Dear old Mark, his joining one nation seems aimed at getting him a comfortable armchair in the NSW upper house.
An eight year term and like all upper houses not much to do.
He once again highlights the extreme difficulty one nation has in picking a candidate, or leader for that matter, who can count without removing his/her shoes
A failure in everything he ever did he now joins a party of? failures
I do however feel a little sorry for him, if the people of NSW are silly enough to elect him, getting to sleep in that arm chair will be hard if he is near the very Reverend Fred Nile, his constant praying for the roof to fall in on the incoming ALP State government may make sleep imposable

The most ignorant, uneducated poster on OLO casting aspersions on fhe counting ability of One Nation! You have to laugh.

Is he still with Great Leader Hanson ? It's 9.35 am.

"Since leaving federal politics, Mr Latham has also had numerous stints as a media commentator for various outlets, but each one ended in unfortunate circumstances.

"He fell out with former Spectator magazine editor Tom Switzer, lost a column with Fairfax Media's Australian Financial Review after being outed for abusing domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty online and was sacked by Sky News for speculating on the air about a schoolboy's sexuality. Senator Hanson said she was "so proud" Mr Latham had joined the party." oops..

My dislike of Mark Latham is known as is my view of one nation.
Even my dislike of all upper houses, including the senate
Queensland did away with theirs in about 1956, and has not suffered
While some reform, far from enough of the senate has taken place not so in the NSW armchair upper house.
8 year terms,Mark has almost certainly got his name on his chair, away from Freds
Surely elected governments have the right to govern?
NSW has seen both sides held to ransom by single issue parties and riff raff such as the party that breeds failures one nation.
Tell me again, I need a chuckle,why it is Democratic to have minorities, small, even micro minorities, hold elected government to ransom.
Why voters wishes run last
Do not however try to tell me this man has anything of value to contribute

Belly,

So I guess you preferenced Lib over ALP in 2004?

Dear Belly,

Well, this man is certainly unpredictable. And it seems
he's determined to get back into politics. So far
whatever he's tried to tackle has not ended well for
him. I remember Mrs Whitlam warning her husband about
this man - telling her husband that Latham seemed "unstable."
She was proven to be right. Ms Hanson, I imagine will have
her hands full with him. And in the end may wonder if it was
worth bringing him into the party. Can he be trusted?
His record is not a good one.

But who knows? Nobody thought that Trump would win.
It's risky predicting anything in politics.
Ask Mr Turnbull.

Belly,

Suggest that you do some research.

"The Queensland Legislative Council was the upper house of the parliament in the Australian state of Queensland. It was a fully nominated body which first took office on 1 May 1860. It was abolished by the Constitution Amendment Act 1921, which took effect on 23 March 1922."

You're only a few years out though!!

May the rest of the country always have Upper Houses, the Unicameral system in Qld gave them the unfettered Joh and the present incumbent as Premier leaves a lot to be desired.

Foxy yes agree, ttbn, thanks!your slander is in my view an endorsement.
One Notion, intended miss spell but descriptive, gets farless of the vote outside Queensland.
And it has been falling, around six percent, enough to install this creep in the armchair, for eight years.
He is unstable, maybe that makes him a perfect pick for that party.
On the day he lead the ALP to its defeat, I drove about eighty Ks, set up my polling stall, by 6am,
And as the polls opened, shook the hand of the National seat seat [holders still]booth Captain and congratulated her on a landslide then 12 hours away.
Soon, ten minutes after the voting started my relief came!had been on that booth for 12 hours on my own always.
seems my action was reported and an avalanche of uninformed dreamers wanted me gone, found another booth, did my job, but a full month before that day knew he was a fraud and the election was lost,sarcasm,? the poster who tagged who I voted for that year, sad little person! I did however not vote Labor in the year we lost office in NSW filth drove my party then

Endorsement of your ignorance, Belly. No it's not. I don't endorse ignorance, and your misunderstanding of 'endorse' highlights that ignorance.

For sensible people, no matter what their political bias is, I used to be against the senate. Now, however, with there being virtually no difference between the two major parties, and our stupid preferential system, which favours Liberal and Labor, I am all for independents in the senate. The party hacks don't do what they are supposed to do - bat for their states, not their party, so the rein on our disintegrating system just be in the hands of an independent senate.

OK Ise Mise just took a look and yes got it wrong, it was however a place for life and by nomination not election.
Still confirmly think we do not need any place that sees any government stalled by minorities.
IF we had no upper houses we could remove governments that got it wrong.
Both sides have been stalled by the senate
All very well to gloat about stalling Labor but then do you gloat when it is your side stalled, by people like Latham, he in power will sell his loyalty, as he always has

In any thread, but especially one like this, very different opinions will be held
Totally opposite, to in part disagreements
We, not one of us, can be right all the time.
While Lathams past, his once leadership of my party has been hurled like a rock at me.
Will that poster, who seems to support him now, remember what he thought of the grub back then
Too can my detractor, calling me out for dislike one one nation, list every real failed, even after being elected, conga line of failures that party has
A vote for one nation has been a vote for whatever party the elected person, joins soon after
Mark Latham may switch to the new rights Australian Conservatives
Will the love some show for him stay then?

//May the rest of the country always have Upper Houses//

Hear, hear. Unicameral parliaments are a dreadful idea. Hell, I'd rather the Lords than a unicameral parliament.

There's something attractive about a 1 chamber Canberra , one 1 nation candidate , no disorder in debates.

Latham will inevitably go the way of other One Nation members and do his own thing once he gets into Parliament and Hanson should feel threatened by Latham. He won't have the patience to keep defending the craziest of her policies and she doesn't have the intellectual authority to keep him under control and on a leash.

Otherwise as representatives serving the public good Latham and Hanson go together like vomit and carrot.

rache very true, every word,yesterday we saw another hate filled, primitive, acting on behalf of a primitive section of his faith, top up the one nation haters tanks.
Nothing comes from such blind hate.
However if we care to look at America, we can see it eats away at us, at our country's unity.
Pauline does not have the mental ability to see that will be her only achievement.
Latham may not even care, Foxys news about Margret Whitlams warning was news to be, but so very well put looking back
Confront hate always, with reason not hate however

Hi Belly,

A Labor Rat, is our Mr Latham, he should prove to be a "valuable" asset to the far side of politics. Joining the growing band of irreverent extreme misfits we have in politics, Ginger, Banana, isn't Big Clive still about, Leyonjerker etc. He should feel right at home out there spewing his own fanatical message of hate, as he is apt to do from time to time.
I don't see Labor losing any sleep over the loss of such a colossus of the political landscape, they should be able to do without his brand of wisdom.

Latham is a very experienced politician, I'd keep an eye on him; might be some surprises with him teamed with One Nation.

"Mark Latham's Downfall Started With This Very Intense Handshake.
In 2004, Latham turned a handshake with John Howard into a display of full-on blokey weirdness. The rest was history."
Mud-wrestling with the Red Head Chopper will be a sight.

G'day Issy, I haven't given you a spay for a while, I must be mellowing in my old age. Come to think of it, you haven't put up your weekly 'Lets Shoot Something' thread for some time, are you also mellowing in your old age?

Lets give it a go.

Issy, if Loony Latham gets a seat in the NSW Legislative Council, then he can raise his hand in agreement when the Shooter and Hooters Party put up some new cockamamie proposal of theirs. Like an annual Koala cull, to be conducted by the Junior Shooters Association of NSW, only those members 12 years of age and under to take party unsupervised, using their own personal AK47's, the State can pay for the ammo. Loony can vote yes along with the 'Two Bobs' Tweedle-Dumb and his sidekick Tweedle-Even-Dumber! How's that idea?

I almost fell of the chair laughing at Ise Mise comedy bit.
Now let me see, remember the three independents including that great man Tony Windsor?
Who kept Gillard in government
London to a brick [RIP Ken] Is Mise held a different view then.
Yes another dysfunctional polly sitting in a slightly right of insane house will be great

Issy, I forgot to add, you could possibly count on the vote of that peace loving Jesus freak, friend of shooters, the holy man himself, the Reverend Dred Bile, assuming the good chaplain is awake at the time, just pray he is, and not in some deep prayerful medication. But, I stress, you defiantly cannot expect a yes vote from my good mate Davo Sandalplank!

Still grinning ise mise, if loathsome Latham was still Labor his support base here would change.
Truth is it is a Liberal government in NSW that currently must deal with the chook pen upper house

Hi belly,

I understand your dislike of upper houses of parliament, they have been the cause of considerable Labor pain in the past. At one time I would have agreed with you, particularly around 1975 when I would have liked to have exiled the Senate, along with John Kerr, to the planet Pluto.
Now I'm in the Greens, and the fact we have 9 Senators does not cloud my judgement. I now agree with the notion of upper houses of parliament. Although they were invented by the "Ruling Class" in the days when the "Great Unwashed" were getting their rocks off with democratic rights and all that baloney. The "Ruling Class" in their infinite wisdom thought it was a great insurance policy to create upper houses of parliament, to keep in check the "GW's just in case this democratic nonsense went too far and the GW's got to run the show. Needed a backstop to put the kibosh on the Riffraff, only fair don't you think?

Paul 1411 yes understand while your mob have been a pain, often, you do get many more votes than one nation.
And the place has has a part clean out after the DD election many to go the next one,.
Latham however is in all probability, getting a free ride to eight years of big wages.
Amusing to see those who, without doubt, once despised him,seeming to support him now.
Already our upper house has blackmailed both sides of politics/majority voters, and as you said, shooting lessons for children are on the we want or else list.

that great man Tony Windsor?
Belly,
I tend to think that in any other Nation that bloke would have been done away with by now.

Indy you took a bait, but in truth the man was and is still, well loved in the New England
Yes he both left the National Party, others have
And supported Labor, others did
My question to yet another shallow post from you is this
Why do you hate him
What has he done, details please, know however i have great respect for the man.
No not because he supported Labor but because he is an honest and bright man

Hi Belly,

We often discuss this matter of third parties and minorities, and the power they wield through their position of veto in the Senate. Your solution to this thorny annoyance to government is to simply call for the abolishment of the Senate, and therefore the pesky people will be gone. The problem as I see it does not lie with the minorities, rather the problem is the lack of support the big two parties procure at the ballot box. Gone are the heady days (early 1950's) when between them the major parties were endorsed by 95% of the electorate, and rightfully one or the other could claim a majority mandate. The rub is, today the two major parties are battling to obtain the support of 65% of voters and neither is given a clear mandate to govern. What does happen is the skewed electoral system gives one or the other with its 30-35% of support a slim majority, or a slight minority in the lower house. The solution is not to abolish the Senate, and thus deny a large chunk of the electorate any representation in parliament, but rather that the two major parties do more to increase their voter appeal through good policy and clear direction. In other words get their act together!

Paul we both have self interest in this debate
Yes voters have quite frankly had a gutful
And only today's politicians are to blame
Micro party,s have been a joke, one nation has, like the old Palmer united party, be the one you vote for, when you want the victor to leave your party/
Some reform has taken place, much more needs to be done, if my wish, get rid of them all, is not to be?
Cut their numbers in half, double the vote needed to be elected, three year terms, in lock step always, with the lower house

Never forget that Latham was elected leader of the Labor party.

Shadow Minister do you think we could?
Before he entered parliament his home page told a far different story
His maiden spech too claimed he was some thing he never was, or was he?
Following his bus tours he spoke like he as lost,read to your children seemed about it.
Long before election day, to me at least, it was clear he had nothing
Maybe he had a small explosion in his head, but right now he is so bad, so lost, only one notion would have him.
If elected it will be interesting to see what party he joins after doing the one notion thing, betraying those who voted for him and switching camps

Latham looks like a saint compared with these Green woman bashers and the shenanigans going on with the regressive abc staff. Why is it that the regressives in hollywood and the greens/abc seem to have contributed so much to the meetoo movement. Seems like some of their worlds are as putried as the Catholic priests the maligned so much.

runner never easy thinking how you arrive at some of the thoughts you post
You are aware I suppose millions around the world think much like that about Trump and those who support him
In fact the disrespect for women in your post is pure Trump

Time Gentlemen please we never quite got the subject under the microscope, personal bias on both sides stopped that.
However a few punches landed yes some Agree the bottom of the pond dweller is headed for a nice warm oversized income.
Via a system that rewards slothfulness and micro voters
BUT hold elected governments in head locks the voters never intended
Defend that if you wish
We are however a weird mob if we think that is ok see you in another thread