richard.obrien's blog

Peter Dutton would like to wish you all a merry Christmas, and you’d better all damn well wish him one back.

Like the good Christian he claims to be, the minister for Immigration has decided to use the Christmas season to stir up more division and hatred among Australians. ‘Tis the season to be vigilant, yes Dutton is calling for people to “rise up” and defend Christmas against the dreaded scourge of “political correctness gone mad”.

Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 makes it unlawful for someone to commit a public act that is reasonably likely to “offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate” someone because of their race or ethnicity.

Section 18D of the Racial Discrimination Act contains exemptions which protect freedom of speech. These ensure that artistic works, scientific debate and fair comment on matters of public interest are exempt from section 18C, providing they are said or done reasonably and in good faith.

Peter Dutton was born and raised in Brisbane. After graduating from the Queensland Police Academy in 1990, Dutton served as a police officer in the Drug Squad, the Sex Offenders Squad and the National Crime Authority. During the nine years he was in the Queensland Police Force, Peter Dutton did not achieve one single thing that was considered worth mentioning in his parliamentary biography, his maiden speech or any other public record.

From 1993 Dutton also served as a company director in his father’s building business.

There are a lot of ideas bouncing around about how Donald Trump won the election. Many centre on the somewhat patronising theory that anxious blue-collar voters supported Trump because they feel disenfranchised by the system and want change. To be sure there are many blue collar voters who are rightly anxious. Many of them want meaningful change. Some of them supported Trump.

Social Services minister Christian Porter has announced the government’s latest News Limited sponsored pogrom against welfare. Porter is claiming that an unemployed, single parent with four children receives nearly $3,000 per year more on welfare than if they were on a median full-time wage.

The banner used by Channel Nine news this evening for a story about the government having difficulties pushing though changes to paid maternity leave in time for the start of next year.

Not the banner used for the story about Joe Hockey (the guy who came up with the 'double dipping' line) billing tax payers $2,500 in babysitting fees, while collecting his $360,000 annual salary as US Ambassador and a $90,000 per annum parliamentary pension. They didn't run that story.

NAME: Pauline Hanson’s One Nation

VITAL STATISTICS: 4.1% First Preference Vote, $1.2 million AEC Funding, 4 Senate Seats

HEIGHT: 1998 Qld State Election

WEIGHT: Light

DATE OF BIRTH: 1997

DATE OF DEATH: 2012

DATE OF REANIMATION: 2016

GOALS: To live in a free and tolerant Australia where anyone who doesn’t conform to our idea of how Australians should look, act and sound, should leave.

TURN ONS: Racism, Deadbeat Dads, On-Line Gaming.

"Stay out of politics and stick with human rights"
Christopher Pyne commenting on Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs

When you stick with human rights and stay out of politics you end up with the Coalition government's Border Protection policies.

When you stick with human rights and stay out of politics you end up with the Labor party supporting those policies.

When you stick with human rights and stay out of politics you end up with psychopaths like Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton presiding over those brutal, costly and ultimately pointless policies.

As many of you already know, I've recently committed to running as a Senate candidate for Victoria at the next Federal election.

How did that happen?
Last week newly elected One Nation Senator for NSW, Brian Burston delivered his maiden speech to Parliament. During the speech Burston made a number of incredulous claims including lamenting that we never hear about the First Fleet. So I wrote him a response:

https://www.facebook.com/richard.obrien.1971/posts/878992972237486

- With apologies to Bob Dylan

Come gather 'round people where ever you roam
And see funding for services cut to the bone
By a pack of incompetent, self-serving drones
Their fat arses are all that they're savin'
For three years the economy's sunk like a stone,
Oh the times they are a' changin'!