Liberal insiders report that the South Australian Young Liberal Right faction is on the verge of winning control of the SA Young Libs for the first time in living memory.
It'll be close, insiders say, with the Right enjoying a 31 to 28 vote advantage at this stage.
We'll let you know when results come in after the meeting tonight.
Game on.
UPDATE: Michael van Dissel has been elected President of SA Young Libs, confirming earlier speculation of the Left falling into trouble, with 31 votes to 26.
The Australian Liberal Students’ Federation today condemned the economic vandalism proposed by the Federal Government’s hand-picked climate advisor, Professor Ross Garnaut.
“The Garnaut report advocates policies which will result in a massive increase in the price of energy, potentially undercut our booming resource sector, and burden young Australians with the cost of a complex regulatory scheme for decades to come,” ALSF President Timothy Andrews said.
“It’s all right for the baby boomers – who, by the way, caused these problems in the first place – to impose enormous costs on the Australian economy, because it is not them who’ll be paying it.
“It will be young Australians who will have to grapple with an economy tied down by an inefficient and costly Emissions Trading Scheme.
“It might give Mr Rudd an opportunity to fulfil an election promise, and it might give some environmentalists a warm feeling inside, but we know that given Australia represents just over 1% of global emissions, even severe cuts will have little impact.
“This makes the PM’s wish to punish young Australians even harder to bear.
“Prime Minister Kevin Rudd should stop and think before he saddles generation X and Y with the bill for the baby boomers’ excess,” said Mr Andrews.
Game on.
Patriots have asked for a wall poster commemorating patriot HSU boss Jeff Jackson's foray into militant lefty union busting and with the fine assistance of a highly skilled designer patriot we present this collectors' item for your amusement.
Sources close to Jeff say that the fashionably attired unionist would never appear in a safari suit or cowboy hat unless it suited the occasion. Nor would the MG driving patriot be seen in a roofless jeep.
Others suggest that Dean Mighell's Cuban heels should be further investigated by the OC fashion police.
Much to the shock of patriots, rival action figure Keano Deano has now been released.
Game on.
No country's perfect. We know that ourselves as we struggle to build an economy that can prosper without high commodity prices. We know that ourselves as we look at the health statistics in our indigenous community and know them to be shameful. We know that ourselves when we reflect how people with disabilities are treated in this country, excluded, marginalised, ignored. We know that ourselves when it's not safe to walk around Caulfield wearing a yarmulke without being attacked by scum from a country footy club. We know that ourselves when we see governments hand-out corporate welfare to rich people who don't need it and would ultimately be better off without the hand-outs and without the high taxes they cause.
And America isn't perfect either.
But ultimately we know that we share in common with them is so much more important than what we could identify as faults and failings in each other.
We share a desire for limited government, which only does what's essential. We share a desire to be safe from the scourge of terrorism and jihadism. We share a desire to live in a tolerant community where anyone can reach the highest pinnacle of achievement from even the lowest point of disadvantage.
So when leftards judge America hatefully, obsessing on what it gets wrong and ignoring its great strengths and all we have in common I think it tells us a lot more about them than it says about America.
God Bless America.
Game on.
Future Liberal leader Mrs Sophie Mirabella with her angelic Alexandra Mary in a Melbourne hospital yesterday.
The young angel is already being groomed to follow in her feisty mama's footsteps:
Mrs Mirabella later joked she might help campaign against Ms Neal at the next election.
"I might put the little devil in the pram and door knock," she joked.
Flowers, gifts and holy water may be sent to the Freemason's Hospital in East Melbourne.
Game on.
Some might wonder why you'd bother being in a political party these days. Unless you wanted to work in Treasury Place or something.
Rick Wallace of the Australian has helped explain why one should be with the stunningly colourful remarks he extracted from two highly quotable union leaders:
"The ball is back in Action Jackson's court ... if he's got the balls to go through with it," Mr Mighell told The Australian yesterday.
Mr Jackson laughed off Mr Mighell's comments, saying "health workers are far more informed in dealing with matters of genitalia", while accusing the ETU leader of treachery.
"Quite simply, the ETU's behaviour in the by-election was totally unacceptable. That sort of behaviour can only be described as treacherous," he said.
What is probably harder to pick up is that while there is some enthusiasm among Labor Unity Rebels to purge the ETU and of course enthusiasm from the OC to expel all Left unions all the time, the above colourful exchange I think tells another story too.
And that is that even in their rivalry and game playing, there's a degree of laddish humour, jesting and good nature to the exchange. They'll be chortling over their coffee about this all day.
Very difficult not to love 'em both really.
And for those voyeurs upon the process (you know who you are), I ask you this, with membership organisations like the ALP, the Nats and the Liberals struggling to find new activists and new talent, why wouldn't you step up and get involved?
Look at the fun blokes like Jackson and Mighell are having. Even in their biffing, it's impossible to miss the wry smiles, nudges, winks et al. And if someone gets kinghit in the back bar, that's OK, there's always next week to square up. (This is meant figuratively)
Sometimes the caper can all get a bit unpleasant but if you've got the backbone (note the less gender specific analogy to courage) unlike the Stephen Maynes and Les Twentymans of this world, it really is the biggest game in town.
Game on.
since failed candidate Lord Les Twentyman promised to challenge the result of the Kororoit by-election in the Supreme Court of Victoria...
