Yep, Keating was a star, but if I posted here what I think he was a star at, I'd cop a 2 month ban.

o sung I think you got both of them right. About the only difference between the 2 is that Fraser is a bit dumber than Keating.

I suppose there is one more difference. With Fraser we are still suffering from some of the things he didn't do, & should have. With Keating, we are suffering from things he did do, & shouldn't have.

View the link Individual, you might get some.

One of the most noticeable things in the doco is the lack of dignity displayed by opposition figures, their failure to admit in even hindsight that no bad came of Keating's Native Title Act, lacks in dignity and fairness even more. Their behaviour is pretty much indefensible at the time, so I guess they have to stick to their story.

The dignity I mentioned in my initial post was meant to refer to the dignity one receives as a non indigenous Australian, that recognising and acknowledging the rights of our indigenous people brought, both locally and internationally.

This was somewhat destroyed later by LNP politicians attempting to dismantle or modify the NTA and discredit its benefit to our country. Smelling political advantage in racism the LNP later descended to children overboard etc, and the current mantra stop the boats etc. Their most captivating political ploy. Perhaps this is where your dignity has gone Individual.

And as for your argument Arjay, the world also in recession at the time to which you refer could not be avoided by Australia and Keating rather than causing it, (to his credit) saw us through that, and into the strapping economy that Howard inherited, and then later sold to friendly investors.

And SM, I'll save you to last, beside your post being a simplistic diversion tactic, the word conviction, implies that this has already been decided re Thompson. Obviously the presumption of innocence means nothing to you when you use such language.

And what is your view on native title ?.

Hasbeen , could you actually identify something he did then, that we are suffering from now ?.

Keating and Costello were both great politicians who made a long
term difference to Australia. Both men were great debaters and
neither man was a crawler.

But the Australian public seemingly prefers crawlers, so that is
what they get. So be it, we get the policitians that we deserve.

Dear thinker 2,

Thanks for the link. I've actually asked my daughters to sit down and watch it as it occurred before they were born.

I have to agree with oh sung wu as I had a brother in the Feds and a mate of his flying the PM’s aircraft. The pilot especially had a lot more time for Hawke who use to come up to the cockpit in his slippers often with a cigar and say gidday. If he really needed to get somewhere in a hurry he would politely ask if it wasn’t going to stuff them around to see what they could do. They always pulled out all stops. Keating was demanding and arrogant and always seemed to get headwinds whenever he was in a hurry.

But as they say cometh the hour cometh the man and it certainly held true on this occasion. Hell I remember my inlaws all in a blind panic about native title even though I assured them their house was safe. Jeff Kennett had them all scared out of their minds.

I really think Keating was probably the only politician who could have managed it. Quite extraordinary. I would have to dip the hat to Fraser’s handling of the Vietnamese boat people but Keating’s arrogance won the day on native title. Only he could have stared down the mining council and pasturalists. Speaking of arrogance Richard Court was pretty much his equal on that count.

Damn good stuff. I especially liked the way he handled himself with John Laws and his callers.

Thanks again for the link.

Totally in agreement with csteele,but also with o sung wo!
For a Banks town boy I was shocked at his attitude and often am still, but nothing other than praise for his actions and Redfern speech.
I think PK repeating every thing was an insult to us all.
And with out reserve hate it and all those,on both sides,who copy it even today.
Good swift kick in the ring for the speech writer who thought of that new way to annoy every one.