November 18, 2004
HOUSE OF SHAME
Australia's Senate -- to be reclaimed by civilised forces next July -- has sent its condolences to Yasser:
The Senate backed a condolence motion for the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who died in a Paris hospital last week.
Australian Greens senator Kerry Nettle moved the resolution, which officially noted the leader's death and extended condolences to the Palestinian people.
Senator Nettle said she hoped the motion would go some way to atoning for the comments made by Prime Minister John Howard last week.
"Many Palestinians were offended by the prime minister's uncharitable attack on the recently deceased Palestinian leader," Senator Nettle said.
Mustn’t offend our Palestinian friends.
Posted by Tim Blair at November 18, 2004 03:57 PMI guess this is the Australian equivalent of a lame duck Congress. And, God, is it ever lame.
Posted by: The Real JeffS at November 18, 2004 at 04:03 PMNo, we musn't offend them....otherwise they might get really mad and...carry out terrorist attacks!! And it'll be all our fault! Oh, wait a minute...
Posted by: HippyHunter at November 18, 2004 at 04:06 PMIf I was Howard, I'd just sit on the bill until July. Then put it to a party vote...
heh, heh.
Posted by: Quentin George at November 18, 2004 at 04:10 PM"Many Palestinians were offended"
and amny Australians are offerded/repulsed by Kerry Nettles moustach.
Posted by: Troy at November 18, 2004 at 04:14 PMI am frequently "offerded" by the Greens, full stop.
Posted by: Andrew at November 18, 2004 at 04:22 PMI liked a comment I read today.
"Ariel Sharon has finally relented and is now willing to talk to Arafat..."
What? Who the hell voted for this thing? To pass it would have needed the entire ALP voting for it, wouldn't it? As well as every Democrat? Is there not a single ALP or Democrat senator with enough decency in his soul to vote against something like this? I mean, it's not as if there was a party whip for it - was there?
Posted by: Zev Sero at November 18, 2004 at 04:32 PMPersonally, I can think of no better way of remembering Arafat than passing a motion.
Posted by: C.L. at November 18, 2004 at 04:44 PMIf you were to distill everything I despise about politics into a person, it would be an exact duplicate of Kerry Nettle. Honestly, it's like she was put on this earth specificially to annoy me personally.
Does anyone else feel this way? Is Kerry my own personal Senate Satan or does she have this effect on other people too?
Posted by: Andrew D. at November 18, 2004 at 04:47 PMIt's a shame your Senate is trying to do this. I feel Australia is to be congratulated for having one of the ONLY leaders with enough balls to state the truth about Arafat. I wish Pres. Bush had spoken as plainly.
Posted by: Chris Josephson at November 18, 2004 at 05:02 PMDon't be too harsh on the Greens. You give a monkey a gun and it is bound to shoot something. The Greens will always be their own worst enemies. John Anderson was spot on - they are watermelons and will always go too far to rally enough support to rival what the Democrats were. They'll also continue to benefit the Coalition by driving decent people away from the left in horror at its excesses.
Posted by: Adam at November 18, 2004 at 05:51 PMCould someone grasp the Nettle...tightly...by the throat?
Posted by: Bad Templar at November 18, 2004 at 06:06 PMNettle- well named-Irish/green/wild and painful-
I wish she would migrate to 'Palestine' where she would be more appreciated- they do.t have enough greens in their diet
Gots to wonder how offended our Pally Pals would be by the fact that the motion was pushed by a party le d by a homosexual, i.e. Brown -- a big executable no-no with the religion of peace.
Of course, if the rumours about Arafat's cause of death are true, maybe not such a big deal.
Posted by: Ruth von Street at November 18, 2004 at 07:31 PMTo continue the quote from the article:
"Many Palestinians were offended by the prime minister's uncharitable attack on the recently deceased Palestinian leader," Senator Nettle said.
"This motion was in part intended to show that most Australians are capable of expressing appropriate condolences."As an Australian, I'm going to express appropriate condolences.
Short version:
P-F-F-F-T
Lomg version:
I'm truly sorry for the Palestinians. I'm sorry at their grief for Arafat. I'm sorry that so many of them have followed such a waste of space, such a load of ambulatory offal. I'm sorry that so many of them would rather kill Jewish kids than prevent the deaths of their own. I'm sorry they've been robbed blind by Arafat and his cronies in the past.
And that's my Last Word.
Have to be careful grasping the Nettle, full of little pricks that sting.
On the other hand leader Bob Brown often grasps.....ah, its not easy being Green
Posted by: rog at November 18, 2004 at 07:56 PMI hope we can find out the wording of the motion and who voted for and against it.
Posted by: Andjam at November 18, 2004 at 09:07 PMWhat do you expect from an "activist" who began her first speech in the Senate in 2002 with these words?
"I start by paying my respects to the Ngun(n)awal people, the traditional owners of this land. I acknowledge the pain and the suffering that so many Indigenous Australians have suffered as a result of the European invasion of this country."
If you're familiar with certain strands of radical Aboriginal politics, you'll know how Arafat was revered and how being a Muslim is the new rad chic for the urban black shit stirrer. Of course Nettle was going to do something like this. The surprise would have been if she hadn't.
Posted by: Nerry Kettle at November 18, 2004 at 11:27 PM"I start by paying my respects to the Ngun(n)awal people, the traditional owners of this land. I acknowledge the pain and the suffering that so many Indigenous Australians have suffered as a result of the European invasion of this country
If the poseurs who regularly trot out this crap really meant it, they would do the right thing and give the land back to the traditional owners, and return themselves to the land of their forebears.
Posted by: poguemahone at November 18, 2004 at 11:41 PM``Australia's Senate -- to be reclaimed by civilised forces next July...''
Pardon my ignorance but I'd better get this straight before I read any further. Is the Oz Senate elected (as in the US) or appointed (as in Canada)? If the former, why the loooong turnover between the October election and a July transition? If the latter, what's holding things up?
Posted by: Annalucia at November 19, 2004 at 12:47 AMIf the former, why the loooong turnover between the October election and a July transition? If the latter, what's holding things up?
It's elected, but the terms are six years, and the Senate members don't go in the same time as House of Reps. The terms are fixed, regardless of when the election is called.
Therefore, the government gets to play with the old Senate for six months.
Posted by: Quentin George at November 19, 2004 at 05:52 AMIt is true then - one has to be barking mad to be a green! Disgusting filth.
Posted by: Lawrie at November 19, 2004 at 08:37 AMHey rog, I don't think Bob Brown has grasped any little ppricks for a long time.
Posted by: mr magoo at November 19, 2004 at 09:33 AMThis PC thing about thanking the Aborigines has infected both sides of politics. I attended a medical conference in downtown Adelaide a couple of years ago which was opened by Trish Worth, then Minister assisting the Minister for Health. She began by thanking the local tribe for allowing us to come on their territory. We all looked around with interest, expecting to see some Aborigines, in corroboree paint, brandishing spears against this invasion of North Terrace by doctors. Needless to say there was no-one.We were most disappointed.
Trish has since got the ass - well-deserved.
Posted by: freddyboy at November 19, 2004 at 09:45 AM
A few months back the South Australian government opened a fancy new facility for the storage of the State's historical records - such as the original proclamation, drawing of the State emblem etc. As part of the opening a representation of the Kuarna people (pronounced 'Garna' as in 'garna have to fix that one of these days') held a 'smoking ceremony'.
Would have loved to see the headlines the next day if the ceremony had gone horribly wrong and burned the whole shebang down.
Mr Magoo
You said:
Hey rog, I don't think Bob Brown has grasped any little ppricks for a long time.
I say : Other than his own
Posted by: Toryhere at November 19, 2004 at 11:13 AMIf it's sharing in the Palestinians grief you want, then it'll involve going over there and shooting guns in the air amongst the large crowd.
If it's atoning your after, they should be really big guns.
Posted by: Jesushadatatoo at November 19, 2004 at 12:32 PMToryhere
He's been grasping his own little one for years and when he let's go MarkL's gonna grab it real tight.
Posted by: mr magoo at November 19, 2004 at 12:44 PM"The Kuarna people held a smoking ceremony"? Finally, someone still allowed to smoke in public!
I have condolences to pass on to the Palestinian people regarding Arafat's death: I regret that they were not rid of him much sooner.
Posted by: Nightfly at November 20, 2004 at 07:32 AM