Lol!

Here we go - echoes of Abbott and his govt's style when dealing with women of the opposite political persuasion.

Jettison the subject matter and attack/critique the person you're debating.

BTW(and off topic) but just briefly -

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-26/peter-slipper-wins-cabcharge-taxi-conviction-appeal/6262018

Peter Slipper Cabcharge case: Former speaker wins appeal against dishonesty charges

i just watch RN Breakfast where Fran Kelly interviewed the Treasurer

know what?
when i see the way she reasoned and the way she interviewed, she sounded so scarily like poirot
hats off to hockey...he is so patient..he knew Fran was just trying to win viewership on the media

again i say, GT should kneel and say her prayer of contrition for being so hypocritical
she will consult ALP when they were in govt ... not good publicity to investigate on children in dc.... but had no qualms when LNP are in power

i wonder why we are still at this
is there an australian elephant in this forum ?

Dear Poirot,

I can't do much about the personal attacks.
I could answer them point by point but that would
just divert this discussion.

Instead, for a bit of light relief I suggest you
Google the article on Independent Media -
"The Lioness versus the weasel." (Warning -
the language is rather strong), but obviously
so are the author's feelings. Look it up.

Now back to the topic.

Hugh de Kretser has written an excellent article
in The Age telling us to "Forget that the Human Rights
Commission was doing its jobe by investigating and
reporting on an important human rights issue in
Australia. Forget that the Commission was even-handed
in its criticism over the handling of the issue.
Forget that on the international stage Australia is
leading the charge to tell other nations to respect
the independence of their national human rights
institutions."

Kretser points out that "this is a calculated political
attack designed to undermine our independent national
human rights watchdog."

What makes it worse according to Kretser is that these
attacks are part of a broader trend.

He states - "Checks and balances - such as independent
statutory watchdogs, our independent court system,
our rule of law, press freedom, and the ability of
non-government organisations to speak freely are vital to
our democracy and for protecting human rights -
particularly in the absence of a constitutional or
legislative Bill of Rights."

Kretser emphasizes that since taking office the government
has actively undermined these protections.

And that should be of concern to us all.

There's more on the following site:

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/attacks-on-our-human-rights-commission-are-part-of-a-broader-disturbing-trend-20150225-13o6e8.html

Actually I think the Libs were clever this time.
If they had not jumpted on Prof Triggs and made that the issue then
the left would have been screaming at the present government for its
treatment of 2000 children.
Now they are flat out defending Mrs Triggs.

Of course it is not just done to attack women in politics.
I mean the poor dears cannot take it can they, but they sure can dish it out !

For starters, I don't imagine that the Australian public welcomes external agencies such as the UN presuming to comment and interfere in domestic politics. That is NOT the UN's role and would be angrily rejected out of hand by other member States. Why the UN thinks it is free to do that in Australia's case is anybody's guess. Whoever gave it that impression and why?

Apart from that, Paul Kelly is right to observe in respect of Australia's HRC,

"This is not a first for the commission. It is a divisive bureaucracy which spends $25 million a year on its permanent quest for relevance in a country with an abundance of human rights protections."

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/gillian-triggs-set-on-a-course-of-selfmartyrdom-20150225-13oook.html

Frankly, where there are elderly people are being forced to live in caravan parks - where their future is not guaranteed - it is a bit much that government spills the odd $25 million a year on a very well off quasi-legal elite trying to justify their own jobs.

All departmental heads should be required to review the need for quangos associated with their agencies and provide reasons why the tasks if they need to be performed at all, should not be done by the department itself.

@otb

yes, we need less of these UN orgn meddling with our domestic affairs

and in the same breathe, let's not interfere with other nation's domestic affairs... remember , it is our joint action with bigbrother when we threw saddam out and in return we got IS...and now we are telling the indons their laws are barbaric

on our aged in caravan parks, i have always wanted to start a thread on this...coming up next

thks