The Saturday Paper editorials are the highlight of my Saturday mornings, and this one, on Trump’s so called “Secretary for War”, was brilliant!

“AUKUS is a once-in-a-century folly. It’s a defence policy written by a tourism executive. At great expense, it makes the country less safe. It is to Labor’s immense shame that it lacks the courage or insight to walk away from it and from the cartoon administration that is still pushing it.”

The LNP opposition, having supported the under 16 social media ban, now smells blood in the water esp around Minister Wells and opportunistically is now NOT going to support the implementation of the ban? How desperate is that @sussanley.bsky.social? #abcinsiders

So David Speers on #abcinsiders thinks it is a valuable use of interview time with the PM @albomp.bsky.social to constantly ask pathetic gotcha questions on ministerial travel expenses?

“Our security is in Asia. Our national prosperity and wellbeing are tied to Asia. Our sovereignty and agency are severely degraded by continuing to invest in a self-defeating relationship with the US based on a policy to contain and dominate China”

How pathetic @sussanley.bsky.social looked criticising @albomp.bsky.social’s tee shirt. Did she really think this is what an opposition leader should focus on? Who is advising her?

Listening to Matt Canavan pontificating on #NetZero on #insiders, but am none the wiser about his or the Nats or the Coalition’s policies, apart from he’s “not against all renewable energy”. Welcome to the 20th Century Matt, but you’re still a century or more behind reality. @abc-news.bsky.social

Desperately seeking submariners: why keeping nuclear-powered boats afloat will be Australia’s biggest Aukus challenge

“AUKUS is less a security partnership and more a one-man superannuation scheme.”

Of course, the Liberal Party could consider selecting, endorsing and even supporting sane reasonable electable candidates, maybe even, or maybe especially, women. Just a thought, after all, every democracy needs a strong opposition to hold government to account. #insiders

Perfect!

FFS Albo, just don’t invite Trump here! #abcinsiders #insiders @albomp.bsky.social

What do we want from Albanese’s meeting with Trump, asks #insiders? Australia’s sovereignty neither surrendered by us or trashed by any disgusting behaviour of the US “President” or his lickspittle lackeys. Normally not something to worry about in a meeting of two democratic leaders. #abcinsiders

Chaos and unpredictability are Trump’s business models for everyone he has to deal with and every relationship. #insiders

“Lefty loving”?? As a description of a number of leaders of nations who’ve elected maybe more progressive governments than the US? Well, that gives it away, doesn’t it #ABCInsiders? So is this where #insiders is positioning itself?

Here’s a use for AI: replace David Speers on #ABCInsiders with an AI bot which could just as ineffectively ask the same “gotcha” questions again and again and again as Speers is of Chris Bowen. Or replace him with someone who doesn’t waste so much interview time! #insiders

Twenty five years ago, #agedcare packages were relatively easy to get, an assessment within a week or so and then a package. Aged care now seems to be an administrative mess. Why is this so hard now?

Australian defence ministers and officials are always full of confidence, full of hope. Australian defence policy has always been based on hope: we hope no one attacks us, if they do, we hope that our big friends will come to our aid. #insiders

Who the f*ck would “hope” for a meeting with Trump? #insiders

“The Greens are not happy about…..” just fill in the blanks #insiders, the Greens are NEVER happy. Being not happy is a mandatory requirement for being a Greens politician.

Our “Defence Minister” Richard Marles is being interviewed on #insiders today. Not impressed. How about asking him what he thinks of the cover article on him in the current @themonthly.com.au? I think I’d have stayed home curled up in bed hoping the world goes away.

For Trump, the volatility, the uncertainty are the point. Trump needs to control the narrative, every narrative. Keeping everyone uncomfortable is how he operates. #insiders

Why is the Minister for Defence Industry unable to say HMAS Stirling? He keeps saying HMS on #insiders. Freudian slip?

Greg Sheridan on #insiders says Trump hates using the US military????? But evidently he doesn’t hate using the US military against its own people!

David Pope in Canberra Times

Whooping cough is a nasty disease!

"Dear government, don't be terrible." !!!!!

Dutton’s desperation or the Dickson leopard showing his spots, or both?

Rangers are scouring Victoria's high country for a horse that escaped handlers during a re-enactment of Banjo Patterson's Man From Snowy River poem.

From watching Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor on ABC Insiders this morning, one has to conclude that the Dutton led LNP is a policy-detail free zone. Criticises the Labor gov but fails to give details on LNP alternatives. Just trust us is just hopeless this close to an election Not good enough Angus!

He “seems to take the seven deadly sins as a seven-day challenge”.

“Me the people” - some things you just can’t unsee…

Patrimonialism! Explaining the Trump administration and its eventual fundamental weaknesses. Sort of like finally finding the weak point in the Death Star.

Australian newspaper "The Sun-Herald" opinion piece calls it out. American msm, take notes.

“Cost Ukraine the war????? Who thinks Trump was really going to support Ukraine’s fight for peace & freedom from Russian aggression? Trump doesn’t seem all that keen on democracy in his own country, why would he support democracy in Ukraine or anywhere else?

David Pope in Canberra Times

Can’t believe that Fran Kelly, discussing proposed changes to political donations in electoral reform laws on ABC RN now, is focussing almost exclusively on donations to Labor, Greens, independents & virtually ignoring donations to the LNP. “Let’s stick with the ALP” Why FG’sS?

@annschof.bsky.social Good morning Ann, how are you? Hope you are up and moving about more easily. As an antidote to all the crap that’s going on the previously United States, can I suggest Pavarotti’s “Ah mes amis”, all those high Cs! The length he holds the last one always makes me laugh out loud.

Would describing this as a “government authorised coup from the inside” be a contradiction in terms?

Anyone looking for a PhD topic? Here’s one: the failures of federalism, the cracks/crevices between state and federal responsibilities where governments, state & federal fail to meet people’s & the nation’s basic needs. It’s got everything: history, politics, economics, constitutional law.

@annschof.bsky.social Wordle 1,321 4/6 🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 A cool grey morning here. Since the 2nd Tuesday of last November I find I’m listening to more music than news.

Wordle 1,320 5/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 ⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨 ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟨🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

It’s 0630 and I’ve vacuumed and washed the kitchen and hall floors, had a cuppa, read the paper and solved Wordle: Wordle 1,319 5/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

It’s that fig leaf! Once seen, can’t unsee it. Sorry Greenland

Wordle 1,289 5/6 ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟨🟩🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ?

Politicians, at least in democracies, mostly have access to information, analysis & advice provided in a timely, confidential & unbiased manner by librarians who must sometimes (often?) feel like they are banging their heads against a brick wall!

Boxing Day, so called because you have to go thru boxes of old recipes looking for scraps of paper with THE recipes for leftover ham/turkey/red cabbage/roast veg etc until you’re boxed into a culinary corner & stick it all into 1 saucepan, with leftover wine Wordle 1,286 4/6 ⬜⬜🟨🟩⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

ICYMI: “A federal judge on Monday struck down key parts of an Arkansas law that would have allowed criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing ‘harmful’ materials to minors.” apnews.com/article/arka...