Just what is going on?

As I said to our local MP the other day - the first time I had met her in all the time since she has been elected - "There must be an election coming up."

There are two things that make this very, very clear. The first is that we are back to that old chestnut - Medicare or Mediscare. A carefully edited clip of the Opposition Leader appears to suggest he wants to dismantle the national health system. It is a clip which is many years old but it has been resurrected by the government for the purpose of trying to suggest something which is not true. 

In this instance it does not matter whether you like or loathe the Opposition Leader. It is simply a matter of "he never said that".  It is nothing more than a carefully crafted advertisement which is designed to be misleading. We will no doubt have plenty more of that in the next weeks and months. There are some "cashed up" Teal, Green and Independent candidates who are going to try and scare us all into voting for them instead of the major parties. If they really believe their particular brand of climate change politics then they need to be sent back to climate school. Not even the major parties looking for an election win are that negative about our climate future when they are talking in relation to their opponents.

The other thing of interest right now is the issue of the two "nurses" who have allegedly threatened to kill Jewish patients...indeed say they have already murdered some. I say "allegedly" because I have not seen the unredacted footage which the NSW police claim they had so much difficulty getting hold of. It is puzzling how it was apparently all over the media but the NSW police could not see it, could not get in touch with the young "influencer" who posted it.  There are some conspiracy theories floating around as to why this was so and why these two "nurses" are not in prison awaiting their day in court. I have no idea what is really going on because I am not privy to the actions of others but I would question whether it was really so difficult to make contact with someone who apparently has a world-wide audience. Of course they would need to get any footage directly from him for the purposes of an evidential chain but that should not have been difficult. 

What is more puzzling is the lack of action. As I write this these two have not yet been charged with anything and, if the media reports are correct, then they surely can be charged with hate crimes? There the suggestions that the interest of the present government in maintaining the Muslim vote may have something going for it. I do find it rather odd though that two Muslim friends have separately told me how appalled they were by what was said and by the lack of action on the part of the authorities. Perhaps something will happen in the next few days...or will it, as the conspiracy theorists have it, all be pushed under the closest prayer mat? It is hard on my hijab wearing friends.