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#1186342
Markus
THAT'S A BLOODY OUTRAGE THAT IS! I'M GONNA REPORT THIS TO MY MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT!
[leans out the window, looking into pig pen]
OI GUS! I'VE GOT SOMETHIN' TO REPORT TO YA!
7/28/2010 6:16:08 PM
#1186355
Buff114
Why dont the right wing just say whats really in their hearts...the whole world is build on x-tain values...so we better start forming our little world wide theocracy!
7/28/2010 7:05:12 PM
#1186364
rubber chicken
To many posters here :
West Australia, where this fucknuckle hails from was not, originally set up as a penal colony. The East coast, Sydney etc, was but the Swan River colony was started as a free pioneer settlement.
It is true that prisoners where eventually transported to West Australia to make up for the fact that the rich settlers couldn't find enough sevants to do the hard work for them.
Also, I live in this constituency and can say that nobody of my acquaintance gives a flying fuck what the religious beliefs of politicians are.
7/28/2010 7:44:05 PM
#1186369
anti-nonsense
so this "Christian Nation" stupidity isn't just American apparently.
7/28/2010 8:08:16 PM
#1186371
Amadaun
Re America as penal colony: that would be what is now the state of Georgia.
The British offered freedom to any slaves in Georgia who fought for them. About a hundred actually made it out alive.
7/28/2010 8:10:53 PM
#1186379
nichevo
@ Wehpudicabok
He is a big-L Liberal. That's the name of our main conservative party, members of which are generally not considered to be little-L liberals.
I agree, it can be confusing.
@ all the penal colony stuff
I'm stunned about <b>how many</b> posters mention the penal colony thing. Sure, it's true, but is that all you know about Australia? People don't bang on about Jamestown every time someone mentions the US.
Perth (i.e. the colony of relevance to Mr Randall) was founded as a free settlement. Convicts only arrived many years later when the settlers decided they'd like some free labour.
@ notions Australia is in the same situation as the US regarding Christianity
Naturally we do have some extremist Christians. But IMHO the situation is good (i.e. secular) and getting better. We are actually at the point where our country's leader can admit to being an athiest without it being political suicide. Is that true of the USA? I don't think it is, though I'm hoping one day soon it might be.
7/28/2010 8:26:08 PM
#1186383
Semi-Christian
Does anyone here realize how strange it is to hear any political person in Australia mentioning religion?
I don't think even the Christian Democratic party even mentions god all that much...or really at all. The idea of having someone in politics trying to introduce religion so blatantly is rather strange...well in Australia at least.
7/28/2010 8:41:21 PM
#1186384
Panz
Australia was built as a place to dump prisoners from England since they couldn't export them to their colonies...also there were natives there and now which don't and have never subscribed to the abrahamic faiths
7/28/2010 8:56:02 PM
#1186395
Good Christian values, like any prison island. Of course.
7/28/2010 9:47:36 PM
#1186396
"The Stolen Generation" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_Generations
YEP! Good Christian Values!!
7/28/2010 9:49:44 PM
#1186405
''Australia was built on Christian values''.
No Australia was built on shipping convicts over there, that England didn't want. Still in the 19th Century there was a worse penalty, than being shipped off to Australia: Being deported to Edinburgh!
7/28/2010 11:59:50 PM
#1186410
Ambrielle
No. We don't. We expect our leaders to make sound decisions that are not based on the perceived wishes of a mythical deity.
7/29/2010 12:43:04 AM
#1186413
Prager
If his comments are true, then why don't all disobedient children get killed by their parents?
7/29/2010 1:23:15 AM
#1186416
Xotan
This is the true problem with religion. It cannot keep its nose out of politics. It cannot accept that not everyone needs of wants religion. This brings it to the point where it impinges on the liberties of citizens. I don't know it Australia has a constitution, but every country that does, should have a clause that automatically disqualifies any politician commenting on the religion/lack of religion of any citizen.
7/29/2010 2:09:51 AM
#1186424
AmericaNeedsALeftHand
B4 Australia was a penal colony America was. You know how they talk about indentured servitude in history books. What they fail to mention is that many indentured servants were convicts Britain sold to American merchants. 1/4 of all British emmigrants in the 1700s were convicts.
7/29/2010 3:08:27 AM
#1186425
Blaidd Drwg
"many people in his electorate and across the country do not like the fact Ms Gillard is an atheist"
Well then I guess you should have voted against her then, shouldn't you?
7/29/2010 3:43:28 AM
#1186433
The constitution seems to say otherwise.
7/29/2010 4:13:58 AM
#1186440
Ionakana
Our longest-serving Labor prime minister was openly agnostic. It didn't do him any harm - and nor will it to Ms Gillard. For the overwhelming majority of Australians, the religious backgrounds of candidates doesn't even register as a factor in their voting inclinations. Those that are fundie enough to care will more likely vote for one of the minor religious parties anyway. Don Randall's comments are highly atypical of the Australian political scene and reveal just how ignorant of community sentiment he is. Fortunately his reelection is far from certain as his main opponent will be a fairly popular former member of the state parliament. Perhaps his comments were some sort of tactical move, but I am not sure that they won't backfire on him. By the way, s.116 of the Constitution makes it abundantly clear that Australia is a secular nation.
7/29/2010 4:26:25 AM
#1186443
Scooby71
As to the penal colony comments, they only really apply to Tasmania and New South Wales.
South Australia and Victoria didn't receive convicts, Western Australia only later, Queensland was split off from NSW.
7/29/2010 4:30:31 AM
#1186445
Mitch
Furthermore on the poor 'convict country' view of Australia, ironically, now one of our biggest tourism targets is Britain, they're sick of being stuck in their gloomy small island with a lack of beaches and we're living in a giant non-American, non-materialistic version of California, what more could you want?
7/29/2010 4:35:16 AM
#1186468
Orion
@ Wehpudicabok: Put it this way, are "Republicans" constantly advocating America become more of a Republic? Political party names can often have very little to do with the party objectives, especially if they are very old. Confusingly a "Republican" in Australia is a political term describing someone who advocates we become a republic rather than the democratic monarchy we are now.
But do note Americans that Don Randall is "under fire" about his comments rather than being lauded or applauded. Even the churches here have distanced themselves from the issue of Gillard's Atheism (but strangely they have attacked her unmarried status).
7/29/2010 6:01:29 AM
#1186494
The Jamo
Oh, go fuck yourself, Randall! Australia was NOT built on christian values. It was settled by British convicts. Gillard is not without her flaws, but let's face it, you don't like her because she's a woman, don't you? What the fuck does being an atheist got to do with running a country? You want fundie christian leaders? Go to the USA.
@ Mister Spak
That's a negative on both counts, brother : )
7/29/2010 6:40:03 AM
#1186554
Wait, they have this "built on Christian values" shit in other countries too? I thought the U.S. was the only nation that stupid.
7/29/2010 11:11:15 AM
#1186565
Dave
What a dickhead. It's only an issue to God botherers like him & the Mad Monk.
7/29/2010 11:48:16 AM
#1186566
vampirehummingbird
Don, have you tried that wacky new Aussie sport of crocodle riding? I hear it's a blast.
7/29/2010 11:51:37 AM
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