Smithology

I was just reading the latest ABC news coverage of what seems to be a growing awareness of a child protection crisis in this country.

From my small knowledge of child protection issues, I can see that child abuse cases are an indicator of the health of our society in general being linked with family violence, drug and alcohol abuse and just poverty. So what all these reports are really telling us is that Australia’s underclass is growing in numbers and probably snowballing as todays victims grow up to become perpetrators of abuse on the next generation.

I believe this is the legacy of Australia’s economic boom times over the last ten to fifteen years. Many of us have ridden the wave of housing markets and stock markets while many others of us have been left behind. For those who are excluded from the market, there is low self-esteem and hopelessness.

We as Australians need to find a sense of value that isn’t exclusively linked to our net worth. We need to have a sense of dignity and virtue that doesn’t stem from what the bank thinks of us. In an ideal world, I’m talking about a greater sense of community and less individualism but I don’t know how we can make that happen. Please post your solutions to Australia’s problems in the comments.

Uncategorized politics

Hi and welcome to my live blog of tonights election. We’ve plugged the digital tuner into Steph’s laptop because Sol is hogging the TV to play Wii. Flossy is watching Australia’s Funniest Home Videos – it’s content is about right for a nine month old. The coverage hasn’t actually started yet of course. I’m off to give Flossy a bath.

We voted down at the school at about 4pm. I accepted all the how to vote cards (LNP had two bases to make sure they didn’t miss anyone) and got through straight away – no lining up at that time of day. Sol wanted to know where the boat was (“it’s vote not boat”).

Nine News says LNP and Labour neck and neck and will be focussing on whether Pauline makes a come back.

I’m tracking the #qldelection tag on twitter. Courier Mail has reported fake how to vote cards

Nine News starting, audio grab of Pauline still doing the “I don’t like it”. Need to put Flossy to bed now while Nine shows various politicians voting.

And I’m back, she stayed asleep yay!

Steph can’t get through to order a Pizza but we have leftover Thai anyway. It looks like #qldelection09 is a better tag to follow. Now Steph has gotten through but ordered from the shop that has the carpark from hell: why do people feel the need to cruise their big hot cars in such a small car-park? That and the people-movers taking ten years to reverse out.

Back with Pizza and I survived – luckily the huge group of skanky teenagers were hanging around outside the bottleshop (drinking highly taxed alcopops?) and not near the Pizza place.

Antony Green: It’s a swing but not a massive swing
Kerry O’Brien: So what do you make of it
Antony Green: It’s a swing but not a massive swing
Kerry O’Brien: And how do you see it shaping up
Antony Green: It’s a swing but not a massive swing

Thanks for the link Noiseboy

News Update: Latest death in Afghanistan becomes more real when they release details such as that his wife was expecting their first child. Also someone thinks they have found Charles Kingsford Smith’s plane. Flossy is awake again with fart attack and Sol needs to go for a bath.

Twitter: benzoenator: haha! antony green: “I think the government is back”. i wonder if he would have said that if he knew that he was still live..

Had to go and bath Sol, put him to bed and put Flossy back to sleep. While I was gone, most media outlets have called a Labour win. Pauline almost certainly not won (Beaudesert staying LNP). Interest now is in Ronan Lee, the Indooroopilly member who defected from Labour to Greens. The LNP member is ahead at the moment but Lee has won a record number of Greens votes.

Happy to see Anastasia has kept Inala (our electorate).

Feeling overwhelmed trying to keep up with all the twitter streams, blogs and telly. Antony Green has just mentioned the twittering of the election and asks whether we have something better to do? Sorry to be talking about you Antony! John Gunders just linked to a live tally on Twtter, not being that familiar with all the electorates issues, I’ll refrain from parroting the analysis I’m hearing on radio (Flossy likes to listen to 612 ABC while she goes to sleep).

ABC is interviewing the losers – always more interesting than the winners in my opinion. Supporters all cheer in that heartbroken way and leader puts a brave face on it.

Ooh goody, the chamber distribution diagrams (recalling all the Chaser rip-offs: The Family first where the chamber turns into a pentacostal worship service and the Peter Garret one where one of the red figures is rocking out).

Annastacia has p0wned Inala with 72%. Steph has met her and says she’s an excellent member. She has a lot to gloat about like how she personally helps people find housing and generally gets involved personally with helping individual people. She is a powerful speaker and can say a lot without rambling on and can reach a diverse group of people. Enjoys her work like handing out the school badges at the local school.

Having a quick surf through the other stations to check out their graphics – might be more exciting than ABCs. Channel 9 is dark backgrounds and dark suits like a funeral. Channel 7 is Vicar of Dibley: “Men’s bottoms are not good – they are so ugly!”. Right. Channel 10 is some movie or other – didn’t recognise it. Damn – I was looking forward to ridiculing the Channel 7 coverage.

Twitter appears to have died. Typical!

Barnaby Joyce having a teary about how Green preferences always go to Labour. Derr.

Lawrence Springborg giving rather boring monotone concession speech. Congrats to Anna Bligh, thanks to the team etc… The real winner is cricket. Wish he’d say: “And I’d like to thank my smokin’ hot wife”. Wow, he just made a comment about being an absent dad and claims that father absenteeism is a problem throughout the state! Ends on a note of hope in the swing to LNP. But wait, there’s more: it wasn’t meant to be for tenth time. Will he run again? My days are numbered and it’s up to the party. I accept that it is time to move on and let someone else take the leadership. Will he stay on in parliament: yes. Boring question from journo – already covered it wasn’t meant to be for eleventh time. Blah Blah boring question about future of LNP blah blah of course it’s going to keep going! Something about youth vote: nah it’s about health. Apparently Labour did telemarketing to change people’s opinions! Ooh now he’s getting fired up. Oops must watch that schadenfreude.

Woohoo! Here comes Anna the first elected female premier in Australia. She was the education minister (like Laura Rosylyn on BSG eh?) then she was the treasurer and took over from Blockrocking Beattie when he resigned. After being mobbed by the crowd, she took the stand. The smile is just about jumping off her face! Paraphrasing speech (may be grossly less than accurate): Step up x 3, clear mandate x 100. Props to Lawrence Springborg for getting LNP together. Good democracy needs good opposition (but not too good). Thanks to the supporters yada yada, better, stronger, stuff we’ve done etc… Secure the dental health huh? Going to work even harder than before (how is this possible?). Thanks to the team. Thanks mum, husband (who is slightly shorter than me) and kids looking after me. Today I start my new job … mandate x 1000. Queensland is the real winner you can count on me (giggle).

(Still Anna answering questions now): This is a big leap for a supposedly backwards state to elect a woman. New cabinet. Hungry for the job. Not an easy ride. Thoughts of losing only made her try harder. Queensland is big and she really had to put her skates on to get around the whole state. She knew she was going to win at 6:50pm no 7:20pm. We need to face down the financial crisis. Elvis style “thankyouvrymuchgnight”.

And with that, I’ll leave the vultures to pick over the remaining seats and sledge each other over the desk. Looks like Ronan lost Indro. Oh but Anna has just sat down for an informal chat with Auntie’s favourite red-head (smile is still out of control – reminds me of when you catch up with a friend who has just fallen in love which I suppose is about how happy she must be). Let’s see if she has anything more substantial to say (since her speech was not much to talk about).

Oil spill was a nightmare. New cabinet: no real clues just they will be fitter, healthier, happier, more productive.

Ok I’m over it now. Thanks for reading and commenting kids!

Uncategorized live blog, politics