No Crap App: w/b 21 May 2012

Rowe, AFR 22 May 2012

Cost of the Thomson saga

• David Penberthy: Abbott’s crass logic – trash the parliament in order to save it
• Barrie Cassidy: The alarm bells ring, but precious few heed them
• Jonathan Green: Moral authority in our parliament? Not seeing it
• Shaun Carney: Gillard paying price for gamble on the numbers
• Geoff Kitney: Abbott the master of pressure politics

Other crunchy brain food

• GrogsGamut / Greg Jericho: Consumer confidence tells us ‘the vibe’ – that’s about it
• Mumble / Peter Brent: The past is no use
• Geoff Gallop: What do mean when we talk about ‘Labor values’?

No Crap App: w/b 23 Apr 2012

Rowe, AFR 24 Apr 2012

The week that was…

This week’s political media contained two debates that couldn’t be more diametrically opposed. At one end was the debate over what the Government should do about Slipper. At the other, disagreement raged over the Reserve Bank’s judgement (and still continued over the need for a surplus).

The most sensible of the Slipper pieces are here (plus one that spells out the risks for Abbott). Also listed are those that most clearly explain the economic issues. LaTingle talks about the upcoming Budget. And there’s a good piece from former WA Premier Geoff Gallop on the future of the ALP.

Slipper

• Ben Eltham: Slipper’s media attack dogs
• Jennifer Hewett: Mess, Prime Minister
• Harry Evans: Public cynicism can only grow after Slipper
• Andrew Probyn: Slippery dilemma for Abbott
• George Megalogenis: The country suffers as a rat in the ranks taints the parliament
• Ross Peake: When slim pickings make for slim margins
• Laurie Oakes: Gillard’s hypocrisy on the presumption of innocence

Economy and the Budget

• Tim Colebatch: Reserve wrong and must move on
• Jessica Irvine: Low inflation is here to help
• David Uren: World’s best but we must still cut
• George Megalogenis: Falling interest rates to ease carbon tax pain
• Peter Brent: Deserve’s got nothing to do with it
• Laura Tingle: It’s budget time – cue the dramatic twist

Labor party

• Geoff Gallop: Ghosts in the party room – the past, present and future of the ALP

Check out No Crap App’s new Political Profiles page.

No Crap App: w/b 16 Apr 2012

The week that was….

Three weeks into the five week break before Parliament resumes, the media swarmed yet again to the story that required the least effort. Some called Hockey’s ‘entitlement’ speech refreshing and encouraging, others called it ‘courageous’ and an unnecessary distraction. Meanwhile, blogger Matt Cowgill’s post showed that big cuts can only be made from safety net welfare payments.

Amongst the quality pieces on the Greens, there are some insightful posts from bloggers with connections to the party.

By the weekend, many writers had turned their eye to the economy and the Government. GrogsGamut’s regular Wednesday post explained how government debt and interest rates have no connection.

There was also an excellent longer read from Mark Latham explaining why suburbanites are climate change deniers.

Hockey’s speech

• Annabel Crabb: Eye popping politics – Hockey ‘entitled’ to candour
• Michelle Grattan: A strange sense of entitlement
• Matt Cowgill: Has Joe Hockey promised the end of the Australian safety net?
• Mark Kenny: Middle class welfare will test Australia’s means
• Christian Kerr: B-Team a drag on Abbott’s progress

The Greens

• Tad Tietze / Dr_Tad: The Greens after Brown – what lies ahead?
• Piping Shrike: The problem of the “political cycle”
• Preston Towers: Shaping a new form of Greens leader in the Milne kiln
• John Warhurst: Milne’s daunting new challenge and link to the study mentioned Julia 2010 – the caretaker election
• Geoff Gallop: Is it a case of Bob Brown to Bob Katter?
• Lenore Taylor: Working for Greens and country

The economy

• Greg Jericho / GrogsGamut: Government debt and interest rates have no connection
• Laurie Oakes: Gillard rallies her troops for the final round
• Ross Peake: Gillard budgets for her own rescue
• Peter Hartcher: Rescuing the boom’s benefits
• Lenore Taylor: Abbott sweats on ALP loss to repeal the carbon tax
• George Megalogenis: Aussies leave US blokes behind in their recovery from GFC

Longer read

• Mark Latham: Mass denial