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why australian labor cannot win the next election...As campaigning ramps up ahead of the date announcement for the 2025 federal election, shadow attorney-general Michaelia Cash says Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would take action in the same manner as US President Donald Trump. Answering a question on Nine’s Today this morning, Cash said Trump was showing that “he’s a man of action” by delivering his promised tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China.
Dutton would deliver the ‘exact same’ attitude as Trump: Michaelia Cash
“The American people, they expect action. And that is what they’re getting. And they’ll get the exact same attitude under a Peter Dutton government,” Cash said. “I can assure you, just like last time, we will work successfully with the Trump administration.” Cash said the previous criticisms of Trump by members of the government were a “problem” for US relations. “How many ministers have been out there prior to President Trump being re-elected, absolutely bagging him and bagging his administration?” Cash asked. “You need to be able to show that you can have a working relationship with this administration, and that is something the Coalition has done previously and successfully when in government. And I can assure you it will be something that the Coalition does successfully again.”
YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.
Gus Leonisky
POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.
HYPOCRISY ISN’T ONE OF THE SINS OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
HENCE ITS POPULARITY IN THE ABRAHAMIC TRADITIONS…
PLEASE DO NOT BLAME RUSSIA IF WW3 STARTS. BLAME AMERICA.
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masochist/sadist....
Washington: President Donald Trump has conceded consumers may suffer “pain” from his sweeping tariffs on goods from the US’s three biggest trading partners but insists it will be worth it, while hitting back at criticism from economists and orthodox Republicans.
The trade war came as the new administration and its government efficiency chief Elon Musk launched an extraordinary attack on the US’s main foreign aid agency, USAID, with Musk calling it a “criminal organisation” that “must die”, adding to fears the organisation will be dismantled.
Trump followed through with his threats to impose 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10 per cent tariffs on goods from China, signing executive orders on Saturday night for taxes that will be paid by US importers from Tuesday.
It sparked immediate retaliation, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ordering 25 per cent tariffs on $CAD155 billion ($170 billion) worth of US imports, including alcohol, fruits and vegetables, perfumes, clothes and shoes. Mexico was also planning “tariff and non-tariff” responses.
While Trump is a long-standing advocate for tariffs, using them as an economic and political tool, he admitted consumers could face higher prices as a result of the escalating trade war.
“This will be the golden age of America,” he posted in all caps on his Truth Social account. “Will there be some pain? Yes, maybe (and maybe not!) But we will make America great again, and it will all be worth the price that must be paid.”
The president also took aim at critiques from orthodox economists, who generally advocate free trade and oppose border taxes. In particular, he attacked the Murdoch-owned, pro-business Wall Street Journal, which carried a blistering editorial at the weekend accusing Trump of starting “the dumbest trade war in history”.
Trump called the newspaper “globalist” and “always wrong”. The White House followed up by highlighting a number of clippings from the past 35 years in which the paper opposed protectionism and backed free trade.
While Trump regularly portrays tariffs as taxes charged to foreign producers, in reality, they are paid by US importers – with the costs often passed on to consumers. Other members of Trump’s cabinet also admitted Americans could face higher prices as a result.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sought to blame US trading partners for any increase in the cost of living. “If prices go up, it’s because of other people’s reactions to America’s laws,” she told NBC’s Meet the Press. “Canada can help us, or they can get in the way, and then they’ll face the consequences.”
Trump mused again on Sunday (Monday AEDT) that Canada should become the US’s 51st state, asserting the northern neighbour would “cease to exist as a viable country” without hundreds of billions of dollars worth of trade with the US, which he portrayed as a subsidy.
“We don’t need anything they have,” he said.
But the response from Canada was uncompromising and bipartisan. Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, the man expected to become prime minister when elections are held later this year, gave his full support to the retaliatory measures announced by Trudeau, calling for dollar-for-dollar tariffs that would do the most damage to American companies while protecting Canada’s.
“There is no justification whatsoever for these [Trump’s] tariffs or this treatment,” Poilievre said. “Canada will never be the 51st state.”
Michael R. Strain, director of economic policy studies at the free-market American Enterprise Institute, said Trump had laid bare his deep and long-standing mercantilist views by asserting the US should not import any goods it could make at home.
Contrary to the White House’s claims, Strain said tariffs during Trump’s first term and the ensuing trade war increased consumer prices, reduced employment in manufacturing and failed to reduce the trade deficit. “The second trade war is likely to more severely increase prices and reduce employment and competitiveness.”
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported the Trump administration had placed two senior officials on leave from USAID after they refused to hand over classified material to inspectors working under the direction of Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
DOGE, the brainchild of Musk, is despite its name, not a real government department. It has, however, been granted powers by Trump to embark on a series of drastic cost-cutting recommendations targeting US government.
Amid a freeze on foreign aid that has caused chaos for emergency health clinics and humanitarian programs abroad, USAID’s standalone website abruptly disappeared over the weekend.
On Sunday, Musk made a barrage of posts about USAID on his social media platform X, calling it “a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America” and accusing it of funding bioweapon research “including COVID-19” (while the CIA now leans towards the theory the virus leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China, there is no suggestion it was deliberate). “USAID is a criminal organisation,” Musk posted. “Time for it to die.”
Trump issued an executive order on his first day back in the Oval Office initiating a 90-day pause on foreign aid and a review of all spending programs. The order said the US’s foreign aid industry and bureaucracy were “not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values”.
Dozens of senior USAID staff have been suspended and Reuters reported hundreds of contractors had been terminated or placed on leave. Democratic senator Chris Coons said Trump “spent two weeks harassing and laying off USAID employees, and now his team is trying to gut the agency altogether”.
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https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/trump-says-tariff-pain-for-consumers-will-be-worth-it-for-future-us-greatness-20250203-p5l906.html
READ FROM TOP.
YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.
Gus Leonisky
POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.
HYPOCRISY ISN’T ONE OF THE SINS OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
HENCE ITS POPULARITY IN THE ABRAHAMIC TRADITIONS…
PLEASE DO NOT BLAME RUSSIA IF WW3 STARTS. BLAME AMERICA.
unfit....
... 75 reasons why Dutton is unfit to be PM
By Michelle Pini
2025: MORE MISOGYNY & DOG-WHISTLES ... PLUS AN OLDIE BUT A BADDIE
75. Dutton kicked off the year with a new policy announcement! Free lunches for businesses, while his state counterparts in Queensland rejected free lunches for hungry school children.
74. While outwardly bemoaning cost of living pressures, Dutton – with an estimated $300 million personal fortune – has opposed public housing initiatives, increased funding for tertiary education, HECS debt relief and free TAFE. He has also instigated increases to the Medicare surcharge and wants to axe the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
73. At age 54 and 23 years on from his entry to parliament, Dutton is still trying to convince us he has a human side.
72. In the style of Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk, Dutton has pledged the creation of a government efficiency portfolio, led by Jacinta Price, known as SCOGE, which will slash thousands of government jobs.
71. Dutton's previous government added an unnecessary $617 billion to Australia's gross debt.
70. As Australia's domestic violence national emergency kicks off 2025 with three women already dead, Dutton says men are fed up with being treated as ogres.
69. Dutton consistently votes against key reforms to workers' rights and opposes parental leave, penalty rates, and disconnect laws. He has promised to "review" (read, dismantle) existing workplace reforms.
68. (Reminder) Back in 2018, it was revealed that a family trust – of which Dutton, his wife and children were beneficiaries – operated two childcare centres that received millions in payments from the Coalition Government.
2024 NUCLEAR NONSENSE, RACISM, THUGGERY & DISMANTLING WORKPLACE REFORM
67. Pete could be found supping on caviar and French Champagne at the lavish birthday soirée of billionaire mining magnate, Gina Rinehart, in WA, before flying back to continue his "vision" on cost-of-living pressures.
66. Taxpayers paid $6,000 for his entourage to accompany Dutton to Gina Rinehart's birthday bash.
65. Dutton was told to "stop being racist" in the House of Representatives by Independent MP for Warringah Zali Steggall after he called for a halt to accepting refugees fleeing from Gaza.
64. Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja accused Dutton of fuelling Islamophobia after a remark about "Muslim candidates".
63. He revealed seven sites for proposed nuclear plants — a "policy" Dutton released without any details about costs or timeframe and without community consultation.
62. Dutton linked peaceful pro-Palestine protest to the Port Arthur Massacre.
61. Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described Dutton as a "thug" on an episode of ABC’s Nemesis.
2023 MORE LIES, RACISM AND SOME CONFECTED REMORSE
60. After the Voice Referendum failed, Dutton reneged on his promise to have another referendum on Indigenous Constitutional recognition.
59. A peak Islamic body said Dutton's comments on cancelling the visas of pro-Palestinian protesters were ‘designed to inflame tensions' and were ‘grossly irresponsible’.
58. Dutton promised a second referendum if the Voice To Parliament Referendum failed.
57. He appeared on ABC’s Kitchen Cabinet, where he claimed he'd apologised for his 2016 comments about Lebanese immigrants — although no Lebanese community leader can recall Dutton's apology. Said apology appears to have escaped media reportage.
56. Dutton called for a reinstatement of the ”Work for the Dole” scheme — even though it still existed.
55. He confirmed the Liberals would oppose the Voice To Parliament Referendum — thus supporting the 'No' campaign – then demanded "detail" about The Voice.
54. Fifteen years after the event, Dutton apologised for boycotting the Apology to the Stolen Generations in February 2008.
2022 DODGY DEALS, BULLYING, INCOMPETENCE AND, OF COURSE, RACISM
53. Dutton lost his defamation case against refugee advocate Shane Bazzi.
52. It was reported that Dutton's flood fundraiser funds appeared to go to an "unregistered group".
51. Dutton was featured in Friendlyjordies’ video The Baddest MP, which featured LNP candidate Ryan Shaw who withdrew from the election race around the same time the video was released.
50. He was criticised for setting up a fundraiser for flood victims instead of providing emergency assistance.
49. The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) found Dutton had pork-barrelled Round 3 Safer Communities Funds to marginal seats in the lead-up to the 2019 Election.
2021 BULLYING, RACISM AND MISOGYNY
48. The Biloela family's three-year-old, Tharnicaa Murugappan, was medically evacuated from the Christmas Island detention centre — the delay in her care, due to Dutton, was justly criticised.
47. Dutton filed Federal Court defamation proceedings against refugee advocate Shane Bazzi over a tweet.
46. He then doubled down on his "she said, he said" remark.
45. Dutton said in a press conference – referring to Brittany Higgins' rape allegation – that he "wasn't provided with the 'she said, he said' details of the allegations".
2020 LIES AND CRUELTY
44. His High Court bid to try and stop asylum seekers from suing the Federal Government for neglect failed.
43. Dutton launched a verbal attack on the Biloela family, saying, ‘They have used every trick in the book to make sure they can stay’.
2019 BULLYING, RACISM, LIES AND MEDIA RAIDS
42. Dutton made his infamous "anchor babies" comment about the Biloela family.
41. He appeared in a car dealership promotional video — the same dealership was "featured" in a tell-it-like-it-really-is video by friendlyjordies.
40. Dutton attempted to deport the Biloela family from detention in Melbourne, which was interrupted mid-flight by a last-minute injunction when they landed in Darwin.
39. He probed into the reason a two-year-old Australian-born girl from Biloela needed four baby teeth removed (they had rotted while in immigration detention).
38. He was quoted as saying that some women refugees were "trying it on", using rape claims and hence the need for an abortion as a ploy to get to Australia.
37. Dutton confirmed he allowed two suspected Rwandan killers to settle in Australia.
36. The Australian Federal Police also raided ABC's Sydney headquarters.
35. The Australian Federal Police (within Australia's Home Affairs portfolio at the time) raided journalist Annika Smethurst's home. The High Court later ruled the AFP warrant invalid.
34. Dutton's wife does a News Corp interview just ahead of the 2019 Federal Election to declare that her husband is "not a monster".
33. He accused disabled Labor candidate for Dickson Ali France of ‘using her disability as an excuse’ for not moving to the seat of Dickson. France was living in a wheelchair-accessible home in an adjoining electorate. Dutton later apologised for the accusation.
32. The Australian Human Rights Commission warned Dutton that his 'proposal to lower the bar for stripping people… of Australian citizenship… could render people stateless and would be retrospective in application — in possible violation of international law or the rule of law’.
2018 BULLYING AND RACISM
31. He launched an attack in Question Time – under Parliamentary Privilege – on former Border Force Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg, accusing him of "grooming" a young woman.
30. It was revealed that in 2014 Dutton had asked Border Force Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg to ‘help two Queensland policemen get jobs in the new Border Force’.
29. Dutton was quoted as saying that Sudanese gangs are a ‘major law and order problem' in Victoria.
28. Home Affairs awarded a $423 million contract to Paladin, whose registered address was a beach shack on Kangaroo Island.
27. Greens Senator Nick McKim called Dutton racist.
26. Dutton was quoted as saying, ‘Some of the crazy lefties at the ABC, Guardian and The Huffington Post… [who] draw mean cartoons about me… they don't realise how completely dead they are to me’.
25. The Federal Court ordered a ten-year-old boy on Nauru at risk of suicide to be treated in Australia; Home Affairs fought the injunction.
24. Reportedly, South Africa demanded Dutton retract comments ‘that suggested white farmers were being persecuted and should receive fast-tracked humanitarian visas from a “civilised country”.’.
23. He asked the Home Affairs Department to look into a 'special refugee intake of white South African farmers’.
22. Dutton stated unequivocally‘Victorians are scared to go out because of “African gang violence”.’.
2017 DODGY DEALS AND MAJOR BIGOTRY
21. Home Affairs awarded Canstruct International Pty Ltd – a Brisbane company worth $8 at the time – a contract ultimately valued at $1.6 billion after a "financial strength assessment" was carried out on the wrong company.
20. Dutton said, "I voted No but Yes will win" in the same-sex marriage plebiscite.
19. Home Affairs, under his watch, entered into a "high-risk" arrangement with NKW Holdings but did not sign a formal contract until a year later. The struggling company was paid $82 million to feed 209 asylum seekers — the equivalent of $1,400 per day.
18. Dutton clashed with ABC journalist Barrie Cassidy over inflammatory and untrue comments he'd made about the case of a boy on Manus Island.
17. He told CEOs such as Qantas’ Alan Joyce – who campaigned in favour of same-sex marriage – to "stick to their knitting" and to stop using shareholder money for campaigning for same-sex marriage.
2016 DODGY DEALS, RACISM AND BULLYING
16. Dutton stood by his earlier Lebanese resettlement comments.
15. He said former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser's resettling of Lebanese refugees was a mistake.
14. Dutton and his wife bought a shopping centre in Townsville, which he failed to declare in his Register of Members' Interests, finally admitting the “error” in 2020.
13. Dutton was reportedly 'accused of “dirty politics” after suggesting the mother deliberately burnt baby Asha'. However, no evidence was found to support his suggestion that the injury of the Nepalese mother's baby was non-accidental.
12. He intended to text ‘she's a mad fucking witch' to a former minister about journalist Samantha Maiden but accidentally texted Maiden instead.
2015 FAVOURITISM, BULLYING AND CRUEL JOKES
11. Dutton personally intervened to stop a French au pair from being deported after being lobbied by AFL boss at the time, Gillon McLachlan.
10. He was caught on a hot mic joking about rising sea levels in Pacific nations.
9. Dutton’s department restored a UK man's visa even though he'd been convicted of being an accessory to murder in a gangland killing.
8. He personally intervened to stop an Italian au pair – who had come to Australia to work for the family of a former QLD police officer colleague – from being deported.
7. He led calls to urge Professor Gillian Triggs to resign as president of the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC).
6. Sydney Morning Herald reported that Dutton had Senator Sarah Hanson-Young spied upon during a visit to Nauru in December 2013.
2013 BULLYING AND PETTY NASTINESS
5. He tweeted: ‘Krudds fringe looks like it's been welded on this morn. More hair spray than Dame Edna’. (In 2022, Dutton later complained about "appearance shaming" after Tanya Plibersek likened him to Lord Voldemort. He was quoted at that time saying, "I just don't think you need to be nasty and mean".
2010 MAINLY MISOGYNY
4. During Question Time, Dutton said to Minister Nicola Roxon, "On your broomstick, Nicola!".
3. He tweeted this about a female journalist: ‘Latika must have a date after qn time? Wearing big new dangly earings [sic] and big purple flower’.
2008 RIGHTEOUS RACISM
2. Dutton walked out of the Apology to the Stolen Generations, saying, at the time, that he regarded it as something ‘which was not going to deliver tangible outcomes to kids who are being raped and tortured in communities in the 21st Century’.
2002 DOG WHISTLING BEGINS
1. His First Speech to Parliament criticised courts and civil libertarians with claims that "unacceptable crime rates" were causing older Australians to "barricade themselves" in their homes". He attacked the unemployed: ‘We are seeing an alarming number of households where up to three generations – in many cases by choice – have never worked in their lives’.
If you believe you have evidence of further reasons we may have missed, please let us know here.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/now-75-reasons-why-dutton-is-unfit-to-be-pm,19389
READ FROM TOP.
YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.
Gus Leonisky
POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.
HYPOCRISY ISN’T ONE OF THE SINS OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
HENCE ITS POPULARITY IN THE ABRAHAMIC TRADITIONS…
SEE ALSO:
dutton's toy....