The Mother of God


 

We were just mortals trapped in a far greater time plan. The ancients came and went across extraordinary spans. Elon was planning to send the first flotilla of robots to Mars the following year. A history that was just beginning. 

And here we were, trapped in Australia, one of the dreariest elections in living memory, both sides out pitching each other in an absurd spendithon, attempting to buy themselves into power with the taxpayer's money.

None of the promises were true. Everything was gaslighting. Reality would quickly overtake any promise of new housing, brought on by record high immigration rates neither side had the guts to mention in an attempt at creating unity, and all they did was create an ever widening division between the public and the political apparatchiks who preened themselves at our expense.

It was chaotic, it was dreary, and beneath or behind it all, a rank dishonesty. Because none of what they did was going to improve the lives of ordinary people. Old Alex, like much of the population, could barely listen to any of it, the tweedle dum tweedle dee proponents of a failing system. Both supported censorship. Both were silent on the massive flood of foreigners dramatically decreasing the living standards of  the host population, and creating the housing problems they were now running around pretending to solve.

It was all a nightmare for the citizenry, or much of the citizenry, those at the bottom half of an increasingly polarised and divided country. 

The haves. The have nots. 

The protectors nestled in secret alcoves, cocoons about to be born. The Watchers on the Watch nattered to each other and then disappeared in frustration, squabbling amongst themselves.

He sailed free. And was happier than he had ever been. Born anew. Again. The gift of life. The precious gift of life.


MAINSTREAM HEADLINES

Wild swings, a polarised nation, and collapsing Labor support in the outer suburbs signal a fragmented, unpredictable federal election.

Before we garland Anthony Albanese and declare the election over, let’s consider the best Labor can hope for in 19 days.

Labor’s popular vote will be the lowest in 122 years. The government will lose its parliamentary majority and be forced to trade with political zealots on the crossbenches.

National polls have never been an accurate guide to the composition of a parliament. The idea of a uniform national swing is becoming steadily more irrelevant as the country polarises and election results grow more asymmetric.

That’s why the instant experts who predict a Labor majority on the back of recent Newspolls are in for a rude shock on election night. They should brace for a patchwork of chaotic swings, a wider spread from the mean and a record number of outlier seats.

Nick Cater.


SKY NEWS

Both parties to ‘force up cost of housing’ with ‘reckless’ policies

Australia’s housing crisis is likely to get worse after the upcoming election, a veteran political journalist has argued, claiming the “reckless” policies of the major parties would “force up the cost of housing”.


Australia’s housing crisis will only get worse after the upcoming election, a veteran political journalist has claimed.

Both major parties announced new housing policies on Sunday, with Labor promising 5 per cent deposit scheme for first home buyers and the Coalition committing to make mortgage payments tax deductible for first home buyers who buy a new home.

But Sky News contributor Chris Uhlmann said both policies would result in even higher house prices.

“We seem to have some demand side fixes for supply side problems when it comes to housing that could well and truly force up the cost of housing no matter who gets into government,” Uhlmann told Sky News host Peta Credlin.

GUARDIAN AUSTRALIA

Albanese says Coalition tactics ‘beyond my comprehension’ after diss track release

Prime minister accuses opposition of ‘borrowing ideas’ and says ‘there’s lots of really good Australian music around’

Anthony Albanese says Liberal campaign tactics such as releasing a hip-hop diss track against Labor are “beyond my comprehension”, accusing his opponents of “borrowing ideas” in their election pitch.

The Liberal campaign released a rap song with lyrics critical of Labor’s record on the cost of living, claiming the economy was “looking a mess” and that “eggs and cheese” cost $100. The song, titled Leaving Labor, was shared on the opposition’s SoundCloud account on Monday. While Coalition sources maintained the song was not generated by artificial intelligence, the campaign did not reveal the artist behind it, only saying it was a “commercial artist”.

Hours after the Liberal campaign had shared the song with journalists, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, was asked about it at a press conference, and said he had not heard it. “I’m sure the gurus have put together a cracking ad,” he said.

ABC

Manildra Group hit with dozens of safety breaches after silo collapse


SafeWork NSW has issued the Manildra Group's Shoalhaven Starches with more than 40 improvement notices after increased monitoring.

It comes after two silos collapsed during a structural failure in October last year.

What's next?

SafeWork NSW says the visits are part of ongoing monitoring of the site to secure sustained improvement in safety.

SBS

Opposition leader Peter Dutton took his son out on the campaign trail as he assured his government would offer housing hope for young Australians like 20-year-old Harry.

Dutton was joined by his son Harry at a press conference in Brisbane to spruik the Coalition's plan to offer tax breaks on first-home loan repayments.

Despite his father's position of power, the 20-year-old apprentice carpenter said the market was still difficult to navigate for him and his family.

NEWS

‘What happened?’ Angus Taylor questioned over Coalition’s tax cut backflip

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor has been questioned on the Coalition’s tax backflip after Peter Dutton ruled out tax cuts over a fortnight ago.

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor has been grilled on the Coalition’s tax backflip after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton announced a one-off $1,200 tax cut for 10 million Aussies on Sunday.

Mr Taylor was questioned about the announcement – which came over two weeks after Mr Dutton ruled out offering income tax cuts – during his heated debate with Treasurer Jim Chalmers on ABC’s 7.30 report on Monday night.

THE NEW DAILY

Fire bombings, ram raids leap as tobacco wars go interstate


Fire bombings and ram raids on stores selling illegal cigarettes are surging across Australia as authorities play “a game of Whac-A-Mole” in the lucrative market.

Queensland is the latest state with a rise in violent attacks on tobacconists as illegal sales ramp up across Australia, state Health Minister Tim Nicholls has revealed.\

MACRO BUSINESS

Housing affordability worse with high rise apartments

I have warned repeatedly that Australian housing affordability will not improve by blanketing our cities with high-rise apartments, as planned by state and federal governments.

The reason is simple: it costs too much to build apartments. Therefore, they cannot be delivered at an affordable price to buyers.

SPECTATOR AUSTRALIA

Features Australia

Shag on a rock

Australia is running on empty

Australia is now no longer self-sufficient with oil. We import more than 80 per cent of our refined petroleum products across disputed seaways that could be closed at any minute. Proximate Chinese warships should be the wake-up call.

Refineries in South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan and China blend Middle Eastern, Asian and African crudes for production of imported Australian petroleum products. If one tanker is stopped by a hostile force, insurance is voided and carriers would not risk transporting liquid fuels to Australia.


CRIKEY

Is this the worst election campaign ever?

It’s rare to see all of Australia’s major media outlets in accord. Even more rare that they’re all correct. From The Australian to the Financial Review to the ABC to the Nine papers, commentators are united in damning the major parties’ spendathon campaign launches.

Australia went into the weekend facing a decade of deficits and a persistent refusal to match what its federal government spends with what it taxes, with only commodity price-driven windfalls to spare our fiscal blushes. By the time Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese sat down yesterday, they’d both materially worsened deficits over coming years, or locked in permanent reductions in tax, or both.

The election campaign has turned into a reckless spendathon by the major parties — while they ignore the most important problems facing Australia.

And not for any benefit beyond, in Dutton’s case, trying to salvage a losing campaign, or in Albanese’s case, keeping his foot on Dutton’s throat all the way through the holiday break that will eat up much of the time between now and election day.

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