The Abbott Government

[explod]

+1. Any suggestions from the Labor camp that Ms Bishop does not have the steel to acquit herself well in a leadership position is, imo, significantly underestimating her.

Absolutely.

Cannot remember the topic or forum but some months ago noted her intelligence, understanding and delivery on issue's to be well above anything I have seen from Liberals for a very long time.

 

[Logique]

The Murdoch solution ?

Not just Murdoch. Ministers can't even hire their own staff! They identify the best and most capable candidates, only to be told by the 'Star Chamber', no we don't like them.

Peta Credlin overrules Health Minister Sussan Ley's pick for chief of staff - SMH, February 4, 2015
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...-pick-for-chief-of-staff-20150204-135ttt.html

...Several MPs, all of whom asked not to be named, said next week's first party room meeting for 2015 loomed as a crunch point with demands Ms Credlin be removed before then.

One warned Mr Abbott could face a party room uprising on the issue and that the chief of staff's position was untenable, as was that of her husband, Mr Loughnane...

 

[basilio]

The drums are beating... The natives are restless and becoming particularly antsy..

Has anyway seen any odds of Tony Abbott surviving or how long it will take to bury him politically? I think he is dead and rotting, politically speaking, and the sooner he is given a quick burial the better the chance the Liberal Party has of making a fresh start.

The political obituaries are already being written. The best one, naturally, is by "The first Dog on the moon". Couple of exquisite lines ?

What will be carved on Tonys tombstone?

Achieved very little while cheapening our already dreadful political discourse below the level of human comprehension.

An intergenerational thief who did everything he could to make climate change worse, solely for political gain

Crafted the death,, torture and refoulment of asylum seekers into a catchphrase.

Lied and lied and lied until we just couldn't keep up any more.

Tony Abbott was liberated to pursue other opportunities today.

http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...nd-extremely-satisfying-demise-of-tony-abbott


Check the odds and get on quick.

http://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/politics/australian-federal-politics?LeftNav

 

[drsmith]

Hmmm,

Malcolm Turnbull arrives at Parliament House on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

That looks very early in the morning.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...s-judgment-into-question-20150204-1367qx.html

 

[ghotib]

...I don't think that ultimately a carbon tax would win the Coalition votes. Left supporters who champion Malcolm Turnbull for PM still won't vote Liberal come election time and he'll ultimately alienate a large proportion of his own supporter base as well as a significant part of the Liberal party...

Well here's one vote that could be won by strong and believable Coalition policy for reducing carbon emissions. I know many people who don't see climate action as a Left/Right issue and will vote on the policies rather than the parties, or the personalities. Some of them are normally Liberal voters desperate to get their party back from the weird alien beings who've stolen it.

And what are the Nationals doing in all this? They have no visible influence on the Liberal shenanigans, but if Abbott falls badly enough the Nationals lose too.

Personally, I'd appoint Tony Windsor as Dictator in Perpetuity, but that would be rough on his wife.

 

[drsmith]

Well here's one vote that could be won by strong and believable Coalition policy for reducing carbon emissions. I know many people who don't see climate action as a Left/Right issue and will vote on the policies rather than the parties, or the personalities.

What's left though if the policies aren't any different ?

 

[ghotib]

What's left though if the policies aren't any different ?

Policies on other matters. Priorities. Local candidates. Election day fumbles. Probably other things but it's late.

 

[Bintang]

What's left though if the policies aren't any different ?

Policies on other matters. Priorities. Local candidates. Election day fumbles. Probably other things but it's late.

If the Libs emulate Labor by assassinating their own leader while in office they may as well go the whole hog and just implement Labor’s own policies in respect of everything they cannot currently get through the Senate. At least they will be seen to be doing something rather than nothing. Then at the next election Bill Shorten will not be able to claim that Labor offers an alternative and the Coalition will be able to ask the electorate – Do you want more of the same?

 

[Tisme]

Interesting odds out there:


Malcolm Turnbull 2.00

Julie Bishop 3.00

Mal Brough 4.50

Scott Morrison 10.00

Joe Hockey 16.00

Chris Pyne 17.00

Greg Hunt 19.00

Peter Dutton 21.00

Andrew Robb 26.00

Tony Smith 34.00

Peter Costello 51.00

Bronwyn Bishop 101.00

Sophie Mirabella 251.00

 

[SirRumpole]

Interesting odds out there:


Malcolm Turnbull 2.00

Julie Bishop 3.00

Mal Brough 4.50

Scott Morrison 10.00

Joe Hockey 16.00

Chris Pyne 17.00

Greg Hunt 19.00

Peter Dutton 21.00

Andrew Robb 26.00

Tony Smith 34.00

Peter Costello 51.00

Bronwyn Bishop 101.00

Sophie Mirabella 251.00

Julia Gillard 1.00

Kevin Rudd 1.20

 

[Tisme]

. Some of them are normally Liberal voters desperate to get their party back from the weird alien beings who've stolen it.

.

I think you will find that there are a lot of "Liberal" voters who haven't got a clue what the Liberal Party was about back in the day. That is not to say it was better or worse, just that it isn't the true "Liberal Party" anymore.... there are many unforgiving Labor people out there who remember the way the working class was treated back in the day.

Conveniently the new Liberals trashed the last remnant of the true Liberals, Malcolm Fraser's brand to make way for the imposter organisation that prevails today, with its impotent Captain and crew.

I found this article rather in tune with my observations and rants over the past years:

http://theconversation.com/menzies-a-failure-by-todays-rules-ran-a-budget-to-build-the-nation-30823

 

[SirRumpole]

I think you will find that there are a lot of "Liberal" voters who haven't got a clue what the Liberal Party was about back in the day. That is not to say it was better or worse, just that it isn't the true "Liberal Party" anymore.... there are many unforgiving Labor people out there who remember the way the working class was treated back in the day.

Conveniently the new Liberals trashed the last remnant of the true Liberals, Malcolm Fraser's brand to make way for the imposter organisation that prevails today, with its impotent Captain and crew.

I found this article rather in tune with my observations and rants over the past years:

http://theconversation.com/menzies-a-failure-by-todays-rules-ran-a-budget-to-build-the-nation-30823

John Howard learned well from his hero, being one of the most profligate PM's in history.

It's a real laugh listening to the Right about how wasteful Labor was. All the data shows that Howard wasted the mining boom and did not invest in productive infrastructure when he could, instead introducing wasteful welfare like family tax benefits and baby bonuses.

Labor should make more of this inconvenient truth (inconvenient for the Liberal party that is).

 

[sydboy007]

the below nicely sums up why Howard looked so good and why Rud Gillard Rudd Abbot ??? are going to look so bad.

Deficits till the AAA rating is taken from us, and probably still more after that





At least it will show that the Liberals have no more idea on how to sort out the mess of the wasted resource boom years than Labor.

I'll take hope when our world beating tax expenditures are up for discussion and the billions wasted pimping property and super and cut back on.

 

[drsmith]

If the Libs emulate Labor by assassinating their own leader while in office they may as well go the whole hog and just implement Labor’s own policies in respect of everything they cannot currently get through the Senate. At least they will be seen to be doing something rather than nothing. Then at the next election Bill Shorten will not be able to claim that Labor offers an alternative and the Coalition will be able to ask the electorate – Do you want more of the same?

A Coalition government is elected to be a coalition government and all governments are elected to lead. Complaining about more of the same is something that's done from opposition, not government.

Niki Savva on the current leadership turmoil,

TONY Abbott’s rule is over… If it’s not formally killed off by backbenchers next week, or soon after, ... then the voters will do the job for them at the election.

No government today, given the fickleness and impatience of voters, can survive a civil war of the kind we have seen during the past few weeks unless it is brilliant and, despite a few notable exceptions, with some important achievements, the Abbott government falls well short of that.

Numbers are being counted. Malcolm Turnbull is said to be close. Supporters are refining their pitch, and to succeed Turnbull will have to make sure he lives up to it: there will be no emissions trading scheme unless the rest of the world moves; he will be more consultative; there will be no revenge ... and he will govern from the centre. The last is important because of the antipathy from the Nationals and the Right to Turnbull.

Julie Bishop is fighting to remain deputy ”” a sensible position on her part ”” and Scott Morrison will almost certainly become treasurer…

http://blogs.news.com.au/dailyteleg...legraph/comments/abbott_is_gone_or_maybe_not/

The West,

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/26199682/turnbull-in-climate-change-shift/

 

[IFocus]

Abbott is terminal just a matter of how and when.

No matter who takes over its pretty much a poison chalice with the Coalition destroying its political capital over pithy idealogical pay backs and budget measures that actually are unfair and don't address the rising debt that the Coalition have by increasing spending on their pet projects.

Throw in to that a slowing economy, rising unemployment and falling business sentiment still a good chance of a one term government as the punters thrash around looking for a government that actual governs like adults.

If Turnbul then at least there will be some intellect put into policy but whether Turnbul can manage the politics is another matter.

For the record I don't think Shorten is the answer but Labor over all would be fairer and likely to spend far less than the current mob.
To qualify that still waiting for Hockey and Abbott to cut Labors wasteful spending......any news on that front anyone?

 

[boofhead]

Hockey has made mention of the proposed income tax cuts are unlikely because of falling revenue.

Wasn't the same mentioned before the election of the Abbott government? If the coalition were more honest about things before and more rational about expenditure cuts without their own increases in expenses they would be taken far more seriouosly.

 

[sydboy007]

No matter who takes over its pretty much a poison chalice with the Coalition destroying its political capital over pithy idealogical pay backs and budget measures that actually are unfair and don't address the rising debt that the Coalition have by increasing spending on their pet projects.

I'm hopeful the VIC Labor Govt will release to the public all correspondence between the previous Liberal Govt and the Federal Liberals over the road pork and whether they were encouraged to ram through signing of the contracts before the state election. $1.1B in possible payouts to stop billions more in waste. Now that's economic vandalism from the party encouraging Australians to use foreign sourced over the top internet services.

Considering the economic return was forceast to be 45c in the $ one has to wonder what the rush was.

Possibly if Labor win in QLD they could also release all the correspondence over the Adani carmichael coal mine and associate infrastructure pork promised by Comrade Campbell.

If you can somehow justify funding non economic infrastructure then how do you win the argument over burdening students with even more debt when local students already pay above the OECD average?

 

[Bintang]

So it's one week at a time for TA.
He doesn't mention the following week.

 

[Logique]

...Niki Savva on the current leadership turmoil,
http://blogs.news.com.au/dailyteleg...legraph/comments/abbott_is_gone_or_maybe_not/
The West,
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/26199682/turnbull-in-climate-change-shift/

Savva wouldn't be far wrong Doc.

Here's the thing for Malcolm Turnbull, he has an inner city 'latte' sort of electorate. If he doesn't do something, he is at grave risk of being swept away with the party at the next election, which in the wake of the Greece/Vic/QLD elections, looks to be odds on now in Australia.

That Tasmanian Indep (now) Senator was right about one thing on Q&A the other night, a government can't bottle it on fair taxation of the big end of town, then turn around and nail poor folks with an extra $7 to see the doctor. Aussies won't wear that.

 

[Logique]

I'll go further than that, Niki Savva has absolutely nailed it.

Link supplied under, but sorry it's behind a paywall.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sub...tory-fnahw9xv-1227208245189&memtype=anonymous

...No serious leader publicly calls his MPs sexist because they dared criticise his chief of staff whom they reckoned was trying to bully, intimidate or ostracise them and their staff;
no serious leader repeatedly ignores their existence while indulging in policy frolics that he then has to reverse;
no serious leader humiliates them by awarding a knighthood to a prince;
no serious leader outsources his job or cedes his power to an unelected staff member, then spits in the eye of those who try to tell him it is wrong and will be his undoing;
no serious leader would tolerate senior staff briefing against colleagues, as happened with Arthur Sinodinos and others...