$50 billion to boost Leftist and chief ally of Leftist Malcolm Turnbull, Christopher Pyne, at the coming election that Turnbull seems determine to lose. Strange people, small l liberals infesting the Coalition. More news to come on Pansy Pyne.

Dear Philip S.,

I only listed a couple of things about
Pauline Hanson due to the word limit.
Plus I did not feel it necessary to go over the top in
my examples - which I felt were unnecessary as most
thinking people can see her for what she is.
Not all of us have a deep-seated cultural insecurity -
"The Fortress Australia" mentality of an insular island
nation.

This thread is very poorly targeted. Here is the problem,

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-19/new-subs-fleets-promised-stealth-technology-questioned/9058858

Only very short-sighted without the capacity to think for themselves would be in there missing the forest for a small tree and (to mix metaphors) throwing mud at some Senator who, like ALL Parliamentarians and the public, is trying to come to some understanding of the submarines purchases, but is being patronised and bluffed by the military.

Anyone who has ever dealt with the public bureaucracy, but especially DoD and its military is well aware of the extreme difficulty in getting a look into 'their' territory. That is even where external consultants are contracted by them to help them. Defence are command and control bureaucrats par excellence and experts at 'militarysplaining'(sic) and avoiding the issue, then the hatch slams shut again.

The issue isn't Hanson, it is submarines.

I think that our defence chiefs are far more dangerous than any external enemy Australia might face. We only kept the Japanese out of Australia because the also then - unprepared and inept High Command were all killed in a plane crash at the beginning of WW2.

The only hope of maintaining control of the military is through the Parliamentary scrutiny and control of budgets.

There are so many very important issues apart from submarines that are before the federal Parliament. But for decades the precious sitting time available has been siphoned off on diversions like same sex marriage.

Ex-Labor leader Latham was expressing the exasperation of the public as well as the opinion of the forgotten large rump of traditional Labor members, when he made a plea for commonsense,

"Former Labor leader Mark Latham slams Labor over gay marriage

FORMER Labor leader Mark Latham has slammed his party’s “obsession” with gay marriage saying it should focus on the nation’s “Struggle Streets” instead.
He told 3AW radio Bill Shorten’s private members bill to push for changes to the marriage act to allow same-sex couples to tie the knot, to be introduced into parliament on Monday, was nothing more than a symbolic gesture.

He said the biggest social issue facing Austalia was unemployment, drug use and homelessness in suburbs such as Mt Druitt which was the focus of the SBS documentary, Struggle Street.

“If you are interested in equality and social justice in Australia then what was the really big event in the month of May,” he said. “We had the Struggle Street documentary which revealed that in the nation’s public housing estate, most notably in Mt Druitt people live in conditions that you wouldn’t wish upon your dogs. Absolute chaos, despair and hopelessness in their lives.
“And surely, you would have expected a serious national response from the party of social justice?
“We didn’t hear anything.
“They’re obsessed, instead, by gay marriage.”

Mr Latham said legalising same-sex marriage would not “improve” anyone’s standard of living, nor would it improve their capacity to “function in society”.
“It’s a legal document,” he said. “It’s a piece of symbolism. It might make some people feel better to have a marriage document but it really is a low order priority.
“On the Richter scale of social justice Struggle Street is a 10, gay marriage is a point one..."

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/gay-marriage/former-labor-leader-mark-latham-slams-labor-over-gay-marriage/news-story/6c89f7077536bf321ee40c25946e6f0f

leoj - SSM is being used as a diversion from the real issues that people would otherwise be concerned about.

Since this hit MSM I have not seen anything about Apex gang crimes, homeless people, very little on drugs, or other issues Latham is right.