Quote

"Quite bluntly, if you want paid agents, hired men, bound to do your bidding even when they know or believe that you are wrong, anxious at all costs to keep your favour, their eyes turned always towards the next election, then you will get a parliament of the spineless, and democracy will disappear. For political systems have much more frequently been overthrown by their own corruption and decay than by external forces."

Robert Menzies, 30 October 1942

https://menziesvirtualmuseum.org.au/transcripts/the-forgotten-people/92-chapter-34-the-sickness-of-democracy/

Things

Voting Machines https://www.wired.com/story/i-bought-used-voting-machines-on-ebay/

Brazil is soooooo fucked.

Vic election

Rise of The Independents?

• Brian Owler https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/oct/30/brian-owler-former-ama-president-to-run-for-labor-in-bennelong
• Fiona Simson https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/oct/29/farmers-federations-fiona-simson-urged-to-run-as-independent-against-barnaby-joyce
• Jane Caro
• Father Rod Bower

Ricky Muir https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-06/ricky-muir-to-stand-for-victorian-parliament/9398152

Federal ICAC https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/oct/28/crossbench-mps-confirm-push-for-federal-anti-corruption-commission

Brumbies https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/26/images-of-dead-and-starving-brumbies-prompt-fresh-calls-for-nsw-cull

Fun times https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-10-30/wwf-species-loss-living-planet/10434956?section=science

Daylight Savings https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2018/10/28/morocco-opts-to-keep-summer-time-all-year-round https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45366390

Climate Change and fund managers https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/climate-change-blackrock-manager-threatens-directors-ignore-global-warming-a7631266.html

Crimea, Cossacks and the Terek River https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terek_Cossacks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cossack_host https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terek_River

Sports

Australian cricket has lost its balance ... and has stumbled badly. The reputation of the game of cricket, as played by men, has been tainted. Women’s cricket remains unaffected.

Ethics Centre review into Australian Cricket's culture https://www.cricketaustralia.com.au/-/media/B9F2F708C1A540A08847A4758D02CB99.ashx