Australia - you're standing in it
andy-mac wrote:This is our good ally, who we just gave some free money to for some subs that will likely never eventuate.
Now they bend us over with tarrifs after their corporations having been raping paying minimal or no tax for our resources for years.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-12/trump-rejects-australia-s-bid-for...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9oSEO8JxS8s&pp=ygUZZnJpZW5kbHlqb3JkaWVzIGF...
Good work Australia.
Trumps "advisor" Peter Navarro, was convicted and sentenced to jail time for his role in trying to secure more votes for Trump in the 2020 election.
I believe he was pardoned by Trump.
As for the "Friendly Jordies" video: no surprises there.
The good old LNP, the mining industry's best mate at the expense of every taxpayer.
As for Gorton's appearance, I understand he flew Hurricanes in Indonesia in WW2. He crash landed and his face struck the gunsight resulting in serious injuries. Apparently he didn't fully tighten his harness.
There is a family rumor I can't confirm that my grandfather spent some time working for Gorton's parents on their property at Mystic Park.
andy-mac wrote:Doesn't WA keep a share of its natural gas for local use?
This may be a factor?
It does, but that hasn't stopped Alcoa, and BP at Kwinana closing refining:
https://acapmag.com.au/2020/10/bp-to-close-was-kwinana-fuel-refinery/
A Salty Dog wrote:WA does have a gas reservation policy.
The Turnbull government introduced a reservation policy to supply east coast Australia, however it has never been enforced.
Morrison was happy to have Forrest build an import terminal at Port Kembla at a cost of one billion, so we can import gas we exported and pay double the price we sold it for. Two other import terminals are also under construction. How smart is that!!!
I can understand Albo not enforcing the reservation policy given the investment Forrest and others made building the import terminals.
Watch the price of gas rise once the terminals come on line.
Well done again LNP.
Not quite true - it was both sides of politics that completely screwed energy for the east coast. Kudos to Turnbull for creating an east coast domestic gas reservation trigger, which has sadly not been used.
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2025/01/australia-nears-gas-disaster/
"In 2013, Labor Resources Minister Gary Grey made the unfortunate decision to allow the Gladstone liquified natural gas (LNG) terminals to be developed without the need to reserve gas for domestic users.
“Let me say very clearly, a reservation policy could not lead to lower gas prices or more gas”, Grey told reporters at the time.
“Calls for intervention in the market only serve to dampen any appetite for the very investment that’s needed to bring on new gas supplies”, according to him.
“We must allow our markets to respond as they are intended to do”.
Grey also denied that gas prices were rising as a result of the significant expansion of LNG facilities on the east coast, arguing that a gas price spike would occur “irrespective of the development of the east coast LNG industry”.
Gray’s decision not to reserve gas for domestic use came in reaction to lobbying by big gas producers Santos and Origin, who resisted pleas from the manufacturing industry to reserve gas for domestic consumption.
Manufacturing Australia warned that the projected tripling of gas exports by 2017 could result in price spikes and shortages, potentially costing 200,000 jobs and reducing GDP by $28 billion annually.
As a result, Manufacturing Australia wanted a national interest test on exports, along with the reservation of gas for domestic use.
However, Santos and Origin reject the plan, claiming that domestic reservation would keep it underground and stifle economic growth.
A spokesman for Federal Resources Minister Gary Grey also stated that the government did not believe that a gas reservation scheme would keep prices low.
“In the government’s view, it will create uncertainty and deter investment in new gas supply”, the spokesman said.
The rest is history. The Gladstone LNG export plants went online, resulting in almost three-quarters of East Coast gas being exported, primarily to China."
A Salty Dog wrote:andy-mac wrote:velocityjohnno wrote:Surprising we've got any aluminium production left with our energy input costs and energy policies. Who is left? Alcoa at Portland, the plant down on the Derwent using hydro Tas power, anyone else? Geelong lost it's aluminium plant some years ago, now this:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-10/alcoa-alumina-refinery-shutdown-t...
Doesn't WA keep a share of its natural gas for local use?
This may be a factor?WA does have a gas reservation policy.
The Turnbull government introduced a reservation policy to supply east coast Australia, however it has never been enforced.
Morrison was happy to have Forrest build an import terminal at Port Kembla at a cost of one billion, so we can import gas we exported and pay double the price we sold it for. Two other import terminals are also under construction. How smart is that!!!
I can understand Albo not enforcing the reservation policy given the investment Forrest and others made building the import terminals.
Watch the price of gas rise once the terminals come on line.
Well done again LNP.
Can we all just get off the Gas ? It’s old school, it’s a dirty fossil fuel atmospheric choker.
Pump the money into the largest thermonuclear reactor on Earth, it’s above our heads, the Sun. Gotta get over this going back to old energy sources habit, they’re finished . Time to move along folks, nothing to see here, except for the GAS . Fuck it off for good,…please. AW
The world’s first artificial heart is a success.
Made by a guy in qld.
The prototype used parts from Bunnings.
Don’t ya love Australians….and Bunnings.
We’ve gifted the US billions for AUKUS, who by the way are now going to shaft us.
We’ve given this money to proliferate the manufacturing of more weapons and craft that bear them, inadvertently killing people across the globe.
Why can’t we sink billions into Solar Energy operations that’ll help stop the killing of species. It’s an utter disgrace the current global rates of extinction, per capita we are one of the worst offenders. Time to be the ‘Smart Country’ not the ‘ Lucky Country’. Because at the moment, we are the ‘Not So Lucky Country’ across all contexts. Get Smart, or we will miss it by that….much. AW
I agree with this. I don't like the author, he's a populist, but I do agree with this article.
https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/chinas-iron-ore-blackhole-ignored-in-a...
flollo wrote:I agree with this. I don't like the author, he's a populist, but I do agree with this article.
https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/chinas-iron-ore-blackhole-ignored-in-a...
Flollo. Hi pal.
Interesting indeed. We will always be the ‘undercard’. AW
AlfredWallace wrote:A Salty Dog wrote:andy-mac wrote:velocityjohnno wrote:Surprising we've got any aluminium production left with our energy input costs and energy policies. Who is left? Alcoa at Portland, the plant down on the Derwent using hydro Tas power, anyone else? Geelong lost it's aluminium plant some years ago, now this:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-10/alcoa-alumina-refinery-shutdown-t...
Doesn't WA keep a share of its natural gas for local use?
This may be a factor?WA does have a gas reservation policy.
The Turnbull government introduced a reservation policy to supply east coast Australia, however it has never been enforced.
Morrison was happy to have Forrest build an import terminal at Port Kembla at a cost of one billion, so we can import gas we exported and pay double the price we sold it for. Two other import terminals are also under construction. How smart is that!!!
I can understand Albo not enforcing the reservation policy given the investment Forrest and others made building the import terminals.
Watch the price of gas rise once the terminals come on line.
Well done again LNP.
Can we all just get off the Gas ? It’s old school, it’s a dirty fossil fuel atmospheric choker.
Pump the money into the largest thermonuclear reactor on Earth, it’s above our heads, the Sun. Gotta get over this going back to old energy sources habit, they’re finished . Time to move along folks, nothing to see here, except for the GAS . Fuck it off for good,…please. AW
Agreed AW,
But it will be around for some time as a backup until renewables and batteries can guarantee a continuous supply.
We should be much further down the path to 100% renewables but we all know who has frustrated their roll out.
Cheers!
Optimist wrote:The world’s first artificial heart is a success.
Made by a guy in qld.
The prototype used parts from Bunnings.
Don’t ya love Australians….and Bunnings.
Read that. Absolutely epic, will save lives.
Got to love the artificial heart story
pretty impressive, only temporary and made me think of those who will be able to afford the eXXy stop-gap fix, but a step in the right direction, I guess, if we're brave-new-elon-Marsing in 1,000 years,
Bunnings are doing a DIY artificial heart video so you can save money.
You’ll need a few things.
Some tubes, large fish tank pump, ( not made in China) ..electric gate valves, cable ties ……and you can mount a small solar panel on your chest to save battery.
Make sure you wear protective gear when working….get plenty of sun.
Keep your receipts in case of pump failure.
"Internal organs are just the beginning"..
Ha ha ….very good.
Albo turning populist - buy Australian goods instead of the US ones! Which US goods are there to buy? There's hardly anything.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-13/albanese-urges-buy-australian-aft...
flollo wrote:Albo turning populist - buy Australian goods instead of the US ones! Which US goods are there to buy? There's hardly anything.
Subscribing to Swellnet instead of Surfline is a good start (though by and large, I'm preaching to the converted here).
Haha, that’s actually a good point.
flollo wrote:Albo turning populist - buy Australian goods instead of the US ones! Which US goods are there to buy? There's hardly anything.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-13/albanese-urges-buy-australian-aft...
You could buy a jeep or a harley, good luck finding a homegrown option
^^
Oranges
Yeti products
Lots of tools
Haha, nice one @ben
Qantas / Jetstar / Rex
We do import $55 billion AUD worth of stuff from the U.S. a year.
Most of those products are for our benefit like quality farm machinery for an example.
We only need them because we don’t make anything while they still do.
It would be stupid to tariff that as it helps us and if the U.S. want to tariff us then let them….
flollo wrote:Albo turning populist - buy Australian goods instead of the US ones! Which US goods are there to buy? There's hardly anything.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-13/albanese-urges-buy-australian-aft...
There's the Jeep
https://www.drive.com.au/news/jeep-grand-cherokee-axed-in-australia/
oh wait it failed in our market
Actually, buying a massive US pick up helps both the US and what's left of Australia's car manufacturing industry. Plus, the tray is big enough to actually be practical.
https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/australias-reborn-car-industry-exp...
velocityjohnno wrote:flollo wrote:Albo turning populist - buy Australian goods instead of the US ones! Which US goods are there to buy? There's hardly anything.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-13/albanese-urges-buy-australian-aft...
There's the Jeep
https://www.drive.com.au/news/jeep-grand-cherokee-axed-in-australia/
oh wait it failed in our market
See lots of them on the side of the road....
andy-mac wrote:velocityjohnno wrote:flollo wrote:Albo turning populist - buy Australian goods instead of the US ones! Which US goods are there to buy? There's hardly anything.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-13/albanese-urges-buy-australian-aft...
There's the Jeep
https://www.drive.com.au/news/jeep-grand-cherokee-axed-in-australia/
oh wait it failed in our market
See lots of them on the side of the road....
See lots of them bogged to the axles...
flollo wrote:Albo turning populist - buy Australian goods instead of the US ones! Which US goods are there to buy? There's hardly anything.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-13/albanese-urges-buy-australian-aft...
Hi Flollo, pretty sure that doesn’t fit under the definition of populism.
Maybe patriotism?
Australia loses it's last and only architectural glass window maker:
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2025/03/australia-can-no-longer-manufac...
High gas prices cited as reason, just so strange when we are one of the world's top exporters of gas...
In the manufacturer's own words:
"On Monday, 3 March 2025, Australia lost another critical manufacturing capability—architectural float glass. The closure of the country’s last remaining float glass plant was a quiet event, attended only by employees. This stood in stark contrast to its grand opening 51 years ago, when political and business leaders gathered to celebrate a milestone in Australian manufacturing.
There was no media coverage, no public acknowledgment—most Australians remain unaware that an entire industry has disappeared from their own backyard.
For the past 11 years, Australia had just one operating float glass plant. Now, there are none. We are entirely dependent on imported glass.
The reasons behind this closure are complex, but they boil down to one fundamental issue: Australia’s economic and regulatory environment is increasingly unfavourable to manufacturing. The challenges were insurmountable.
This business had a long and proud history. It began in 1856, importing glass into Victoria. In 1931, the first manufacturing plant opened in Sydney, producing patterned glass and shortly thereafter sheet glass. A drawn sheet plant- the predecessor to float glass – commenced in Dandenong, Victoria in 1962. Then, in 1974, Australia’s first float glass line, and the first in the Southern Hemisphere, was established in Dandenong. This investment drove rapid growth, leading to a second float line in Ingleburn, Sydney, in 1988 during Australia’s Bicentenary.
Float glass production is both an art and a science. It requires precisely blending seven raw materials and melting them in a furnace at a staggering 1600°C—comparable to the belly of a dragon.
Natural gas fuels this intense heat, triggering complex chemical reactions that transform raw ingredients into perfectly smooth, crystal-clear glass.
But now, that dragon’s fire has been extinguished—permanently.
To all who have worked for and alongside this business over the past 169 years, thank you. Your contributions and dedication have shaped an industry that, though gone from our shores, will not be forgotten."
This should wind a few people up!
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-17/rba-reveals-new-5-bank-note-with-...
A Salty Dog wrote:This should wind a few people up!
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-17/rba-reveals-new-5-bank-note-with-...
I honestly don’t understand why would people waste their time end energy getting upset over this. I know they will but I find that completely bizarre. Like, you got one life and you will waste it on arguments over a piece of paper? It’s weird.
flollo wrote:A Salty Dog wrote:This should wind a few people up!
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-17/rba-reveals-new-5-bank-note-with-...
I honestly don’t understand why would people waste their time end energy getting upset over this. I know they will but I find that completely bizarre. Like, you got one life and you will waste it on arguments over a piece of paper? It’s weird.
I agree, im not for Australia becoming a republic but im also not a fan of the royal family either and i couldn't care less that Charles is not on there, and i sure dont have an issue with an Indigenous Australian being on our bank note.
andy-mac wrote:https://johnmenadue.com/anzus-and-nato-are-kaput-and-trump-doesnt-care/
I'm on a fence with some of this stuff. I agree with his description of the situation. Like he said, the US is simply making unilateral moves that benefit them (the benefit part is debatable but I'll ignore it for now). But I'm not sure if playing hard ball right now is in Australia's interest. I think Albo red the room well. I saw Jackie Lambie screaming that we should banned them access from Pine Gap unless they drop the tariffs. That we should kick them out etc. I think this is wrong and dangerous. Especially as we are heading into election. I hope we keep our heads cool and just work on it slowly. There is no need to make any dramatic moves right now.
flollo wrote:andy-mac wrote:https://johnmenadue.com/anzus-and-nato-are-kaput-and-trump-doesnt-care/
I'm on a fence with some of this stuff. I agree with his description of the situation. Like he said, the US is simply making unilateral moves that benefit them (the benefit part is debatable but I'll ignore it for now). But I'm not sure if playing hard ball right now is in Australia's interest. I think Albo red the room well. I saw Jackie Lambie screaming that we should banned them access from Pine Gap unless they drop the tariffs. That we should kick them out etc. I think this is wrong and dangerous. Especially as we are heading into election. I hope we keep our heads cool and just work on it slowly. There is no need to make any dramatic moves right now.
Yep, agree with the no dramatic changes, but we need to be making plans to become more self-sufficient, especially in defence and building new strategic relationships.
This could start by immediately cancelling AUKUS deal, it's an expensive dud and use that money for better defence capabilities.
My opinion only, which may be ignorant but many who should know have been saying this from the start before Trump even made less likely to eventuate.
I think it is now obvious we cannot rely on the USA as ally, protector etc especially in the age of Trump and his bunch of nuts.
We should start with stopping immediately any combined operations in South China Sea that is provoking our biggest trading partner.
China has demonstrated they can play tit for tat in this area.
If the war in ME escalates which day by day is looking more likely with Trump's sabre rattling with Iran and the starting up the genocide again, we make it clear we have nothing to do with that, including allowing our recourses at Pine Gap etc to be used (yeah I know we probably do not have much of a choice here as Gough discovered).
We followed them to Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq amongst many other and when we the man of steel requested help with East Timor, we were on own.
We have been treated like a used and abused girlfriend and it's time we stood up for ourselves.
Edit: East Timor admittedly was before Iraq Afghanistan.
We can do all of this mate but let's make sure we arm ourselves first. You need to work diligently in the background for many years to execute what you described here. It will take longer than Trump will be in power and I do agree that it needs to be done. I am bit sceptical to the approach of raising a lot of noise but not really starting anything in the background. This is the approach that most have taken in Europe for example but when you scratch behind the surface you realise that very little is being done.
flollo wrote:We can do all of this mate but let's make sure we arm ourselves first. You need to work diligently in the background for many years to execute what you described here. It will take longer than Trump will be in power and I do agree that it needs to be done. I am bit sceptical to the approach of raising a lot of noise but not really starting anything in the background. This is the approach that most have taken in Europe for example but when you scratch behind the surface you realise that very little is being done.
Yeah flollo, got to say I am in agreement with you.
re: Pine Gap - "yeah I know we probably do not have much of a choice here as Gough discovered."
Glad someone brought this up, it's difficult to overstate the influence and control the U.S. has over Australia.
We are a vassal state and I think it's reasonable to state that little of consequence happens in Australia without a nod from the Yanks.
It will interesting to see how Japan manages Trump and its security. It doesn't have many friends in Asia and a 2022 report stated they would run out of ammunition in about 2 months in a war over the islands south west of Kyushu. There's a nuclear power industry, so developing nuclear weapons is probably possible, but I doubt the public would support it.
They will stay under the US protection but they will have to pay some serious $$$.
I see Japan building up its conventional forces over the next few years, accompanied by gnashing of teeth, wails of disapproval and a similar military build by their neighbors.
arcadia wrote:I see Japan building up its conventional forces over the next few years, accompanied by gnashing of teeth, wails of disapproval and a similar military build by their neighbors.
Japan's got a few constitutional hurdles to clear first. Not a straightforward process.
Another take....
Entertaining stuff andy-mac , now to get the Don to bite .
AndyM wrote:re: Pine Gap - "yeah I know we probably do not have much of a choice here as Gough discovered."
Glad someone brought this up, it's difficult to overstate the influence and control the U.S. has over Australia.
We are a vassal state and I think it's reasonable to state that little of consequence happens in Australia without a nod from the Yanks.
Somehow leased Darwin Harbour to the Chinese company without USA’s consent….but then no one in the federal government noticed either!
andy-mac wrote:We have been treated like a used and abused girlfriend and it's time we stood up for ourselves.
Didn't Henry Kissinger once say "The USA has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests"
Maybe US aligned countries should have read more into that statement back then to avoid the situation they are in today.
Kissenger.
Given the Nobel peace prize whilst endorsing the carpet bombing of Cambodia.
Distracted wrote:AndyM wrote:re: Pine Gap - "yeah I know we probably do not have much of a choice here as Gough discovered."
Glad someone brought this up, it's difficult to overstate the influence and control the U.S. has over Australia.
We are a vassal state and I think it's reasonable to state that little of consequence happens in Australia without a nod from the Yanks.Somehow leased Darwin Harbour to the Chinese company without USA’s consent….but then no one in the federal government noticed either!
Fair point but the US didn’t seem concerned for some reason, to the point where US military fuel comes in through the Port of Darwin
https://amp.abc.net.au/article/100847070
AndyM wrote:Distracted wrote:AndyM wrote:re: Pine Gap - "yeah I know we probably do not have much of a choice here as Gough discovered."
Glad someone brought this up, it's difficult to overstate the influence and control the U.S. has over Australia.
We are a vassal state and I think it's reasonable to state that little of consequence happens in Australia without a nod from the Yanks.Somehow leased Darwin Harbour to the Chinese company without USA’s consent….but then no one in the federal government noticed either!
Fair point but the US didn’t seem concerned for some reason, to the point where US military fuel comes in through the Port of Darwin
https://amp.abc.net.au/article/100847070
“Gough was tough til he hit the rough, hey, Uncle Sam and John were quite enough”
Without doubt we are controlled by the US, have so for decades. AW
The "I can't believe it's not politics" thread.