Q&A

Tonight's panellists
Tom Keneally - acclaimed author and historian
Larissa Behrendt - Indigenous academic
John Roskam - conservative commentator
Tanya Plibersek - Minister for Housing and Status of Women
Joe Hockey - Shadow Treasurer

Might be worth a look, just for Joe Hockey...

First talk of the paedophile in Sydney which has been the topic of news reports all week.

Tanya must have another migraine, or do her eyes always look like she's got a headache? What parent wouldn't be concerned to find out that a convicted and now released paedophile is living nearby.

Joe Hockey, quite sensibly, wouldn't want one living near him. Zero tolerance. Oh, so now Tony says it's happening in families, so I suppose that's saying that you can't save kids from paedophiles... dumb argument.

Chemical castration... will it work? Does remediation in prison work? I doubt very much that paedophiles can be "cured".

Tanya thinks that it's like rape, a crime of power... but I don't think the paedophilia is... OK, maybe in some cases it is. Tanya's right about the chemical castration, good points now.

It's OK, Carpe, Keneally's banging on about how badly whiteys did by aborigines.

Larissa talks about history.... Larissa, Larissa, Larissa... It all depends on where you get your history from... "we get it from our parents and grandparents...", yes, Larissa, and what a fracking cockup that is.

Oh Lord. Australia was founded on the backs of licentious crims... or perhaps with them on the backs of criminal slappers.

Indigenous history. WTF is that? Before white man, or after white man? LOL Larissa finds it hard to attract Aussies other than indigenous ones to study Aboriginal history - well, most people realise that it's a load of made up crap. Stolen generation? Pfft.

Well, good on John Roskam. His speech about history. Well said, and his gentle barb at the questioner was excellent.

What's a d1(kh... ahhh, I get it... thanks, Carpe in comments.

Larissa has studied aboriginal history and she's got all the answers. She's an acadimic, after all, and that's her speciality.

Question from an Arnhem Land woman about preserving indigenous languages... Good on her. But the language should be taught at home... there are so many languages, what sort of preparation will be given to kids to be productive members of Australian society if they mostly speak their own language, (strewth, Joe's reading my mind!), and not English, which is the language of Australia. And tell me, which language will be taught at school other than English? There are hundreds only spoken by tribes in differernt areas.

Good dig from Joe, "You're true to form tonight, Tony", when Tone tried to shut him up.

Oh, here's Larissa. Speaking about bilingual education. Fuck me. What use will their own language be unless they're going to be an Acadimic studying it on the public purse.... writing their own language, in English! Haw. Sorry, couldn't help myself.

I agree with Joe and Tanya.

Are Conservatives infiltrating the Q&A floor? "Talk spin and speak Mandarin"...

Language discussions... speaking second languages is good, but sheesh, Aboriginal languages for minorities (even whites living in areas with Aboriginal presence, the language is only spoken by very few in a certain area).

YAY, every child should leave school speaking English. (John Roskam.)

Oh bugger, it's over. Mashup was funny.

O/T, anyone else watch Catalyst about the imaginary friends? One child, an upmarket little Phoebe, was speaking about her imaginary friend's rights. Her imaginary friend has the same rights as she has... Noone bothered to ask miss six or so what her responsibilities are.