All Aboard

Poster's not all that clear - but intention is.

There's been a lot of ranting and raving about "political correctness" lately on some of the far Right media.

Much of it has been directed at the senior service, specifically towards a long serving strategic adviser Captain Mona Shindy, who just happens to belong to the Muslim faith.

The fact that a Muslim, especially a female Muslim, is a member of the ADF is obviously very hard for some to swallow, but when she shows that she has the audacity to hold opinions different from theirs, apoplexy sets in.

Those same members of the media Right have been very quiet about a scandal that has erupted around HMAS Perth, and a National party fundraiser.

Read all about it here. The poster above had been in circulation briefly before it all hit the fan. Apologies for the lack of definition in the pic, but it reads in part -

I invite you to a unique luncheon experience with Nationals WA leadership on board the Australian Navy vessel HMAS Perth which includes a tour of HMAS Stirling.... 

The choice of "unique" is a pretty fair descriptor. It's not every day that a very expensive  Australian military asset is used as a venue for a political fundraiser. We're talking $1000 per head - nothing but the best when it comes to the WA Nationals.

I fail to detect any wails of indignation from those who pilloried Captain Shindy for alleged political bias. You can't tell me that the skipper of the Perth had all this sprung on him without agreeing to host it.  

I wonder if he still has a twitter account?


 

2015 in Review

This little beauty was released in 2015 (MX5 ND)

In many ways, 2015 has been a very significant year.

Think back to the start of 2015, and things looked a little different. Tony Abbott was PM, Joe Hockey our Treasurer, and Campbell Newman was Queensland's Premier.

Many Queenslanders were surprised when Noddy was given the flick on January 31st.

Our kitchen organiser for week ending January 31st 2015.

 I wasn't, because my bride put a reminder on our kitchen organiser on the date of the state election, and anything written on that organiser becomes set in stone.

A lot later in the year, Metronome Tone also got punted.

We didn't put that one on the kitchen organiser, as we didn't get to vote, not being members of the parliamentary Liberal caucus and all.

The two events are connected in the sense that two far-Right figures were relegated, one to the fringe of his party, the other clear out of politics. Queenslanders and Australians will always sniff out ideologues, and it didn't take them very long in the case of these two.

The other event of significance in 2015 was the Paris climate agreement. I don't think too many of us would have forecast the bulk of the nations of the world getting together under the auspices of the United Nations and agreeing to limits on greenhouse gas production.

The wailing and gnashing of teeth from the troglodytes is only now beginning to subside.

I'm looking forward to 2016.

Things are looking up.......

On a personal note - two events - both in Adelaide - were highlights.

One was the 7 RAR Anzac to Adelaide reunion.

The other was my number two son's graduation from Flinders. It was a very good year.