This week, without warning, the Australian federal government got rid of its arts department. They say it’s to “improve efficiency”, but I’m pretty sure it’s mostly “don’t want to fund those pesky artists speaking up and challenging us”. This in the same week as repealing a bill that allows refugees locked up in Australia’s horrific offshore prison camps to be flown to Australia for emergency medical treatment. And while half the country was burning before summer had even started, as the government sent “thoughts and prayers” while denying that climate change has anything to do with it. Plus there’s more. So much more. Ugh. I don’t even live there anymore and I’m gutted.
Re: The Australian government has axed the federal Department of Arts
Re: The Australian government has axed the federal Department of Arts
Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 10:29 am
by owl
Wow, wtf?! That is terrible and the surprise aspect of it doubly so.
I was feeling mildly guilty about apparently not keeping the slightest eye on world politics, but it turns out none of this is even on the front page of the NY Times's Australia sub-page...
(As an aside, that's a great essay they linked to in the 2nd link.)
Re: The Australian government has axed the federal Department of Arts
Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2019 2:03 pm
by Caravan Ray
I didn’t vote for the pricks.
Re: The Australian government has axed the federal Department of Arts
Same. It was the last election I’ll be able to vote in though, most likely.
Re: The Australian government has axed the federal Department of Arts
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2020 1:29 am
by crumpart
Re: The Australian government has axed the federal Department of Arts
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2020 2:17 am
by Lunkhead
Is that that guy from The Chats?! We saw them play in Oakland this past summer, they were awesome.
Also, sorry to hear how f'd up things are in Australia. It sounds even more f'd up than things are here, which is a real bummer.
Re: The Australian government has axed the federal Department of Arts
Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 5:22 am
by Caravan Ray
So how did this come about? The USA and the UK have the stupidest governments ever. And the best we can come up with is fucking Scotty from Marketing.!?!?!? Jesus fucking Christ. A slimy little cunt with a face that says “punch me”.
Are New Zealand and Canada still taking refugees?
Re: The Australian government has axed the federal Department of Arts
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 2:34 am
by crumpart
Why the fuck is the NSW premier REFUSING FUCKING FIRE AID? I’m currently horrendously worried about all my family and friends in Victoria, because there are so many damn fires I don’t know who to actively be worried about most, but at least I can be fairly safe in knowing we have a decent person as premier and assuming that Dan Andrews wouldn’t refuse help. Jesus.
Edit: the only article I can see about the NSW military aid refusal thing is from The Australian, and I don’t want to give those dickheads my clicks and also it’s behind a paywall. Anyone got any other sources?
Re: The Australian government has axed the federal Department of Arts
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 1:44 pm
by AJOwens
THe NSW Premier has denied this report as "inaccurate."
[edit]
A summary quote from the Australian is presented on some search engines. On pasting part of it ("naval ships and military helicopters to help evacuate") into Google, I see only Twitter echoes. The story seems to be unsubstantiated by other news outlets.
Some search engine summaries of this story go on to say "The HMAS Choules and MV Sycamore had been earmarked for rescue missions on the NSW south coast, but instead left Sydney on. . ." But that's as far into the paywalled story as I can get from Google.
When I search for these ship names and "NSW", I get stories telling us that they are in fact being used for the evacuation of Mallacoota (for example, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... oria-coast). For what it's worth, the Guardian report has some remarks about the factors that may complicate the evacuation.
Is it possible that the Australian has been misrepresenting the situation, and false news is being spread mindlessly on Twitter and Facebook?
{edit 2] By using DuckDuckGo and pasting in successive short quotes from the end of the summaries it shows, I've teased out more of the story in The Australian:
". . . but instead left Sydney on Wednesday to carry out mass evacuations across the border at Mallacoota in Victoria. The Prime Minister said the NSW government had turned down the invitation for help after authorities reopened major highways in the region. 'There is a major evacuation that is happening in Victoria at the moment with the HMAS Choules,' he said. 'There has been no request from NSW of a similar ADF for an evacuation of that nature. . .'"
If you paste "an evacuation of that nature" (with the quotes) into DuckDuckGo, you'll probably get more of the report.
Re: The Australian government has axed the federal Department of Arts
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 3:02 pm
by Caravan Ray
“The Australian” Is a Murdoch rag. Do not bother reading it. It will be misrepresenting. ABC or SBS are the most reliable sources for Australian news
Not really sure what Crumpart is talking about - but if the source is The Australian - just move on.
In other news - today is predicted to be the worse one yet for fires.
If Americans would like to help us - please make sure that at your next election, you elect a government who understands what global warming is and is prepared to begin addressing it. One would think that Australians may now be realising the terrible mistake they made last May - but there are still a lot of morons out there.
Re: The Australian government has axed the federal Department of Arts
“The Australian” Is a Murdoch rag. Do not bother reading it. It will be misrepresenting. ABC or SBS are the most reliable sources for Australian news
Not really sure what Crumpart is talking about - but if the source is The Australian - just move on.
Yeah, that’s why I thought it was weird. Like, the thought of The Australian seemingly speaking out against the LNP feels like bizarro land.
That and my entire Facebook feed is a horror story currently, filled with a whole bunch of random fire news from anywhere and everywhere, coupled with jerks in the comments getting irrationally angry at the Greens because apparently it’s all their fault and not the stripping back of climate protections by the actual sitting government.
Re: The Australian government has axed the federal Department of Arts
\If Americans would like to help us - please make sure that at your next election, you elect a government who understands what global warming is and is prepared to begin addressing it.
Too late, now our next election apparently will be about who wants to bomb Iran the most and the guy already bombing them for nearly a year by November will probably win.
Re: The Australian government has axed the federal Department of Arts
“The Australian” Is a Murdoch rag. Do not bother reading it. It will be misrepresenting. ABC or SBS are the most reliable sources for Australian news
Not really sure what Crumpart is talking about - but if the source is The Australian - just move on.
Yeah, that’s why I thought it was weird. Like, the thought of The Australian seemingly speaking out against the LNP feels like bizarro land.
That and my entire Facebook feed is a horror story currently, filled with a whole bunch of random fire news from anywhere and everywhere, coupled with jerks in the comments getting irrationally angry at the Greens because apparently it’s all their fault and not the stripping back of climate protections by the actual sitting government.
Yeah. Step back from Murdoch
Sorry - we are not really acquainted and I haven’t been active for a while. Are you Australian?
Re: The Australian government has axed the federal Department of Arts
“The Australian” Is a Murdoch rag. Do not bother reading it. It will be misrepresenting. ABC or SBS are the most reliable sources for Australian news
Not really sure what Crumpart is talking about - but if the source is The Australian - just move on.
Yeah, that’s why I thought it was weird. Like, the thought of The Australian seemingly speaking out against the LNP feels like bizarro land.
That and my entire Facebook feed is a horror story currently, filled with a whole bunch of random fire news from anywhere and everywhere, coupled with jerks in the comments getting irrationally angry at the Greens because apparently it’s all their fault and not the stripping back of climate protections by the actual sitting government.
Yeah. Step back from Murdoch
Sorry - we are not really acquainted and I haven’t been active for a while. Are you Australian?
Yep. Grew up in country Victoria, lived in Melbourne for 21 years, and moved three years ago to Ireland.
It sounds even more f'd up than things are here, which is a real bummer.