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Should Julie Bishop be afraid?

Rumour has it that Kevin Andrews will not contest the next election and Peta Credlin will be gifted the safe seat of Menzies, and there are good reasons why this might prove to be true.

Both are big players in Abbott’s Star Chamber as is Credlin’s husband, Brian Loughnane. They certainly have the power to make this happen.

”As for a Cabinet re-shuffle, “it’s really Tony and Peta’s decision, there’s no point pretending otherwise,” the MP said, referring to the Prime Minister and his chief of staff Peta Credlin, who has been criticised for a perceived excess of power within the government.”

At first I thought Andrews unlikely to give up his position but on further reflection there could be some contributing factors.

Like the realisation that he is never going to become Prime Minister. A couple of weeks before Tony Abbott rolled Malcolm Turnbull, Kevin Andrews made an unsuccessful bid for the leadership. While he seems to wield more power behind the scenes that Tony Abbott, he doesn’t get to do the handshaking. Perhaps he feels he can do better elsewhere.

He may return to his marriage counselling business since there is plenty of government money on offer there. His publications could become required reading as Andrews is an Adjunct Lecturer in Politics and in Marriage Education in the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family in Melbourne – an institution that has also just benefited from newly offered government funding.

Andrews has been able to reward his backers. How else could one describe his repealing of gambling reform laws?

He has been able to impose his ideology in everything from school chaplains to the categorisation as “leaners” of anyone who uses his department’s services.

He has been able to oppose stem cell research, voluntary euthanasia, RU-486, and marriage equality.

As Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Andrews set the tone for Scott Morrison when he revoked on character grounds the visa of Dr Mohamed Haneef, who had been granted bail on charges of aiding terrorists. After the Director of Public Prosecutions dropped all charges against Haneef, Andrews refused calls to reinstate Haneef’s visa, stating that his personal evidence was still valid. Andrews’ justification of his decision, on the basis that he had a reasonable suspicion that Haneef had associated with suspected terrorists and therefore failed the test of good character that a person must pass to keep a visa, was rejected in the Federal Court, and the revocation of Haneef’s visa was overturned.

We have just voted to remove these safeguards.

Andrews is also a climate change sceptic so he can feel successful in dismantling any action on that too.

All in all, Kevin probably thinks job well done.

If, like me, you have wondered why Peta Credlin takes a seat at the table in all meetings with foreign leaders, why she gets to host soirees for Murdoch hacks and radio shock jocks at Kirribilli House, why she gets to decide who gets what job and who may speak to the media and what they may say, it may be now a bit clearer.

It seems obvious that Tony will have to be dumped sooner or later. Could Peta be a double agent?  After all, she is the person advising him and look how abysmally he is doing.

My prediction? Peta wants to be Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade on her way to the top job.

Look out Julie, the turd polisher is making a run.

 

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59 comments

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  1. Graeme Rust

    She won’t get anywhere as she’s seen as the one that decides or passes on the policies from above, a good lapdog for the IPA and murduck, but crap at it’s best. A big thumbs down for her.

  2. Jeanette

    Andrews won’t be missed by the majority, this is a most unchristian man. As I have discovered over the years there is a real line between those who are church goers, profess to be christians and those who are actually real Christians who probably aren’t church goers but care deeply for all humanity, environment etc.
    As for Peta bring it on another nasty to deal with. As much as I could and never will abide Tony, a simpleton compared to this one.

  3. aravis1

    Chilling. She only has to have stuff on enough of them to gain their vote. The wicked Queen in Snow White comes to mind. Happily, in that scenario, the wicked queen gets it. I am now simply hoping they will ALL get it, and very soon. Rumours are starting of an election in the first quarter of next year… and Peta can kiss any hope of PMship goodbye, at least within my lifetime, I think.

  4. aravis1

    Jeanette, I am with you here. I am strongly Christian, but have abandoned church and all its works for more than a decade. Never been happier in my faith. And these pseudo-christians are simply inhabitants of christendom. They are like the radicals of all religions – fake.

  5. Ricardo29

    Haw haw a great conspiracy theory. The sanctimonious turd, Andrews, destroyer of the NT’s rights of the Terminally ill laws, would never be missed. The sooner he leaves the better although he’s already done enough damage. But will Labor undo it? I don’t think so, too many religious there as well.

  6. aravis1

    O no, Ricardo. Labor will undo much – but as always in politics, what they do will depend on their perception of what the most voters want. And also, to some extent, what their backers want. There is a vast gulf between the awful religiosity of the LNP, and Labor.

  7. DanDark

    Peta Credlin is just as delusional has Phony Tony, a nobody trying to be a somebody, but functions on the sociopath mentality at the highest level same as the rest of the Libs
    as Asbestos Julie would say “SHE”…….. is a “turd” that dosnt polish very well.

  8. helvityni

    I’m also worried about the possibility of Julie Bishop becoming our PM.

  9. Gail

    Peta Credlin isn’t doing anything differently from all CoSs. I truly doubt she is the dragon lady from hell that is currently getting far too much airtime. Whispers and rumour mongering aren’t doing anyone any favours. Arthur Sinodinos was John Howard’s CoS and has managed to sink himself despite the gift of a Senate seat. There are a few well known CoSs from times past but most people never know their names. It is the Libs and their own party management that control the direction of the party. I’d guess she works her arse off trying to get things right with MSM pressure Sinodinos never had to tolerate. The Libs chose to put a dope into Abbott’s job and they can reap what they sowed. He’s such a dope, I’d guess Peta Credlin deserves a great deal more credit for their election victory than they will ever give her. Such little people!

    I think that I, and many other non-Lib people, need to be careful that we don’t pin far too much on the woman because she’s had more press exposure than most CoS do. We are, maybe, misogynistic in many more ways than we might think. I very much doubt that she is worse, or even different from, many of her predecessors in that job. It almost seems to me that the MSM and the press gallery rather favour the idea that making her a scapegoat might excuse years of toadying and sycophancy over Tony Abbott. Something about finding that your hero has feet of clay or has turned into a pumpkin. All that fawning must be embarrassing to them when viewed in hindsight.

    All the crap they wrote. All the investigation and analysis they didn’t do. Entirely their own fault.

    This is worth reading for anyone interested in some clarity
    http://andrewelder.blogspot.com.au/2014/12/with-muffled-whimper.html

    I also recall that John Howard’s first couple of years were chaotic which is easy to forget after the more anodyne times in the later years. The Libs have always lacked insight into their own problems. There were many chaotic years for them in opposition during the Hawke and Keating governments. John Howard always had some gravitas.

  10. jacquiabb

    I’ve often wondered about the ‘fifth column’ element. Maybe a form of feminism from the dark side that likes to make little boys look particularly stupid.

  11. Terry2

    I have often wondered what sort of people would vote for a drop-kick like Andrews but I take it that, in the seat of Menzies, they would elect a drover’s dog as long as it came with a blue collar : how sad !

    Is this a move to get rid of Credlin and strip her of power – I assume that she could not expect a cabinet position on her first term – without upsetting her and the ship of fools.

  12. Kaye Lee

    It isn’t the media that is criticising Peta Credlin – it is members of the Coalition. She has taken this way beyond the job description.

    The Coalition is “not a happy family” and there is a “shitload of room for improvement” say government MPs, who confess to being in the dark regarding the future of the government’s controversial GP co-payment and a mooted cabinet re-shuffle, because those decisions are centralised in the Prime Minister’s office.

    “We are not all a happy family … you’re going to have to ask people outside the backbench what’s happening with any of the policy decisions, because there is very little inclusion,” said one disgruntled backbencher.

    “We usually read about it in the papers. Is there resentment? Of course there is.”

    or this…..

    But Senator Ian Macdonald’s public accusation that Mr Abbott’s office, led by senior aide Peta Credlin, has instilled a culture of “obsessive centralised control” in the government has struck a chord among sections of the Coalition.

    Watch the video.

    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/control-freak-peta-credlin–accused-of-pulling-coalition-strings-20131204-2yqte.html

    And I can assure you, I am not a misogynist. I dislike lies and abuse of power. This one has a rising star. Heads up.

    .

  13. Kerri

    Ricardo you underestimate the staunch stupidity of voters in the seat of Menzies! Terry2 is correct. My parents live in that seat and every election they dutifully vote Labor knowing their votes will go nowhere. They also hate Andrews as my older sister died a very long and painful death occasionally becoming conscious from the morphine stupor to beg that someone end it for her.
    On a different note, I personally believe Credlin to be capable of ANYTHING !!!! Her lust for power is so great! She has played Stromboli to Abbott’s Pinocchio for too long and is clearly frustrated with his about turns and imbecilic gaffes, hence her being at those tables with his shins in stiletto range. But an interesting point of some contention springs to mind as a way to oust Abbott without doing a Rudd/Gillard and Credlin holds the key.
    I’ll bet!!!
    What if Peta were to suddenly “leak” the documents regarding Abbott’s alleged dual citizenship?
    You may think it a conspiracy theory, but why have the documents not been shown to the public to end the speculation??? The argument will be over when they appear.
    Every attempt to sight Abbott’s citizenship documents seems to end at Credlin’s desk. What an ace to hold near to your chest? What extraordinary power to be able to end the speculation and destroy Abbott in one blow?
    So Credlin “leaks” the documents (fill me in if you know her favourite journo)
    Abbott is declared an illegal member of Parliament.
    The leadership challenge is easy and many will throw in their hats once Abbott is dishonourably dispatched and they can avoid looking treacherous.
    Personally if Bishop wins? I couldn’t be happier!
    She is the shiniest turd of them all. She has failed miserably as a treasurer. She shows a great lack of understanding of many elements of Government. She has an uncanny knack, or maybe it is simply a stellar ego that means when she gets ahead she blows off like the know-it-all she is and promptly puts her power heel firmly back in her mouth. She was doing well at the UN until she told them they weren’t doing enough about Ebola! Then there was the dressing down of Barack Obama whom she misunderstood. These gaffes go all the way back to her rudeness towards China and Indonesia when first in office. One thing you can be certain about with young Bishop is her vindictiveness. If she were PM she could not control herself from punishing other politicians and office bearers. The public will see this and all her good works will count for nothing.
    At least that’s what I hope.

  14. Lee

    “My prediction? Peta wants to be Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade on her way to the top job.

    Look out Julie, the turd polisher is making a run.”

    The best part is Julie Bitchup is too busy being a thorough bitch to Tanya Plibersek that she won’t see Cretin coming.

  15. Garth

    Also, don’t forget it was credlin that put herself front and centre in the public eye when they were trying to show Tony as all soft and cuddly with women. Remember, Tony graciously allowed Peta to keep her ‘eggs’ in his fridge.

  16. townsvilleblog

    This, again reminds us of taxpayer’s money going to religious purposes which should not happen. Andrews could retire on a handsome pension and stop dying his hair and go grey overnight as Palmer did, he will never be short of a quid, the connections politicians make will always ensure they don’t need the old age pension, though they may claim it anyway.

  17. David K

    “Look out Julie, the turd polisher is making a run.”

    Some choice, Cruella or the hypno-toad.

  18. corvus boreus

    The medusoid former advocate (representing the interests of asbestos dealers against the claims of dying workers) at least has the virtue that she was selected and elected by some semblance of democratic process.
    The Credlin manipulating the cretin has absolutely no qualificative or democratic validity to be diplomatically representing the nation internationally or dictating affairs of state domestically, she is just an overly ambitious political staffer rushed through the ranks with unseemly haste.

  19. Lee

    “And Ms Bishop has told today’s Australian Financial Review that her request to go to the climate change talks was initially knocked back by the Prime Minister’s office.”

    Oh dear, looks like Christopher Pyne was lying during his interview with Andrew Dolt.

    http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2014/dec/07/christopher-pyne-tells-colleagues-to-hold-tongue-but-cant-control-andrew-bolts

    “The two tangled again during the interview, when Bolt asked his guest to shed more light on why the prime minister had despatched the trade minister Andrew Robb to oversee the foreign minister Julie Bishop at climate negotiations in Lima.

    Pyne told Bolt that Robb had not been despatched by anyone but was, in fact, going to the climate change talks because he was already in the region in order to pursue negotiations around the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

    The education minister insisted that contrary to some reports, Robb’s task in South America was not to chaperone Bishop at the climate conference and make sure that Australia didn’t overcommit on new emissions reduction commitments. He was just in the neighbourhood.

    Pyne also pointed out that Bishop was actually the senior portfolio minister, so if anything, she was chaperoning Robb.

    Bolt rebuked Pyne again.

    “You are denying what I know is a fact,” the broadcaster declared.

    “I certainly am,” Pyne replied. “Julie Bishop doesn’t need help from anyone. That’s been proven in the last 15 months.” “

  20. Margaret McMillan

    Apologies in advance for this, but I really think the image that goes with this article should be the subject of a caption competition. What could Credlin possibly be saying to Bishop?

  21. Salstarat

    God look at the hard face on that Credlin creature, you could strike a bloody match on it! It is a face FILLED with megalomaniacal hatred and contempt for anyone who steps in her way. Peta Credlin, the same woman who it is rumoured had an 18 months affair with Tony Abbott, looks like she has managed to sleep her way into a top position! Credlin is as hard as nails … a malignant shadow in the background pulling the strings for a corrupt little psychopath who is about as gormless as a tub of cement. Credlin is the glue that controls the PM without a clue! Problem with this creature is that she is just like the rest of the disreputable LNP cabinet, she is totally corrupt, completely morally bankrupt, couldn’t tell the truth if she had a frigging gun to her head and is an A-Grade manipulator. The LNP are completely STACKED from top to bottom with unspeakable sociopaths and Credlin is right up there with the absolute worst of them!

  22. Richard Lee

    Head Vogon Tony Abbott consolidates by promoting minor Vogons who have shown true Vogon repulsiveness and dedication to trashing OUR planet. Bishop may have failed to meet Abbott’s unpleasantness standards. Vogons are required to be the MOST repulsive & unpleasant creatures in the known universe.

  23. corvus boreus

    Margaret McMillan,
    Long version;
    “Don’t come up to me with your Plibersek hair, you midget skank, I see your fish-eyes, and raise you a trout-mouth with a pointed finger-bone.
    You are just an elected minister who once slept with a racist liberal senator, whereas I am the appointed Chief of Staff to the Prime-Minister, and I’m married to the director of the whole f*#king party, so, back…off…bitch!”

    Short version;
    “there can be only one!”

  24. Kaye Lee

    That’s not a death stare…THIS is a death stare!

  25. Kaye Lee

    Interesting to hear that the PM’s office (read Credlin) gave unauthorised media briefings saying the GP co-payment was dead while Tony was ringing Hockey and Dutton telling them to sell it. Credlin did not speak to Cabinet, just took it upon herself to make an announcement totally at odds with what her boss was saying. Despite this she was not castigated in any way. She truly believes she is already running the show. Is it any wonder Coalition MPs are confused?

    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/mps-all-at-sea-over-7-gp-copayment-20141129-11wni9.html

    It was the PM’s office who also refused permission for Julie to go to Lima. THAT would have been an interesting fight.

  26. Möbius Ecko

    Shorten has shot way ahead as preferred PM. More stronger, more trustworthy and more competent according to the Ipsos poll.

  27. lawrencewinder

    Hmm… double trouble, boil and bubble… that was a really nice stir of the pot, K.L.
    Perhaps Credlin is the Rasputin of the Liarbrils…..what a sorry collection ….

  28. DanDark

    I saw a doors stop interview with Tones leaving a function, a couple of nights before Joe and Dutton started on the GP push on the Thursday, a journo waiting for him to leave the function asked about the GP copayment, He said, it wasn’t going to get through the senate because of Labor, went on to call them economic vandals and other things, and it will be all their fault because we can’t pass it,
    I havnt seen the clip again, but he pretty well said the co payment was dead and buried, so I was surprised when the other fools came out saying it was all the go again,
    I wish I could find that clip, it was on the 24 abc channel, so why did Tones and Credlin push Joe and Dutton to keep pushing for the GP Copayment, to sabotage them because Dutton is a failure as a health minister, and Smokin Joe is dying a death of a thousand cuts,

  29. DanDark

    Channel 7s headlines in Melbourne,…….. Tony Abbot is untrustworthy and incompetent 🙂

  30. DanDark

    Tones is more untrustworthy and incompetent than Julia Gillard was is the consensus they say on channel 7
    They didn’t have one good thing to say about Tones, showed how he forgot Kochies name twice called him Chris, what a disaster for Tones LOL,

  31. DanDark

    Thanks for that link Damo451
    An interesting read …..

  32. Fiona

    Plaudits, Kaye!

    Ms Bishop The Younger should be very afraid – because Peta is much younger, much taller, and even nastier than the present Minister for Foreign (and domestic) Affairs.

    Plaudits also to the commenters – sterling stuff!

  33. Lee

    Margaret McMillan,

    You’re not fooling me with that airbrushing, you old crone.

  34. Damo451

    No problems DanDark.
    I was wondereing if anyone could explain the economics behind the 2 most widely used figures when referring to the defecit ,40 ish Billion and 360 ish billion.
    Not having much of a grasp of economics , a bit like Hockey , i dont understand the discrepancy.

  35. Kaye Lee

    Damo,

    Commonwealth Government Securities (bonds we issue that investors buy) are currently slightly over $348 billion. This is also known as our gross debt which was about $280 billion when the Coalition took over.

    The deficit (or surplus) is like a yearly accounting of how much our income falls short of (or exceeds) our expenditure. The deficit (shortfall) for 2013-14 was predicted to be about $30 billion when the Coalition took over but is likely to be substantially bigger than that by now.

    Neither the debt nor deficit are a concern. We can’t go broke and now is a very good time to issue bonds as the interest rate is only 3% and we can invest the money in things that bring a far greater return than that.

  36. DanDark

    “After the prime minister’s office blocked Julie Bishop’s proposal to travel to a global climate negotiation in Peru, she took the matter to a meeting of the full cabinet to get the decision reversed.

    When the deputy leader of the Liberal Party and Minister for Foreign Affairs put the case to the cabinet, no one raised any major objection, according to informed government sources.”

    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/julie-bishop-outflanks-prime-minister-tony-abbott-on-climate-change-conference-20141208-122ug0.html

  37. stephentardrew

    Heavens Kaye I wish they would all just go away. They make me sick to the core. Cruel, vindictive and immoral.

  38. Salstarat

    Thanks Damo 451 … that great piece confirms everything we already know about the loathsome psychopath who is mismanaging our country into international oblivion and notoriety! Nevertheless, just because Abbott is a knuckle dragging intellectual midget, Bishop isn’t too much of an improvement. In fact there is NO ONE on the whole LNP cabinet worth spitting on! You may like to read this interesting article on the same issue:

    http://www.newpolitics.com.au/tony-abbott-bad-prime-minister

  39. John Knight

    Is that snake skin Peta Credlin is wearing? Entirely appropriate!

  40. Jennifer Hambly

    Oh Mr Downer keeping foreign affair ministry in the family. If liberals get in next election.

  41. corvus boreus

    John Knight,
    It is a garment custom made from a piece of back-skin Tony gifted to Peta the last time he shed.

  42. Damo451

    Thanks Kaye Lee and Salstarat ,for your explanation Kaye and for the article Sal .

  43. michaelattoowoomba

    Great article as usual Kaye Lee,So many negatives about this bunch of RADICAL,lying so called ” Honourable Members of Parliament “,where to start. I foolishly thought we elected Government to manage “OUR” money to keep the good of ALL Australia,not to steal from the real average, generally hard working population,give to themselves and there rich donors.
    Their TERROR campaign of cuts to ABC and SBS seems to be working,ALL the Headlines announcing co-payment dropped by Government is,when one reads the article,not even near to the truth.I guess we have got used to the LIARBRILL pollies and MSN lies,but now,even our ABC and s b s are spinning the news .It does seem a lot of voters read and listen to HEADLINES as their version of staying “informed”. Reminds me of the old joke,How do you tell if a lawyer [insert liberal ] is lying. Their lips are moving. This bunch of idiots claiming to be Christians is an offence to any real christians,or any genuine persons ,of any faith.
    Saying that any of this lot is christian,is like saying,The Democratic Republic of North Korea is a democracy.

  44. Carlo Materatz

    Wether it be ALP or LNP these morons are both controlled by the same back room carpet walkers.

  45. Möbius Ecko

    In Opposition: http://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4dFOdECAAAAQoq.png

    In Government: Julie Bishop to cut $200m from Foreign Aid to contribute to Climate Fund.

    Do this mob believe everything they’ve said and promised in the past has just vanished into another reality or they have wormholed into one, and they are no longer accountable as it doesn’t exist.

    Sorry Libs, everything you said and promised still exists in the real world, not the alternate Murdoch created one you think you inhabit, and it will be raised time and again to shove down your lying throats.

  46. DanDark

    Yep I have just read this, might have been something to do with the pressure from other countries, because they know we are kicking the can down the road on climate change now as interview on BBC last night told us
    So just suck it from aid budget, well done Tony and Jules shows how stupid these fools are, no wonder tones didn’t want Jules to go to Lima, he knew it would cost him money for green fund.

    “Given the $200 million is coming out of Australia’s aid funding, it is not clear whether other projects will have to be cut to pay the GCF.

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-10/bishop-200-million-to-green-climate-fund-at-un-climate-summit/5956676

  47. corvus boreus

    Strangely enough, especially given the obvious display of warmth and affection in Peta Credlins’ expression and body-language in the article photo, there are media claims(based upon coalition sources) that the relationship between the Foreign Minister and Prime Ministerial Chief of Staff is strained to the point of dysfunction.
    Apparently, Julie resents (the unelected)Petas’ autocratic and dictatorial interference in affairs of ministerial portfolios.
    Who’d-a thunk it?

  48. Kaye Lee

    Bishop had to go to a cabinet meeting to get them to force Credlin to let her go to Lima. The reports always say “The Prime Minister’s Office” refused permission.

    A relative of mine was supposed to go to a climate change conference in Bonn a while ago. The delegates arrived at the airport to find Credlin had not approved the funding for their flights. This was when Tony was taking plane loads of businessmen and Murdoch hacks with him to Europe but no room for public servants doing their job apparently.

  49. Kaye Lee

    That stance was so yesterday DD 🙂

    Perhaps the $200 million to the Green Fund was Julie’s revenge. I have the power sunshine and don’t forget it – and get that finger out of my face,

    Better to seek forgiveness rather than permission 😉

  50. DanDark

    “Indeed, the photo where Credlin is seemingly “having a go” at Bishop is not about Iraq or the budget or any government business at all. It’s said the chief of staff was simply complimenting the Foreign Minister on her new pearls.”

    http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbotts-chief-of-staff-peta-credlin-gets-mixed-reviews-from-government-insiders-20141212-125k4d.html

    Who would of thought Credlin was “complimenting” Jules in that Kodak Moment, not me……….

  51. Andrew Moore

    On this issue Julia you have been a stupid idiot. and emboldened Money against justice, a trademark of your government.

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