Jew World Order

Tony Abbott’s anti-carbon tax crusade has hit a snag, with pressure mounting over his hard line approach to the vote.

Julia Gillard is in Canberra. She has a day of meetings and work ahead, with no public appearances scheduled.

Tony Abbott made his weekly Today show appearance and faced a grilling over whether he would grant embattled Labor MP Craig Thomson a “pair” to be at the birth of his child during the carbon tax debate. Human Services Minister Tanya Plibersek has led the ALP charge calling for Mr Abbott to give Mr Thomson a pass to miss the vote.

Mr Abbott played hardball this morning, stating: “We’ll cross that bridge if and when we come to it”. He backed Manager of Opposition business Christopher Pyne, who indicated yesterday Mr Thomson would not be granted a pair, then said: “We don’t know when the vote will be. I am not going to give a blanket pair to anyone for the next month or two months, I’m just not going to do it, the carbon tax is too important for that, the Prime Minister has deceived the Australian people on this. Everyone should be in the parliament for this vote.”

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.

End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.

But Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey took a softer line on Sunrise, telling Environment Minister Tony Burke: “If you tell us when the vote will be I’m sure we will be very reasonable” and adding “we are not going to deny a person the chance to be at the birth of his child”.

9/11 remembered: The US Embassy is holding a national commemoration ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. this Sunday. Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich and Prime Minister Julia Gillard will attend the event, which begins at 4pm Sunday in Commonwealth Place.

Vote early, vote often: It’s election season for CPSU members, who are being urged to have their say and choose the union’s leadership. Nominations for positions including National Officer, Section Secretary, Governing Councillor, Section Officer and Section Councillor are open now. More here.

Across the Shows: Australian Agenda is putting on a one hour special on the 10th anniversary of September 11. Former prime minister John Howard is the guest for the entire hour, and will be interviewed by Peter van Onselen, Paul Kelly, Dennis Shanahan and Greg Sheridan. Meet the Press features Attorney-General Robert McClelland and Australia’s Consulate-General  in New York on September 11, Ken Allen. On the panel, Hugh Riminton will be joined by Lauren Wilson and Dylan Welch.

In Canberra: The inquiry into the management of the Murray-Darling Basin and the impact of mining coal seam gas will continue today.

***Email Capital Circle. Click here to subscribe***

The Australian reports: JULIA Gillard has dismissed Greens attacks on her asylum-seeker policy as she prepares for a strategy meeting with senior colleagues today aimed at sharpening Labor’s political tactics for next week’s crucial resumption of parliament.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports: THE Labor MP Craig Thomson and the union leader Michael Williamson, who is on the ALP national executive, allegedly received secret commissions from a major supplier to their union. The two men, both senior figures in the Health Services Union at the time, were provided with American Express cards by John Gilleland, who runs a graphic design business, a Herald investigation has found.

The Daily Telegraph reports: VICTORIAN police will examine allegations concerning the use of Labor MP Craig Thomson’s union credit card but it is possible his former union’s failure to press charges two years ago could intervene.

The Courier Mail reports: JETSETTING Liberal MP Peter Slipper faces a likely parliamentary probe into his lavish travel spending following a revolt by his own constituents.

The Herald Sun reports: ALMOST 10,000 jobs have been stripped from the workforce and the jobless rate has jumped to its highest level in 10 months as new stress fractures appear in Australia’s two-speed economy.
The Advertiser reports:

The Canberra Times reports: Public servants who warned the Government that onshore processing could lead to Paris or London style unrest are turkeys who should be sacked, Greens leader Bob Brown says.

The Financial Review reports: The key independents who gave their support to the Gillard minority government are threatening to hold an alternative tax forum to discuss “banned” reforms to the GST, mining tax and ­carbon tax.

The Advertiser reports: MARY JO Fisher admitted to a police officer she took $92.92 of groceries, a court has been told.

***Email Capital Circle. Click here to subscribe***

Mega boom: AUSTRALIA stands poised to capitalise on an economic transformation unparalleled in the nation’s history, with a resources and commodities boom capable of generating $480 billion of exports in the next 20 years and creating 750,000 jobs. (Scott Murdoch reports)

Transformation: AUSTRALIA is underestimating its opportunity to transform the mining boom into decades of sustained prosperity by supplying the mining, energy and food demands of China and the rest of emerging Asia. (Michael Stutchbury reports)

Rebuked: JULIA Gillard’s chief of staff Ben Hubbard angrily called for a senior public servant to be disciplined – only to be rebuked and told that he was out of order. (Steve Lewis reports)

Keep calm and carry on: IT ISN’T often that John Howard has an encouraging word for Julia Gillard, but he found one yesterday at the Melbourne launch of his updated biography, Lazarus Rising. (Michael Gordon reports)

Euro vacation: THE South Australian Liberal senator Cory Bernardi spent three weeks in European cities in April touring suburbs rife with ethnic tension and meeting with politicians who were outspoken on Muslim immigration. (Phillip Coorey reports)

Sack him: A FORECAST by the immigration department head, Andrew Metcalfe, that London and Paris-style social unrest would break out in Australian cities if 600 boat people arrived a month has caused outrage, and calls for his sacking. (Kirsty Needham reports)

Hypocrisy: LABOR powerbroker Bill Ludwig has been accused of “blatant hypocrisy” over his decision to use union funds to pay for private legal action. (Michael Madigan reports)

Up close and personal: IN the heart of Craig Thomson’s Dobell electorate Opposition Leader Tony Abbott refused to concede Thomson had no case to answer after police dropped their review of his union credit card use. (Richard Noone reports)

***Email Capital Circle. Click here to subscribe***

Graham Richardson writes: ARSE covering is important in politics. An exposed derriere can lead to embarrassment and scandal for a politician, but for a public servant it can mean, well, the arse.

Laura Tingle writes: Andrew Metcalfe is the bloke who has been in the thick of all the twists and turns of immigration policy for the past couple of decades.

Michelle Grattan writes: Both sides want offshore processing, and primarily for political reasons.

Dennis Shanahan writes: IN all the sound and fury over the virtues of onshore and offshore processing of asylum-seekers in Malaysia, Nauru, Christmas Island or Villawood in Sydney, there is one clear message: all of the people most directly affected in trying to limit illegal boat arrivals and the people-smugglers’ business want a policy of processing refugee applicants overseas.

John Howard writes: THE impact of the 9/11 attacks on America was at two levels. There was the sense of shock, outrage and total incomprehension. It was never thought possible that there would be such an audacious assault on the citadels of American economic and defence supremacy.

Norman Abjorensen writes: Those of us who watch the stuff of politics for a living are often asked about precedents and parallels.

Piers Akerman writes: PRIME Minister Julia Gillard is racing home from Auckland to discuss offshore processing of asylum seekers with someone.

Jessica Irvine writes: The Reserve Bank Governor, Glenn Stevens, has described the boom in prices for Australia’s commodity exports as the biggest gift to this nation since the 1850s gold rush. But lately, more Australians seem inclined to look this particular gift horse in the mouth.

Jeff Kennett writes: THERE is no substitute for parents of both genders. Happy heterosexual marriages are the best environment for the mental health of children.

***Email Capital Circle. Click here to subscribe***