Mapping Inner Conflict with Montaigne

On By Lulu Respall-TurnerIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

indigodecay

Those who know me would probably find it unsurprising to know that my current favourite pop music artist, Montaigne, goes by a stage name inspired by the french philosopher who made essays popular, and wears shirts that say ANALYSE YOUR WEAKNESSES. As a literature nerd who aspires to emotional awareness, I’m aware that I can be something of a niche audience, and yet somehow, here I have been blessed with pop music of a broad appeal that actually ticks those boxes for me, and for that I am so incredibly stoked.

Montaigne is an absolute star, awarded as “Next Big Thing” by FBi Radio’s SMAC awards in 2015 and “Best Breakthrough Artist” in the 2016 ARIAs, a hype train that I’m sure will only gather even greater momentum as we see more from her. I very rarely resonate so strongly with a musician’s branding as much as I do with Montaigne’s right now, so it seems…

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Theresa May sends message to a Turnbull government of slogans, secrets and lies.

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Urban Wronski Writes

may and turnbull

Stunned by what the press insists is a “shock” election result in Britain where, inexplicably, hollow slogans, austerity economics and Sir Lynton Crosby’s fear tactics fail to win the day for Tory crash test dummy, Theresa May, our political world is reeling this week as MPs joust with shock jocks in a knee-jerk war on terror while Chief Scientist, Alan Finkel obligingly offers our fearless leaders another chance to dodge any real commitment to climate change.

Political actors dig deep. Best mystery shopper is won easily by One Nation’s epic failure to yet provide a coherent, credible explanation of who paid for Pauline’s Jabiru, while stunt of the week goes to Adani’s incredible “Green Light to Carmichael” oratorio Tuesday, a stirring, religious work relayed faithfully by media and featuring standout performances from fossil fuel fan-boy Resources Minister Canavan and Queensland coal-lobby groupie, Annastacia Palaszczuk.

The staging of Green Light

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Turnbull government a dead parrot as power-crazed Trump cuts loose

On By Lulu Respall-TurnerIn Australia, Australian politics, Government, Leadership, Public opinion, Uncategorized

Excellent satirical commentary on recent political events by Urban Wronski. Well observed, with more than just a few chuckle-worthy phrases, e.g.:
As the Chinese Year of the Rooster dawns, Malcolm Turnbull and his government are already feather dusters.

It’s been a shocker of a holiday for a Turnbull government which slunk off to lick its wounds after being routed by its own ludicrous 2016 energy policy debacle – only to be rocked by M…

Source: Turnbull government a dead parrot as power-crazed Trump cuts loose

Sussan Ley, Centrelink and Alcoa: Turnbull government in deep trouble

On By Lulu Respall-TurnerIn Australia, Australian politics, UncategorizedLeave a comment

The latest from blogger Urban Wronski – highlights recent pratfalls of the Turnbull government.

It’s been a bad week for Turnbull government. Even for a mob with a gift for self-inflicted crisis and a record for monumental mismanagement and sheer ineptitude, it’s been a shocker. H…

Source: Sussan Ley, Centrelink and Alcoa: Turnbull government in deep trouble

Standing Up to a Strongman — Caroline Kennedy: My Travels

On By Lulu Respall-TurnerIn Civil society, Philippines, politicsLeave a comment

Contributing Op-Ed Writer By MIGUEL SYJUCO DEC. 11, 2016 A rally in suburban Quezon near Manila, on Nov. 30, to protest the re-burial of the late Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes’ Cemetery. MANILA — Dusk set silver-gray over the crowd gathered in a park here on Nov. 25, but the banners and placards could still […]

via Standing Up to a Strongman — Caroline Kennedy: My Travels

Niki Savva, Tony Abbott, Peta Credlin and the kiss of death to Liberal politics.

On By Lulu Respall-TurnerIn Australian politics, LeadershipLeave a comment

A very good,review, by political blogger Urban Wronski, of the much-talked about Niki Savva book Road to Ruin, which I have yet to read (but am motivated now to do so).

Urban Wronski Writes

tony and margie mis-kiss

Former Peter Costello staffer, political commentator, veteran Canberra journalist Nikki Savva’s book The Road to Ruin, How Tony Abbott and Peta Credlin destroyed their own government is a  carefully substantiated examination of the disastrous consequences of Tony Abbott’s surrender of his Prime Ministerial authority to his political dominatrix, his high-handed Chief of Staff, Peta Credlin.

By patiently interviewing an abundance of MPs, former staff, friends and other key players who were keen to place themselves on record, Savva documents Abbott’s abdication. He was a Prime Minister who gave up power the moment he won office. Failing to set up the right structures, personnel or processes to run a government he left it all to Peta.

Lacking any real qualification or personal attribute to be a Prime Minister, Abbott allowed his power-hungry, megalomaniacal adviser to do his job for him. It was an arrangement that suited both of them nearly two…

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In which Pell crosses to the other side of the road

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No Place For Sheep

Good Samaritan

He Qi: The Good Samaritan

Over the last few days of his questioning at the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse, Cardinal George Pell demonstrated the opposite of what his saviour, Jesus Christ, taught about helping those in need. Pell has proved himself to be about as far from the Good Samaritan as it is possible to get:

Luke 10:25-37 New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do…

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Politics, policy makers, and religion.

On By Lulu Respall-TurnerIn Australia, Australian politics, Policy1 Comment

No Place For Sheep

Religion vs politics. Ruth Clotworthy Religion vs politics. Ruth Clotworthy

Last time Sheep ventured into this territory I was threatened with defamation action, however, undeterred, we’re going there again.

If you argue that a politician’s religious beliefs don’t affect his or her attitudes to policy, firstly consider this exchange between Catholic Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Qanda’s Tony Jones on refugees and immigration, back in the days when Abbott was LOTO and not too lily-livered to front up to an unpredictable live audience.

Note: It’s a measure of a leader’s failure that he becomes less available to unpredictable audiences, not more. In case you need another example of his failure but you probably don’t 

TONY ABBOTT: …Jesus didn’t say yes to everyone. I mean Jesus knew that there was a place for everything and it is not necessarily everyone’s place to come to Australia.

TONY JONES: It’s quite an interesting analogy because, as you know…

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Words matter – but don’t shoot the press officer – article by Sally Baxter

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Sally Baxter

The path from shrinking newsrooms to the bulging corridors of corporate communications and government media units is a well-trodden one. Many journalists, your own Girl Reporter included, have sought a crust by writing press releases. Some of them may even have been poorly worded.

The process of preparing a press release is time-consuming and thankless but it is never careless. Long before it sees the light of day a press release is pored over by increasingly senior levels of management. Their concern is understandable – a poorly worded press release can commit a government to policy outcomes far beyond what was ever intended.

This week in Australia we saw that a poorly worded press release can put protesters on the streets of Melbourne within an hour and disrupt an operational matter which would have put jackboots on the ground with the intention of “speaking with any individual we cross paths…

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