Natural Born Zionists

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"The federal government will give the Remuneration Tribunal new powers to set pay for federal politicians in a move which could boost MPs' salaries in return for scrapping several existing entitlements... The base salary for MPs [is] $136,640 for a backbencher... Depending on how many entitlements were cashed out, this could lift the baseline salary of a federal backbencher to as much as $180,000... " (Federal politicians' pay will be set by independent tribunal, Mark Davis, Sydney Morning Herald, 23/3/11)

"Julia Gillard has stared down internal unrest over proposed welfare changes... During a robust caucus meeting yesterday, about 6 MPs and senators criticised a government bill that will crack down on dole recipients who fail to show for interviews or training. The bill will suspend payments immediately... Members of the Left faction, including Doug Cameron, Stephen Jones and Sharon Grierson, complained the loudest about the compliance crackdown, saying it was too harsh... The WA senator Glenn Sterle said there were sufficient 'bludgers' to warrant the crackdown while the former employment minister, Mark Arbib, pointed out it was the former Labor social security minister Brian Howe, not John Howard, who introduced a mutual obligation." (Gillard to push on with dole proposals, Coorey & Taylor, SMH, 23/3/11)

Julia Gillard: "[As a student] she was more inclined to deal with the Liberals, the Zionists and various right-wing groups than she was with the Left." (She's got it, Stevenson & Banham, SMH, 5/7/03) (See my 24/6/10 post Julia Gillard: A Retrospective)

Glenn Sterle: Chair of the Australia/Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group; Rambammed, 2008.

Mark Arbib: "The federal Labor minister and right-wing powerbroker Mark Arbib is one of the US embassy's valued confidential contacts, providing inside information and commentary on the workings of the government and the ALP." (Yank in the ranks: The powerbroker Mark Arbib has been America's Labor Party insider for years, Philip Dorling, SMH, 9/12/10) (See my 10/12/10 post WikiLeaks 6: Working for the Man)

"Julia Irwin, the member for Fowler says [Mark Arbib] responded to a speech she gave on the rights of the Palestinians by ordering her to take a trip to Israel and asking her to submit further speeches to him for clearance." (See my 30/7/10 post Get Thee to Israel!)