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Own goal

You heard it here first folks. As I said to my client yesterday, I’m not known in the profession as a nitpicker for nothing.

Ron Boswell and Barnaby Joyce are the sitting National Party Senators for Queensland. Sue Boyce, Brandis, Ian McDonald, Brett Mason, and Russell Trood are all sitting Liberal party Senators.

Their respective Parties have now agreed to amalgamate as a different entity which will, no doubt have to be registered under the Commonwealth Electoral Act.

Section 15 of the Constitution deals with casual vacancies in the Senate.

Queensland is a strange place. First, it is unicameral (i.e. it has no upper House). As the votes go, the Government of the day has the numbers and the Queensland Parliament has form. That is precisely why the Constitution was amended so that a casual vacancy would be filled by a member of the same Political Party as the person who died, retired or otherwise lost his seat.

There will no longer be a National or a Liberal Party in Queensland within the meaning of s 15 of the Constitution. I hope the dimwits in the National Party and the Liberal Party up there sent their sitting Senators off for health checks before they voted to amalgamate because, by convention, the Governor of Queensland is obliged to follow the advice of his Ministers. If a casual vacancy arises by reason of the death resignation or other disqualification of any sitting National or Liberal Queensland Senator, it effectively means the Labor [sic] Executive in Queensland gets to appoint whoever it likes.

That might produce an interesting change to the balance of power Federally. I reckon the Federal coalition should be out looking for seven bodyguards and an emergency medical team right now.
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Nats take over

Federal Liberal President Alan Stockdale went on radio recently to describe the 'current arrangements' meaning that the new party would be "in fact would be a party that TAKES OVER the Liberal party".

An interesting website.

http://nationalstakeover.com/

Fun times in Queensland politics.

The conservatives really do like each other.

Anna Bligh, will be the first elected female premier.

No mutiny on this bounty.

T-Shirt production

If you need to run up just one t-shirt with your favourite slogan, try that huge store that sells fabrics but also carries a nice line in stick-on letters in all sizes.

My "free Wynonna Rider" was popular when the actress was on a shop lifting charge but, as she was freed, the effect only lasted a fortnight or so. But then fashion should be dispensible.

I'd certainly be up for a "Do you know who I am?" tee, but – as is the way of such Daily Telegraph scandals – it seems to be completely forgotten.

That defines a gentleman!

Thanks to both Ian and Malcolm.

My last collection of quality skivvies came to me from a friend when her father died, and neither her son of husband would wear them. They were Speedo’s, of a knitted type material.

Duncan, isn’t it self evident that anyone who does not wear skivvies cannot possibly be a gentlemen of quality and discernment?

I don't think Neal coming to Adelaide

I don't understand why you are all talking about Belinda Neal in connection to this merger.

I have this great mug that my kids gave me "it's not PMT, I am always this bitchy" and my favourite T-shirt was "I think you have confused me with someone who gives a shit".

Richard:  If I had a dozen of both, Marilyn, my Christmas shopping would be complete in July!

What does Neal have to do with it?

Last time I looked Robertson is in NSW, so what does what Belinda Neal have to do with an amalgamation in Queensland between the Liberals and Nationals?

Belindad

Coming to a restauant near you Marilyn Shepherd, any day now.

A nice line of T shirts

Marilyn, I would love to have a T shirt that says across the front: "Do you know who I am?" 

So much so that I am thinking of going into production.

How many would you like to order?

Blouse on

Don't much like T shirts but, as you know, Ian MacDougall, I am an inveterate cold weather skivvy-wearer.  Apart from the T shirt the very nice lesbian waitress up the road gave me for my birthday some years ago bearing her kindly hand-painted slogan: "I'm a lesbian but no-one knows it", I wouldn't mind wearing a skivvy that said "Everyone knows who I am".  I'll take five in white, five in black, five in baby blue and five in red.  Oh and one in pink that has on the back "I'm a lesbian but no-one knows it".  Out is only for special occasions.

Skivvies, quality skivvies?

If anyone can find quality skivvies I'll take half a dozen ---sans the art work!

I continually search for same, in vain!

Richard:  As a fellow fan, I'm confident they no longer exist, except as uniforms for the Wiggles. 

The skivvie led recovery

What a strange discussion for a thread like this.  Have I started something?   DJs have them (don't like the sleeves) and Lowe's have them but not much in colour range for the ample gentleman.  Bonds used to make them after Crestknit folded but I haven't yet tracked any down this season and they don't appear in Bond's on-line catalogue.

 

 Malcolm B. Duncan,

Bespoke taste advisor to gentlemen of quality and discernment. 

When only the best will do

Peter, the only place I know to buy decent skivvies is my favourite ski shop. Theirs are the type that have a zipper set into the neck to avoid stretching it into a size to fit a horse. They last for years, but a bit pricey. Well worth it, IMHO.

Sadly, the el cheapos are just not good enough.

Don't ya just love it?

Mmmm. Shepherds Pie.

Picking your nits

I, too, am a nitpicker Malcolm.

" ... the Governor of Queensland is obliged to follow the advice of his Ministers."

Quentin Bryce and Penelope Wensley.

'Her' Ministers.

Richard: I'ts good to see you around again, Cloud!

Language

I gather we are using English within the Australian Commonwealth.  The use of one gender under all Interpretation Acts includes all other genders.  "He, him etc" even includes Claude's attenuated gender.

Now, go and rain on someone else.

The precedent's precedent

For the sake of historical accuracy, Ian MacDougall, you will recall that it was the appointment of Cleaver Bunton to replace another deceased Labor Senator by a dying NSW Government that started the whole thing.   At least Bunton voted in favour of the Supply Bills.

One recollection; And another

Malcolm, quite so. But Bunton only came in because Lionel Murphy resigned from the Senate to take up a position on the High Court Bench. And don't get me started on Murphy, because that will lead me into the raconteuring of one of the funniest (true?) stories I have ever heard.

No time for it now. Another time, perhaps.

oooooooooooh goss

Love to hear it Ian MacDougall.

Lionel used to turn up at Student Law Society drinks functions.  We used to invite them all but he and Lorenzo were the most frequent attendees.  Lionel had a penchant for young Asian women and scotch I think it was.  I adopted as my role the function of making sure they were both well oiled and supplied with introductions to the prettiest girls in the room.  Don't ever recall introducing either of them to Belinda Neal. 

The moving finger writes...

Malcolm, that probably explains why Neal now goes around asking all and sundry: "Do you know who I am?"

The Ghost Who May Walk Again

Malcolm: "If a casual vacancy arises by reason of the death resignation or other disqualification of any sitting National or Liberal Queensland Senator, it effectively means the Labor [sic] Executive in Queensland gets to appoint whoever it likes."

I wouldn't mind betting that a convention, once broken, is impossible to fix for at least a time equal to the living memory of those who were around when it was originally breached. If one of the Libronational senators should pass on to greater glory, it would offer the Queensland ALP a temptation too good to refuse, namely to do a Bjelke-Petersen and appoint an anti-Libronational stooge of their own in his/her place. You will recall that Bjelke's chosen stooge was the late Albert Field, not to be confused with the other Albert Field, "designated expert in divining when the surreal is real."

The surreal was all too often the all-too-grim reality in Bjelke's Queensland, and the first Albert Field (the french polisher, not he who was appointed by the artist Salvador Dalí "to be the arbiter of which Dalís were really Dalís" ) materialised from nowhere to be plonked by Bjelke in a Senate seat.

Ironically, the ALP's chosen anointed favourite son for the seat they lost (when Senator Bert Millner died on 30 June 1975) got trumped when Bjelke dealt Field fom the bottom of the pack and slammed him down on the table. That lost ALP pride and joy was none other than Mal Colston, who subsequently emerged as one of the greatest of Labor Rats, though strangely missing from this gallery. He was aptly dubbed "the Quisling Quasimodo from Queensland".

May I respectfully suggest a motto for this newly-merged mongrel party: Life wasn't meant to be easy.  Those you will recall are immortal words of Malcolm Fraser, whose station in life as one of the wealthiest graziers in the Western District of Victoria should have led to membership of the Nationals, but who was presumably lured by the promise of greater glory, perks and privilege to join the Liberals; showing thereby that even the best among us can succumb to the seductive lure of presumed temptation. Life wasn't meant to be easy  falls into the category of those 'heed my words, not my experience' admonitions so often handed down from on high to those lower in the ordering of the Universe.

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