Category Archives: Liberal

OPINION:

Someone in the FBI keeps leaking materials that agents seized during the shocking, unprecedented nine-hour raid of former President Donald Trumps Florida home on August 8.

We know this because supposedly sensitive documents keep turning up in the Washington Post. Of course, they do. The paper justifies its eager role in the FBI-fueled witch hunt against Mr. Trump by claiming concern for national security.

If thats their motive, the Post should report on President Joe Bidens dangerous foreign policies and his perversion of our armed forces into a safe space for Corporal Klinger. Oh, and the invasion by millions of illegal aliens. Instead of securing the border, the Biden team on Thursday held up another come on in sign by streamlining welfare benefits to immigrants.

Owned by Amazon magnate Jeff Bezos, who has let a Marxist clique ruin his publication, the paper is trying to relive its Watergate fame by taking down Mr. Trump once and for all. In the 1970s, the Posts daily vilification of Richard Nixon came courtesy of leaks from FBI Associate Director Mark Felt, who the Post code-named after a porn film, Deep Throat.

Caught in a coverup, Mr. Nixon avoided being impeached by the Democratic House only by resigning. What he did was bad. But measure it against the Obama and Biden Administrations. They ruthlessly have used the IRS, the FBI, the NSA, the CIA and other agencies for years against political opponents. They still are.

Periodically, we see very public and unnecessary arrests of Trump staffers. In June, on a flimsy charge, FBI agents hauled former Assistant to the President for Trade and Manufacturing Peter Navarro off a plane at Dulles on his way to an appearance on Mike Huckabees TV show in Nashville. They put him in leg irons. These actions clearly are intended to intimidate not only Mr. Trumps supporters but anyone running afoul of leftist orthodoxy. Shut up or this will happen to you.

Anyway, Mr. Trump is proving to be a tougher target than Mr. Nixon. Two impeachments over phony charges didnt work. The January 6 Stalinist show trial isnt doing the trick, either. The committee has even lost its bipartisan Republican fig leaf, Rep. Liz Cheney, who Wyoming voters heaved out in a massive landslide.

The three-year-long, Trump/Russian collusion hoax for which the Post won a Pulitzer Prize has been exposed as the work of Hillary Clintons Democrat machine. Like its ideological sister the New York Times, the Post is not remotely curious about this or any other Clinton scandal. This particular disgrace dwarfs Watergate and was abetted by the FBI, major media and Big Tech. Mrs. Clintons home server scandal involved breaches of national security, destruction of emails and smashed cell phones. Yawn.

Big Tech and Big Media not only shilled for Mr. Biden throughout the campaign, but they censored the New York Posts devastating Oct. 14, 2020, story about Hunter Bidens laptop at the FBIs suggestion. Talk about semi-fascism. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg admitted this on Joe Rogans podcast. The computer has footage of Joe Bidens son with underage girls and drugs, along with evidence of vast Biden family business deals in Ukraine, Russia and with communist-controlled companies in China.

A survey commissioned by the Media Research Center shortly after the 2020 election showed that as many as 17% of Biden voters would not have voted for him had they known this at the time.

A shift of this magnitude would have changed the outcome in all six of the swing states won by Joe Biden, and Donald Trump would have comfortably won a second term as president, the MRC concluded.

The coverup isnt over. ABC, CBS and NBC continue to hold back from their audiences the latest shocking revelations surrounding Hunter Bidens various scandals, MRCs Newsbusters site reported in late August.

No, the real threat to America isnt the Deep State corruption epitomized by the FBIs thuggish behavior that is strangling our democracy. Its those MAGA Republicans, as Mr. Biden said in his spectacularly divisive Philadelphia speech on Sept. 1. The optics were right out of Triumph of the Will, the film that Leni Riefenstahl made in 1935 to elevate a certain German elected leader to godlike status.

Some pundits say that Mr. Bidens handlers know exactly how bizarre the whole thing was and that their aim was to take voters focus off skyrocketing inflation, crime, rotten schools and the border crisis.

I dont think that will work. Do you?

Robert Knight is a columnist for The Washington Times. His new book Crooked: What Really Happened in the 2020 Election and How to Stop the Fraud (D. James Kennedy Ministries, September 2022) is available at his website roberthknight.com.

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The FBI and liberal media collusion grinds on - Washington Times

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Swedish Centre Party leader accuses Liberal head of 'collaborating with former Nazis' in debate - Anadolu Agency | English

We often see and hear some of our fellow Americans labeled as "liberals" and certain viewpoints or opinions sometimes disparaged as "liberalism." The Latin root of those words is "free." Here is how liberalism is actually defined:

Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual , liberty , consent of the governed and equality before the law . Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but they generally support individual rights (including civil rights and human rights ), liberal democracy , secularism , rule of law , economic and political freedom , freedom of speech , freedom of the press , freedom of religion , private property and a market economy .

Most of this sounds pretty good to me, and you may also support most or at least some of those rights. If so, as Jeff Foxworthy would say You miiiggghhhttt be a liberal!

David Stene lives in Pelican Lake, Minn.

This letter does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Forum's editorial board nor Forum ownership.

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Letter: If you agree with these principles, you might be a liberal - INFORUM

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Letters to the editor: The folly of liberal gun proposals; Poor judgment by Bulletin editors; No public good; Personal responsibility and Betsy...

OPINION:

With Labor Day 2022 now in our rearview mirror, Election 2022 is officially here, a nine-week run to decide who controls Congress and more than 35 state governorships.

For the past several months, pollsters and politicos have been saying that Republicans are poised for big wins on Nov. 8. But all that has changed as the liberal media seek to recast the races as tight.

Could unexpected Democratic gains foil a midterm Republican victory? The Guardian reported last week. Red wave crashing? GOP momentum slips as fall sprint begins, wrote The Associated Press. From a Republican tsunami to a puddle, opined CNN.

It was a referendum. Now its a choice, read the CNN analysis by Ronald Brownstein. For political professionals in both parties, thats the capsule explanation for why the Democratic position in the midterm elections appears to have improved so much since summer began.

While Mr. Brownstein cited evidence suggesting more voters are treating the election as a comparative choice between the two parties, the piece offered mostly anecdotal claims. But one, from a Republican pollster, put forward an interesting notion.

It is a really unusual election, Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies told the liberal outlet. Republicans have significant advantages on their set of issues (inflation, economy, crime, border security) and Democrats enjoy significant advantages on issues of concern to their voters (abortion, climate change, guns, health care).

There is no overlap, no competitive issues. This means each party has an unusual opportunity to try to create their own narrative to their own voters on what this election is about, he wrote.

The pollster sought to put those sets of issues on the same level which they most definitely are not. Soaring inflation especially sky-high gas and food prices is the top issue, while things like climate change and Second Amendment rights poll well down the list of issues in nationwide surveys.

Take a piece from PBS last month, headlined: Inflation, personal expenses rise sharply as election priorities, poll suggests.

Concerns about inflation and personal finances have surged while COVID has evaporated as a top issue for Americans, a new poll shows, marking an upheaval in priorities just months before critical midterm elections, said the article from another liberal news outlet.

YouGovAmerica found much the same in a July poll. Twenty-four percent put soaring prices as the top issue, with 12% saying jobs and the economy as No. 1. Concern about health care fell to just 10%, while abortion dropped to 6% and guns to 5% despite a headline this week from The Washington Post that read, In sprint to November, Democrats seize on shifting landscape over abortion.

Meanwhile, media outlets have all gotten out the same talking points over the last month: President Joe Bidens doing better. The presidents approval rating had been hovering in the mid-to-high-30s, but over the past month climbed back into the 40s.

But that is already starting to change again. Biden approval falls, holding near low end of his presidency, Reuters wrote on the last day of August.

U.S. President Joe Bidens public approval rating fell modestly this week, a poor sign for his Democratic Partys hopes in the Nov. 8 midterm elections, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll completed on Tuesday. The two-day national poll found that 38% of Americans approve of Bidens job performance, the news agency wrote.

Same as it ever was.

And the numbers on another key barometer were even worse, according to a running average compiled by Real Clear Politics. Just 23.2% of Americans think the country is moving in the right direction, while a whopping 70% think its all moving in the wrong direction.

Its worth noting that the party in the White House almost always loses congressional seats in the presidents first midterm election. While Ronald Reagan lost 26 House seats, Trump 40, Bill Clinton lost 52 and Barack Obama 63. Only George W. Bushs Republican Party picked up seats eight in his first midterm, which came after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

But the bottom line is simple: Americans vote with their wallets, choosing the candidates who are best for them financially. While they may still care deeply about other issues, their state most often decides which way they go on Election Day.

And for the record, it was former President Bill Clintons own campaign guru who spelled out that fact in just four words: Its the economy, stupid, James Carville said in 1992.

Despite the breathless predictions now that the election will be close (a few months ago, prognosticators had been predicting a 50-60 seat pickup by Republicans), the economy will be the key issue and the GOP routinely polls better on that issue.

And judging from the number of Democrats dodging appearances with Mr. Biden, few want to get his stink on them.

Joseph Curl covered the White House and politics for a decade for The Washington Times. He can be reached at josephcurl@gmail.com and on Twitter @josephcurl

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Welcome to the 2022 midterms: Let the liberal media spin begin - Washington Times

The tragedy of San Francisco is that the wealthy tech elite, while themselves, have, blinded by the stateliness of failed left-liberal ideology, looked the other way, are pushing the ideology on the rest of us

Screenshot of James, a homeless drug addict in San Francisco. Twitter/ @ShellenbergerMD

Something very different is happening in San Francisco. The city is carrying out a bizarre medical experiment whereby addicts are given everything they need to maintain their addictioncash, hot meals, shelterin exchange for . . . almost nothing. Voters have found themselves in the strange position of paying for fentanyl, meth and crack use on public property.

San Francisco is home to multiple open drug scenes. The word homeless is a propaganda word designed to trick your brain into seeing what is at bottom a drug problem as a housing problem.

The police do nothing. Indeed, the mayor, through the Department of Emergency Management and the Department of Public Health, is running the site.

James, a homeless drug addict in San Francisco, states clearly, They pay you to be homeless here.

He was not speaking figuratively. James is homeless by choice.

Originally from Texas, James says that he came to San Francisco for the drugs, the non-enforcement of anti-camping laws, and the $820 per month in welfare and food stamps.

James also admits that he sold a gram of fentanyl to a couple of underaged boys. He showed them how to use the fentanyl and also how to use Narcan, a medication used to reverse the effects of opioids, incase of an overdose.

People say high rent causes homelessness but Ben, who has been homeless in San Francisco for seven years, says the vast majority are homeless due to addiction.

Portugal has decriminalized drug use, and the Netherlands, where there are 28 drug consumption rooms. However, both of those countries condemn hard drug use and intervene when addicts break laws, including laws against public drug use and public camping.

The city of San Francisco denies that they are operating a supervised drug consumption site. This site is about getting people connected with immediate support, as well as long-term services and treatment, a spokesperson for the citys Department of Emergency Management told the San Francisco Chronicle.

As per a tweet by Sridhar Vembu, the CEO of Zoho, the tragedy of San Francisco is that the wealthy tech elite, while themselves, have, blinded by the stateliness of failed left-liberal ideology, looked the other way, are pushing the ideology on the rest of us.

With inputs from agencies

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How left-liberals have conspired to kill cities? Here is San Francisco! - Firstpost

The Liberal cabinet began three days of meetings in Vancouvertoday to hash out the government'sfall playbook, with the rising cost of living and the state of the economytoppingthe agenda asParliament prepares forthe return of MPs.

"Our focus this week, as we kick off what will be a busy and important fall of parliamentary work, is on the economy, is hearing from Canadians, is working with Canadians to solve the very real pressures they're facing," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday at an event in Squamish, B.C.

"Whether it's to make sure that we're growing the economy, making sure we're creating good jobsnow and into the future, or directly supporting people and the challenges they are facing around the cost of living, that is our focus."

Trudeau saidhis cabinet will use the meetings in Vancouver this week to come up with ways to deliver relief toCanadians struggling with the rising cost of living.

Delivering that relief onceParliament resumes on Sept. 19 will involve balancing the priorities ofbothLiberal supportersandthe party's parliamentary partners in the NDP.

Earlier this year, the Liberals and New Democratsstruck a deal committing the NDP to voting with the minority Liberal governmentin the House of Commons on confidence votes until June of 2025, in exchange for the government meeting a number of benchmarks along the way.

The New Democrats say that at least two of those commitments must be met before the Christmas break if the Liberals want the deal to stay intact.

The NDP wants to see the first stage of a universal dental care plan roll out, initially covering families with kids under 12 that earn a family income of less than $90,000. The party also wants a one-time top-up to bring the Canada Housing Benefit up to $500, and says it wants that increaserenewed in coming years if cost of living challenges remain.

The Canada Housing Benefit, developed by the federal government and the provinces, was launched in 2020 with joint funding of $4 billion over eight years. The benefit is meantto provide direct financial support to Canadians who are struggling withhousing needs.

An NDP official speaking on background said that up to two million Canadians could benefit from the means-tested payments, with the federal government having earmarked $475 million in the budget forthe initiative.

The deal between the NDP and the Liberals set the end of this year as the deadline for both initiatives. New Democrats say that, so far, it appearsthose commitments will be fulfilledin time.

"On both those components, we are pretty close to where we want to go in negotiations," a senior NDP official told CBC news on background. "I am confident that we will have something to tell media by the end of the month."

The NDP regards thephase one dental care commitment as only a first step. If the Liberals want their deal with the NDP to remain in place, New Democrats say, they must extend dental care to under 18s, seniors and people with disabilitiesby the end of 2023, before full implementation of the program by 2025.

The NDP says that these two commitments are a floor, not a ceiling and they will be using opposition days, in-person meetingsand private members bills to push for other measures this fall to help Canadians deal with the rising cost of living.

Amongthoseinitiatives, the party says,will be a push to help families with one-time boosts to the GST rebate and the Canada Child Benefit,a call formore funding to help workers transition into green jobs, and a demand for further climate action.

While it's not clear which approachesthe Liberal cabinetmight discussbeyond boosting the housing benefit, Prime Minister Trudeau said last week that his government is always looking for ways to ease the burden of inflation.

"We have historic low unemployment right now, lots of people have jobs, but there is still real challenges and we are going to continue to do what is necessary to support vulnerable Canadians as we move forward," Trudeau said.

The prime minister added that, whatever his government does next to address the cost of living, itwill be "careful not to do things that will accelerate or exacerbate the inflation crisis we're facing."

One proposal in the NDP/Liberal deal would re-focusthe Rental Construction Financing Initiative (RCFI)onaffordable units.

The RCFI is a government program that provides low-cost financing to developers to help them build rental units in areas where the supply is low.

The government official said that Canadians should expect some announcements on housing and the cost of living focusing on British Columbiabefore, during and after the caucus retreat.

In the media release announcing the cabinet retreat, the PMO said that ministers also will discuss how thegovernment can build "a green, healthy future for everyone."

The government official said that this discussion will stretch across ministries as the government looks to ensure there are well-paidjobs in both the electric vehicle industry andthe oilpatch.

New Democrats said they havebeen meeting with workers in the oilpatchwho fear for their children's economic futures as the economy moves away from fossil fuels.

The NDP saidthat while it will continue to press the Liberal government to act in that area, it won'tthreaten the deal even though there are some 2022 timelines requiring action in the agreement's text.

The deal requires that theLiberals "move forward" oncreating aClean Jobs Training Centre to support, retrain and redeploy workers by this year, but the text of the deal is notspecific on whathas to happen for the deal to survive.

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Liberals begin 3-day cabinet retreat focused on cost of living, economy - CBC News

Our teachers day of rest and reflection is entirely unsurprising. It is the natural outcome of events that began in the 1980s.The chickens have come home to roost. But even now, we, the society, are unprepared to confront the significant issues. We are stuck at we want we money now!

There is an unwillingness to wrestle with the philosophical issues about how we structure our economy and country. We forget our history at our risk.

As a prelude to the 70s Revolution, one should remember that between 1960 and 1964, there were 230 strikes involving more than 70,000 workers. In the aftermath of the 70s Revolution, state enterprises were set up to control the commanding heights of the economy. This action sprung from the PNMs Chaguaramas Declaration of 1970, where the party rejected liberal capitalism and proposed strong state participation in the economy and a focus on national sovereignty.

The founding dates of the National Petroleum Company, the nationalisation of Shell and the creation of the National Gas Company stand silent witnesses to this period (1972 74). The National Commercial Bank was formed from the assets of the Bank of London and Montreal.

What is missed in this account is the active participation of the trade unionists and academia. The leaders of our society wrestled openly with the issues around structuring the economy.

While Dr Eric Williams boasted about the large public sectormore than any other Caribbean territoryhe was mindful of the danger of being sacrificed on the altar of some intellectual fetish. But he had formidable debaters in the persons of Lloyd Best and Trevor Farrell.

In agreement with George Weekes, the latter felt that the nationalisation process was too timid. The overriding concern was with employment and national control.

Weekes position was noteworthy in calling for the takeover of Texaco and Amoco. For any country, regardless of its size, to nationalise any industry and not to expect problems is to live in a dream world.

Farrell complained about the nuances of the acquisition process, arguing that the country was overpaying for the assets. Against this background, one appreciates the recent comments of both Comrades Cecil Pauland Gerry Kangalee.

Ozzi Warwick (2016) wrote a thoughtful history of how trade unions in Trinidad and Tobago have made political interventions using various strategies and tactics, which include forming alliances.

Do we now have the labour leaders who could debate a vision, or are we to be happy with them threatening and marching in the hot sun? The private sector has not changed its clothes since the days of Williams, but with the intellectual and moral feebleness of the trade unions, where do we go?

By the 80s, Trinidad and Tobago moved seamlessly, under the guidance of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, to what may be called neo-liberalisma most selfish approach to living. The individual became the strategic cornerstone.

As the late former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher, a chief proponent of this approach, preached: There is no such thing as society.

In other words: I am okay. See about yourself because I do not care about you.

We did not grasp the poison in that approach. We are now paying for this.

A steep drop in oil prices brought the International Monetary Fund and its Structural Adjustment Programme. Literally, everything turned ole mas! The country abandoned all its bright economic plans.

Trinidad and Tobago recovered with the rise in oil and gas prices in the 2000s, but we never restarted those development plans nor abandoned our selfishness. We never invested in research and development.

One estimate suggests that the research budget never rose to 1% of our national budget. We lived high and did not give a flying fig about tomorrow. We held the view that it was our brains that made us rich. Phooey!

Tenderpreneurs need connections, not brains. They are virtual parasites.

We had jumped off the train of self-sufficiency with the potential for indigenous technological capabilities in specific areas. The sense of national pride took a significant hit.

We disembowelled the trade unions, gutted public schools and hospitals and allowed private enterprise paramountcy. Private security services began to dominate while our established police service, starved of resources, became more inefficient. Poverty rose while our money made us world-renowned through the infamous Panama Papers.

No, not our money as in belonging for the use and benefit of the working class. That money was only ours in origin.

Our money is accustomed to gaining wings. It goes to places unknown for the benefit of those who fed at the public trough. Ugly monstrosities were our avant-garde homes, and larger vehicles soaked unsuspecting pedestrians. All these were not isolated eventsit is the neoliberal philosophy.

We bought into the myth that if we work harder, we will win. We excused the growing income chasm. We made many irretrievably poor. Now poverty knocks at more doors.

Those who sneered at the long-time indigents now realise their money is worthless in the jaws of inflation. They can no longer eat the money nor buy the usual fare. They are the new working poor.

They are now angry and want to fight but still do not understand the nuances of the struggle. They merely want a reset.

Do not reconfigure the system; just preserve my place. Please do not ask me to contribute since I already work too hard.This thinking is their new position.

The past winners were admired, but few tried to understand the system that allows the minority to prosper. Instead, those who were unsuccessful were chastised and shamed. It was all their fault.

The milk of human kindness was in short supply. Nobody paused. Flying to Miami was the norm. Our governments fed us baubles to keep us happy even as some in the high places helped themselves to enormous wealth. Remember the mischievous Jack Warner jibes?

Money was no problem was re-written large. Our ministers had blue lights and frequented the Hyatt Hotel. We were Trust Fund babies, living off the oil and gas rent. No hard work.

Did anybody notice where certain gentlemen gravitated to when launching a political initiative to win the votes of poor people? We are a nine-day wonder country with three card trickers.

We gave up our business class seats to Jamaican artistes while the wretched wannabes robbed to obtain the money to attend the shows. Who cared? Me, Myself and I could buy VIP tickets.

We were happier than the proverbial Pappy! Who needed job evaluations to limit the disparities? Life was good.

The music has now stopped. No company is tumbling over the other for new oil and gas discoveries. Covid, supply chain issues, and inflation have brought great uncertainty. What is our response?

After an initial halt in household and other private sector debt, we are again increasing our debt. The temporary rise in gas and oil prices causes us to sing, better days are here again! Run de money! Give me de ting!

What short memories we have! Did anyone read the recent Central Bank Financial Stability Report? Why is everything about me, myself and I? Will the little kakada help? On what have we been reflecting?

How to change our schools and financial institutions to breed entrepreneurs? The disquieting SEA results? The revamped post-primary plan, aka examinations, after two years? A programme developed to help those unprepared and underperforming students?

Why has the US system recruited 264 teachers from Jamaica but not from us? Is it because Jamaica teachers are paid lower rates, or is it the differential in their commitment?

Has any trade union reflected on how to change the food supply and inflation dynamic? How do we change the economic system to benefit all?

While I wish Dr Keith Rowley every luck on his present mission, our Trust Fund is unlikely to return to its glory. The choices are stark. Battle each other or save our children.

Societal implosion is at our doorstep.

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Noble: How the neo-liberal myth of Me, Myself and I poisoned T&T society - Wired868

Smith says his younger self the little boy who loved the military, the monarchy and politics would be shocked and very disappointed by how things turned out.

I did something stupid and if I hadnt done it, this never would have happened, he says. But I also got completely screwed over by one person I trusted implicitly.

He doesnt say it, but Smith is referring to his one-time close friend and political ally Matthew Guy.

A waiter interrupts. Its a dreary Melbourne day and we are sitting at a small table at Richmonds Baby Pizza, a buzzing and modern restaurant that has a fun atmosphere and serves up Insta-worthy Italian dishes. We order antipasti to start.

When Smith, who I have dined with before, told me which restaurant he had selected, I was surprised. A woman with a slicked-back Kardashian-inspired ponytail sits at a nearby table in a sports bra and leggings.Its not his usual haunt.

In media and political circles, Smith is regarded as being good at lunch. He can regularly be found enjoying good food and banter with Melbournes movers and shakers at up-market eateries such as French brasserie Bistro Thierry in Toorak or Flinders Lane restaurant Cecconis. But Baby Pizza is owned by Chris Lucas who, like Smith, was a strident critic in the media of Victorias COVID-19 lockdowns.

The gnocchi at Baby Pizza, Richmond. Credit:Chris Hopkins

Perhaps it was a symptom of his boarding school experience, or his years as an elite sportsman, but Smith seems uncomfortable in his own company and found lockdowns unbearable.

Did I drink far too much during lockdowns? Yes, 100 per cent, he says. But all the finger-wavers that accuse me of making excuses, I am not. Lockdowns did have an impact on people in the real world. This did impact peoples lives.

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As a dining companion even a sober one Smith is fun and affable, which stands in contrast to the hardline persona he developed during the pandemic years with his constant attacks on Premier Daniel Andrews and his COVID-19 policies.

A combination of his political ideology and personal misery during lockdowns meant he became one of Andrews biggest critics. He labelled the premier a liar, friendless loser, control freak and a loony.

I went a bit over the top with language. I allowed myself to be characterised as a head-kicker as opposed to a considered contributor, Smith concedes. I supported the first lockdown but after that, I really thought what was going on was profoundly stupid.

When most of my colleagues were hiding under the doona for the best part of two years when this city was locked down, I fought, and I am proud of that.

Before COVID-19 hit Australia and Smith became one of the Victorian Liberal Partys most outspoken and prominent MPs, he already had a reputation and influence at odds with his rank.

From a young age, he mastered the art of networking, knowing who he would need in his corner to help him fulfil his ambition to enter politics. At his 30th birthday, former Morrison government ministers Greg Hunt and Josh Frydenberg and Liberal powerbroker Michael Kroger all gave speeches.

Smith credits his late friend and former Labor minister Jane Garrett for teaching him how to lunch. Before I met Jane, as far as I was aware, lunch was a milkshake and a sandwich.

Despite their opposing political views, the two politicians became close after meeting at a mayors retreat in the Dandenong Ranges in 2010 when she was mayor of the City of Yarra and he was elected mayor of Stonnington.

Jane was hilarious. We hit it off immediately, he says. She was very principled, but the most important thing about Jane was that she taught me that you can genuinely disagree with someone and not hate them.

Despite this friendship across the aisle which is not common in todays politics Smith is a serial provocateur and political brawler. Recently, he has also been critical of the Victoria Liberal Party, slamming its policy to legislate a 50 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030 and slamming the Coalitions support for a treaty with Victorias Indigenous people.

He believes the Victorian Liberals should focus its efforts on the outer suburbs and regional seats and offer a point of difference from the Labor Party by moving further to the right.

I am a cultural conservative, an insufferable constitutional monarchist, I dont support change for changes sake and I do think we are undermining the institutions that have served us well, he says.

Is he religious? Not really. He voted against Victorias assisted dying laws but didnt oppose the idea. In principle I had no issue with it, I just think you cant legislate it. He considered himself pro-choice but believes Victorias abortion laws are extreme.

I am far more passionate about protecting the Crown, protecting the flag and the fundamentals of the national state than I am about various life and death issues, whether it be abortion or euthanasia.

His political outlook wasnt inherited from his parents, who were never members of the Liberal Party. We were a right-leaning family, but I wouldnt be at all surprised if my parents voted for Bob Hawke, Smith says. They might kill me for saying that.

Asked why he is more conservative than his parents, he says: I just was, I dont know why.

While I knock back two glasses of red, Smith sticks to mineral water. After the crash that ended his career, he vowed not to drink alcohol again while he remained in public life.

I have had a drink since the crash, Smith says, but itd be fair to say I was drinking far too much, and now I am not.

We return to the week he crashed his car and the subsequent fallout: a train-wreck radio interview, an excruciating press conference, and how two of his closest friends and political allies, Frydenberg and Guy, turned their backs on him.

In the days after the crash Smith cried a lot. I couldnt believe it. I was in tears, he says.

Wherever they teach crisis management at university, mine will be a case study of what not to do.

The antipasto plate at Baby Pizza, Richmond. Credit:Chris Hopkins

Its clear that Smith still harbours anger and frustration towards Guy, not for failing to save his career Smith knows he was the sole cause of that but for letting him think he should stay and fight.

One of the first people Smith called immediately after the crash was Guy, whom he described as hugely supportive and very sympathetic. The following day, Guy even drove to the Mornington Peninsula where Smith had fled.

Publicly, Guy told the media he had told Smith that his unequivocal position was that he should not contest the 2022 election.

I made it very clear to Tim that he wouldnt find his way onto the frontbench of any parliamentary Liberal Party that I lead. And I made it clear that I didnt want him to nominate at the next election, and that I didnt believe he should nominate for the seat of Kew, Guy said at the time.

Putting down the cutlery he is using to eat his pepperoni pizza, Smith insists the opposition leader not only encouraged him to recontest any preselection for the seat of Kew, but promised to lobby Liberal Party members privately behind the scenes. According to Smith, who took contemporaneous notes, Guy warned him there would need to be distance and probably public division but said: I cant win an election without you.

According to Smith, Guy said: Were going to pull through this.

Smith held on for a week but eventually announced he would quit politics at the November 2022 election.

Despite the division, their friendship initially survived the crash. But it ended early this year when Smith alleged Guy again hinted that he could help him get a spot in the states upper house to prevent him from quitting parliament before the November state election.

Matthew offered me a seat in the upper house ostensibly to prevent a Kew byelection before the federal election, Smith says. It then became abundantly clear to me, by about the end of March, the offer of a winnable upper house seat was a tactic, but it wouldnt eventuate.

After the crash Smith fled to England. I just love the place. The people, the traditions, the architecture, he says. I had to get out of Melbourne because it was too awful.

While in the UK, Smith, who was double vaccinated, contracted COVID-19.

I was struggling to breathe. I was really, really sick, Smith says. I was laying there in litres of my own sweat, alone, half dead in a hotel room... as they were giving away my seat.

When asked what he plans to do when his political career expires in November, he quotes former British Labour cabinet minister Tony Benn, who said on his retirement: I now want more time to devote to politics and more freedom to do so.

Smiths political views couldnt be more divergent from Benns, but he supports his sentiment.

The salami pizza at Baby Pizza, Richmond. Credit:Chris Hopkins

You do an awful lot as an MP that has nothing to do with politics, he says. There are ways to remain in the debate, being a voice for what I think the future of our country should be.

Away from politics, Smith says he would like children down the track and will get married when I fall in love with someone. Liberal colleagues have suggested a family would have helped his political prospects.

Thank God, I didnt have a wife and kids after last years performance, he quips.

At 38, Smith remains hopeful that he could one day run for his beloved Liberal Party again, but says its unlikely he will return to Spring Street. I am not ruling anything in or out.

Except Melbourne. He says he no longer loves his city and is unlikely to stay. Melbourne is the epicentre of woke Australia, he says. There is a certain demographic in inner Melbourne, particularly the inner east of Melbourne, who do my head in.

When I was growing up, people werent so angry. I am not angry, I am just sick of the finger-wavers, the self-righteous, the judgy types.

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Completely screwed over by one person I trusted implicitly: Tim Smith bares all - The Age

Explaining the wiretapping in Greece and the political debate

Political confrontations and international outcry were the outcomes of the wiretapping scandal in Greece. It all started when Nikos Androulakis, the leader of the socialist party PASOK-KINAL was informed by the European Parliament that there was an attempt to bug his mobile phone with Predator spyware. Admittedly, this was the last straw after revelations of the surveillance of the reporter Thanasis Koukakis and other Greek journalists.

The discovery prompted the resignation of high-profile officials and sparked a wide-ranging public debate that has embroiled politicians, political parties, constitutional experts, and others. It even led to an intervention from the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou. However, this was only the beginning of a crucial and deep political discussion in Greece.

The opposition parties, led by Mr. Androulakis, immediately demanded answers from the Government regarding the use of spyware and who ultimately gave the order to monitor not only him but also a number of journalists. The governments response came late and focused on the legality of the surveillance, even if this was wrong. Moreover, the emphasis was given to external threats and the importance of secret services to preserve national security. So far, the government has found itself unprepared and has not provided convincing answers on the case. This, of course, raises fundamental questions about the security of citizens and the observance of democratic institutions, especially in the context of political procedures.

Greek journals, EfSyn and Inside Story are constantly publishing investigative reports about the wiretapping scandal. They revealed that "Predator" is sold on the black market for up to $50 million, not only to governments and anti-terrorist agencies but also to individuals, by those who have hacked the company that sells the product legally. The Government has used the same strategies as in other instances. Thus, the defamation of the media and the journalists themselves were governments tools to diminish their work and reliability.

Greeces wiretapping case has been attracting growing interest from outside observers. From an international perspective, the issue has gained attention from the media and news agencies. Numerous articles ranging from the New York Times to Reuters and the Financial Times have reported and criticized the Greek Government for the incident and its response.

At the same time, Brussels is also waiting for answers regarding the use of spyware and, more precisely, in cases where the targets are political figures. Sophie in 't Veld, a member of the European Parliament for Renew Europe, urged Europol to intervene after a Greek newspaper revealed that the illegal spyware "Predator" is being sold on the black market to private citizens as well as governments.

Clearly, the concerns regarding the evolution of the issues extend beyond the domestic scene and partisan politics. The reaction from the Greek political system and especially the stance of the government need to be convincing and accurate on such a crucial democratic issue.

The issue of surveillance and the rule of law is highly connotated with the democratic values and procedures in our liberal societies. Privacy and the rule of law are not entirely unrelated. Constitutional doctrines regarding unreasonable search and seizureunderstood to protect privacy rightshave deep roots in the rule of law ideas concerning the need to constrain the arbitrary discretion of state authorities. In this vein, the Greek Watergate creates many unanswered questions regarding the decision-making, the government's political procedures, and the corruption cases. Moreover, Brussels is also having a hard time preventing intelligence and security services at a national level from violating EU citizens' fundamental rights. This is also the challenge in the Greek case.

Moreover, the issue of surveillance cases goes deeper from just the legality of the actions. How moral is to violate personal data and information, especially when we are talking about your political opponent? In any case, the implications and the ramifications for the democratic procedures are at stake. Nevertheless, the fact that journalists surveillances has gained less attentions, and as an extent concern from the public is also troubling. Undoubted, the journalistic environment needs to be protected in order to guarantee the freedom of express and the administration of justice.

The wiretapping scandal has caused significant problems to the Government and inevitably harmed NDs and Mitsotakis image on national and international level. From the beginning of his term, Mitsotakis tried to promote the progressive profile of his government. Both domestically and internationally, he was characterized as a politician with a liberal profile, despite the fact that his party is a member of the European People's Party (EPP) and generally promotes conservative policies.

His attempts to disrupt the public interest from that case with other issues were unsuccessful. Undoubtedly, a shadow of doubt and insecurity hovers over Greek society. Many experts and political analysts are concerned about the state of democratic institutions and the freedom of expression in the country. Besides that, Greece is ranking low on crucial indexes, such as the Democracy Index, in which has been characterized as flawed democracy and also holds the last position on the RSFs Media Freedom Index. Taking all these into consideration, obviously, the actual political decisions of the Greek government are far from their pubic perception. As a result, Mitsotakis is losing not only his liberal and progress facade but also voters, as the latest polls are showing.

Eleni Siapikoudi is a project assistant at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Greece.

Original post:

Greece: Hacked - The crippling liberal facade of Mitsotakis - Friedrich Naumann Foundation