Malcolm Roberts, Lateline, ABC
This is what we pay the ABC a billion dollars for, so they can investigate the really big questions we were all asking, like why Malcolm Roberts used such odd grammar five years ago, and is he connected with other groups that use odd grammar?
One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts denies links to Sovereign Citizens movement
Yes, I’ve never heard of them either.
The big breakthrough was that Malcolm Roberts wrote some letters five years ago with highly suspicious grammar:
The senator has been quizzed about his knowledge of the Sovereign Citizens movement because of the existence of documents he began writing five years ago in a style similar to that used by the group’s adherents.
The crime:
Among the documents’ distinctive characteristics was an unusual style of punctuation.
593,000 people voted for One Nation, but the ABC wants to ask about semi-colons.
Similar stylisation of names is often employed by those within the Sovereign Citizen movement, in the belief that hyphens and colons can help them evade governments’ use of grammar to enslave their citizens.
And it takes three people write up about some tenuous grammar connections…
Story bv Nick Grimm, Peta Donald and Francis Keany
Meanwhile, all by himself and and no funds from the Australian taxpayer, Michael Smith, is researching Australian taxpayer donations to the Clinton Foundation.
The smear campaign against Malcolm Roberts is obviously a higher priority.
h/t David B, Pat.
UPDATE: Watch Malcolm interviewed on Lateline with Emma Alberici
Malcolm does a great job. Emma Alberici just doesn’t understand what empirical evidence is. Instead she cites consensus, opinions, a hot run of years, and resorts to the big-coal smear, fishes for the banking family conspiracy, and hauls out the grammar entrails too. No wonder she runs out of time. Anything but topics that matter.
Alan Jones interviews Malcolm Roberts on 2GB
For those who want to hear from the new Senator, instead just “about him” here’s a radio interview today. At least one media outlet wants to talk about policies that matter instead of grammar entrails. For foreign readers, Alan Jones is one of the most influential talk back radio hosts in Australia.
Alan Jones interviews Malcolm Roberts (13 mins)For those who don’t want to listen: Jones gives him a pretty spectacular introduction and Malcolm talks from 3:40 on. He speaks well, and talks about the introduction of the new carbon tax by the Turnbull government. When asked why companies go along with this he explained correctly that it was because they are intimidated by namecalling as “environmental vandals”. (In a perfect world he could have added that some of these companies are making money from the Green Gravy train themselves, or they they can just pass on the cost to consumers who have no choice but to pay it if it’s an item or service that can’t be ordered cheaper from overseas.)
Malcolm Roberts has spent the last 9 years working pro bono exposing the alarmist statements. He explains that carbon is plant food, and “we want things warmer anyway”. There’s no pussy footing around: “Greens are one of the most dangerous and vile forces in this country.”
He criticizes universities for accepting funds so they can make alarmist claims that they government wants to hear. But when he asked federal Minister Christopher Pyne about this problem, Pyne simply said they have no control over the university, and told him to write to a state minister. So Malcolm did and the state minister said the same thing. Roberts claims the UQ Vice Chancellor earns over a million dollars a year. But where is the accountability?
No one seems to be responsible for the taxpayer funds. This is a big issue for me too. As I’ve said before modern scientists have become networking grantwriters rather than researchers.
As a curiosity which really needs updating: In the late 1990s an ABS report apparently showed that an Australian on an $80,000 salary paid 68% in taxes levies and charges. (Currently the average income is 80k, it would be nice to get up-to-date figures). They spend from Monday to Thursday morning earning money for the government, they get to keep what they earn after morning tea on Thursday and then on Friday.
His three priorities are raising accountability, cost of living, and security (economic and terrorism).