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Tony Abbott for PM

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Fair enough, IFocus, but I think there are still questions as to how many of these boat people are bona fide refugees.

Regular boatloads of 90+ seem to indicate some sort of organised transport. It doesn't really lend itself to the idea of a couple of families trying to flee their country in a little boat. Genuine refugees would probably struggle to pay the smugglers.

So who are these people who had enough money to pay smugglers to get them in the back door where they are apparently instantly welcomed, housed, fed, given money and medical services all for free? Are terrorists making their way here under the guise of a poor refugees? Unfortunately, only time will tell.

5,000 in less than a year seems way in excess, IMO. Labor really seem to be inept at handling this problem.
 
Some people take out loans to pay for the trips. Sometimes a family member is collateral to the loan sharks.
 
Agree. Ferguson has earned respect amongst the mining industry which wouldn't be easy to do.
Greg Combet, although not long as a politician, had years of walking on eggshells in the union movement, is intelligent, thoughtful and seems to have the unusual capacity in a politician of being able to apply some objectivity.
He also refrains from indulging in politispeak and actually answers questions like a real human being (as both Lindsay Tanner used to do, and Stephen Smith).

Sails, I share your concern. The government has blithlely announced it will build, I think, two new detention centres on the Australian mainland. Whatever happened to the deterrent policy of only processing offshore?
The way they're going, more and more people will flood in, and the government will just say, OK, we will just have to use more taxpayer dollars to build places to house, feed them, provide medical and dental care, etc etc.

Meantime, Australians who have lost their jobs through retrenchment and in no way due to their being shirkers, will be at risk of homelessness considering the unemployment benefit being less than a basic flat rental p.w.

There's scope for a thread on poverty and homelessness in Australia, but I suspect there might be little interest.
 
ABC Q&A was an absolute cracker last night.

Ole PM John H. still in tip-top form. Gave a ringing endorsement of Tony Abbott, and wasn't taking any crap from David Hicks, Tony Jones or anyone else. Conviction politics is a grand thing.

Even that feral in the audience, hurling two shoes at him before being ejected on-air, couldn't put JH off his stride.

But I still think he should have given Peter Costello his chance in 2006 or 2007. He and Mrs PM might have wanted to be in Kirribilli when GW visited. A real pity for Australian political history, but then again if Costello didn't have the numbers, then he didn't have the numbers, and you can't fight that.
 
 
Howard: self serving and loose with the truth by Glenn Milne

Seems Howard really screwed Costello robbed Australia of a possible great PM.


http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/40402.html
 
I have to agree with you there Nioka, JH may have done well at the start, but by the end, he was an absolute arrogent ..., attaching himself to GWB - he lost alot of the publics respect.

I think thats why alot of people find it hard to warm towards Abbott as its too much same same.
 
 
noco said:
That David Hicks video was pre recorded days ago. He was invited by the ABC and told what to say to set up John Howard in an attempt to embarrass the former Prime Minister.
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How do you know that, noco?
(I'm not suggesting I don't believe it, but am curious as to how you know that that's what occurred.)

I haven't seen the program yet, but heard John Howard interviewed by Fran Kelly on Radio National this morning. I don't know how he remained even reasonably polite with her, such was the insistent and rude nature of her questioning.
 

Julia, not only was it so pointed when watching the whole show, it has been confirmed by Andrew Bolt.

http://blogs.news.com.au/couriermai...iermail/comments/column_the_shoes_of_a_clown/
 
I've never been a fan of Andrew Bolt, but i must say i read that article and said 'yes, he's right' a number of times as i read. I might have to change my opinion of him if he keeps up that sort of material.

I agree that it would have been a more 'respectable' article if he had of stayed neutral, but as someone who agreed with his 'slant' on the story, i found it very entertaining.
 
noco said:
Julia, not only was it so pointed when watching the whole show, it has been confirmed by Andrew Bolt.

http://blogs.news.com.au/couriermai...iermail/comments/column_the_shoes_of_a_clown/
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While it was pre-recorded to be fair Howard knew David had a question prior to the show so it was hardly a setup, well a successful one anyway.
As far as the crowd bias goes Tony Jones has stated that they hand pick the audience from many applications and aim for a balance of left and right.
Now lets not forget this is a TV show and as such the purpose is entertainment, now hearing conservatives speak nothing but admiration for Howard just wouldn't be entertaining to watch all though a few on here probably would enjoy that.
Credit to John Howard though for putting his neck on the line in front of a live audience like that and all though the man will never accept personal responsibility it was refreshing to hear no spin on Q&A.
 
Bolts article is a shocker, bankrupt of intellectual argument but good feed stock for the right wing black and white brigade who live on his blog.

I personally support Costello any day over the lying little Rodent.

Unfortunately this type of vomit is where the dollars are if you want to make money, unfortunately Andrew sold his soul some time ago.

IMHO of course
 
wayneL said:
A good article with great points, unfortunately marred by a few logical fallacies of his own.

Had Bolt have stayed neutral in this instance, it would have been a slam dunk.

But still a great article.
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Yep, I saw it similarly.
Best part is the mental picture of Mr Gray making his way home in his socks.
Silly bugger.
 
Yeah when it sways off neutral in your favor it't always more acceptable.
A blog written about bias full of bias great article.
 
Yes the Bolt Courier Mail article was interesting. Particular highlights for me:
...But the ABC must now answer. Why did it broadcast that tweet?...Note Gray’s hypocrisy - employing violence to protest violence...Can you imagine what such a bully might do to shut you up if he ever got his hands on real power?...
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Unfortunately we require less and less imagining, evidence PM Gillard politely telling ALP MPs to shut the hell up, the executive will determine policy and make the decisions thanks very much. The spectre of dis-endorsement looms over all of them.

Just imagine the mass tut-tutting if a religious-Right nutter dared throw a shoe at Keating or Hawke! Fairfax and 'ALP News24' would go into melt-down I reckon.
 

Religious-Right nutter who Tony Abbott?
 
lol Todster, Abbott must still be a bother to labor.
With Abbott's faults considered, he does provide an alternative to this:

Full article:Three big promises, three big lies


 
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