22 August 2011

The trucks finally arrive.

| johnboy
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trucks

Maybe not a complete fizzer after all, a loud and noisy convoy is moving through Civic now.

For those missing it here’s a taste of the noise:

Here’s today’s slideshow:

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There is every chance, if the present economic malaise in the US & Europe continues, that the Gov’t could get the carbon tax bill thru Parliament but with a deferred starting date. Nothing slows down the increase in carbon emissions more than a recession. The Gov’t could then go to the next election with the carbon tax bill passed but deferred and so not impacting on the electorate. The election would then have to be fought on real issues.

John Moulis said :

…Bluescope Steel announced the closure of their Port Kembla steelworks with thousands being thrown out of work….

It’s fun to connect the dots isn’t it?

Then again, when someone explicitly says the dots are not connected it does fall a little flat. See the bottom of the first page of their ASX announcement – “Our decision is a direct response to the economic factors affecting our business and is not related to the Federal Government’s proposed Carbon Tax“.

John Moulis said :

Retailers report that the pessimism in the community caused by the present unstable government and the influence of The Greens has caused the worst slump in many years.

Government Instability is just one of a number of factors John.

The opposition talking down the economy probably helps about as much as the Government’s tenuous hold on power while we’re at it.

John Moulis said :

The convoy might have been underwhelming but that doesn’t detract from the message.

On the contrary – it does. The convoy attempted to march under a banner that accepted all comers. I daresay that in so doing, in rallying against personal choices (gay marriage) as well as political ones (carbon tax, diesel prices, food miles), they isolated some. They had only one message that shone through – that they want the existing Government gone.

John Moulis said :

And this country will continue to bleed until the present government is gone.

And that is your end point as well.

But in order to effect that change, at the next election, whenever that may be when it is lawfully triggered, you need to work on how you get there, and how to get people to agree with you.

The Antichrist3:40 pm 22 Aug 11

I am fully expecting that the FailConvoy particpants/organisers, will shortly be blaming the current government for:

Assasination of JFK
Elvis eating too many fried peanut-butter sambos
Collingwood losing more grand finals than most sides have played in
Warnie’s transformation to the new human Ken doll
and why rangas have no friends – no matter what continent you live on.

” Bluescope Steel announced the closure of their Port Kembla steelworks with thousands being thrown out of work”

From The Bluescope Steel Press Release.

“Our decision is a direct response to the economic factors affecting our business and is not related to the Federal Government’s proposed carbon tax.”

The decision to restructure by BlueScope Steel would be the result of many factors, the economic conditions outside of Australia being a major one. The Australian Government, be it the Coalition or Labour has very little influence upon the economic conditions outside Australia.

Blaming the present Australian Government for BlueScope Steels restructure makes as much sense as blaming them for Hewlett Packards recent decision to drop the Touchpad or offload their PC business.

I may have misread your comment and in fact you are not laying blame on the Australian Government for this decision by BlueScope Steel, in that case I apologise for jumping to a conclusion based upon bias and misinformation.

Waiting For Godot said :

If that’s not a minority I don’t know what is.

Oh, you don’t know what a minority is? We had a classic example here in Canberra this morning – you should totally have gone and had a look.

Muttsybignuts3:03 pm 22 Aug 11

John Moulis said :

It is ironic that on the same day the trucks arrived in Canberra, Bluescope Steel announced the closure of their Port Kembla steelworks with thousands being thrown out of work. Retailers report that the pessimism in the community caused by the present unstable government and the influence of The Greens has caused the worst slump in many years.

The convoy might have been underwhelming but that doesn’t detract from the message. And this country will continue to bleed until the present government is gone.

I would have thought that the Bluescope redundancies kinda supported what was/was not going on at Parliament House i.e you do not understand what Irony is…
And retail pessimism is because everyone is realising that retailers have gouged Australians for years.Retailers are having a sook because they are losing profits because everyone can now buy everything much cheaper via the internet.

amarooresident32:57 pm 22 Aug 11

John Moulis said :

It is ironic that on the same day the trucks arrived in Canberra, Bluescope Steel announced the closure of their Port Kembla steelworks with thousands being thrown out of work. Retailers report that the pessimism in the community caused by the present unstable government and the influence of The Greens has caused the worst slump in many years.

The convoy might have been underwhelming but that doesn’t detract from the message. And this country will continue to bleed until the present government is gone.

What’s the link? Bluescope themselves say that the closure is due to the high aussie dollar and a global glut in steel production, which is hardly the govt’s fault. It’s because of the carbon tax that the govt has been able to bring forward the assistance package announced today.

And I’ve never heard the retailers blame minority government for the slump in sales. The bad world eonomy and the internet yes, but not this govt.

John Moulis said :

It is ironic that on the same day the trucks arrived in Canberra, Bluescope Steel announced the closure of their Port Kembla steelworks with thousands being thrown out of work. Retailers report that the pessimism in the community caused by the present unstable government and the influence of The Greens has caused the worst slump in many years.

The convoy might have been underwhelming but that doesn’t detract from the message. And this country will continue to bleed until the present government is gone.

John, you do realise that the reasons for the Blusescope closure are the exchange rate and the high cost of materials inputs to the steel making process? What exactly has the current government done to produce that situation?

Waiting For Godot2:44 pm 22 Aug 11

Gungahlin Al said :

Dear convoy participants, that nagging ache at the back of your head is actually the dawning realisation that the “minority” you regularly sound off about – is you. And you have just proven it beyond all doubt to the entire country. And you may have mortally wounded Tony Abbott’s chances along the way.

Is that the clock I hear ticking – on how long until Malcolm Turnbull makes a move to restore some sanity and reason to political discourse in this nation?

OMG Al! What are your buddies in The Greens filling your tiny mind with?

As far as a minority is concerned, your party The Greens scored just 11% of the vote in the last election. If that’s not a minority I don’t know what is.

Not surprising you want to see Malcolm Turnbull as Liberal leader. He was the fifth column in the Libs pushing crap like the ETS and other greenie nonsense. He had his chance as Liberal leader and during that time Kevin Rudd became the most popular PM in history, surpassing Bob Hawke. As soon as Tony Abbott became leader there was an immediate turnaround and the Libs overtook Labor in the polls and precipitated the knifing of Rudd in favour of Gillard.

Dream on Al, dream on.

John Moulis said :

The convoy might have been underwhelming but that doesn’t detract from the message.

You know, I’m still not entirely clear what that message actually is. I caught something about “democracy” and wanting to ignore the constitution…and carbon…and livestock…and by that stage I’d kind of tuned out…

It is ironic that on the same day the trucks arrived in Canberra, Bluescope Steel announced the closure of their Port Kembla steelworks with thousands being thrown out of work. Retailers report that the pessimism in the community caused by the present unstable government and the influence of The Greens has caused the worst slump in many years.

The convoy might have been underwhelming but that doesn’t detract from the message. And this country will continue to bleed until the present government is gone.

jennybel75 said :

The @convoy2canberra folks have tweeted that the ACT police have stopped a convoy at the border. It’s also caught on on Sydney radio apparently. the @actpol_traffic are doing their best to refute the allegations, but it looks like the loonies have a ready consipracy theory for why hardly anyone turned up.

Along with the obligatory comparrison to North Korea, I was happy to see. They reckon the convoy was finally released from the iron grip of our secret police force an hour ago. Funny thing is, I haven’t heard a single horn along Northbourne in the time since. Odd, that.

The U.N has orchestrated the fall of Tripoli to distract the LAMESTREAM! media from reporting on the Convoy!!?

BACKROOM deals between Moamar Gaddafi and JOOLIAR have reportedly taken place. To save JOOLIAR he has agreed to sacrifice his dictatorship to ensure hers continues. RUMOUR goes that he will become the Minister for DEFENCE!!!???

WHEN!?! will this madNEs end??!!!

WON’T someone please !!?? think of THE children?????!!!

Gungahlin Al1:52 pm 22 Aug 11

Dear convoy participants, that nagging ache at the back of your head is actually the dawning realisation that the “minority” you regularly sound off about – is you. And you have just proven it beyond all doubt to the entire country. And you may have mortally wounded Tony Abbott’s chances along the way.

Is that the clock I hear ticking – on how long until Malcolm Turnbull makes a move to restore some sanity and reason to political discourse in this nation?

jennybel75 said :

The @convoy2canberra folks have tweeted that the ACT police have stopped a convoy at the border. It’s also caught on on Sydney radio apparently. the @actpol_traffic are doing their best to refute the allegations, but it looks like the loonies have a ready consipracy theory for why hardly anyone turned up.

… and then they transported them to Mars, or buried them in a convenient hole. Footage, or it didn’t happen!

I don’t believe ACT Policing are that effective, for one thing. It was probably the Queanbeyan Police, or the Goulburn guys who did their usual thing of stopping all of them for safety and log book checks.

Here’ s hoping some of those muppets got done on the red light cameras!

The @convoy2canberra folks have tweeted that the ACT police have stopped a convoy at the border. It’s also caught on on Sydney radio apparently. the @actpol_traffic are doing their best to refute the allegations, but it looks like the loonies have a ready consipracy theory for why hardly anyone turned up.

creative_canberran1:00 pm 22 Aug 11

I almost feel sorry for them, after all, they’d gone to all the trouble of doing an official theme song for it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uESI9COsaHk

Perhaps some new lyrics are in order:
“We got an inbred convoy, half baked and making no sense
We got an inbred convoy, we really are quite dense…
Convoooooy.”

The Antichrist12:53 pm 22 Aug 11

ABC 24 news reported today that almost 200 *Real Aussies* bulllshit turned up to Parlie House and had a whinge about……………something. Not real sure exactly what that *something* was, but if it ever becomes clear, then Alan Jones will be sure to let us know.

What a complete and utter WOFTAM.

Normal transmission will resume tomorrow, and next week this appalling Convey of No Attendance will be consigned to the Trash Pak of History where it belongs.

Growling Ferret12:52 pm 22 Aug 11

Worst convoy ever.

I think most recent rallies and protests have attracted more actual PEOPLE. But they shut the town down because this lot have some trucks.

People with causes take note: if you can rent a few semis, and alert the media that you’re going to blockade Canberra, your protest will be much more effective.

I don’t know how many of us there was at the live export rally, but I bet it was a damn sight more than these clowns could muster. Difference was, we were lawful.

At least Lot Lizards would have made some good money this week.

Worst gathering ever. Here I was ready to bow down to our truck driving overlords but alas major, major flop, was expecting so much more – pretty much like our pollies really.

The motorcycling fraternity gets better results from their blanket, pink ribbon and christmas toy runs.

Gungahlin Al said :

(Pedant post: Banjo “you’re” is short for “you are”)

Sorry, as “Me no fry” pointed out, I was caught up in the “pedantry” of the moment!

Spoono said :

CB chatter….

“This is Rubber Duck on the CoNC rollin’ through our nation’s captial….
..Hey mate you said I could be Rubber Duck this time?!..
..No no I want to be Rubber Duck its my turn, you promised!..
. hey guys I’m Rubber Duck, you were Rubber Duck last rally..

so forth until it descended into chaos..

Reminds me of an episode of The Simpsons

All right, I’ll be Cue Ball. Barney can be Eight Ball, Lenny will be Twelve Ball, and Moe, you’ll be Cue Ball

Kind of fits in nicely with these guys

The Antichrist11:39 am 22 Aug 11

apparently they think the CONC is successful because THEY ARE BEING HEARD

yes they are being heard, those airhorns are deafening !! But I think they are actually being herd.

CB chatter….

“This is Rubber Duck on the CoNC rollin’ through our nation’s captial….
..Hey mate you said I could be Rubber Duck this time?!..
..No no I want to be Rubber Duck its my turn, you promised!..
. hey guys I’m Rubber Duck, you were Rubber Duck last rally..

so forth until it descended into chaos..

Gungahlin Al11:33 am 22 Aug 11

So making up in horns for what they lacked in motors??

Like to point out for the couple in the camper van with the rather distasteful “get out big snout” on it: glass houses folks. Look in a mirror.

I would have sent in a picture of the vast emptiness of EPIC, but empty doesn’t make much of a photo…

(Pedant post: Banjo “you’re” is short for “you are”)

Truckits!

creative_canberran11:30 am 22 Aug 11

Holden Caulfield said :

I thought they said they weren’t going to break any road rules. Isn’t it an offence to unnecessarily sound your horn, haha!

Would depend on what a purposive interpretation of the phrase “unnecessarily” in the legislation would mean.
If it serves the purpose of announcing that the driver of a vehicle is a red neck with a small…. who can’t make a cogent argument nor understand government – I think it serves a necessary purpose.

Tell a lie, the honking stopped for a bit, but now it’s started again. I’d have thought 150 vehicles would be through by now, maybe they’re going around in circles…?

Holden Caulfield11:26 am 22 Aug 11

I thought they said they weren’t going to break any road rules. Isn’t it an offence to unnecessarily sound your horn, haha!

banjo said :

Honk if your horny!

Honk if your horny what? Ah, pedantry – where would RA be without it?

Occurs to me that if these truck drivers really wanted to inconvenience the citizens of Canberra they should drive down to the coast on a Saturday morning. Having seen the huge tailback just one truck (and not an especially slow one at that) created on a holiday weekend going down the Clyde I imagine CONC would create gridlock.

They’re just about through State Circle now – lots of air horns for the last 10 minutes or so. Despite my antipathy about the whole thing, I was a little disappointed when I thought I wasn’t going to see any trucks at all.

Honk if your horny!

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