Tony Abbott for PM

[todster]

This reminds me of a child some friends fostered for a time. She'd had a pretty rough start in life and turned out she had some unpleasant sadistic traits. She would come up with a smile and slide her arm around her target's waist apparently for a cuddle however she would have a concealed opened pin in her hand which was then stuck into the unfortunate recipient. This happened on a few occasions until trust was lost and her hands were checked first!

IMO, Abbott will have to watch his back - Gillard obviously knows how to catch him unprepared. I just wish she could get on with trying to run the country instead of wasting her time giving the impression of pulling stunts like this and then giggling like a school kid.

The article below explains more of the security measures required for trips to war zones. Gillard would have known Abbott had a future trip planned which makes this all the more distasteful.

Gillard and Abbott at odds over trip to Afghanistan


Bold and underline is mine.

Oh i see it's alright to spell it out now in damage control lol
News limited= gospel lol

 

[Julia]

Sails, I suspect Todster isn't especially interested in the political process, or any objective discussion.

Might be more a case of thinking it's pretty smart to just keep stirring.

And, Todster, in your more honest moments, you might even agree?

 

[todster]

Apparently Julia i can't think for myself and swallow everything the media says hook line an sinker.
Other people can think for them self and swallow everything the media says hook line and sinker.
We just read different media perhaps?

 

[Logique]

(All quoted under, my bolds)
http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/

The Australia Defence Association is livid with Labor’s reckless ambushing of Tony Abbott over Afghanistan:

ADA executive director Neil James agreed there had been breakdown in bipartisanship over Afghanistan, and said politicians’ visits to troops should not be politicised.

“We’re the non-partisan public interest watchdog here. We’re appalled. Absolutely appalled by this,” he said.

“Would it take the killing of an Australian politician on a visit to Afghanistan because there was an operational security breach for common sense to reassert itself?” he asked.

Mr James ... took a swipe at the media coverage of Mr Abbott’s decision as “just disgraceful”.

“The original fault lies with stupid media speculation.

“But, also, there should have been more restraint by politicians. And it hurts me to say this as a non- partisan observer, but the fault lies mainly with Labor.”

Mr James said Mr Abbott had planned to visit Afghanistan before Ms Gillard extended her invitation and there was a longstanding convention that opposition leaders and prime ministers did not visit war zones at the same time.
.............
....And in the online responses:
Dave replied to Scarecrow
Wed 06 Oct 10 (09:57am)
Scarecrow, are you an Aussie soldier? If not, what would you know? I’m a soldier, and what I find denigrating is Gillards grandstanding and mocking of the opposition leader in front of troops that are working hard in some of the most dangerous conditions in the world. The last thing these guys need to hear is bickering between our political leaders.

I also find the hypocrisy from Gillard in regards to her comments about her interest in foreign affairs to be staggering but not surprising. Wasn’t it her saying during the election campaign that Tony should have had a better knowledge and interest in broadband?

 

[moXJO]

(a longstanding convention that opposition leaders and prime ministers did not visit war zones at the same time.

I vote we should abolish this rule.
Because you never know.... Dreams may just come true

 

[sails]

I vote we should abolish this rule.
Because you never know.... Dreams may just come true

It's not a rule, it's a protocol for safety, moXJO.

A tragic example is of Sundance resources who lost several board members in Africa due to their inability to find other aircraft.

If you want to dream, let the two of them hold hands here in Australia where safety isn't such an issue, but not wise to over-ride safety protocols in war zones...

 

[moXJO]

It's not a rule, it's a protocol for safety, moXJO.

A tragic example is of Sundance resources who lost several board members in Africa due to their inability to find other aircraft.

Oh, I wasn't concerned about the safety aspect

 

[trainspotter]

Oh, I wasn't concerned about the safety aspect

Be careful ...... you might just get what you wish for !

 

[Julia]

I vote we should abolish this rule.
Because you never know.... Dreams may just come true

Oh, I wasn't concerned about the safety aspect

Ah, moXJO, such unkind sentiments toward our two Leaders.

 

[IFocus]

Abbott demonstrates further why he is totally unfit to be PM.

Any mug punter could have explained a reasonable reason for not going with Gillard of which there are 1000's

Remember Gillard at no time has criticized Abbott for not going the issue has developed due to the incredibly stupid excuse Abbott gave for refusing the offer.

Clearly Abbott cannot answer questions without minders writing the script which was repeatedly played out during the election when he refused to answer questions at his press briefings.

What a joke

 

[sails]

Well, now I'm scratching my head, Ifocus...lol You make Gillard sound so innocent in all this...

Somebody made it known that Gillard had made the invitation to Abbott. I can't imagine that Abbott phoned the media to say, "Oh, Ms Gillard invited me to join her on her trip to Afghanistan and I couldn't be bothered in case I get jet-lagged".

Of course not. The politicians are usually tight lipped about these trips as total secrecy is required for the safety.

Didn't Gillard herself make it known publically that she had invited Abbott? If I remember correctly, she sounded quite cynical at his refusal. The media bait was in place. Of course, the media then confronted Abbott to find out why he had declined...

I still maintain that Gillard should not have made the invitation in the first place for at least two reasons:

1. Mr James (from the ADA) said Mr Abbott had planned to visit Afghanistan before Ms Gillard extended her invitation
   
2. there was a longstanding convention that opposition leaders and prime ministers did not visit war zones at the same time.

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/

Surely she should have known all along that Abbott was very unlikely to accept her invitation on the two reasons given above.

So why did she state publically that she had invited him? Was it to make him look foolish and uncaring?

 

[trainspotter]

Abbott demonstrates further why he is totally unfit to be PM.

Any mug punter could have explained a reasonable reason for not going with Gillard of which there are 1000's

Remember Gillard at no time has criticized Abbott for not going the issue has developed due to the incredibly stupid excuse Abbott gave for refusing the offer.

Clearly Abbott cannot answer questions without minders writing the script which was repeatedly played out during the election when he refused to answer questions at his press briefings.

What a joke

For once (or maybe twice) I concur with IFocus. I think Abbott's non ability to think on his feet and answer the left field questions with a banal reply has ascended to new heights. Not sure if this makes him unworthy of being the PM though?

I particularly enjoyed the way the media hounds have grabbed this tar baby and turned it into a briar patch for Tony. Except unlike the rabbit who easily escaped Tony has managed to hit every prick on the way out. Still goes to show they (the media) LOVE Jooolyah Gizzard.

 

[Logique]

...Remember Gillard at no time has criticized Abbott for not going....

What about '..I was able to regulate my sleep patterns, I got 8hrs sleep and was well prepared for a full day....I'll be back at the carbon tax meetings, jet lagged or not..." The teflon-coated one and minders work subtlely.

But Abbott handled this episode clumsily, no question.

 

[wayneL]

I find it a bit curious that people seem to judge their political leaders based on their ability to be a smart-@rse spinmeister and how well they can make s#1t stick to their opposition.

What has that got to do with leading a nation?

As a general comment, I don't care how clumsy or whatever a leader is. I want to know how well they are going to manage the nation.

Politics has turned into a schoolyard popularity contest with disappointingly little focus on actual policy.

I'm not saying Abbott is the best leader, but concerned that he is being judged on frivolities rather than substance.

This Afghanistan trip controversy is an irrelevance! (and for those itching to be offended by something/anything, I don't mean that the Diggers are irrelevant)

FFS aren't their more important things to debate?

Sheeesh!!

 

[todster]

Andrew Wilkie did it

 

[trainspotter]

I find it a bit curious that people seem to judge their political leaders based on their ability to be a smart-@rse spinmeister and how well they can make s#1t stick to their opposition.

What has that got to do with leading a nation?

As a general comment, I don't care how clumsy or whatever a leader is. I want to know how well they are going to manage the nation.

Politics has turned into a schoolyard popularity contest with disappointingly little focus on actual policy.

I'm not saying Abbott is the best leader, but concerned that he is being judged on frivolities rather than substance.

This Afghanistan trip controversy is an irrelevance! (and for those itching to be offended by something/anything, I don't mean that the Diggers are irrelevant)

FFS aren't their more important things to debate?

Sheeesh!!

The public perception of a leader is now more spin than substance WayneL. It really started with John Hewson and a birthday cake matter. All down hill from there.

This is how frivilous Australian politics have become due to the dumbing down of the nation by the mass media. Everything is in 23 second promo grabs ... the unwashed masses cannot pollute their brains with any more infobytes than this at any one given time. Beyond their capabilities to understand or grasp foreign policy, fiscal responsibilty, domestic matters or even their own @rses in three grabs.

People are more worried about terrorists than driving their car in suburbia - the latter of which is far more likely to kill us. We whinge about the price of petrol being $1.38 per litre but are willing to pay $3.50 for a 600ml bottle of water. Society has learned nothing from it's mistakes and hence we get the Government we deserve.

 

[Mofra]

I find it a bit curious that people seem to judge their political leaders based on their ability to be a smart-@rse spinmeister and how well they can make s#1t stick to their opposition.

What has that got to do with leading a nation?

As a general comment, I don't care how clumsy or whatever a leader is. I want to know how well they are going to manage the nation.

Politics has turned into a schoolyard popularity contest with disappointingly little focus on actual policy.

I'm not saying Abbott is the best leader, but concerned that he is being judged on frivolities rather than substance.

This Afghanistan trip controversy is an irrelevance! (and for those itching to be offended by something/anything, I don't mean that the Diggers are irrelevant)

FFS aren't their more important things to debate?

Sheeesh!!

See Wayne, I told you we had a political middle ground we agreed upon :

(Bolded the section that sums up the election campaign from both sides).

Just wait until twitter takes hold - we wont be able to read anything longer than ~161 characters on any particular policy without some serious digging

 

[Timmy]

I find it a bit curious that people seem to judge their political leaders based on their ability to be a smart-@rse spinmeister and how well they can make s#1t stick to their opposition.

What has that got to do with leading a nation?

As a general comment, I don't care how clumsy or whatever a leader is. I want to know how well they are going to manage the nation.

Politics has turned into a schoolyard popularity contest with disappointingly little focus on actual policy.

I'm not saying Abbott is the best leader, but concerned that he is being judged on frivolities rather than substance.

This Afghanistan trip controversy is an irrelevance! (and for those itching to be offended by something/anything, I don't mean that the Diggers are irrelevant)

FFS aren't their more important things to debate?

Sheeesh!!

Abbott is not being judged only on this frivolity at all, it is just that it comes after many substantive signs that the man is unfit to manage the nation: it comes after him being exposed as misleading the voters during the election campaign re his 12 billion dollar budget black hole, his attempted 1 billion dollar pork-barrel bribe of Wilkie, his attempted 1 billion dollar pork-barrel bribe of Oakeshott, his attempted 1 billion dollar pork-barrel bribe of Windsor ... and so on.

These are all substantive issues, his refusal to go to Afghanistan because he might be a bit jet-lagged on his London holiday is not the one thing he is being judged on, it is just another straw on the dromedary's hump.

 

[Timmy]

This Afghanistan trip controversy is an irrelevance! (and for those itching to be offended by something/anything, I don't mean that the Diggers are irrelevant)

For a different perspective from mine, just found this in The Australian, the columnist reckons Abbott's gaffe was very relevant, for three reasons:

Abbott made his own foolish faux-pas when he said, initially, that he didn't go to Afghanistan with Gillard because he didn't want to be jet-lagged when he arrived in London.

This was monstrously stupid on three grounds.

It's against his core identity with the voters. Abbott's extreme vigour and physical endurance are two of the things the public knows best about him.

Secondly, it made him look as though he was trivialising the Australian troops in Afghanistan, which was not his intention.

And thirdly, while Abbott would not, for security reasons, want to publicise the timing of his own planned trip to Afghanistan, he was entirely entitled to say he was planning his own visit at a separate time.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...gaffes-damage-us/story-e6frg6zo-1225935136508

Worth reading the whole article as the columnist also chastises Gillard for her own foreign policy gaffe this week.

 

[noco]

Joolya said she would rather be in a school yard talking to kids instead of talking to world leaders. May be that is her level. The school girl giggle tells it all.
The media blows up the trivial Abbott jet lag caper because most of them are pro Labor. Why arn't they out there blowing up the school kid preference instead of her talking to world leaders??????????????????????? That is far more important and I wonder what the world leaders think of Joolya after that gaff. Maybe less than Kevvie 747. What an attitude for by our Prime Minister.