China

[DJC]

Some eight weeks ago, then Foreign Minister Payne was hosting a Liberal Party fundraiser while her assistant was in the Solomon Islands trying unsuccessfully to stop the pact with China.

Contrast that with new Foreign Minister Wong’s hands on approach to our South Pacific neighbours and the scuttling of China’s security pact.

In defence of Payne, it seems that she wanted to do more in the South Pacific but was blocked by her colleagues.  That said, her authoritarian approach was more likely to put our neighbours offside.

On the big stick side of foreign affairs, the new Government is reportedly considering buying three additional air warfare destroyers and stop-gap submarines; a significant increase in our defensive and force projection capabilities.

[capcom]

They are clearly spoiling for an incident to trigger something more major and I'd be forgetting about kissing and making up with them like Albo and Penny Wong want to do and taking a more hardline approach and tooling up our military more.

They are aggressive but their greatest weakness, in my opinion, is a complete misunderstanding of western culture and our tolerance toward threats. 

"you must treat us with respect" being one of them.  GAGF.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Some eight weeks ago, then Foreign Minister Payne was hosting a Liberal Party fundraiser while her assistant was in the Solomon Islands trying unsuccessfully to stop the pact with China.

Contrast that with new Foreign Minister Wong’s hands on approach to our South Pacific neighbours and the scuttling of China’s security pact.

In defence of Payne, it seems that she wanted to do more in the South Pacific but was blocked by her colleagues.  That said, her authoritarian approach was more likely to put our neighbours offside.

On the big stick side of foreign affairs, the new Government is reportedly considering buying three additional air warfare destroyers and stop-gap submarines; a significant increase in our defensive and force projection capabilities.

The Chinese are doing separate deals now with the nations who have what they want in terms of land position, harbours, docks to give them military advantage.They don't need the pact and will have half of them signed up when they get Tonga on board who have told us to butt out of their business.
We need missile bases with better air defense capabilities to bring planes and inboard missiles down as well to have range and coverage. Happy to have a couple of extra destroyers, subs but we have to have more attack capabilities as a deterrent..imho.

[madbluboy]

Some eight weeks ago, then Foreign Minister Payne was hosting a Liberal Party fundraiser while her assistant was in the Solomon Islands trying unsuccessfully to stop the pact with China.

Contrast that with new Foreign Minister Wong’s hands on approach to our South Pacific neighbours and the scuttling of China’s security pact.

In defence of Payne, it seems that she wanted to do more in the South Pacific but was blocked by her colleagues.  That said, her authoritarian approach was more likely to put our neighbours offside.

On the big stick side of foreign affairs, the new Government is reportedly considering buying three additional air warfare destroyers and stop-gap submarines; a significant increase in our defensive and force projection capabilities.

What did you think about Penny Wong bullying Kimberly Kitching? Take your Labour hat off and answer truthfully.

[capcom]

In defence of Payne, it seems that she wanted to do more in the South Pacific but was blocked by her colleagues.  That said, her authoritarian approach was more likely to put our neighbours offside.

'Fraid I have to disagree @DGC ... I think she is / was weak and more than reluctant on a social level to communicate with the electorate.  A very poor minister.  In fact pitiful

[ElwoodBlues1]

What did you think about Penny Wong bullying Kimberly Kitching? Take your Labour hat off and answer truthfully.

A disturbing story imho and the now Prime Minister should have ordered a proper investigation but given Ms Wongs high profile and the damage politically it might have caused pre election that was never going to happen.
https://www.news.com.au/national/politic...c6806bfbd1
I would be interested to know when Senator Kitching had her vaccine booster as well....

[LP]

There is too much of this issue that is hearsay, and a video like that is somewhat meaningless in the absence of audio, they could just as easily be discussing the misogyny of political foes or planning a night on the tiles!

Unfortunately it's pretty common practise in modern media to find a bunch of fragments and fill in the gaps with the media's preferred facts, and they know well and true that once they told you the story you cannot forget it, even if it later proves to be fake you will still hold doubts.

People think these politicians are arch enemies, in reality most of them end up in the same bar or restaurant at the end of the day having a feed and piss up together! In a period of many weeks or several months there would be hundreds of opportunities for such a discussion between any two politicians, on or off the record!

[Mav]

Are you serious, EB? The issue was whether Senator Kitching had leaked plans for a question time attack on a Liberal minister. If she had, then Labor pollies were within their rights to cut her out of the loop. If the Minister. Linda Reynolds, had smeared Kitching with that allegation when it was untrue, then it's shame on her.

This is not like schoolgirls ganging up on another schoolgirl because she has a bad haircut. There's no suggestion there were attacks made on her that weren't related to political needs. Maintaining confidences with party colleagues is pretty high up on the list of things that pollies are supposed to do. Doing an Akermanis and spilling the beans about team plans aint cool in footy or in politics. Another example in the footy world is Luke Beveridge's attack on Michael Talia when he believed he'd leaked game plans to his brother before the Dogs played the Crows in a final. Kitching didn't suggest that the punishment didn't fit the crime either. Her complaint was that she'd been found guilty by her colleagues when she was innocent. But correct or not, determinations about who can be trusted and who can't be trusted have to be made in politics without the benefit of criminal investigations.

By the way, SloMo sent Fiona Martin to Coventry after she crossed the floor during the vote on the amendments to the Religious Discrimination Bill. He singled her out from the other 4 because according to him (which she denies) Martin had misled him about her intentions. Party support was largely pulled from her reelection campaign which she duly lost.

Politics is all about pressuring colleagues and opponents. The very fact there are parliamentary Whips is the embodiment of that sort of pressure. Unless there's some improper personal aspect to it, such as doing a Harvey Weinstein, or some improper methods are used, then is there any issue? Politics is a tough game. Female politicians shouldn't be expected to behave like besties at morning tea just because they're female. 

I'm not surprised this comes from Murdoch's rags. That's a reason of itself to ignore it.

[Gointocarlton]

What did you think about Penny Wong bullying Kimberly Kitching? Take your Labour hat off and answer truthfully.

Saint Penny is untouchable.

[madbluboy]

Saint Penny is untouchable.

Could you imagine the furore if Dutton said that "if you had children" comment?