23 August 2011

The lies of the crazy gang. Things we can learn from the Convoy

| johnboy
Join the conversation
91
cyclists

Yesterday it was exciting to see Australia had not in fact gone mad and that angry convoys demanding an end to consitutional democracy have not yet reached a point where normal Australians are willing to join them.

That ~20 people were bravely willing to get up early on Monday morning, on short notice, to ride into town from the Dickson Motor Registry in opposition to the convoy, thinking they’d be dicing with thousands of big rigs, blew me away.

The absence of big rigs was even more surprising after the convoy organisers had promised “the biggest people protest of all time”.

As we reported last week the whole convoy fiasco was the work of a small group of deeply dishonest people.

The saddest thing is that small numbers of decent and much put upon people believed the lies and signed up for this failed crusade.

But (at the risk of invoking Godwin’s law) Hitler looked pretty silly in 1923 after the Beer Hall Putsch (seriously go have a read of that the similarity of tone will startle you).

So we’re going to make sure everyone is clear about the blatant lies being told to people who weren’t actually here.

The biggest untruth of all is Alan Jones in the video above (around 1:50).

Remember this.

Here’s a broadcaster that many people take seriously, that 2CC in Canberra re-broadcasts, inventing a “Lost Convoy” to make up for more bicycles turning out to oppose his rally than trucks could be found to support it.

Thousands of trucks stretching kilometres captured by Police.

Pix or it didn’t happen.

We’re supposed to believe that thousands of trucks were stopped and nobody was able to get a picture of the process on their phone? Nothing on Twitter?

We’re supposed to believe they’ve been held incommunicado since?

Perhaps it might be easier to believe that the organisers are liars and that they have very little support?

Another one going around nut central is that the trucks parked on State Circle were ticketed. Our sources tell us it was in fact Sinsations leafletting.

And then there was the online polls of 2CC and the Canberra Times showing that even the people of Canberra were in favour of the convoy.

Oh wait.

screenshot

Here’s one example of the international climate denial network jumping in to confect the appearance of support.

I’m not enormously keen for the carbon tax, I’m even un-impressed by greenhouse enthusiasts efforts to write the medieval warm period out of the historical record.

But I’m even less impressed by bald faced lies from people with poorly understood motives.

Anthony Albanese’s smirk makes me want to punch him in the face, but this mob were worse (if for nothing else giving Albo reason to smirk).

So remember yesterday and what really took place; because the mythmakers would have you believe it never happened.

Also a few Members of Parliament have been listed on Just Grounds as being in support of yesterday’s failed convoy:

    — George Christensen MP, Federal Member for Dawson
    — Craig Kelly, Federal Member for Hughes

Bear in mind, given the Just Grounds serial dishonesty, it could be they made up the messages of support.

Some names from Just Grounds to watch for popping up in future:

    — Cate Stuart,
    — Julene Haack,
    — Matt Thompson,
    — Janet Thompson,
    — Anna Hetherington-Grego,
    — Mick Pattel,
    — Julie Coker-Godson

[Photo by Arr Emm]

Join the conversation

91
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

Don’t ‘boaties’ wear deck shoes and natty little caps? I’d love to see them in Afghanistan, spilling their Pims as they come under fire.

I have started to reread there website as well. Mostly just to see how the poor dears are fairing now they aren’t the centre of attention anymore.

My surprise is the blog from the QLD independent Rob Messenger. There is actually a spirited debate on Gay Marriage on there with a fair equal share of half for and half against. I must admit I didn’t expect that, thinking they wpould all be against it.

The story about the ducks and the posters “better then you” attitude was what I expected though. And their whinge posts.

colourful sydney racing identity said :

NoImRight said :

EvanJames said :

fgzk said :

Sorry….. Who are “Just Grounders”?

Wankers, mainly.

You have to admit their website is awesome. Half a dozen people sitting around telling each other just how right they are and how they speak for everyone. It will take some days to read all the wisdom available there. Im currently enjoying the thread that says sending “boaties” to other countries is wrong when they could all be sent to Afghanistan to fight the Muslims. Be honest you would never have thought of such an elegant solution.

I presume you have read the gem about how Gillard may not have given up her Welsh citizenship?

Followed by the fact Tony was also born OS and it just gets ignored as they continue on the hunt for Gillard being a welsh citizen still….

NoImRight said :

You have to admit their website is awesome. Half a dozen people sitting around telling each other just how right they are and how they speak for everyone. It will take some days to read all the wisdom available there. Im currently enjoying the thread that says sending “boaties” to other countries is wrong when they could all be sent to Afghanistan to fight the Muslims. Be honest you would never have thought of such an elegant solution.

I’ll have you know that it is really hard to type when you’re shaking with laughter! Oh that is priceless. Such sophisticated understanding of foreign policy and grasp of the essential points of major conflicts. I’m soemwhat puzzled as to what would motivate the “boaties” to engage in combat with these muslims however. Just Grounders behind them, poking them with sharp sticks?

If the JustGrounders were really rural, they’d have thought of the far more sensible idea, of putting the “boaties” to work picking fruit and pulling up onions.

colourful sydney racing identity4:36 pm 10 Jan 12

NoImRight said :

EvanJames said :

fgzk said :

Sorry….. Who are “Just Grounders”?

Wankers, mainly.

You have to admit their website is awesome. Half a dozen people sitting around telling each other just how right they are and how they speak for everyone. It will take some days to read all the wisdom available there. Im currently enjoying the thread that says sending “boaties” to other countries is wrong when they could all be sent to Afghanistan to fight the Muslims. Be honest you would never have thought of such an elegant solution.

I presume you have read the gem about how Gillard may not have given up her Welsh citizenship?

EvanJames said :

fgzk said :

Sorry….. Who are “Just Grounders”?

Wankers, mainly.

You have to admit their website is awesome. Half a dozen people sitting around telling each other just how right they are and how they speak for everyone. It will take some days to read all the wisdom available there. Im currently enjoying the thread that says sending “boaties” to other countries is wrong when they could all be sent to Afghanistan to fight the Muslims. Be honest you would never have thought of such an elegant solution.

fgzk said :

Sorry….. Who are “Just Grounders”?

Wankers, mainly.

colourful sydney racing identity4:04 pm 10 Jan 12

NoImRight said :

Looks like the honeymoon with LNP is over.

Not really, there is a call to get involved with local Liberal party branches – strikes me as a recruitment drive, er branch stack.

Looks like the honeymoon with LNP is over.

colourful sydney racing identity said :

fgzk said :

Sorry….. Who are “Just Grounders”?

garden variety, flat earth, conspircay theorist nutbags who populate the site justgroundsonline.com. Think Tea Party/Birthers but nuttier. Should you visit the site, be careful, it could cause you to despair for our society.

I’m sure you meant to say “Real Australians”.

colourful sydney racing identity3:36 pm 10 Jan 12

fgzk said :

Sorry….. Who are “Just Grounders”?

garden variety, flat earth, conspircay theorist nutbags who populate the site justgroundsonline.com. Think Tea Party/Birthers but nuttier. Should you visit the site, be careful, it could cause you to despair for our society.

Sorry….. Who are “Just Grounders”?

colourful sydney racing identity3:16 pm 10 Jan 12

Just when you thought it was safe to get back into the water…
http://justgroundsonline.com/forum/topics/people-power-2012-aussie-style

‘We fought hard in 2011 but we were ignored and you don’t ignore an Aussie unless at your peril and Julia, it is. Your Labor/Greens and Independent government will be blown to smithereens come the next election. We have not forgotten but we are stronger and we are more determined.
Just Grounders, along with numerous Aussies were furious at your contempt of the Convoy of No Confidence. We are still talking about it but as we do, we come out fighting, all guns blazing and they are aimed at Canberra. This time we will be heard.

Unfortunately, we have little choice about who will govern when we have only Labor and the Coalition of Liberals and the Nationals. We don’t want Labor so that leaves us with the Coalition. Now Tony Abbott and all other liberal MP’s, must listen to us and the Nationals must do the same. We elect you, you do what we want. That’s the deal; that’s your job. You aren’t there to do your own bidding but that of the your electorate and the Australian people who put you there.

These are some suggestions what I believe we can do as Just Grounders, to spread the message. Listen to us or else.

*ahem* I try to refrain from making fun of grammar and spelling errors on the internet, but, I think it is okay in this case as the, for want of a better word, author of this text wrote:

14.Ensure you write correctly as far as grammar, spelling and composition are concerned.

Incidentally, the Heather Hill thing rested on the notion that the United Kingdom was a foreign power, which traditionally it hasn’t been, but somewhere along the twin paths of decline of British empire and rise of Australian sovereignty, it became a foreign country, and nobody, let alone the full bench of the High Court, could identify any precise moment when the changeover occurred

Bzzt. I’m sorry, the correct answer was ‘at the very latest, the enactment of the Australia Acts in 1986’. Gleeson CJ, Gummow and Hayne JJ at [59]; Gaudron J at [173] .

OMFG! Sorry about teh “teh’s” in taht one.

Let’s have a look at teh actualite’ of teh convoy and its effect..

THEY expected a line of hungry truckies as far as the eye could see.

Kerry Murphy, the owner of the Wallendbeen Hotel, rostered on four extra staff, hired beer glasses, bought extra kegs and purchased enough supplies for 300 bacon and egg rolls.

The fishing club and public school in Wallendbeen, a village of 200 near Wagga Wagga, set up large steel drums filled with firewood and spent hundreds on meat and bread rolls in preparation for the 1000 travelling protesters that organisers told them to expect. But the Convoy of No Confidence never came.

Advertisement: Story continues below The organisers of the mobile protest told the Herald last week that 11 convoys carrying up to 30,000 truck drivers would line the country’s roads, travelling several designated routes to Canberra, with an official overnight stop in a country town.

In Wallendbeen, however, only 10 vehicles showed up, Ms Murphy said.

”We are a bit depressed. It was a big flop. We busted our nuts for nothing and prepared for days, but only 10 trucks arrived,” she said. ”They overexaggerated. They said it was going to be crazy, that Wallendbeen was never going to see anything like this again.”

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/the-pub-with-no-patrons-a-detour-that-depressed-a-small-town-20110825-1jci5.html#ixzz1W5mES8gQ

The Antichrist7:02 pm 25 Aug 11

I really liked this bit…

“quote” we’ve been shocked at how many in the media and the talk-back callers in Canberra have spun the events of yesterday…They’re saying we were only 12 in number (actual quote!) “unquote”

I have not seen 1 single media report anywhere, which listed 12 people ?? Where the hell did that come from ? It’s incredible that she has the gall to make up so much bullshit !

I give the justgrounds site maybe 6 months before internal bitching will kill it. There are already signs of power struggles appearing between some of the members, with strict instructions posted about which type of post can be posted in which particular thread……….and they all still live in some sort of self-congratulatory universe where the mere fact that the Convoy of Much Impotence got some media coverage………it has been succesful.

One day they will wake up to themselves and realise that the media coverage of this gig, is not the success they were seeking in the first place. It was just media coverage……and nothing else of actual substance.

Holden Caulfield3:42 pm 25 Aug 11

R. Slicker said :

…and it popped up…

Is that a euphemism?

R. Slicker said :

Mr Evil said :

I get the impression that Alan was quite upset at the thought of all that rough trade being trapped on the other side of the ACT border, with no way of getting to meet him.

Don’t know about that. Alan Jones was not shy in coming forward when I had a liaison with him in 1981 at The Roman Bath, a gay sauna/bathhouse in Sydney. I told journalist Chris Masters about it and it popped up in his book Jones Town.

Nice story … and a timely reminder of ‘Jones Town’ too. Be worth rereading that around about now I reckon.

Mr Evil said :

I get the impression that Alan was quite upset at the thought of all that rough trade being trapped on the other side of the ACT border, with no way of getting to meet him.

Don’t know about that. Alan Jones was not shy in coming forward when I had a liaison with him in 1981 at The Roman Bath, a gay sauna/bathhouse in Sydney. I told journalist Chris Masters about it and it popped up in his book Jones Town.

On the story there is a bunch of Janet’s happy snaps, and that overpass that goes over state circle and links with the NPH lawns is in one, with what is clearly convoyers leaning over the balustrade. But if you don’t know Canberra, you might believe it’s a bridge as you come into town.

What a liar she is!

Quadrant – no surprises there.

I’m amazed that the article didn’t come with ‘scientific proof that climate change isn’t happening but is a plot constructed by left-wing communist homosexuals’.

Actually, in seriousness: that article is a continuation of a trend that I’ve noticed with this group – they’ll only respond to the harshest arguments from their opponents, because those are the ones that can be most easily disputed. I’ve read quite a few articles about the rally from (relatively) reputable sources, and they were full of quite reasonable observations, yet Janet has chosen to only acknowledge the two most extreme criticisms of the event (totally devoid of context, no less).

Compare this to the few drop-ins we’ve had on this site, who focus on the “redneck” comments and ignore the well-stated objections. They’re quite happy to rail endlessly against “greenies” on their forum, but when a reasonable person tries to ask a reasonable question they immediately (and repeatedly) brand them a troll and promptly ban them.

Does anyone else get the impression they’re acutely aware that their position won’t stand up to any sort of rational examination?

Jeez, that is arrant crap. Someone should go set them straight. She’s having them on.

johnboy said :

Good old Janet Thompson is popping up in quadrant writing about their triumphal entry!

The overpasses were lined with people clapping, saluting, waving flags, giving us thumbs up. The sound was amazing. Semi trucks, cars, vans, campervans, utes, prime movers … many with Aussie flags flying and most with “no carbon tax” signage on them … drove around and around State Circle yesterday morning in a noisy, beautiful, positive display of people power.

I like the part where she compares herself to Gandhi.

johnboy said :

Good old Janet Thompson is popping up in quadrant writing about their triumphal entry!

The overpasses were lined with people clapping, saluting, waving flags, giving us thumbs up. The sound was amazing. Semi trucks, cars, vans, campervans, utes, prime movers … many with Aussie flags flying and most with “no carbon tax” signage on them … drove around and around State Circle yesterday morning in a noisy, beautiful, positive display of people power.

I like the Gandhi quote at the beginning of the article. Let’s go back to ignoring tham

Skyring said :

RedDogInCan said :

Skyring said :

If Julia Gillard hasn’t renounced her British citizenship, then she’s unable to sit as an MP.

Even if this was true, she wouldn’t be the first politician to be a foreign national. I’ll leave it as an exercise for the reader to take the tour of old Parliament House to find out which one.

King O’Malley, elected in 1903, born in Kansas.

Which one? Try all of them in the early years as Australian citizenship as a concept did not exist legally until 1948, so every MP and PM prior to the passing of the nationality law was a Brit.

Good old Janet Thompson is popping up in quadrant writing about their triumphal entry!

    The overpasses were lined with people clapping, saluting, waving flags, giving us thumbs up. The sound was amazing. Semi trucks, cars, vans, campervans, utes, prime movers … many with Aussie flags flying and most with “no carbon tax” signage on them … drove around and around State Circle yesterday morning in a noisy, beautiful, positive display of people power.

Holden Caulfield said :

1. Tony Abbott was born in London. Why aren’t they shit scared of his BS allegiance to another country?

Because they don’t actually think she is a Welsh Provocateur, but rather they are looking for any opportunity to get rid of her. Because they love Tony, and he would never lie to them.

Holden Caulfield12:20 pm 25 Aug 11

Skyring said :

colourful sydney racing identity said :

jesus christ. I have just been looking at their website and they are running their own version of the ‘birther’ conspiracy used by US rightwing nut jobs –

http://justgroundsonline.com/forum/topics/federal-politicians-s44-of

words fail me.

Looking at it, she’s actually spot on. If Julia Gillard hasn’t renounced her British citizenship, then she’s unable to sit as an MP…

1. Tony Abbott was born in London. Why aren’t they shit scared of his BS allegiance to another country?

2. On the JG website somebody provided a link to a report stating that both Gillard and Abbott have complied with the guidelines in respect of dual citizenship.

3. The case is closed. Unless you wear tinfoil underpants because you’re scared the hat isn’t cutting it anymore.

Ryoma said :

I agree that protesting in a quieter, calmer manner, is more likely to win people (especially quiet, law-abiding public servants in Canberra!) over than making loud threats and suggesting they’d force an election. But as I noted earlier, it certainly worked from a media point of view – full coverage for close to a week. And while it may not have unseated the Government, it may come to be seen as a turning point. For a start, it’s got people talking – including us here on the website 🙂

And thus you have a circular argument. The manner in which they conducted themselves has got us all talking, and we are deriding them for being muddle-headed, ignorant, blindly following morons like Alan Jones and basically shooting their cause’s feet off by behaving in such an arrogant manner.

Ryoma said :

For a start, it’s got people talking – including us here on the website 🙂

I’m not sure “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” applies to these guys. The more I hear or read about them, the less I think of them.

@Watto23 – I agree with you on several fronts here, the carbon tax is certainly an effective issue for an Opposition to run a scare campaign upon. I am thoroughly disgusted with their behaviour in doing so, without them having the guts to put up a credible alternative plan.

There is no good time to introduce any tough reform – those who are going to lose out from it, will lose out anyhow, so I agree that now is a good time to be doing it. Having said that, if we get a GFC Mark 2, in hindsight it will look like terrible timing. But in our politics for the past 20 years, it appears that people expect the Government to fix virtually everything, and as a result, good policy is watered down and people have to be “bribed” with tax cuts or the like to get anything done at all. I sometimes wonder what the pioneers would think of us – not much, I’d say.

In terms of what you say about people being scared, I think that’s my major point. If a person is University-educated, or has a trade certificate, then generally the chances of finding another job is much better than if you haven’t finished high school. Decisions made on a utilitarian basis may indeed be good for the greatest number of Australians, if it benefits people living in the capitals and larger cities, in terms of lower prices/more choices, etc.

But if you are one of the many people who didn’t enjoy school, and are still struggling to read, write and do arithmetic properly, and you live in small town Australia, then the thought of moving to a larger city, away from your family and support network, and having to compete for work against others in the same boat, or with higher skill levels for any work going, is indeed scary. Not to mention the cost of housing and living in general.

If you have spent much of your life simply struggling to hold onto what you have, rather than being able to look forward to a better tomorrow, then your reaction to change is likely to be fear rather than hope. And if governments of various stripes seem to make decisions that make the region you grow up in suffer, then naturally you’re not going to have anything good to say about them.

Having said all of that, I agree that government cannot, and should not, hold back the tide of change. What it should be doing is making it easier for people to move to where the jobs are, and removing barriers that allow people to lift their skills base, as well as removing barriers for employers to hire those with lower skills. At present, both the current and previous governments are not doing much of that that particularly well.

@Evan James.

I agree, I don’t think anyone was saying these people had no right to protest. My concern was more about how sections of the media and the public at large have immediately written off their grievances as being the bleatings of “unwashed bogans”, perhaps the type of people many of us would rather just faded into the background of our national life. That’s not really what I’d call giving the people protesting and their views a fair hearing.

I didn’t find their methods all that objectionable – although that’s perhaps because it didn’t end up as large as it was meant to have been. So long as no-one got hurt, I don’t mind how people express themselves.

I think that these people have likely been expressing themselves politely for years through various channels, such as the National Farmer’s Federation, and so on. But the fact that these channels haven’t been working from the point of view of the protestors, is what leads to events such as the Convoy.

I agree that protesting in a quieter, calmer manner, is more likely to win people (especially quiet, law-abiding public servants in Canberra!) over than making loud threats and suggesting they’d force an election. But as I noted earlier, it certainly worked from a media point of view – full coverage for close to a week. And while it may not have unseated the Government, it may come to be seen as a turning point. For a start, it’s got people talking – including us here on the website 🙂

RedDogInCan said :

Skyring said :

If Julia Gillard hasn’t renounced her British citizenship, then she’s unable to sit as an MP.

Even if this was true, she wouldn’t be the first politician to be a foreign national. I’ll leave it as an exercise for the reader to take the tour of old Parliament House to find out which one.

King O’Malley, elected in 1903, born in Kansas.

Skyring said :

If Julia Gillard hasn’t renounced her British citizenship, then she’s unable to sit as an MP.

Even if this was true, she wouldn’t be the first politician to be a foreign national. I’ll leave it as an exercise for the reader to take the tour of old Parliament House to find out which one.

I get the impression that Alan was quite upset at the thought of all that rough trade being trapped on the other side of the ACT border, with no way of getting to meet him.

screaming banshee8:48 pm 24 Aug 11

Gismondo said :

Just checked out the Just Grounds website.

Couldn’t find the link to the page where it says we faked the moon landing

The US faked the moon landing, we’ve faked the Antarctic.

Just checked out the Just Grounds website.

Couldn’t find the link to the page where it says we faked the moon landing

The Antichrist8:27 pm 24 Aug 11

the Lost Convoy………dissapeared in the twilight zone known as …”The Federal Triangle”

that paranormal zone bounded by the Big House on the Hill, Goulburn Jail, and the takeaway on Yass Road next to the pub.

For many years, this zone has seen all sorts of things just *vanish* from the face of the earth……including a 2km convoy of phantom trucks driven by less-than-phantomly yokels….

The Antichrist6:31 pm 24 Aug 11

well, the porkies from Hayseed Central just keep getting bigger and bigger….

I was extremely proud to be part of the 2000 plus peaceful protest. It was an unprecedented military style logistical effort performed by ‘Salt of the Earth” Australians and their many thousands of supporters along each of the 11 routes

The numbers now – only a couple of days later – are already 2000 *salt of the earth* aussies. Apparently helped with some sort of military style logistical effort ?

Tell that to all the small-town pubs that were left with nothing but rotting piles of un-used food, for the Convoy of Invisibility that failed to show up !! Many thousands of supporters as well….

Fair dinkum, inside a few years these grass-chewin’ cousin-humpers will be telling their grandkiddies about the the day that 300,000 angry truckers brought the nation to its knees !!!!!

The lost convoy turned up did it?

icantbelieveitsnotbutter3:58 pm 24 Aug 11

Stevian said :

Ben_Dover said :

Funnily enough it wasn’t the “duel citizenship” idea which made me laugh so loudly, it was this;

Ben_Dover said :

Posted by June Beckett

Julia Gillard was born in Wales so can anybody out there tell me:

a) Does she still have duel citizenship:

b) If not, when did she give up her Welsh citizenship:

c) If she has given up her Welsh passport, has she also totally relinquished her Welsh nationality

http://justgroundsonline.com/forum/topics/federal-politicians-s44-of

dear god… what is this?

Thoroughly Smashed said :

Erg0 said :

Damn, I was hoping the parking ticket story was true.

Same, but I wonder if Sinners at least had a measurable uptick in patronage on Monday night.

It was a bloody quiet night on the cabdriving front, I know that much.

colourful sydney racing identity said :

jesus christ. I have just been looking at their website and they are running their own version of the ‘birther’ conspiracy used by US rightwing nut jobs –

http://justgroundsonline.com/forum/topics/federal-politicians-s44-of

words fail me.

Looking at it, she’s actually spot on. If Julia Gillard hasn’t renounced her British citizenship, then she’s unable to sit as an MP. Heather Hill of One Nation wasn’t the first to be elected without having renounced all other citizenships, and I suspect that a few other sitting members at the time quietly renounced whatever dual status they might have had before anybody could look too closely.

Incidentally, the Heather Hill thing rested on the notion that the United Kingdom was a foreign power, which traditionally it hasn’t been, but somewhere along the twin paths of decline of British empire and rise of Australian sovereignty, it became a foreign country, and nobody, let alone the full bench of the High Court, could identify any precise moment when the changeover occurred.

With Obama, the silliness of the Birther nuts is that they believe in a fiction – that he was born somewhere else but Hawai’i. With Julia Gillard, we know she wasn’t born in Australia. What we don’t know is precisely when she renounced her birth citizenship.

However, with the example of Heather Hill (and Geoff Cleary, and a couple of others), I would imagine that all mainstream political parties make bloody sure that the s44 test may be passed before they endorse a candidate. Julia Gillard is many things, but she is not stupid enough to leave that loophole open.

@ Ryoma. I don’t think anyone is saying these people had no right to protest. What is objectionable was their way of doing it. They declared that they were the true australians, and they were going to gridlock Canberra with their trucks, and they were going to force an election.

This is not “having their say”, this is saying that they have rights over everyone else, and they’re going to force that right with their big trucks.

We had rallies outside parliament house the two weekends prior to this. There was the live exports rally 2 weekends before, which attracted more peopel than the Convoy. It was lawful, orderly, and quiet. Tehn there was the carbon tax rally the week before, and while it wasn’t quiet, it was conducted in the usual manner. I think they got more people, too.

For a small, or large, group of people to claim higher ground because they have trucks is just offensive. I’m enjoying watching their fall, and poking at them with sticks. They deserve it.

The issue I have will all of this is one political party is telling people what they want to hear and thus constructing a platform to overturn the government. Everyone has a right to free speech and to have their opinion heard. The issue is once some hard nosed opinions are formed its very hard to change them.

I completely agree that the Carbon tax is an easy tool to strike fear into those who are affected. But I’d rather introduce it now than when unemployment is higher.

Also its the catastrophe syndrome. Something with the ability to make a sudden change are always far more publicised. Just like catastrophes of sudden force eg earthquakes and tsunami are treated with far more importance, than something that slowly occurs like the East african famine.

So a Carbon tax may mean a few people lose jobs, but in the current environment, how can we know whether not doing anything about the climate and will mean more people don’t lose their jobs. Seriously do people have such a short memory about the drought we experienced here in this country? That affected a far greater number of people in this country. What if we have less crops to ship around the country, truck drivers will be out of work then also.

Just like the argument about coal miners losing their jobs etc. Are people so scared that if it happens they will never get another job? Sometimes we are too scared to do something and I know many people who lost their job and ended up in a career change and better off.

So if we introduce a carbon tax and the governmemt doesn’t help those who lose a job to retrain or find another job, then I’d be very pissed off with them myself. But we live in a first world country and we should be apreciative of what we have in this country. If the Convoy of No Confidence or Tony Abbott actually has a solution to climate change why don’t they tell us. Then plan I’ve heard is pretty much do nothing because things aren’t serious yet, which is exactly how things like the drought got out of hand. If they put up an alternative plan that was better, wouldn’t you think that the crossbenchers and greens may actually support it. But hey its far easier to spread fear among those easily convinced.

Ryoma said :

So, why shouldn’t we expect this to be the case beyond Canberra as well? There is much talk in the newspapers of a split between metropolitan elites (mainly in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne) and battlers elsewhere. There may be differences in education and income levels, but it’s also pretty easy for those of us who live here to enjoy our high standard of living, and watch as government legislation (even with the best of intentions) has heavy impacts in other parts of Australia.

We are in grave danger of ending up like the United States unless we learn to bridge the gap in understanding between country and city. Unlike people in the big cities, those in remote parts of Australia can’t just change jobs at the drop of a hat, and neither can whole regions. When the cattle bans were announced, it really did put large areas of northern Australia under immense economic pressure.

Imagine if you had your livelihood taken from you and told there is nothing you can do about it. That is what some of these people are facing. These people deserve a fair hearing in both the media, and by the public at large – not to be scorned and ridiculed.

The whole carbon tax debate has led me to believe Australians are extremely selfish in many ways.
A majority of people were in favour of helping the environment, until they think they might be a little worse off for doing so.

The arguments used by these extremist people are purely because of hate in general. As that blog shows, they have very little credibility IMO, which is what the real issue is. Why can’t the opposition use credible debate an offer a true policy that will change the environmental situation.

Also have these truck drivers considered that without some way of managing carbon, there may be less produce for them to truck around, or the fact that fuel may in fact get more expensive as it is the monopoly for fueling vehicles? Better still why haven’t the government taken this line to argue against the what appears to be uninformed opposition?

Thats what really concerns me is both sides of politics are failing miserably, and thats also why we got a hung parliament. Its a shame the democrats were not around much last election, they may have been a real force as a moderate party.

Thoroughly Smashed11:17 am 24 Aug 11

Erg0 said :

Damn, I was hoping the parking ticket story was true.

Same, but I wonder if Sinners at least had a measurable uptick in patronage on Monday night.

+10 Daryl1

You make some good points about the level of debate generally. If we can’t even respect the right for people to express their opionions (whether one agrees with them or not) on a simple website, then we cannot expect our politicians to be any better. It depends upon whether people see themselves as capable of setting their own standards, or simply reacting to what’s out there.

All too often, people from an opposite perspective on any issue are called all the names under the sun. How many of us make an effort to meet and talk to people who hold the opposing point of view? It’s hard work, and it takes guts.

I do not know whether or not Alan Jones and others have stirred things up or not, but I’d imagine that is the case, as after the man makes his living from being controversial. But I would argue that it is likely to be the case from both sides. When these things become heated, I imagine that “the truth” probably sits somewhere in between the perspectives of the opposite points of view…but it is subjective, grey, and slippery.

I, like Daryl, have my own opinion on the carbon tax. I agree with him that there is probably more to it than meets the eye, but I am still broadly in favour of it.

I would also call the Convoy a success on a publicity basis – in fact, so successful was it, that I wonder if a professional firm has had a hand in it. Minimum resources (in terms of actual trucks) but maximum media impact across the country, as well as blanket awareness of it here in Canberra. And if the latest opinion polls are anything to go by, then it was something the Government certainly did not need – which might help explain Albanese’s reaction to it.

Canberrans often get fed up with being lumped together with the decisions made by the Parliament, as if we (all 350,000 of us) are mindless zombies who think in lockstep. Two minutes perusing any topic here on the Riot Act will persuasively prove otheriwse, and show that Canberrans have a wide range of views on any topic.

So, why shouldn’t we expect this to be the case beyond Canberra as well? There is much talk in the newspapers of a split between metropolitan elites (mainly in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne) and battlers elsewhere. There may be differences in education and income levels, but it’s also pretty easy for those of us who live here to enjoy our high standard of living, and watch as government legislation (even with the best of intentions) has heavy impacts in other parts of Australia.

We are in grave danger of ending up like the United States unless we learn to bridge the gap in understanding between country and city. Unlike people in the big cities, those in remote parts of Australia can’t just change jobs at the drop of a hat, and neither can whole regions. When the cattle bans were announced, it really did put large areas of northern Australia under immense economic pressure.

Imagine if you had your livelihood taken from you and told there is nothing you can do about it. That is what some of these people are facing. These people deserve a fair hearing in both the media, and by the public at large – not to be scorned and ridiculed.

Remember why we have a democracy in the first place – have a close look at the aftermath of the Eureka Stockade, when Lalor and the other miners accused of treason were brought to Melbourne for trial. There was widespread support for the miners from across the community, and the process that followed helped to overturn the Victorian Legislative Council, which had been dominated by rich and powerful men. Without it, and other similar events in other States, Australia may have ended up a very different place, along the lines of Argentina.

There may come a day when real political evil stalks the corridors of power in Canberra. At that time, if the citizens of Canberra are in trouble, who do we think we will be able to call upon? The people we have demonised and ridiculed as backwards rednecks for decades, or our fellow Australians, who will
“swear to stand truly by each other, and fight to defend our rights and liberties”?

Feelings are running high in this thread and RA and JB have done themselves no favours with their coverage of this story but at the end of the day Jones made himself look even more of an idiot than he already is so it turn out too badly at all. Alan Jones aptly represents everything wrong with Australian commercial media.

Erg0 said :

Damn, I was hoping the parking ticket story was true.

me too.

Damn, I was hoping the parking ticket story was true.

Ben_Dover said :

Funnily enough it wasn’t the “duel citizenship” idea which made me laugh so loudly, it was this;

Ben_Dover said :

Posted by June Beckett

Julia Gillard was born in Wales so can anybody out there tell me:

a) Does she still have duel citizenship:

b) If not, when did she give up her Welsh citizenship:

c) If she has given up her Welsh passport, has she also totally relinquished her Welsh nationality

http://justgroundsonline.com/forum/topics/federal-politicians-s44-of

Here’s a hint June m’Dear THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A WELSH PASSPORT, NOR IS IT POSSIBLE TO GIVE UP WELSH NATIONALITY. It may be a wise idea, before running around the internet making yourself look like a complete “birther/tea party type moron, to check out these things.

Poms have BRITISH nationality, even if they are Welsh or Scottish Poms. They have BRITISH passports, even if they are Welsh or Scottish Poms.

Oaf.

Perhaps there is a birther/conspiracy nut form letter floating around, and they were meant to fill in the blanks. Change Barack Obama to Julia Gillard, change Kenyan to Welsh, hey presto. Little things like the fact that we have a totally different system than the U.S. won’t stop them

Mr Waffle said :

colourful sydney racing identity said :

jesus christ. I have just been looking at their website and they are running their own version of the ‘birther’ conspiracy used by US rightwing nut jobs –

http://justgroundsonline.com/forum/topics/federal-politicians-s44-of

words fail me.

Well that was an… interesting read. As a side, I find it rather amusing that they’re basically saying she’s under the influence of an evil foreign country, the one that is lead by, you know, our head of state… I wonder if they’re all Republicans?

Perhaps she is leading a Welsh conspiracy to purge vowels from our alphabet.

poetix said :

colourful sydney racing identity said :

jesus christ. I have just been looking at their website and they are running their own version of the ‘birther’ conspiracy used by US rightwing nut jobs –

http://justgroundsonline.com/forum/topics/federal-politicians-s44-of

words fail me.

No, words fail them. Note this from their site about the PM:
a) Does she still have duel citizenship
Duel…wasn’t that the name of the movie about a rogue truck?

Funnily enough it wasn’t the “duel citizenship” idea which made me laugh so loudly, it was this;

Ben_Dover said :

Posted by June Beckett

Julia Gillard was born in Wales so can anybody out there tell me:

a) Does she still have duel citizenship:

b) If not, when did she give up her Welsh citizenship:

c) If she has given up her Welsh passport, has she also totally relinquished her Welsh nationality

http://justgroundsonline.com/forum/topics/federal-politicians-s44-of

Here’s a hint June m’Dear THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A WELSH PASSPORT, NOR IS IT POSSIBLE TO GIVE UP WELSH NATIONALITY. It may be a wise idea, before running around the internet making yourself look like a complete “birther/tea party type moron, to check out these things.

Poms have BRITISH nationality, even if they are Welsh or Scottish Poms. They have BRITISH passports, even if they are Welsh or Scottish Poms.

Oaf.

Paying Alan Jones to represent them was a red flag for me, and i lost instant respect for the cause. I also wish Abbott would stfu and not have lead the protest.

colourful sydney racing identity said :

jesus christ. I have just been looking at their website and they are running their own version of the ‘birther’ conspiracy used by US rightwing nut jobs –

http://justgroundsonline.com/forum/topics/federal-politicians-s44-of

words fail me.

Well that was an… interesting read. As a side, I find it rather amusing that they’re basically saying she’s under the influence of an evil foreign country, the one that is lead by, you know, our head of state… I wonder if they’re all Republicans?

The Antichrist10:51 pm 23 Aug 11

Lillypilly said :

I remember the “ticketing”.

I’d come back off adelaide avenue onto state circle where a lot of trucks were parked. I saw a woman climb up the side of a truck to plant a big orange/red looking leaflet. She had long hair (blonde to light red colour) a light coloured t-shirt on and cutoff denim shorts.

Seems a new strange for AFP or ACT govt uniform

’twas one of the local knock shops drumming up some business. I hope they made a motza out of the grizzled old banjo pluckers – most action they normally get is humping goats back on the farm.

I remember the “ticketing”.

I’d come back off adelaide avenue onto state circle where a lot of trucks were parked. I saw a woman climb up the side of a truck to plant a big orange/red looking leaflet. She had long hair (blonde to light red colour) a light coloured t-shirt on and cutoff denim shorts.

Seems a new strange for AFP or ACT govt uniform

Daryl1 said :

The people of Canberra complained. That it was not fair, that their lives maybe disturbed.

Seems to me that if they’d managed to pull off their plan to “hold the city in gridlock” it might have been a tad more than our lives being “maybe disturbed”. Also seems that possibly such a threat warranted the odd person suggesting that maybe it wasn’t entirely fair to punish 360,000 people for the perceived crimes of a few dozen, most of whom don’t even live here.

Daryl1 said :

Then when the convoys wern’t here as planned on Monday morning, complained they got to work early – and also many people just took the day off.

Really? Because I talked to a lot of people, and they were all (myself included) thrilled at how quiet the roads were. Many were calling for weekly threats of gridlock to help ease the city’s congestion. Not one person I could find “complained” that they got to work early. Perhaps you’d be able to furnish a single example of your claim?
And as for the people who took the day off, they used a day of their annual leave that they might have otherwise wished to spend on a holiday with their family or somesuch. Are you suggesting that somehow feeling they had instead had to use it to avoid threatened chaos imposed by a bunch of crazies should be seen as somehow preferable?

Oh, and everything else that’s wrong with your post.

But THAT’S not a Canberra Times online poll… Is Warwick a great big fibber?

I do wonder if the numbers being thrown around (by the more reliable sources) of people at the rally are at all misleading… There was a lot of media around as well as people like myself who were there to merely watch, laugh, and take the odd photo who were amongst the crowd and whilst I can’t speak on behalf of them I dare say they didn’t support these people. There was also people from the right who were merely taking the opportunity to hand out religious flyers (such as the Bible Baptist church of Queanbeyan)

For those interested my photos are on Flickr with more to be added http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeldavidjones/sets/72157627489832482/

John Moulis said :

Before you start gloating too much JB let me remind you of this morning’s Newspoll which shows that The Gillard government would be creamed at any election held now and that the numbers supporting “action on climate change” are now the lowest on record.

The number of counter protesters on bikes were counted – there were 92. Compare this to the estimated 700 who listened to speakers addressing the convoy.

Do you endorse the comments by a female from Unions ACT who actually claimed that the truckies (and the pensioners who attended last week’s No CarbonTax rally) were all paid to be there. Do you also endorse the comment by Labor member Kelvin Thompson who called it “A convoy of incontinence”?

JB you’ve reached an all-time low.

JB’s reached an all time low because YOU disagree with his opinion? Lucky for JB your opinion doesn’t count for much.

The Antichrist6:10 pm 23 Aug 11

creative_canberran said :

Daryl1 said :

Hi Johnboy,

sticks & stones may break my bones, but whips & chains excite me……woops, that should be ‘names will never hurt me’ please stop calling people nasty names…..

…and some fence-sitting regarding Alan Jones…..

.

Could someone please type up a thesis summarising this post for me.

there you go 🙂

It is fascinating that the Far right is now having to resort to the sort of stunts that the Greens and Socialists used to do about a decade ago (burning coffins, walking around in skeleton suits etc). The tide has turned I think, towards a sustainable future, and Tony Abbot et al are living in the past.

Also funny to watch the conservatives whinging that their protest was not taken seriously, numbers were underreported, and rumours were started that protesters were all paid to be there – they should get together with some aging hippies and share protest yarns – it seems like protesting is frustrating work whichever side of politics you are on!

John Moulis said :

Do you also endorse the comment by Labor member Kelvin Thompson who called it “A convoy of incontinence”?

I certainly do. Kelvin Thomson is one of the bravest men in parliament, who is a Labor member but speaks against many party policies. He’s a man of conviction, a true believer rather than a cynical party man, waiting for his chance at the trough. He is an old-fashioned politician, the type we’ve lost.

I’m glad he’s getting reportage in a range of areas, rather than his main area of interest which is a sustainable population for Australia.

amarooresident3 said :

Don’t forgot the trail of disappointed and out of pocket small business owners they left along the way with their wildly overhyped attendance figures.

I was wondering about that. If they’d planned to overnight in certain towns, and the businesses in the towns were stocking up, as we heard, what on earth happened there? I guess the shops and pubs and petrol stations and god knows how else were left with loads of stock. If it’s perishable stock, then they’re stuffed.

The convoy was a debacle, but hurting those they call “their own” is beyond the pale.

looks to me like the problem here is carbon, maybe we should just ban it… Then with no carbon we wouldn’t be disputing about another tax, we wouldn’t have the carbon pollution problem or a pollution problem in general, we wouldn’t have trees or forests that need saving, we wouldn’t have to worry about carbon particles in the air, and lastly we wouldn’t have stupid humans, matter of fact we would have no humans, therefore no problems. Sounds like the only solution to me. Now i just have to work out a way to remove all caron from the earth 🙂

colourful sydney racing identity said :

jesus christ. I have just been looking at their website and they are running their own version of the ‘birther’ conspiracy used by US rightwing nut jobs –

http://justgroundsonline.com/forum/topics/federal-politicians-s44-of

words fail me.

No, words fail them. Note this from their site about the PM:
a) Does she still have duel citizenship
Duel…wasn’t that the name of the movie about a rogue truck?

Posted by June Beckett

Julia Gillard was born in Wales so can anybody out there tell me:

a) Does she still have duel citizenship:

b) If not, when did she give up her Welsh citizenship:

c) If she has given up her Welsh passport, has she also totally relinquished her Welsh nationality

http://justgroundsonline.com/forum/topics/federal-politicians-s44-of

ROTFLMFFAO!!!! Massive amount of fail there love!

And people wonder why we do not take these uneducated bumpkins advice and throw out our government? I’d rather take political advice from the frogs at the bottom of my garden.

Holden Caulfield said :

I like how this reply on the first page of comments that explains both Gillard and Abbott were born in the UK was ignored, even by the person who gave the link, haha!

Especially funny then you remember the OP ranting about the unfair treatment she (as a One Nation candidate) received concerning this same question previously.

creative_canberran4:03 pm 23 Aug 11

Could someone please type up a thesis summarising this post for me

Well, you could read it, i mean, it only takes 30 seconds or so.
.

sarcasm… he could have said all that in three sentences.

Holden Caulfield3:54 pm 23 Aug 11

colourful sydney racing identity said :

jesus christ. I have just been looking at their website and they are running their own version of the ‘birther’ conspiracy used by US rightwing nut jobs –

http://justgroundsonline.com/forum/topics/federal-politicians-s44-of

words fail me.

Yikes!

I like how this reply on the first page of comments that explains both Gillard and Abbott were born in the UK was ignored, even by the person who gave the link, haha!

colourful sydney racing identity3:46 pm 23 Aug 11

red_dog said :

colourful sydney racing identity said :

jesus christ. I have just been looking at their website and they are running their own version of the ‘birther’ conspiracy used by US rightwing nut jobs –

http://justgroundsonline.com/forum/topics/federal-politicians-s44-of

words fail me.

Wowee! Quite a read … quite loonie.

The funniest thing is that it starts ‘As many of you may know, s.44 of the Australian Constitution provides that…’ I think if nothing else, the convoy of incompetence has shown their complete lack of knowledge of all matters constitutional…

colourful sydney racing identity said :

jesus christ. I have just been looking at their website and they are running their own version of the ‘birther’ conspiracy used by US rightwing nut jobs –

http://justgroundsonline.com/forum/topics/federal-politicians-s44-of

words fail me.

Wowee! Quite a read … quite loonie.

Daryl1,

We generally don’t report on protests at parliament house that have lawful goals, as we are a local news website and out of towners protesting to other out of towners is outside our scope.

This protest with it’s demand for the extra-constitutional removal of the government and published intention to “hold the city in gridlock until the Government, its supporters or the Governor-General agree to a new election”, warranted different treatment.

creative_canberran3:34 pm 23 Aug 11

Daryl1 said :

Hi Johnboy,

I have been a long term reader of riot act, and decided to join now and post. I have to argue that you particulary have had an agenda to pursue this issue – Some points I agree with you with. Some I don’t. But I have been disguisted with the level of debate on here, with fellow posters language and name calling.

Remember last week? All these complaints on here about the convoy of inconvienience. They were called rednecks, idiots – all these names under the sun. My question to you is did you actually go and to this rally? Did you meet and speak to these people?

I did. Yes you can say the event was a fizzer, but I spoke to 10+ different people from all over Australia. I heard their stories and why they came. This event is being made out that the protestors here were dupped, followers and an angry bunch. The exact opposite is the case. Imagine if you had your livelihood taken from you and told there is nothing you can do about it. That is what some of these people are facing. This was more a symbolic protest – of sending the protestors message to the Government. (Of which the Governemnt from Albanese effectively stuck his finger up back at them with his words).

The people of Canberra complained. That it was not fair, that their lives maybe disturbed. Then when the convoys wern’t here as planned on Monday morning, complained they got to work early – and also many people just took the day off.

The remaining convoy that did come, decided to delay the initial trip in until after peak hour. It was the media that continued to stir the supposed strife.

And lets talk numbers. There were approximately 1000 people there in total, not 200. Like the bike riders. I stood there and counted them before they took off on their protest ride and their were only just over 50, yet its reported as 100. I am also amazed you posted hardly anything last week about the anti carbon tax rally, which again easily had 5,000+ people, but gets reported as 1500-2000. I also went to look at the pro carbon tax rally weeks back and counted roughly 1500-2000 people, but the media report it as 10,000?

I agree Alan Jones should not have reported trucks were not being let in. However, he was obviously told this from what he thought was a reliable source. Otherwise I don’t think he would have said it. Both sides of the debate have said some terrible things. I don’t make excuses for it and if you want to bag him go ahead. But what does it achieve?

One thing I have watched though is the media take hold of Alan Jones and one or 2 other people and then demonise everyone there at the protest. That is not the right thing to do. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but play the facts not the person.

One minute people go after Alan Jones like nothing else, saying he has a huge influence and is full of lyes and attacking the Governemnt and must be stopped etc, and then not many people turn up to this protest and say he has no influence and laugh at him. Australians are not idiots. This idea that anyone against the carbon tax is just a followerer and a sheep and can’t think for themselves and form their own opion and that ALan Jones is causing the revolt on the carbon tax is outragoues.

I have my own opionion on the carbon tax. In fact I can quite easily debate anyone who is pro carbon tax, and show that they need to read more then the Governments website, and actually read the proposed legisilation and notice the things in small print we are not being told. I am entitled to my view, and so are other people who may disagree with me. I respect that. I don’t call them names.

I would call the Convoy a success. Look how much publicity it got. Look at the Canberians who whipped themselves into a frenzy about a convoy coming and inconviencing them. Look at the debate here even on thr Riot ACT about it .For only 300 people apparently! In normal life a protest of 300 wouldn’t get more then a 15 sec mention in the news.

Both sides are great at exageration, and lying. There will always be the extreme views or someone saying something stupid. The Left and Right are both great at this. We live in a great country, have the ability to express our point of views. And at the next election – the truth will be known as Australians take their vote to the ballot.

The politicians, and society need to lift the standard of debate, from name calling and lows and respect the right for people to express their opionions whether you agree with them or not.

Lets lift the standard of the debate.

Could someone please type up a thesis summarising this post for me.

Hi Johnboy,

I have been a long term reader of riot act, and decided to join now and post. I have to argue that you particulary have had an agenda to pursue this issue – Some points I agree with you with. Some I don’t. But I have been disguisted with the level of debate on here, with fellow posters language and name calling.

Remember last week? All these complaints on here about the convoy of inconvienience. They were called rednecks, idiots – all these names under the sun. My question to you is did you actually go and to this rally? Did you meet and speak to these people?

I did. Yes you can say the event was a fizzer, but I spoke to 10+ different people from all over Australia. I heard their stories and why they came. This event is being made out that the protestors here were dupped, followers and an angry bunch. The exact opposite is the case. Imagine if you had your livelihood taken from you and told there is nothing you can do about it. That is what some of these people are facing. This was more a symbolic protest – of sending the protestors message to the Government. (Of which the Governemnt from Albanese effectively stuck his finger up back at them with his words).

The people of Canberra complained. That it was not fair, that their lives maybe disturbed. Then when the convoys wern’t here as planned on Monday morning, complained they got to work early – and also many people just took the day off.

The remaining convoy that did come, decided to delay the initial trip in until after peak hour. It was the media that continued to stir the supposed strife.

And lets talk numbers. There were approximately 1000 people there in total, not 200. Like the bike riders. I stood there and counted them before they took off on their protest ride and their were only just over 50, yet its reported as 100. I am also amazed you posted hardly anything last week about the anti carbon tax rally, which again easily had 5,000+ people, but gets reported as 1500-2000. I also went to look at the pro carbon tax rally weeks back and counted roughly 1500-2000 people, but the media report it as 10,000?

I agree Alan Jones should not have reported trucks were not being let in. However, he was obviously told this from what he thought was a reliable source. Otherwise I don’t think he would have said it. Both sides of the debate have said some terrible things. I don’t make excuses for it and if you want to bag him go ahead. But what does it achieve?

One thing I have watched though is the media take hold of Alan Jones and one or 2 other people and then demonise everyone there at the protest. That is not the right thing to do. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but play the facts not the person.

One minute people go after Alan Jones like nothing else, saying he has a huge influence and is full of lyes and attacking the Governemnt and must be stopped etc, and then not many people turn up to this protest and say he has no influence and laugh at him. Australians are not idiots. This idea that anyone against the carbon tax is just a followerer and a sheep and can’t think for themselves and form their own opion and that ALan Jones is causing the revolt on the carbon tax is outragoues.

I have my own opionion on the carbon tax. In fact I can quite easily debate anyone who is pro carbon tax, and show that they need to read more then the Governments website, and actually read the proposed legisilation and notice the things in small print we are not being told. I am entitled to my view, and so are other people who may disagree with me. I respect that. I don’t call them names.

I would call the Convoy a success. Look how much publicity it got. Look at the Canberians who whipped themselves into a frenzy about a convoy coming and inconviencing them. Look at the debate here even on thr Riot ACT about it .For only 300 people apparently! In normal life a protest of 300 wouldn’t get more then a 15 sec mention in the news.

Both sides are great at exageration, and lying. There will always be the extreme views or someone saying something stupid. The Left and Right are both great at this. We live in a great country, have the ability to express our point of views. And at the next election – the truth will be known as Australians take their vote to the ballot.

The politicians, and society need to lift the standard of debate, from name calling and lows and respect the right for people to express their opionions whether you agree with them or not.

Lets lift the standard of the debate.

colourful sydney racing identity3:25 pm 23 Aug 11

jesus christ. I have just been looking at their website and they are running their own version of the ‘birther’ conspiracy used by US rightwing nut jobs –

http://justgroundsonline.com/forum/topics/federal-politicians-s44-of

words fail me.

the Beer Hall Putsch (seriously go have a read of that the similarity of tone will startle you).

Perhaps, but I did notice a distinct lack of paramilitaries raiding secret weapons caches yesterday.

As I understand it, the Medieval Warm Period did occur, but was a European rather than global phenomenon.

Thoroughly Smashed3:05 pm 23 Aug 11

John Moulis said :

Before you start gloating too much JB let me remind you of this morning’s Newspoll which shows that The Gillard government would be creamed at any election held now and that the numbers supporting “action on climate change” are now the lowest on record.

Let me remind you that science is by definition not democratic.

John Moulis said :

Before you start gloating too much JB let me remind you of this morning’s Newspoll which shows that The Gillard government would be creamed at any election held now and that the numbers supporting “action on climate change” are now the lowest on record.

The number of counter protesters on bikes were counted – there were 92. Compare this to the estimated 700 who listened to speakers addressing the convoy.

Do you endorse the comments by a female from Unions ACT who actually claimed that the truckies (and the pensioners who attended last week’s No CarbonTax rally) were all paid to be there. Do you also endorse the comment by Labor member Kelvin Thompson who called it “A convoy of incontinence”?

JB you’ve reached an all-time low.

What does the Labor party or Unions have to do with these people being nutbags and liars?
I’m completely against the Carbon tax as proposed by the government but these people in no way represent me or anyone I know.

colourful sydney racing identity said :

amarooresident3 said :

Nice summary. Don’t forgot the trail of disappointed and out of pocket small business owners they left along the way with their wildly overhyped attendance figures.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/convoy-no-show-hurts-stocked-up-pubs/2267087.aspx

+1. These lunatics complain about Gillard lying – what is it they did and continue to do?

Yep, it’s getting rather tiring hey. I never seen so many lies pervading a subject either whilst each side declares its 100% honesty while being 100% hypocrites. To pretend only one side of parliament lies, and the other never lies is complete fantasy and does nothing for the rest of us that would actually like a proper debate and information on the subject. I think that chance is long gone however, and the likes of Alan Jones revel in it.

colourful sydney racing identity2:57 pm 23 Aug 11

John Moulis said :

Do you also endorse the comment by Labor member Kelvin Thompson who called it “A convoy of incontinence”?
.

LOL I do!

Before you start gloating too much JB let me remind you of this morning’s Newspoll which shows that The Gillard government would be creamed at any election held now and that the numbers supporting “action on climate change” are now the lowest on record.

The number of counter protesters on bikes were counted – there were 92. Compare this to the estimated 700 who listened to speakers addressing the convoy.

Do you endorse the comments by a female from Unions ACT who actually claimed that the truckies (and the pensioners who attended last week’s No CarbonTax rally) were all paid to be there. Do you also endorse the comment by Labor member Kelvin Thompson who called it “A convoy of incontinence”?

JB you’ve reached an all-time low.

colourful sydney racing identity2:43 pm 23 Aug 11

amarooresident3 said :

Nice summary. Don’t forgot the trail of disappointed and out of pocket small business owners they left along the way with their wildly overhyped attendance figures.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/convoy-no-show-hurts-stocked-up-pubs/2267087.aspx

+1. These lunatics complain about Gillard lying – what is it they did and continue to do?

amarooresident32:34 pm 23 Aug 11

If they’re upset about what Albo said, particularly after some of the language that has been used about the PM by CONC supporters and fellow travellers, then they seriously need to harden the f**k up.

amarooresident32:28 pm 23 Aug 11

Nice summary. Don’t forgot the trail of disappointed and out of pocket small business owners they left along the way with their wildly overhyped attendance figures.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/convoy-no-show-hurts-stocked-up-pubs/2267087.aspx

+1 Johnboy

Certainly was a fizzer … and a sad one at that. Broadcaster Jones is a bitter and twisted old hag … the ‘lost convoy’? please! Some cheap egg and bacon rolls going in local towns too I hear… might be worth a convoy of my own.

I keep thinking I should pen a version of Waltzing Matilda about the whole sad affair “…and their horns may be heard as you pass by the (completely fictional) roadblock…” but I’ll leave that up to wittier writers than I.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.