reaction to his ousting has been to resign from One Nation, but still remaining in the Legislative Council as an independent, along with another disgruntled One Nation MP, Rod Roberts, who also resigned. Latham then used parliamentary privilege to allege that One Nation had tried to defraud the NSW Electoral Commission, by channelling NSW state election funding money to Queensland. The NSW government has referred these allegations to the state Electoral Commission for investigation. Mark Latham was seen as the "great white hope" for the party in New South Wales, and as an asset to be used elsewhere, now the party is in ruin there, so is this the beginning of the end for the far right party? There are those who tout One Nation as an alternative to Labor and the Coalition, real leadership material. Judging by this performance I don't think they have a hope in hell of gaining the peoples trust any time soon.

Is This The End For One Nation?
Paul1405,
The Voice will boost One Nation's numbers & they'll have to thank Mayo, Langton, Burney, Pascoe, Thorpe etc for the swing !

'real leadership material'.
To be fair, I doubt that exists in any of the parties Paul.
Personally, I'm not sure if getting rid of Latham was a good or bad thing for them.

In the 26 years since its foundation in 1997 Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has shown itself to be one of the most dysfunctional and directionless political parties in Australia’s history.

Its history reads like a blundering python-esque satire on how not to taken seriously as a political party.

In those 26 years there have been only 8 members to sit in federal parliament (only 6 were elected) – all as senators.

Only 2 are currently sitting, 2 were disqualified, 2 left to join other parties and 1 left the party the day he was sworn in.

One Nation reached it height in 1999 in Queensland when 11 members were elected.

Of those 11 – 10 left to join other parties or to become independents and 1 resigned after 5 months.

Mark Latham’s sacking 24 years after One Nation reached its giddy highpoint should not have come as any surprise.

Looking at the lack of intelligent leadership of these right wing parties over the years, staring with the likes of Cory Bernardi and his quick fail Australian Conservatives, then along came the Palmer United Party, and Big Clive, say no more. What's been on the fringe for a while is the misnamed Liberal Democratic Party, now calling itself The Libertarian Party, with David Leyonhjelm, where is he now, a party that never really gained any political traction with the voters. The most enduring of wacko parties, with probably the least intelligence at its helm is the Lovely Pauline and the Pauline Hanson's One Nation party.

Not only do these right wing parties peddle unacceptable policy to voters, they also have minimum appeal through their leadership, being led by an assortment of fruitcakes and wacko's, who the voters lampoon and wont trust. Latham is a good example of a loony, who has gone completely crazy.

Try to imagine for one moment how long the major parties would last if common sense were to be the criteria for their being and, copping as much flak as ON ?

Indy,

One Nation brings it on itself, with dysfunctional leadership, Hanson and Latham are good examples of that. I can see how their far right policies would appeal to a bloke like you, and a couple of others on this forum as well. But, they have no general appeal to the mass of voters, who see them for what they are, wacko's! You should move into Mad Katter territory, Bob has his political niche in the Deep North, and policies to suit. BTW I see Bob as good value, crazy but still good value.

Dear Paul,

I have never taken Pauline Hanson or her One Nation
party seriously. And I am surprised that she and her
party has lasted this long. She should have left
politics decades ago. Her supporters are slowly
dying out (old age), and she should just go as well,
just as others have done before her who could not
keep up with the changes taking place in this country.

Still she was entertaining, for a while. Politics has
always had its fair share of nutters. At least she
did not go around encouraging violence as they do in
the US. Poor America if Trump gets it.

The fringe parties such as one nation and the Greens are very similar in having moronic policies and psychotic MPs.

Dear Shadow Minister,

We've had quite a few of those on all sides of politics.
That's Life!

The runaway exploitation & parasitism of the Left has already caused the revenue creating to do a hard Right turn all over the World.
Working people are simply fed up with these eternal students & social disruptors trying to squeeze even more out of those who have to forfeit more of their earnings than they can keep themselves.
The Left is not the social saviour they try to portray themselves as, they're a social & economic Plague !

Good Job indyvidual,
Students, immigrants and younger welfare recipients votes can only be bought with more handouts.
(They call it progressive, but I'm not quite sure what the actual progress itself relates to)

There is no indication of a "hard right turn" in Australian politics, in fact just the opposite, as voters are rejecting these extremist parties and politicians, like One Nation, Palmer, so called Libertarians, and voting for more progressive people, including Greens, Teals and some within the Labor Party. Check out recent election results.

In NSW at the 2022 federal election, Craig Kelly the "head" of Palmer's far right party seen his vote decline by 43,000 on the 2019 result, despite spending a heap of money on his campaign. The voters of Hughes just love old Craig and his far right political message, they were turning out in droves to vote for him. These people are a joke!

who votes for pauline hanson, big looser

Someones been using my lap top. I wonder who granddaughter! And that's BIG LOOOOOSER! Get it right!

who votes for pauline hanson, big looser
Paul1405,
Anything but Labor & Green & Left in general is a tiny win for sanity of society !

Indy,

For some, particularly some bitter old folk, the politics of Hanson and those of the extreme, would be right up their alley. That element of hateful bigotry seems to suit life's old age failures and their way of thinking. Young people are generally hopeful and optimistic about the future, and reject old negative conservative thinking, peddled by those of the extreme.

Indy, where do you fit in?

Young people are generally hopeful and optimistic about the future,
Paul1405,
Yes and, as soon as they grow up the blinkers come off (not with Lefties though) and reality staring back at them makes them shake off that blissful ignorance so peculiar to people with the parasite gene !

I find it laughable that the Gangreens and Labor present themselves as progressives while pushing socialist policies that were largely abandoned in the 70s and 80s due to being unviable.

Indyvidual,

Have you stopped taking your meds?

Your posts recently make no sense.

People will stop reading them.

Dear Shadow Minister,

The current government's administration has faced key
domestic challenges in tackling inflation, re-directing
resources towards childcare and aged care, establishing new
approaches to combating corruption and raising integrity,
re-setting the goals of higher education and more
prominently pushing the national referendum on The Voice
to Parliament.

Meanwhile Australia's foreign policy and regional engagement
has shifted both in tone and substance, with significant and
very public engagement in the Pacific and a hoped for reset
in relations with China.

Hopefully, there's more positive outcomes still to come.

Unfortunately the Coalition has not fared well with their
in-fighting, disunity, and attempts at blocking everything.
Not a good look that won't get them re-elected if they
keep up these tactics. They don't inspire the trust of voters.

Your posts recently make no sense.
Foxy,
Just because you don't understand ?

"Meanwhile Australia's foreign policy and regional engagement
has shifted both in tone and substance, with significant and
very public engagement in the Pacific and a hoped for reset
in relations with China."

Sailing HMAS Canberra and HMAS Anzac around the South China Sea, as well as complaining about Yang Hengjun (Australian political science student and pro-democracy advocate) and demanding his release is likely to insult and provoke China as much as anything, and the coalition isn't helping.

They've called on PM Albanese not to travel to China until both Yang Hengjun and journalist Cheng Lei are freed.
The Coalition wants the whole nation to suffer in order to defend 2 idiots who likely went there to stir up trouble, and who now scream for help.

"Unfortunately the Coalition has not fared well with their
in-fighting, disunity, and attempts at blocking everything.
Not a good look that won't get them re-elected if they
keep up these tactics. They don't inspire the trust of voters."

Dud Dutton is worse than Scomo, so that isn't helping their cause either, on top of their many other shortcomings of late.

Yes, those notions of universal public education, a first class public health system, affordable housing for all, fair working conditions, looking after the disadvantage, the aged and the young etc, are so 1970's. Yep! none of that nonsense, Lets embrace the 'Pig Iron' Bob philosophy, of a dog eat dog world of exploitation, a survival of the fittest mentality is what's needed! AND Herr Dutton and his band of national socialists are here to deliver for us.

Hi Foxy,

I agree with your post, and by and large the Albo government is doing a fairly good job. Of course there are areas I disagree with them on, tax cuts for the mega rich for one, their housing policy doesn't go near far enough, but its an improvement on the Noalition's policy of do nothing. Our foreign policy has improved, it certainly needed to, unfortunately Labor seems to be embracing that nuk sub nonsense with the same Noalition gusto, big mistake in my view. And I believe we are far to close to America, and still retain our Yankee lap dog status with most of the world, including China.

Hi AC,

"Sailing HMAS Canberra and HMAS Anzac around the South China Sea" quite so, I agree.

How do you think America would react if China and Russia were to stage naval exercises in say, The Gulf of Mexico? All in the name of peace and security of course. Is there any other reason for such goings on.

Foxy,

This bunch of Labor clowns Like are making as big a cock up as the Krudd Juliar idiots before them. Albozo has broken just about every promise he has made, and the voice is looking like a $300m cluster FK, inflation, interest rates and the cost of living have skyrocketed and this is just over a year from being elected.

If this is the best Labor can do then they will struggle to get a second term.

We're still copping fallout from the Goaf years & now Albozo is dishing out more ! Unless people are required to actually prove merit for a position in Govt other than just vote Labor, things will go so bad that civil unrest will become part of daily life in Australia, all thanks to the idiocy of bureaudroids & other useless parasites !
We need to give the few good bureaucrats the authority to weed out the many bureaudroids. Conservatism is the only path to achieve that !
I wonder if Q & A would have the gonads to even just hint at doing that ?

Indy,

People like you should have to prove merit for "AGED WELFARE", now that counts you out. What is your excuse for not providing for your retirement. That's right, you lost your job in the public service when Gough had a clean out of the totally incompetent in 73. Haven't worked a day since, that's 50 years, and a couple of million bucks later!

Paul1405 sounds like the kind of irresponsible bureadroid that plague our Public Service & the only reason they're immune to accountability is because they pledge support to the Leftist authorities !

Indyvidual,

Why blame the "Lefties", when they have been in power
for less time.

You're a bit confused old chap.

when they have been in power
for less time.
Foxy,
I wouldn't call 50 years less time ! I'm not referring to the politicians, I'm talking about the bureaudroids breeding within the cocoon that is the Public Service !

It looks like Labor is taking a beating from all angles.

"Support for Anthony Albanese’s government has continued to plunge, according to a new poll that reveals that one in two voters expect the Reserve Bank board will hike the cash rate next week.

The SECNewgate Research Mood of the Nation survey, conducted between August 16 and 21, shows falling support for federal and state governments amid cost-of-living pressures and concern over the housing crisis.

The poll of more than 1200 voters reveals only 26 per cent of Australians expect the cash rate to be lower in 12 months, with most households bracing for up to three years of mortgage pain. After 12 rate hikes in just over a year, 49 per cent of voters fear the RBA on Tuesday will push the cash rate above 4.1 per cent.

A combination of interest rate hikes and cost-of-living pressures has seen governments across the country take a hit, with only 36 per cent of voters positively rating the performance of the ­Albanese government, down from 46 per cent in April.

Performance rankings of state governments in Victoria, NSW and Queensland were down 7 to 8 per cent.

With mortgage holders across the country dedicating a record share of their take-home pay to loan repayments, the corporate cop has written to the chief executives of 30 lenders reminding them of their obligations to help the increasing number of “everyday Australians” struggling to make ends meet."

I can't help thinking if the Coalition had been asked to form the Voice it would have rejected it outright & demand that the NIAS does what it gets funded for & everyone would now be happy instead of so divided ! And, as far as recognition goes the Indigenous would be & are recognised already !
I just saw a Facebook thing that says Noel Pearson's net worth is $33 Mills. Might not be true but money is there to be gotten hold of if you bleat discrimination. The squeaky hinge gets the oil & the bleating activists get money & they'll get even more if the Voice succeeds !

Indy,

Here's a site that said Noal pearson is worth only $5 million, must have lost $28 million between one dodge website and another. Those "reported' net worth of people sites are all over the place. There'd be one which says Indyvidual is only worth $10 million , when the truth is he's worth $20 million.

http://allfamousbirthday.com/noel-pearson/

Indyvidual,

You should not view someone's wealth as something
that invalidates their intelligence.

Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain
and most fools do.

criticize, condemn and complain
Foxy,
that's exactly what you do in your post above. I did stress that I have reservations about the validity of the information but you & Paul1405 jumped head first at the opportunity to criticise.
I have just as many reservations on the validity of Paul1405's $5 Mill link as I have about the info re the $33 Mills.
The point here is that it does not gel that such amounts of money are actually procurable from activism unless of course our lawyer friend does proper work for which he gets remunerated by non-Govt clientele. I don't think anyone would stop him were he to stand up & disclose the state of his finances for being a poor, discriminated against indigenous. To someone in his profession the Voice would definitely be an enticing proposition.
What's that got to do with One Nation ? Well, as more such info comes to light the more thinking people will consider whether to support ON or the Voice Corporation !

Indyvidual,

You are the one that consistently keeps referring to
the "elites" of the Voice. And then you brought in
the supposed net worth of Noel Pearson in your
again attempts to demean the voice. Hence my reaction
to your posts.

You need to acquire broader skills and let go of your
inflexible ideologies.

consistently keeps referring to
the "elites" of the Voice.
Foxy,
Of course why wouldn't I when i know how they operate now & therefore have a much better grasp than blind to reality city crowds. I KNOW how they'll operate once they have a little power, I've already witnessed some antics !
The indigenous are mainly anti-voice because of that, it's only the ignorant city sorry-feelers & academic opportunists in indigenous funding who are their support base !

Indy,

You don't know "how they operate", its only assumptions you make about people bases on your bigotry and prejudice. You have a disparaging minds eye view of what others do or don't do, their situation and their problems. You have no idea of the reality, whilst sitting in your insulated world of negativity.

YOU have previously said for example, that 95% of public servants should be sacked, that's based on nothing more than your loathing and hatred directed towards that group in society. You take the same attitude with Aboriginals, migrants and young people, and those you call "lefties". If they're not old and negative conservatives like yourself you have no time for them.

If they're not old and negative conservatives like yourself you have no time for them.
Paul1405,
Wrong again as per your normal. I have no time for silly bureadudroids who are not required to prove merit & simply just pay the Union fees to get another twelve months of undeserved pay !

You don't know "how they operate", its only assumptions
Paul1405,
I do know !