23 August 2015

Politics


WHO DARES WINS: THE BATTLE FOR CANNING

The political editor of The Australian, Dennis Shanahan, really needs to check his facts before asserting that the late Don Randall MP held the federal seat of Canning ‘from 1998 to his death last month.’
Randall held the WA seat of Canning  from 2001, until July 21, 2015, the day he died. He was previously the Member for Swan, 1996-1998, before being beaten in that seat by Labor’s Kim Wilkie, who in turn was defeated by Steve Irons, a Liberal, who has held that seat since 2007.
Still Shanahan is no stranger to the faux pas? He was the one who kept writing down Kim Beazley’s second stint at ALP leadership, in Opposition, and fuelled the rise, and subsequent two terms of the Rudd –Gillard Labor years of government. Remember how that turned out Dennis?
Randall will be missed. He was a grassroots operator par excellence, fearless, pro-family and a raconteur- another success story from the WA wheatbelt. The debates in ‘the other place’ between him and Labor’s Peter Walsh (1935-2015) would be worth reading but it is beyond the capacity of Hansard to record them!
The by- election, some 13 months before the next federal election, is a good guide to how the Abbott Government is performing.
Randall’s near 12 per cent margin will be reduced, probably by about half, because he is no longer there and there is usually a swing against an incumbent government, the-kick-in-the-pants theory at work. However, it will not be like Bass (Tas) of 1975 fame and nor will it be like Ryan (Qld) in 2001-both seats that had huge swings that led to departing ministerial members, Lance Barnard (ALP) and John Moore (Lib), respectively, having their 'safe seats,' captured by the other major party.

Labor has history against it in winning the seat. The last time a deceased Member was replaced by the candidate of another party was in Dawson (Qld) when Labor’s Dr Rex Paterson won the seat in a 1966 by-election. It had previously been held by George Shaw of the Country Party.
While Labor has endorsed lawyer, Matt Keogh (33), for Canning, the Liberal representative is a former member of the Australian Army elite. SAS Captain, Andrew Hastie, who at 32 has life experience normally associated with someone twice his age. With combat experience in Afghanistan and the Middle East, the ex-Digger was inspired to join the fight against Islamic terrorism after the attacks on the USA in September 2001.
While some of the usual couch potatoes, from academia, blamed US foreign policy for the murderous strikes at the American homeland, for Hastie it was a case of “the lights being turned out.”
His decision, and determination, to accept the challenge from terrorism, was anything but hasty, or passing. Instead, a career in the Australian Army, was commenced two years later, and his involvement with the internationally renowned SAS, including three tours of Afghanistan, was the result of Hastie ‘maintaining the rage,’……. with all due apologies to Gough.
In the best traditions of the SAS, Hastie was quickly on the attack. A day after resigning his commission he addressed the WA Liberal Party Conference, on August 22, and went after The Age beat-up that had attempted to link him to a story related to the hands being cut off a few Taliban fighters, for identification purposes.
For a start, most Australians are more concerned about live Christians, workers, academics, and young women who are being beheaded, crucified, tortured and raped by criminal Islamist scum in various middle-eastern hell holes. Cutting heads off live people simply trumps concerns about dead terrorists losing their digits.
Secondly, the guilt by association, for those who think our Defence personnel are guilty, fell rather flat. It transpired that Captain Hastie was not one of those involved, being overhead  in a chopper at the time but, when told, he relayed the information through the chain of command. (Perhaps the ‘Choppergate Affair’ of former Speaker, Bronwyn Bishop, has inspired some of the more feverish members of the fourth estate to continue to press their luck, (pun intended), with all things to do with helicopters!).
Thirdly, and very effectively, Hastie showed his concern for a fellow soldier in the tradition of elite forces that goes back to Rogers Rangers in the French and Indian War, in Colonial America (1754-63). That tradition refers to ensuring that no one is left behind in a war zone. However, Hastie, in his address to the Conference, used it in the sense that it was time to cease investigating one particular soldier, after a two and half year inquiry into the cutting-off- their-hands affair.
Hastie was not only engaged in Afghanistan but also had taken part in operations against the rapist-murderers of Daesh, in the Middle East, and he has also been an adviser on Operation Sovereign Borders-the Abbott Government’s highly successful border protection policy to prevent illegal boat arrivals accessing Australia.
Another Fairfax publication, The Australian Financial Review, quotes an Eastern States Liberal disparagingly referring to the Canning electorate as having a lot of ‘bogans’ within its borders. This same exalted creature, clearly a legend in his own mind, also wondered if Western Australians even used the word? (“Well shuck your sweet cheeks, thanks for asking, Massa.”)
However, the more polite answer is this: generally only when we are discussing elitists from the Eastern States - although ‘pooh bahs’ is generally the preferred term for them!
There is perhaps an irony in all of this. While many political and media elitists eschew freedom of expression, in favour of political correctness; and denigrate Western traditions, customs and religion, including true marriage, the standard bearer for Middle Australian views comes from a former officer, from an army regiment consisting of the finest of the military class.
Hastie now has his chance to show a concerned Silent Majority, during the battle for Canning, up to September 19,  that he is listening and will fight for long held values and traditions. Early indications are that he will.
Who dares wins.
 Indeed.

5 August 2015



 Politics

Muehlenberg Warns Against Marriage Destruction 

Social commentator Bill Muehlenberg warned that the catch cry of Marriage Equality by proponents of same sex marriage would in fact lead to the destruction of the institution and social cohesion.
Speaking in Perth, to an audience of over 500, at a Witness to Marriage ceremony conducted by Victory Life Church, Muehlenberg said that that the demand for SSM would continue the persecution of people who did not want to be involved in what they considered sham marriages.
Giving International and Australian examples Muehlenberg demolished the arguments advanced by Senator Penny Wong (Labor SA) in her National Press Club debate with Senator Cory Bernardi (Liberal SA).
He documented the social costs to children, the stress, financial burden imposed on opponents to the homosexual lobby, the incessant political action where no sooner had the Parliament rejected one bill for SSM then another was put on the parliamentary agenda. He said over the last dozen years the Parliament had dealt with the issue on no less than 15 occasions with another debate this month.
“Senator Wong’s assertion of homosexuals gracefully accepting that they know where to go when they need services belies current practice,” Muehlenberg said.
Instead of passing by on the other side, like those who preceded the Good Samaritan, militant homosexuals have a track record of persecuting and prosecuting those who differ in their views.
A notorious recent case was where a fine of $135,000 was imposed on an Oregon couple who declined to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. However, they were not alone as a $30,000 fine was imposed on an innkeeper in Vermont who declined to cater for a wedding reception. Earlier this year in Indiana a pizza shop owner was similarly treated.
Noting Christian bakery merchants seem particularly susceptible to legal and social actions by militant homosexual activists Muehlenberg said, “one wonders whether a black baker refusing to bake a cake for the KKK, or a Jewish baker denying a neo-Nazi group service would be treated this way?”
He listed other problems, caused by activists, including:
*a Catholic adoption agency being forced to close rather than compromise its charter and principle
* Danish Protestant churches being forced to conduct SSM
* 40,000 UK teachers being given an ultimatum on how they were to accept the homosexual agenda or face the sack through non-compliance
* the judicial activism in the US that had imposed gay marriage on all the States of the Union despite the overwhelming rejection of it in virtually all states that had voted on the question.
* a top Canadian sports TV anchorman was sacked for simply believing in ‘true marriage,’ while an Florida principal lost his job for simply being a supporter of traditional marriage on his own Facebook
* the campaign by various industries and TV stations to fall into line by accepting homosexual polemics, including cancelling paid Christian advertising and Christian programs.
As Muehlenberg noted, Christian messages are ignored, their views derided, or subjected to ridicule, particularly by  slanted ABC panels on such programs as Q &A.
 “Even insomniacs suffer. A brief mention by evangelist Kenneth Copeland of homosexuality was too much for Channel 10 to bear. One viewer complained about this show, which was aired at 4 am in the morning, but that was enough to pull the program,” Muehlenberg said.
The social commentator also referenced his host, Pastor Margaret Court, as a target of the militants.
Whereas she was the winner of 24 Grand Slams, Muehlenberg was equally as devastating slamming those homosexual militants who “preach diversity, except when you diverge with them. According to these activists the greatest female tennis player of all time should have been denied the honour of a court named after her. They label her as an extremist simply for supporting an orthodox Christian position.”
Muehlenberg also said that another great Australian patriot, Joe de Bruyn, a long serving leader of Australia’s largest union –the Shop Assistants Union (SDA)- was similarly denied a meritorious union award for being a defender of traditional marriage.
The other speaker at the meeting was a constitutional law professor, Augusto Zimmermann, who was well received by the audience with a scholarly address on the ramifications of SSM in the US following the 5-4 Supreme Court decision to recognise gay marriage.
Among those in attendance were many parliamentarians including Senator Joe Bullock (Labor WA), and Liberals Luke Simpkins MP and Ian Goodenough MP.
Thirteen couples were presented with certificates in recognition of significant milestones in their married life.

3 August 2015



Racing

COMING BACK 

Late in the 2014/15 racing season three jockeys –William Pike, Steven Parnham, and Craig Staples all came back from operations needed as a result of their profession.
As racing chaplain, Bernie Ryan, said on the opening day of the new season, August 1, jockeys are the only people who are followed to work by an ambulance. Ryan was speaking publically at the National Jockey Day Celebration at Belmont Park.
 It is therefore surely worth reflecting on the comeback of those three talented jockeys, mentioned above, who did comeback unlike some of their fellow professionals.
William Pike was always going to win the 2014/15 Jockeys premiership, despite being away for months with a left shoulder injury sustained at the Lark Hill trials on April 28.
His absence from the racing, until July 16, no doubt cost him a chance to ride a century of winners on metropolitan tracks. The top rider’s huge lead was unassailable even at that stage.
Resuming, Pike performed like the proverbial German band and had eight winners in 10 days, including a mid-week treble at Belmont on July 22, finishing with 81 city victories for the year.
Trainer Darren McAuliffe summed Pike up to a tee, after the jockey had narrowly scored for him on Rebel King in the HG Bolton Sprint (1200m) on July 25: “there is noone better than William Pike in a tight finish.”
True enough. The Alan Mathews trained, Cool Trade (Pat Carbery), resuming from a spell, looked a winner in the final stages but it got snatched away from the courageous mare in the last stride. It was Rebel King by a nose with a vintage piece of Pike riding.
His trademark horizontal style with his arms pushing his mounts head down just prevailed. Wink And A Nod,a length away, was an unlucky third being unable to gain a clear run in the straight. A black type race victory still eludes brilliant top apprentice, Lucy Warwick, who was runner up to Pike in the Seniors' List and an easy winner of the Apprentices' Premiership.
Also returning from injury was Steven Parnham and, like Pike, he won a squeaker on Dancing Express against Toppadawozza (Jason Whiting).
Parnham had a stress fracture in his knee not helped by a nasty fall at Pinjarra in June 2014, (that also incapacitated Clint Harvey), and he elected to undergo surgery.
The relief of gaining an early win was palpable for the oldest of the three jockey sons of Neville and Carolyn Parnham. It came at his fifth ride back aboard Dancing Express, for his trainer father.
It was a last stride win with his mount just claiming Toppadawozza on the last Saturday meeting of the season.
Parnham finished with 12 wins for the season a far cry from his 36 winners a couple of seasons ago when he was equal third on the Jockeys Premiership with Troy Turner. But what part does injury play on form and confidence? Probably a lot but you will not find Parnham-a quiet and reflective rider- moaning.
Racing has many ups and downs (no pun intended) and Parnham’s form simply epitomises that basic fact. It was not so long ago the young jockey was experiencing Group 1 success, three of them in fact in the Kingston Town Classic. Two of them were for his father with Playing God (2010-11) and Ihtsahymn  for trainer Fred Kersley (2013).
Craig Staples was the quickest of the ‘comeback kids’ to produce a winner and it came at his first ride back, his only ride at Pinjarra, on July 30, aboard Amourio.
Trainer Paul Jordan did the right thing by legging his regular rider up on a real prospect and Amourio and Staples did the rest.
Staples had been out of racing since Usual Suspect blundered at the 900m mark, at Pinjarra on May 21 dislodging the jockey. Staples sustained finger and thumb injuries that kept him out until his resumption ride on Amourio.
It could also be noted Jordan’s own form has changed for the better in recent meetings. After winning with Coruscation, at Ascot on April 11, the senior trainer became becalmed until late July when he suddenly hit a purple patch winning with four different horses, between July 22 and August 1.  Believe You Can, The High Road, Amourio and Senso were Jordan’s only representatives at those meetings. He didn’t need more.
Incidentally, Craig Staples is not the only one in his family who has made a comeback successfully. His wife, Lisa, had been injured at the same track, and position, on February 22, sustaining five broken ribs, a punctured lung and badly sprained ankle.
She resumed two months later and, like her husband, won first up with Emerald and Gold at Northam.
Still later, on June 27 at Carnarvon, she landed a winning treble, booting home Moon Man, Bonacious Princess and Raucous Laughter, respectively, in the first three races.
Jockeys cop plenty of flak, at times, from owners, trainers and punters, but they are also fit, durable and motivated individuals as highlighted by the jockeys mentioned who have turned adversity into triumph.
They deserve respect.