On Friday, 10 July, 5 grandmothers and 2 great grandmothers and 1 friend stood quietly in a Bendigo shopping centre hold signs that read – “No child belongs in Detention”.

These elderly women approached no-one, blocked no traffic, and interfered with no shoppers. Yet these women were asked to leave after less than 15 minutes as the management had received two complaints.

I ask again – What sort of people have we become, that we complain about a tiny group of elderly Australian women standing silently for the rights of the children?

Abbott's attack on clean energy: States can lead where feds have failed.

The Abbott government dictates to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation about what technology it can and can't invest in is a deliberate attempt to sabotage the Australian renewable energy sector.

The more backward steps PM Tony Abbott takes on renewables, the stronger the case for state government leadership.

State premiers such as Daniel Andrews in Victoria can create a safe-haven for the renewable energy sector – as they did when PM John Howard was in office.

All eyes will be on the Andrews government as it develops its Renewable Energy Action Plan to be released at the end of the year.

With a strong Victorian Renewable Energy Target and other measures, Premier Andrews can prevent the lucrative cleantech sector from dying on the vine.

It can lead where the Feds have failed and deliver jobs and investment for regional Victoria.

What a mess our country is in. Political slaughter is the order of the Day. Bugger the economy.

Can we have a Royal Commission on all donations given to the Liberal party, its office bearers and parliamentarians.

All of them. That's fair isn't it.? Better still, can we have an ICAC enquiry into Federal politics.

We have been enlightened about alleged Mafia figures attending Liberal Party Fund Raisers making donations.

Now Aunty is in the gun. Shut down the ABC. Shut down free speech.

Shut down members appearing on Q+A. Shut down the questions. Shut down same sex marriage debate.

Shut down Opposition at any cost—$80 million. Shut down the clean energy corporation.

Shut down wind farms. Shut down solar. Shut down the health system.

Shut down the education system. Shut down the enquiry on tax evasion.

Shut down tax loopholes. Shut down enquiry into excessive superannuation tax rebates.

Shut down talk of mining rebates received. Shut down prime agricultural land.

Shut down democracy as we know it. Shut down parliamentary debate.

Shut down the economy. What's that? Shut down the worst Government in history.

Lisa Chesters states her support for not turning back the boats – Ms Chesters, Labor's policies opened the floodgates of so called refugees to come in unprecedented numbers. 1200 died under Labor's watch.

The Abbott government must be commended for stopping the boats. Europe is now experiencing a flood of so-called refugees and you now have countries closing. They're erecting fences to keep them out but we have people who bleat about human rights.

But those among us who speak against these illegal boat, so-called refugees are branded racist, red necks. We as a nation must protect our borders and be more vigilant given the terrorist actions overseas. Yes, shut the door. Citizens who fight overseas for ISIS should be never allowed to return.