Government approves Santos Barossa pipeline and sea dumping

The Australia Institute Media Release Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s Department has approved a…

If The Jackboots Actually Fit …

By Jane Salmon If The Jackboots Actually Fit … Why Does Labor Keep…

Distinctions Without Difference: The Security Council on Gaza…

The UN Security Council presents one of the great contradictions of power…

How the supermarkets lost their way in Oz

By Callen Sorensen Karklis Many Australians are heard saying that they’re feeling the…

Purgatorial Torments: Assange and the UK High Court

What is it about British justice that has a certain rankness to…

Why A Punch In The Face May Be…

Now I'm not one who believes in violence as a solution to…

Does God condone genocide?

By Bert Hetebry Stan Grant points out in his book The Queen is…

As Yemen enters tenth year of war, militarisation…

Oxfam Australia Media Release As Yemen enters its tenth year of war, its…

«
»
Facebook

What Julia Gillard is up against

If I were the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, I’d get to the point quite often where I would feel the need to vent about the number of hurdles I would need to jump just to get anything done. When you keep in mind that Gillard is rather good at getting things done, I think she deserves a lot more credit, especially since we know how many people are opposed to everything and anything she does. I wonder if she does rant sometimes, maybe to Tim in the evenings, because if it was me, I would explode without some outlet. Here’s a summary of who and what the Gillard Labor government is up against in the lead up to the election in September:

Other Labor MPs

I put this first, because this stuff shouldn’t happen. With king of white-anters, Kevin Rudd, leaking like a sieve, and the likes of Robert McClelland talking about resigning before September and possibly causing a bi-election, Gillard must often wonder why she gets out of bed in the morning, let alone tries to run a government. I was a huge Rudd supporter back when we all thought he was a visionary, a progressive and a great leader. But now I think he didn’t deserve the Labor leadership in the first place if he’s going to be a megalomaniac and undermine every successful policy that the Labor government has implemented. We all know people like Rudd – he loves to talk about doing things, loves to take all the credit, but is also hugely ineffective in actually making anything happen. Yes, Rudd delivered the apology and his government’s response to the GFC was excellent. He also proposed some great policies – the original mining tax and the emissions trading scheme. But he didn’t manage to get these policies delivered and he quite clearly wasn’t a team player if his behavior since Gillard took over as leader is anything to go by. The other MPs who still support Rudd, and still leak rumours of leadership tension to the press, without having the guts to have themselves named – well – shame on you all.

The Liberal National Coalition

Gillard must expect the opposition to oppose, but this is ridiculous. Under Tony Abbott’s leadership, the LNP is the most right wing, negative, abusive, dishonorable and downright nasty Opposition that any government has had to deal with in, well, forever. When Gillard successfully formed a minority Labor government in 2010, this apparently cemented her in Abbott’s mind as she who must be destroyed. Looking for bi-partisan support? Don’t expect any from Abbott. Looking for a fair and reasonable debate about policy, using facts, community interest and responsible governing as the cornerstones of your argument? You won’t get this from Abbott or anyone in his team. The wrecking ball approach, the media stunts and the constant and repetitive abuse of government is all they know. The promises made by ‘positive Tony’ are another broken promise from a man who doesn’t have a vision. Nor does he have anywhere near the amount of government revenue he will need to have any hope of delivering the brain farts that he calls policy, so he is either totally cynical or plain stupid. Interestingly, his attitude and modus operandi seems to have been happily adopted by those in the electorate who support him. No longer is a policy discussion on Twitter about who has the best evidence to support their argument – now Abbott supporters only provide abuse, ridicule and nonsensical conspiracy theories and smear. If Abbott has achieved anything in his time as leader of the Liberal Party it is only to alienate Liberal moderates (who I suppose will still vote for him anyway) and to build an army of fundamentalist right wing nasties who inhabitant Bullshit Mountain. This army does his bidding for him on social media, independent blog comments, in the mainstream press (think Jones, Bolt, Ackerman and Reith) and in café’s and workplaces near you. There’s no doubt that Australia will be a meaner and more selfish place under an Abbott led government. And this is what Gillard is fighting against.

The Greens

I have a lot of respect for Greens supporters. They’re passionate, they’re committed and they are true to themselves when it comes to policies they support. I just wish that more of this passion and commitment was directed at the end goal of a progressive government, rather than the end goal of destroying a progressive government. Without trying to start a fight with Greens supporters on Twitter (which by the way is really not fun), I can’t help but think that someone needs to remind some Greens who the real enemy is. Sure, you might not like Gillard’s asylum seeker or gay marriage policy. But are these two policies really enough to turn you into a Labor hating, venom spitting, abusive person who can’t stomach anything the government does? What about all the progressive reform that Gillard’s government has implemented? Ever considered giving credit where credit’s due? Sometimes it’s hard to tell if the comments on my posts abusing Gillard are coming from the left or the right. As a supporter of progressive policy myself, I can see that many Greens perceive Labor as having shifted too far to the right, but surely it’s obvious that when you compare Labor to Abbott’s LNP, Gillard’s policies are out in left field? That’s the important thing though – comparison. What will you get from Gillard that you wouldn’t get from Abbott? If you are a Greens supporter and you haven’t stopped reading yet, can I ask you to do one thing? Think about an Abbott government, who is promising to turn back the boats and would never in a million years even mention gay marriage, let alone consider supporting it. So who are you really fighting against?

The Mainstream Media

It’s not surprising that readership figures for mainstream news continue to decline. The mainstream media are, generally, really crap at their jobs. Fact is no longer an important journalist tool. Hysteria and scandal are the only channel that journalists seem to tune into. The ‘narrative’ is so set in stone that no amount of rational analysis can shift it. And when the ABC is following Fairfax and News Ltd down into a quagmire of Fox News-like exaggeration and misrepresentation, where are media consumers meant to turn to find out what’s really going on? It’s been clear for a long time now that Gillard can’t do anything to improve her relationship with the media. When she speaks, they don’t listen, or worse, they mock. On the other hand, when Abbott speaks, they lap it up. Even when he won’t answer their questions. Even when he walks away, they still support his campaign to be Prime Minister of Australia. It’s great that we now have an independent media, and I also can’t wait for the Guardian to arrive. But alas, the unengaged voter still believes everything they read/see in the biased mainstream media. And if people don’t think this is going to influence how the masses vote in September, they’re naïve to the point of delusional.

Big Business

The other day I heard a journalist on the ABC say ‘Gillard has lost the business vote’. Really? Labor didn’t have the ‘big business’ vote in the first place, and that is what the ‘business vote’ has come to mean. Fair wages and job security aren’t in big business’s interests. Nor is ‘red tape’ and now ‘green tape’ (ie any sort of inconvenient regulation that is there to protect society and workers from unconstrained greed). This ‘business vote’ has always had a loud voice, has always lobbied, and threatened Labor governments. There are of course other ‘business’ interests that benefit from Labor initiatives, such as the renewables sector, but we rarely get to hear from them.

But now we are seeing a new phenomenon – special interests within the business sector spending millions of dollars on advertising campaigns in their own interests. The campaigns against the mining tax, the carbon price, pokies reform and plain cigarette packaging are obvious examples. Gillard now has to ‘negotiate’ with these people when she wants to implement a policy that will affect them. Somehow we seem to have got to the point where it is acceptable for special business interests to try to determine government tax policy, and where if they don’t like something, it should be ‘watered down’ until they do. But this is reality. And this is what Gillard is up against.

When you consider all of the above, it’s even more impressive that the Gillard government have achieved what they have within the apparent instability of a minority government. But the battle for this year’s election is only just starting. And all I can say at this point is you go, girl.

Like what we do at The AIMN?

You’ll like it even more knowing that your donation will help us to keep up the good fight.

Chuck in a few bucks and see just how far it goes!

Your contribution to help with the running costs of this site will be gratefully accepted.

You can donate through PayPal or credit card via the button below, or donate via bank transfer: BSB: 062500; A/c no: 10495969

Donate Button

318 comments

Login here Register here
  1. Bob Lloyd

    Well written Victoria.. A lesser person would have well and truly thrown in the towel by this stage. She is tough as nails and smart. We can only hope that the campaign machine behind her gets it right this time round and mounts a kicka** campaign against the lies and misrepresentations of the conservative parties and their followers.

  2. Crash Skeptic

    “I think she deserves a lot more credit, especially since we know how many people are opposed to everything and anything she does.”

    Yes, a huge portion of the population. This is also known as democracy.

    “When you keep in mind that Gillard is rather good at getting things done,”

    Yes. She promises “no carbon tax” and then introduces one.

    Lying is certainly an effective way of “getting things done”. Not very honourable, but effective (but only in the short-term).

    Whilst many elitists on the left think the Australian population are just bogans who are beneath them and deserve to be lied to, and feel no guilt or shame about this whatsoever, they are likely to get a wake-up call at the next election.

  3. Alison

    Excuse me, Crash Skeptic, could you explain how you trade a “tax’ because I have one I’d like to swap for a new laptop…

  4. Tom of Melbourne

    I think Gillard is entitled to be assessed against the criteria she set herself. Upon becoming Prime Minister, Gillard said, “the government had “lost its way”.

    She nominated 3 policy areas that required rectification-
    • MRRT
    • Asylum seekers
    • Emissions/carbon policy

    I think Victoria should nominate Gilard’s success or otherwise on each of the areas she nominated, rather than just pen the usual excuse for her limitations and failures.

  5. Beemay

    crash, you are illinformed, she did say no to a carbon tax, we do not have a carbon tax, we have a trading emissions scheme which is what she did say she wanted to do….the murdoch press has repeated this line over and over with Abbot and Co and now you believe it.

  6. Crash Skeptic

    Re: Leaks by other Labor MPs.

    I just wanted to say that I respect the fact that you wrote that parapgraph.

    One of the eye-rollingly frustrating things about Lefties these days is this desperate, panic-stricken need to “stay on message” which leads them to saying some really silly, blatantly untrue things.

    For example, a couple of days someone posted an article by right-wing op-ed writer Piers Akerman that focused on all the Labor leaks. This of course led to almost universal agreement that Akerman was a lying right-wing bastard who had simply fabricated the leaks (despite the fact that they were being reported on Fairfax, ABC Online, 730 report, Drum, etc, etc).

    With people who refuse to even acknowledge actual reality unless they are dragged kicking and screaming into a corner, how does one even get to the point of discussing abstract concepts like ideas and values! Sometimes all you can do is sigh, roll your eyes and chuckle.

    So credit where credit is due – although I totally disagree with your value system, at least you are willing to acknowledge actual reality in your article.

    But what I find truly scary are the number of Lefties who have abandoned even a semblance of respect for Free Speech or a pluralistic society, and are openly advocating media controls and censorship in order to pursue their agendas.

    They want to punish journalist for reporting facts! It’s like a time-warp back to the Soviet Union or something.

  7. killerbee

    Best bit of comedy writing I’ve read for some time. ABC & Fairfax?, you must be joking if you think they are anti Gillard. You refer to Fox news and your story reminds me of how they lived in a bubble reporting the last US election, only listening to themselves and as a result got the whole thing totally wrong just as you have and probably for the same reasons.

  8. sunnycoastman

    I can’t be bothered to comment on the rest of the blog, but I agree wholeheartedly with the last sentence “And all I can say at this point is you go girl.”. Yes GO, back into obscurity, hopefully even Wales, as soon as possible. Well put Victoria.

  9. Beemay

    tom,the assylum seeker issue is a sore point with me too, but she literally had no choice, everything she put forward got the NO from the NOaliton. This opposition has taken that word literally.While the opposition listens to the rabble over this issue and promotes racism there will be no happy solution to this issue. Julia Bishop just returned from Sri Lanka ,saying she saw no evidence of anything neccesary for assylum and yet the govt officials there are complaining about her report saying they showed her plenty of evidence of fear and she met families who had members killed…

    the MRRT I don’t know a lot about but from reading it appears, the high rollers are using tax credits this year making the figures look bad.

    I believe the carbon scheme to be working based on published figures recently regarding drop in emissions. it is doing what it is supposed, making people use less electricity out of fear of price rises as they wont use less to save the envoronment and the emitters are trying other ways to put out less emissions. I liken this to the change from steam to fuel engines.

  10. Beemay

    media bias, oh yes,uduslly,in the oppositions favour always, the daily telegraph yesterday, all about Abbots wonderful lets build the dams. problem is all the good spots for dams have damns on them. then there was the editorial slamming the “greenies” and the green party etc. oh and every single letter to the editor printed was in support of Tony Abbot and his dams that will turn australia into the food bowl. And I will never forget poor Mr slipper in his robe with whiskers, the months of railing against this man, but … it goes to court and the judge finds ashby and brough conspire to bring down slipper and hence the government????????????nary a whisper.. it made page 17!!!

  11. Pia Robinson

    Great piece by this writer, again. One positive: the Independents have, in the main, been very rational, and supportive.

  12. killerbee

    ScottyFreak Very ironic that you should talk about “The ill-informed” My criticism was aimed at the author of the article NOT Gillard. I spoke about the delusional statement made that The ABC & Fairfax were anti Gillard.
    I didn’t mention Gillards lies and incompetence once.

  13. Maria Camporeale

    I’m amazed that she can get up and keep on keeping on, day after day after bloody day, honestly!!! Maybe ONE day she will get due credit and recognition for the Stirling job she’s doing in spite of everything!

  14. Pia Robinson

    @ John Lord. Spot on re the carbon price,

    Bet he hasn’t seen Windsor speech to Parliament either. Windsor makes it clear that it was a condition from a number of the Independents that carbon be priced. ABBOTT AGREED TO DO IT IF THEY BACKED HIM. But hey, why let the facts get in the way of a good yarn….

  15. Tom of Melbourne

    No Victoria, I asked you to assess Gillard on the 3 specific issues that she had nominated.

    • Gillard has negotiated a mining tax that raises virtually no revenue – FAIL

    • She has overseen the most draconian policy on asylum seekers imaginable. – FAIL

    • She has an emissions/carbon polcy that is completely at odds with the one she polished up and took to the election – FAIL

    Gillard has failed on each of the policy issues that she used as her excuse to knife Rudd. On her own criteria she can’t be called a success.

  16. Brian

    Beautifully put Victoria, I think she’ll be viewed as one of our best PM’s once this coalition disappears into obscurity.

  17. Pia Robinson

    @ Tom, tell us why the mining tax has failed? I have looked at it closely, I dont think it has. Please tell us the detail……the rhetoric is empty.

    BTW, are you aware we have a MINORITY rather than an ALP govt?

  18. John Lord

    Crash Skeptic. I find your comments rather pitiful. She lied about a carbon tax.

    Gillards statement to the Australian

    LET’S GET THE FACTS RIGHT ABOUT THE LIE THE PRIME MINISTER SUPPOSEDLY TOLD THE AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE.
    ‘In an election-eve interview with The Australian, the Prime Minister revealed she would view victory tomorrow as a mandate for a carbon price, provided the community was ready for this step.

    “I don’t rule out the possibility of legislating a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, a market-based mechanism,” she said of the next parliament. “I rule out a carbon tax.” ‘

    NOW YOU BE THE JUDGE. LETS HAVE SOME BALANCE. HAD SHE CALLED SOMETHING OTHER THAN A TAX WE WOULD NOT HAVE ALL THIS FUSS.

    and it’s difficult to take your comments seriously when it can be reasonably argued that Mr Abbot is the biggest liar ever to grace the Australian parliament. Proof can be provided if required.

  19. ScottyFreak (@ScottyFreak)

    Folks like Crash Skeptic and killerbee identify exactly what the PM is up against. The ill-informed, twisting words to suit their own ideological parading. The number one thing the PM has been roundly criticised for was the “carbon tax”. The ill-informed leave it at that and say it’s a lie. The savvy and sensible know that the very next statement she said during that interview was: “But I am determined to put a price on carbon”. The ill-informed jump up and down saying it’s a lie, but are silent when presented with this truth. It is simple convenient ideology-fit. Say half of a thing and declare it truth (or lie). The fact, too that the ABC are competing with Ltd News on how to misrepresent the PM’s words only solidifies the fact they the media is out of control and in need of a ‘cold shower’. Little do they realise (or maybe they do) that there are people willing to take their tripe without question. There has been an almost vehement vendetta against the current government, willing to regurgitate the words from Abbott as gospel, forgetting like the goldfish they feed, that his words, when spoken unscripted are not to be taken as the ‘gospel truth’. How quickly people forget and how easily they are led.

  20. Bill W

    Sums it up wonderfully, an important point though is that the LOTO and cronies would have turned against our Government regardless of the circumstances..whether a minority government or not. That is just an excuse. They are mean-hearted and not for Australians or helping the world in any which way, they would have been spoilers no matter.

  21. Victoria Rollison

    Tom of Melbourne, you asked me to outline Gillard’s successes? Sure, I would have put these in the post but I assumed they are obvious:
    NBN
    Paid Parental Leave
    Cheaper childcare
    Carbon Price
    Mining Tax (even if it’s not perfect)
    NDIS
    Gonski review – which I belive will be implemented
    Tertiary education caps lifted (75,000 more going to uni than under Howard)
    Management of the economy in dire global situation
    These are just the highlights. I’ve lost count of how may wins Gillard has had in parliament since the Libs actually never bother to oppose, they just attack.

  22. Jenny

    Much has been made of the need to improve productivity. As taxpayers, we are paying the wages of all politicians. Being in Opposition does not abrogate you from the responsibilty of doing the job you are being paid to do…listening to expert advice, exploring alternatives, and then coming up with the best solution for our country. Just saying NO is hardly being productive.

    Great article…thanks

  23. Stephen Partington

    Thank you for your helpful perspectives on many aspects of the Australian political scene. As an expat Australian, it’s quite difficult to work out what’s going on.
    For PM Gillard, I don’t easily accept that she’s a naive simpleton, a bumbling leader, or a power-hungry legislator.
    On the contrary, I’m impressed by how hard she works.

    I encourage readers to:
    1) Check this visual of our politicians’ participation in parliament.
    2) Do the maths – for your party and others.
    3) Call your local member (or fav pollie) and ask why they don’t participate more!

  24. David Rainbow

    No matter how the right wing Torrie trolls try to divide. Anyone with a brain in their head can see the huge contrast we are facing. The threat of a Fundamentalist LNP government lead by the greed driven capitalist elite (less than 1% of the population that controls over 95% of the wealth) is a frightening proposition. Solidarity. The workers united shall never be Defeated

  25. Suzanne McGhie

    wonderful piece of writing, saying exactly what the majority of Australians think, I do not believe that Australians could vote in Abbott as PM and his band of (must be drunk) merry boys and girls…

  26. Zen

    I have never read so much rose coloured drivel in my life, isn’t it about time bloggers like your self started telling it as it is?and pointing out some of the incompetence of this PM,ie;the lack of judgement in supporting Thomson ,the sacking of Trish Crossin ,the incompetence in the MRRT negotiations,allowing the miners to write the MRRT legislation(did she think the miners were going to give the share holders money away because Jujia was in the room,)the removal of McLallen as the AG and installing the grossly inexperienced Roxon as AG)was that for services rendered from long ago? and the list goes on and on….If your going to blog on this media at least have the courage to be more impartial and moe rounded in you comments .this junk of yours is too gushing..

  27. Truth Seeker

    Victoria, great article 😀 Love your work 😀

    David, John and the rest of the clear thinking commenters, you are right in your assertions, unfortunately there is no way to have mature discussion with those that completely ignore the truth. 😯

    They are here merely to disrupt and sidetrack decent discussion. 🙁

    for those that are sick to death of Abbotts three word slogans, I have got one of my own “Stop the Abbott” 😀 This is the title of my latest poem

    Stop the Abbott

    There is also a link to an article showing some of Abbotts waste 😯

    Keep up the great work Victoria, and for the rest, don’t engage the trolls, it only makes them feel relevant 🙁 that’s what the scroll wheel is for 😀

    Cheers 🙂 Grin:

  28. Jenny

    Has Mr Thomson been convicted of anything? Oh no…that’s right…it is yet to go to court…as opposed to the Slipper case where the judge found Mal Brough complicit in a conspiracy to bring down the government yet he is still a valued member of the Coalition?

    I agree the MRRT was watered down after a saturation advertising campaign by a few individuals who have unlimited resources to say whatever they like on the media they own. The revenue raised was less than anticipated for a number of reasons…states immediately raising royalties which the govt had unwisely agreed to compensate for, falling commodity prices, large deductions for capital investment and depreciation…but at least we have a start which can be fine-tuned if given the chance. Mr Abbot’s idea is to not only get rid of our ability to reap any benefit from the superprofits being made by those who exploit our resources but to in fact make a tax haven in Northern Australia and allow them to import cheap labour from overseas because “wealth creation leads to wealth distribution”? Gina’s record on sharing ain’t great!

    In a hostile environment this government has had the determination to get through many legislative reforms as listed by the author of this article (don’t forget plain packaging on cigarettes too). Our economy is one of the strongest in the world and is continuing to grow. Our debt compared to GDP is minimal, unemployment is comparatively low.

    I could keep giving you “impartial rounded” facts but I am guessing you stopped reading after …how long is a headline?

  29. Catching up

    “But what I find truly scary are the number of Lefties who have abandoned even a semblance of respect for Free Speech or a pluralistic society, and are openly advocating media controls and censorship in order to pursue their agendas.”

    Maybe those from the right might just start respecting our right to free speech.

    Yes, that means many on this site, having the right to say many things, you seem to disagree with.

    More ever the right to give our opinions without abuse.

  30. Tom of Melbourne

    The concept of “accountability” is foreign to many, who just want Gillard to be “their girl” and back slap her with “you go girl”. Gillard is a “girl”?!

    I realise she claimed to be “young and naïve” when she was actually in her mid 30s, but she is scarcely a “girl”.

    Gillard knifed her leader and committed to correct the 3 issues she identified as Rudd’s failures. She has failed on each, but of course, her backers want to excuse her of any accountability.

  31. Skeet

    Trolls are a sign you are having an impact. The more vicious and irrational the infestation, the more impact you are probably having.

  32. Jenny

    Tom of Melbourne, you seem passionate about our country which is a good thing. I would encourage you to research away from mainstream media. I already discussed the MRRT in a previous post. As for asylum seekers, we spent 9 months listening to the Coalition vote NO to every proposal put forward. This is an issue that requires bipartisan co-operation which is impossible with Mr Abbott in charge. As for the carbon tax or ETS, emissions have reduced by over 8% since it’s introduction…industry funded research and development of alternative energy sources has increased. The rest of the world is coming to the realization that this isn’t an optional move…it MUST be done…and we will be far better placed to compete in the future with the headstart we are getting by taking this courageous step. Read past the headlines…do your own research from credible sources rather than reading the paper and watching the tele. I don’t say this dismissively…many people who work hard don’t have the time or energy…but I think you will be surprised when you actually look at the facts rather than the rhetoric fed to us by MSM.

  33. Ian Milliss (@ianmilliss)

    Great article. The Attack of The Right Wing Trolls shows that AIM must be starting to have a bit of impact around the place. With The Conversation faltering (Michelle Grattan as editor? Spare me!) and Global Mail already pretty much dead there is room for more commentary outside the loony right mainstream media. The trolls will of course do all they can to derail you but keep it up, there is an audience out here.

  34. Buff McMenis

    Marvellous article, Victoria. Stunning photo of the Prime Minister too. You have written the words I wish I could get out to the unthinking, dumbed-down by MSM population, also known as the Lowest Common Denominator. And what really makes me so sad is some of the vitriolic crap thrown at you in some of the comments I read above! We are going to lose one of the best PM’s we’ve had, if not THE best, and we are going to have THE worst PM we will ever have (the thought of anyone worse is appalling!). I hope when he wrecks Australia we can rebuild on what he and Campbell Newman, Colin Barnett (hopefully soon to be gone), Ted Baillieu, and Barry O’Farrell leave us. I won’t include the NT because I don’t know enough about the chap up there but I am amazed at some of the comments coming from Members up there re the Indigenous peoples! 🙁

  35. dariancase

    Reblogged this on dariancase and commented:
    ‘What Gillard is up Against’ -Victoria Rollison

  36. Crash Skeptic

    Beemay wrote:

    crash, you are illinformed, she did say no to a carbon tax, we do not have a carbon tax, we have a trading emissions scheme which is what she did say she wanted to do….the murdoch press has repeated this line over and over with Abbot and Co and now you believe it.

    No Beemay, it is you who are ill-informed.

    Australia has had a carbon tax since July 1, 2012.

    It’s current price is $23 per tonne. This is due to rise to $24.15 per tonne in 2013-14, and then $25.40 per tonne in 2014-15.

    It is not due to be replaced by an ’emmission trading scheme’ until 2015-2016.

    You also conveniently forget that Gillard actually promised a “Citizen’s Assembly” to decide on what future scheme to come up with, and she also promised that no price would be triggered until after the 2013 election.

    Just two more broken promises by Gillard.

    You can come try and twist reality all you want or fabricate conspiracy-theories involving our Dark Lord Sauron Murdoch all you want, but the public isn’t falling for it.

    Alison wrote:

    “Excuse me, Crash Skeptic, could you explain how you trade a “tax’ because I have one I’d like to swap for a new laptop…”

    No Alison, you don’t. The Clean Energy Act 2011 identifies the top 300-500 “liable entities” (ie: biggest CO2 emitters). And you’re not one of them.

    http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/Carbon-Pricing-Mechanism/Liable-Entities-Public-Information-Database/Pages/default.aspx

    – They are all companies or government bodies.
    – There are currently no individuals (called “Alison” or anything else) on the LEPID database.
    – All the listed entities are quite capable of affording a single laptop!
    – Permits cannot be traded until 2015-16.

    What is it with lefties and just making stuff up? And you wonder why the Australian people don’t trust you guys… 🙂

  37. rossleighbrisbane

    Crash Skeptic makes a useful point about democracy. Shame, he doesn’t seem to realize that Julia Gillard did, in fact, WIN the last election. Like Tony Abbott, his reaction to it is to throw the toys out of the cot and scream it wasn’t fair. If Abbott wins the next election, and it’s found that most of his “aspirations” weren’t “promises” but were “lies”, I’m sure his/her response will be, “Well, Labor started it”. Of course, we can believe that Tony will – AS PROMISED – bring the budget into surplus, not raise taxes, stop the BIGGEST tax in the history of the world (the Carbon Tax), introduce PAID maternity leave from a LEVY, not a tax, keep interest rates low, raise interest rates, maintain the disability scheme, and make our economy STRONG. Of course, he’ll also STOP the boats, because all we need to do is bring back the Pacific solution – whoops, no, Temporary Protection Visas – they’re the answer.

  38. el gordo

    ‘Trolls are a sign you are having an impact. The more vicious and irrational the infestation, the more impact you are probably having.’

    That’s a bit harsh.

    Trolls are a sign that the blog is healthy and robust. There is viciousness on both sides, depends where you hang out, but from personal experience the hard core left are the worst.

  39. rossleighbrisbane

    And Tony Abbott said he wouldn’t challenge Turnbull, but then he did.
    Was that a lie? Or did circumstances change, and he reacted to new circumstances? Or was that different for some reason?

  40. Jenny

    Nice research Crash. Thanks. Now can you tell me if you think some form of ETS or carbon tax is a desirable thing in the long term, and do you think industry or government should fund the research and development?

  41. lmrh5

    Reblogged this on lmrh5.

  42. Dasha

    Don’t blame Abbott coalition or anyone else for Gillard’s messy situation now.

    She is the one who is always looking for a fight. Remember that blocky declaration ” game on ” of hers? She is a street gutter fighter she will fight to the end.

    Please Labor, keep her as the leader.

  43. Crash Skeptic

    Indeed Dasha. Gillard is the Coalition’s best asset 🙂

    My only concern is that Rudd might come back and try and sail through the election during a “honeymoon period”.

  44. el gordo

    ‘Labor didn’t have the ‘big business’ vote in the first place,’

    But they have lost the small business vote, which is regrettable.

  45. el gordo

    ‘She is a street gutter fighter she will fight to the end.’

    Colourful language, yet its fair to say the longer she is at the helm the more devastating for the party at the election.

  46. Crash Skeptic

    Suzanne McGhie wrote:

    wonderful piece of writing, saying exactly what the majority of Australians think, I do not believe that Australians could vote in Abbott as PM and his band of (must be drunk) merry boys and girls…

    The polls say different.

    (730reportland there’s your cue! 🙂 )

  47. Mark

    Once again I have read a total left wing bias blog written by Victoria in her lame attempt to portray Julia Gillard as the ‘got it together’ all inspiring PM. Her previous left wing blog piled blame on MSM and Tony Abbott when attempting to defend the inept PM and Labor Party. Now she points the finger at the Greens, fellow Labor politicans, including Kevin Rudd, and surprise surprise Big Business. I suppose one should not be surprised that big business has receved a blast from Victoria.

    Surprisingly or may be not there is not the slightest hint in her blog that the PM herself may have contributed to the dire position she and the labor party find themselves currently in. Yes not a hint. Blame everybody around you other than taking a hard good honest look at yourself. Bust as Australian’s have come to witness on a number of occassions honesty and the PM just not get on well together.

  48. adam

    Don’t let actual facts get in the way of a good yarn.

    The writer of this is completely bias and when you actual go and check actual facts it’s beyond proven that pretty much everything they write are straight out lies.

    Talk about desperate.

    Not even worth arguing with as the writer does not give a shit about Australia.

    Self centered load of actual crap.

    Have a good look around and see what most people think of this writer.

  49. TB Queensland

    Is it what, Julia Gillard, is up against? Or what the ALP is up against?

    As a long time “supporter” of Labor, my angst is the party itself not – whoever?? – leads it …

    Maybe the emphasis on, Julia Gillard, by the Opposition has thrown the light off the like of Howes. Abib et al … let’s face it the ALP is so sloppily corrupt it makes the Joh Bjelke Peterson, mob look like the Kindergarten Kids …

    Now don’t misunderstand me … Noddy Newmans, lot in Queensland are shaping up as expected with cronyism and nepotism already … but that does not EXCUSE MY chosen political party …

  50. el gordo

    ‘…cronyism and nepotism already … but that does not EXCUSE MY chosen political party …’

    That’s big part of it, but at a personal level there is a question hanging over the PMs integrity.

    To save this Labor government we need a charismatic leader to take her place and replace most of the front bench with young uncorrupted talent.

  51. Mark

    Oh dear another left wing labor supporter pouring scorn and blame on MSM and the LNP for the inept, economically bankrupt, corrupt (for those that have been following ICAC and the infamous Mr Thompson and vile treatment of HSU members) and totally disjointed and now divided Labor Party.

  52. Catching up

    One can keep the charismatic leaders. I will settle for one, that is able to deal with more than one thing at time and gets things done. That will do for me.

  53. Catching up

    One that looks to the future, not back to the past.

    One that comes up with their own ideas, not those of others.

    One that lives in this century, no the last, or maybe even the one before..

  54. Catching up

    Yes Mark, another site that speaks some common sense. Is not it wonderful that they are growing so fast. Wonder why?

    Some are going to be kept busy, moving from one to another, making inane comments, that are repeated continually and mean little.

    Yes, Mark another site, to prevent you from becoming bored,

    Good luck in keeping up.

  55. Catching up

    By the way, at least get the man’s name right. It is Thomson, not Thompson.

  56. Catching up

    Queensland seems to be catching up quickly in the political corruption stakes. Not the Labor side of the fence either. Then we have Mr. Bought, what would one call him. Then there appears to be the biggest question , marks hanging over Mr. Abbott. Of course none of that is relevant to those from the other side of the fence.

  57. el gordo

    Tony Abbott is going to release some policy around Easter which will dwarf anything the government has in the bottom draw.

    CU wishful thinking won’t save her or the party from destruction, in the time left we need a revolution in ideas from a capable team and a leader who listens to others.

  58. heather944

    An interesting article. I think she has had a very difficult road to run – I have never seen such vitriolic hatred for a PM in the form of horrid emails from day one of her obtaining the post. It seems to me that all she ever received to any proposal was no, no, no from the opposition. At least she seems to have had some policies which is more than can be said for Mr Abbott. I do not agree with everything Labor has done, especially the asylum seeker issue, although I think on that one, thanks to the opposition and the media continually drumming up hysteria and strife, she didn’t seem to have many choices that would be acceptable to a population that had been turned fearful and hysterically racist. Just imagine if those boats had been full of nice white christians – there would not have been an issue at all. I think the media has a lot to answer for for turning the asylum seeker situation into such a huge political issue – shame on them for the hardships they have caused to people who have already suffered so much. I think the national broadband scheme is necessary and I hope to God it is not overturned by the opposition, nor the marine parks altered. I couldn’t believe the hypocrisy of the Liberal member who was criticising the Labor government and running the petition to get broadband to his electorate sooner (before his own party gets in and kills it). I am sick of seeing the continual propaganda that the mining industry puts forward to try and make us all believe that if it wasn’t for them this country would have no business or future – if you believe them you would think this country had no other industry at all, and I think they should pay a darn site more tax than they do for the privilege of digging up resources that belong to all Australians now and in the future. I think we are crazy to even let them process so much of the ore off shore – a much larger percentage of ore should be smelted here, providing employment to Australians. The mining industry is always, going on and on about how much it benefits us, but really they do not employ a great number of people in comparison to other industries and they are working to employ even less by automating everything they can. The thought of a government where Mr Abbott willingly enacts every one of Gina’s greedy desires is really scary, scary, scary. I am not happy that Labor is facilitating the digging up and shipping of ever more coal, especially by improving harbours to allow larger coal carrying vessels – that does seem to conflict with a government that professes to be concerned about climate change as just because we are not burning the coal here that doesn’t mean it is OK to burn it somewhere else. In an ideal world I would like to see more assistance given to industries trying to develop alternatives and the provision for coal miners to be trained or employed in those areas. Lies? Well, let’s get real – have we ever had a government is in this country that has not lied to us or gone back on its word? I doubt we ever will either and on that score Mr Abbott is definitely living in a glass house and shouldn’t pick up any stones. Whilst Labor is not perfect (and what government is), for anyone concerned for the future, especially that of the environment, it seems to me that the NLP is not an option especially with a leader who wants to undo everything Labor has done. Can’t quite see Mr Abbott establishing marine or national parks, trying to save old growth forests or whales or giving women any rights. To him, beautiful scenery, endangered wildlife and trees would just be something pesky and in the way of his friend Gina’s earthmoving equipment and, because he doesn’t believe in it, he wouldn’t lift a finger either to help the future boat people (the pacific islanders who’s homes have just been submerged due to climate change). I watched an “unbiased” ABC interview the other day where a government policy was being discussed but the two people invited to put forward opinions were both Liberal supporters – there was no Labor representative invited to comment. I can’t see Labor winning the next election because the mainstream media these days rarely gives an unbiased report or bothers to report the positive things that governments achieve, especially Labor ones (not surprising considering who owns them), but I hope they at least put up a good fight and stand up for themselves and what they have managed to achieve. Even reforms that have had to be watered down in order to get through, are better than no reforms at all. It is a pity Malcolm Fraser is not the leader of the opposition – then if the NLP got in I wouldn’t feel such an overwhelming desire to want to flee the country to avoid being plunged back into 1950’s.

  59. Catching up

    el gordo, put it this way, we have had from you and others that visit cries of doom and gloom for three years now.

    Predictions of the imminent fall of this PM.

    We have been warned on a daily basis that Mr. Abbott is either going to come up with the smoking gun, or some amazing policies.

    el gordo, have you not noticed, the PM is still standing and stronger than ever.

    Mr. Abbott is rushing about, like the rooster that had his head severed for the Sunday roast.

    In spite of all the dire warnings, the sky still has not fallen in. The economy is still going strong, and Labor is still in government. The fact that is so, says something about the strength and ability if this PM.

    That are facts that one cannot ignore.

    PS. If Rudd was re-instated, this rusted on Labor voter, as I am call by some, will never vote Labor again. If that was to occur, I would lose faith entirely. I am sure there are many that share my feelings.

    Nor would I ever vote for the likes of Abbott. I believe he needs to be defeated soundly, to bring to an end, the shocking politics we have had to endure for more than a decade.

  60. Catching up

    Sorry, I meant Those, not that. No,I live in a very real wold. It is not wishful thinking

    The fear I hold for this nation, if Abbott became PM is very real. The nation has not suffered damage from where I an standing, under the stewardship of this PM.

    The only question one needs to ask, is the GEFC the best way to deal with dealing with man made climate change.

    I believe many will answer yes to this question.

  61. Peter

    Frankly, the differences between a Gillard government and a future Coalition government will measured in degrees at most. Australia has a right-wing government which after the election will continue to be a right-wing government headed by either Gillard or a more right-wing government headed by Abbott.

    Gillard has been governing within a right-wing populist framework:
    – gay marriage fiasco. The unmarried, atheist PM believes in “traditional values”.
    – the debacle of refugee policy where the government proudly proclaimed that its policy was tougher than Howards.
    – increased funding for chaplains in public schools!
    – taking credit for a carbon price that only came about because it was a condition of the arrangement with the Greens, a policy she had no interest in. She has a total disengagement on climate change in general.
    – crass policy to cut foreign aid budget and redirect this to fund refugee detention
    – Gillard’s personal attempt to vote giving Palestine observer status at the UN.

    The government lurches from one policy to another without any sense of coherence, purpose or governing narrative. Gillard’s technocratic view of government means the government is a collection of random policies.

    The plea that “the opposition is worse” is usually heard just before the government is about to be thrown out of office.

    I despair at the incoming Abbott govt, but that does not diminish the sheer awfulness of Gillard and her total acquiescence to a right-wing agenda. Whoever picks up the shattered pieces of the Labor party after the election, will need to examine some fundamental truths – what does the Labor party stands for, what are its values, what is its vision for the nation. It then needs a leader who can communicate that. I find little solace in Labor ministers and a Labor government implementing a right-wing agenda and policies, at present.

    I’ll be voting for the Greens for the first time. The Gillard govt is so compromised as to be beyond redemption. I hope Labor’s loss is not too great, so as to allow it to rebuild quickly. But make no mistake, the ALP needs to be rebuilt. We do it no favours by pretending otherwise.

  62. Peter

    and that should be Gillard’s personal attempt to vote no, on allowing Palestine observer status at the UN.

  63. Crash Skeptic

    Jenny writes:
    Nice research Crash. Thanks.

    Research. The Achilles Heel of left-wingers? 🙂

    Jenny writes:
    Now can you tell me if you think some form of ETS or carbon tax is a desirable thing in the long term, and do you think industry or government should fund the research and development?

    To me, it’s a pointless waste of time. Rising emmissions from China and India and fifty other industrialising countries will swamp any pitiful effort we make.

    China’s annual increase is actually greater than our annual total!

    Personally, I’d rather just adapt to any theoretical problems. But if people are so agitated that we must “do something” – well, first policy out of the blocks is to stop artificially increasing our population.

    Population growth is one of the main drivers of emissions increases. So I find it hard to take seriously governments who are simultaneously trying to increase their populations whilst also claiming to want to cut emmissions. Does the left-hand know what the right-hand is doing?

    The IPCC certainly understands the link:
    http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/sres/emission/index.php?idp=51

    Population projections are arguably the backbone of GHG emissions scenarios

    Or as The Guardian reports:
    “Stemming population growth is a cheap way to limit climate change”
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/31/stemming-population-growth-climate-change

    So until the government stops trying to artificially increase the population, I’m certainly not going to support any other pointless policy.

    My old school motto was “Gesta Non Verba”. It’s Latin for ‘Deeds Not Words’. And I believe it.

    My attitude could be summed up as:

    I will believe it’s a crisis
    when the people claiming it’s a crisis
    start acting like it’s a crisis.

  64. xiaoecho

    Adam said:
    “The writer of this is completely bias and when you actual go and check actual facts it’s beyond proven that pretty much everything they write are straight out lies.”

    What hope do progressives have when confronted by such piercing Coalition intellects as above?

  65. Catching up

    Anyone that writes supporting Labor is always bias in the eyes of some. Of course when they write, it is not bias.

    Now how does that come about. Of course, they could not be biased, as they support those born to rule.

    May be as the PM has no chance of winning, they could tell us what we can expect from an Abbott.

    Not the motherhood statements, the real expectations. May be they can tell us why he will be a builder, when all he threatens is demolition.

    May they can explain, why the answer can be found in the last century.

    Most of all, I want to know why we are wrong to fear Abbott.

    It they are correct, then talking about the PM is immaterial., as they know she is not going to win. Why continue to talk about her then.

    Personally, I believe they are uttering nothing but bullshit. They cannot tell us why Abbott is so great.

    Only because he is not.

  66. Catching up

    Cannot help, but think many of the debates end up in this school. It is all based on faith. Faith that Abbott will lead us into the promised land.

    Yes, many are great at filling the gaps when it comes to Abbott.

    Who are we to question the greatness of Abbott.

    Of course,I know that the video is about god, but they say one can ,idolise anyone.

  67. Truth Seeker

    el dildo, crash and burn sceptic and the rest of the right wing nut jobs, the very fact that you seem to think we should listen to you in regards to who should lead the ALP shows your absolute desperation and level of delusion. 🙁

    you are full of right wing projection accusing others of the things that you are guilty of, supporting the biggest lying piece of scum sucking bottom feeder that has ever been seen in the history of federal politics in this country :mrgreen:

    You obviously have little or no concept of honesty, decency or integrity or concern for this country or your children’s futures.

    Either that or you are rich enough or stupid enough to think that you won’t be affected??????? 🙁 sad, really sad 🙁

    The truth and facts speak for themselves 😯 and just because you refuse to accept them , doesn’t change them 😯 just reflects badly on you and your lack of morals!

    No party is perfect, but Abbotts LNP are just plain BAD 👿

    Grow up!

  68. Peter

    @Iain. It is a bit rich to blame Swan for the Treasury’s inability to forecast projected revenues whilst in the midst of the continuing economic uncertainty that buckets the global economy.

    Was it smart thinking to base your economic credibility on the production of a surplus – an indicator in which you do not have 100% control, is beholden to changing economic conditions, and which may be economic disastrous to do so – is another question!

    The IMF made clear that it was a number of years in the Howard years that were economic profligate – easily done in the midst of a economic boom. But those nasties, not noticeable then, but have resulted in a structural deficit within the budget (all that middle-class welfare) that are all but impossible to remove. Which ever side wins, needs to deal with that.

    But where you are correct is that Labor loss, will be of it own making. They are not losing to an impressive Coalition. They are not losing to a party with superior policies or with superior talent. This Labor loss is entirely self-inflicted. Gillard as the leader must take responsibility for being unable to steady the ship. History will record her as being one of the weakest Labor PMs in its history. That misogyny speech is looking more and more inconsequential as time passes…

  69. Iain Hall

    Victoria
    I have read your essay a couple of times and I can’t help noticing a few of things, well firstly you are missing out the very biggest hurdle that Gillard faces, namely her own failings as a leader and an administrator.Her government has mad some really bad decisions or they have taken so long to make the right decisions that they then get no credit. Now I know you are a TRUE BELIEVER in the AGW theory but don’t you think that had the guts to say no to the Greens , Oakshott and Windsor instead offering to get a mandate at the next election for their carbon tax that she would not be considered so untrustworthy?
    Then there was her massive missteps over Asylum seekers you could not script a political farce with that plot and be called believable yet Gillard has given us a litany truly bad misreadings of the situation, policy brain farts and bad deals only to finally admit, at the cost of her dignity, that the coalition have been right all along.
    The next thing that she has to contend with is the absolute incompetence of her treasurer Wayne Swan if you don’t mind I’ll quote myself here:

    But Gillard is not the only member of her team who is prone to making “Own goals” Wayne Swan has scored more than his fair share it starts with the simple fact that not one of his five budgets have ever turned out even close to his predictions , well I suspect that has been the case for many treasurers but few have been made to look as much a fool as Wayne Swan has over his instance that the promised surplus would be delivered even though this claim was widely denounced by our most knowledgeable financial commentators. When it could not be denied any longer Swan did finally admit the obvious but by this time he was well over his own goal line and the touchdown was just a formality.

    In essence your essay seems to be trying to play a hand that is full of victim cards sadly the truth is that we should never select our government out of pity or sympathy we should choose it because we believe that it will provide good governance and stability neither of which seem to be in the ALP DNA.

  70. Catching up

    They can all tell us how bad the PM is.

    None can tell us why the opposition leader so great.

  71. Mark Hyde

    Dear oh dear Victoria. A strident well written post and all the trolls come out of the wood work.

    I guess this is what happens when a minority government actually functions as one, Those that can’t stomach the result not going there way come from a rabid and paranoid position of denial of EVERYTHING that is passed or put up as a policy as a reflex action because their chosen political idol didn’t get handed the keys to the Lodge.

    Now they talk of ‘caretaker mode’ before the writs have actually been issued….I can’t understand why people would deliberately choose this kind of thuggery over clear policy enacted and passed by a functioning parliament despite the best efforts of one side of Australian politics.

    Hate, negativity and non-constructive obstructionism it seems is to be the order of the day and to be celebrated if posts in reply to your piece are taken as any evidence. Just from spite alone.

  72. Glenn Miller

    I noticed quite a few people commenting about the Fact that julia gillard said there would be no carbon tax and yet we have a tax. Ok not a carbon tax but something pretty damn close. It amazes me that the obvious lnp supporters dont mention mr howards. There will be no GST and yet as soon as he was elected there was suddenly a GST.So accusing our prime minister of lying only makes me think of the old saying…pot calling the kettle black.I admit the labour government is not doing a great job but have to admit those of us not fortunate enough to have a lot of money will be a lot worse off if the elitist LNP get to rule this country.They are already ruining Queensland.

  73. Crash Skeptic

    Earlier I wrote:
    But what I find truly scary are the number of Lefties who have abandoned even a semblance of respect for Free Speech or a pluralistic society, and are openly advocating media controls and censorship in order to pursue their agendas.”

    And Catching Up replied:
    Maybe those from the right might just start respecting our right to free speech.

    Nobody on the right is proposing to restrict your right to free speech.

    Sadly, this authoritarian, censorious instinct currently seems to emanate only from the modern Left.

    Catching Up continues:
    Yes, that means many on this site, having the right to say many things, you seem to disagree with.

    Disagreeing with you is not censorship. Learn the difference, CU.

    Catching Up continues:
    More ever the right to give our opinions without abuse.

    1 – You’re wrong. There is no “right to not be offended” in a free society. I see and read things I find offensive all the time, but I don’t run to “The Thought Police” and call for arrests.
    2 – This is rich coming from you, CU, after the disgusting personal abuse I’ve seen you aim at Abbott. You still haven’t corroborated your ridiculous claims that Abbott forced his teenage girlfriend to have an abortion against her will (contradicting any statement the couple have ever made), and then abandoned her to become a priest. (contradicting the historical record… only wrong by seven years!)

    And nor have you shown the slightest regret or shame at such a vile belowr-the-belt personal attack.

    CU, before you complain of abuse, you need to re-find your own integrity – because it seems to have gone missing.

  74. Ken Brown

    Another great article Victoria, mostly well said, although regarding Robert McClelland he has the right to resign if he wishes….I think he said for family reasons and I thought he was just resigning Senate leadership and staying on as Senator until the election. If he leaves early there will be NO by election….as has been past practice in the Senate Labor has the right choose who is to replace him. Interesting you did not criticise Nicola Roxon (who has done a great job) for announcing her retirement at the next election.

    As for Kevin Rudd I feel he was badly treated by his party, but while I appreciate his positives I understand some of the problems his staff and his parliamentary colleagues had with him.

    It’s a shame that the Labor Party as a whole does not show unity, and so many leak to the media for the own benefit and reasons.

    It will be a dark day for Australia if Abbott’s Liberals obtain Government as is being predicted. With the NBN alone Australia will be taken back to the Twentieth Century and those that praise Malcolm Turnbull as a good alternative leader should read/listen to his views on the NBN (hopeless). The environment will be a bigger loser under the Liberals than it is under Labor.

    Gillard did a great job negotiating with the Independents to form the hung Parliament, and there has been a great deal of misinformed comment over the agreements made and benefits to Australia and regional areas in particular. The biggest criticism comes from the likes of the National Party that does little to support people in regional areas….farmers or others. As for broken promises you only have to look at the record of the O’Farrell Govt in NSW.

  75. Peter

    @Glenn. The issue of the carbon tax resonates with many people because it feeds the electorate’s view of Gillard as untrustworthy and politically insincere. From the way she pushed out a sitting PM (and then attempted to feign ignorance that she knew nothing until the last moment), the carbon tax, through to such issues as marriage equality, where it stretches the bounds of credibility that the “living-in-sin’ atheist PM was so vehement in her support for “traditional” values. Gillard was pilloried for her position because no one believed what she was saying. To be seen as politically calculating is not a good thing!

    The electorate didn’t like everything Howard stood for, but they believed he stood for something.

  76. Catching up

    :2 – This is rich coming from you, CU, after the disgusting personal abuse I’ve seen you aim at Abbott. You still haven’t corroborated your ridiculous claims that Abbott forced his teenage girlfriend to have an abortion against her will (contradicting any statement the couple have ever made), and then abandoned her to become a priest. (contradicting the historical record… only wrong by seven years!)”

    That statement better be withdrawn, as I have never said that. Yesm free speech does not give one the right to tell lies.

    The girlfriend did not have an abortion. She adopted the baby out. I said that Abbott choose top shoot through, taking no responsibility for the baby,

    At that time, men were expected to matty when this occurred. If that did not happen, most women had no choice, but to adopt the baby out. Also about that time, things were changing, and some woman took the option of keeping the child. This mainly occurred because Mr. Whitlam introduced a pension that enabled this to happen

    What I said, that men who left the woman no option, but to adopt, where not looked on kindly by society, Abortion at that time was not an option for most. Abortion was not mentioned.

    I also said at that time, I was only talking in generalities, as I had no idea why the woman decided to adopt the baby out.

    But then twisting what others say, is the norm for you.

    One has a right to freedom from abuse in a civil society. If you wish to go around offending people, that is your problem. Just do not be surprised, when they offend back.

    “CU, before you complain of abuse, you need to re-find your own integrity – because it seems to have gone missing.”

    Sorry, my integrity is intact, especially if one is judged by your rules. You are the one saying that one has the right to offend. Therefore if I have offended Mr. Abbott, it is just to bad.

  77. Catching up

    I know this is far out, but is Rudd getting his final revenge by bringing Labor down

    . Has the Opposition, as Bishop hinted, offered him a job after they win.

    One wonders, when one looks at what’s in the Sunday papers.

  78. Peter

    @Catching up. Labor has these problems because of Gillard’s failed leadership. If the polls reflected Labor ahead, then all the issues that Rollison writes about not exist. But they do exist because they are a symptom of the problem, and the problem is Gillard’s inability to lead the party to victory. Parties that are winning are united. Look at the Libs, many still hate Abbott, but he looks set for a crushing victory and as such, they are united behind him. Rollison has given us a long list of excuses – excuses that are a result of Gillard’s failure.

  79. Crash Skeptic

    Earlier I wrote:
    2 – This is rich coming from you, CU, after the disgusting personal abuse I’ve seen you aim at Abbott. You still haven’t corroborated your ridiculous claims that Abbott forced his teenage girlfriend to have an abortion against her will (contradicting any statement the couple have ever made), and then abandoned her to become a priest. (contradicting the historical record… only wrong by seven years!)

    And Catching Up replied:
    That statement better be withdrawn, as I have never said that.

    Withdrawn. I type fast and I got abortion and adoption mixed up. Replace the ‘abortion’ reference with ‘adoption’ and my comment stands.

    You made baseless personal below-the-belt attacks on Abbott with no evidence re: adoption.

    One has a right to freedom from abuse in a civil society.

    Wrong. There is no freedom to not be offended in a free society. This is not North Korea – yet.

    If you wish to go around offending people, that is your problem. Just do not be surprised, when they offend back.

    Who’s surprised?

    And it is you who engaged in vile personal attacks. All of my attacks are based on politics and are directly related to the comments I’m replying to.

    I said that Abbott choose top shoot through, taking no responsibility for the baby,

    And you have no evidence to support your claim.

    I have enough dignity to not attack people based on lying about their teenage romances 30 years ago.

    Sorry, my integrity is intact, especially if one is judged by your rules. You are the one saying that one has the right to offend. Therefore if I have offended Mr. Abbott, it is just to bad.

    You did not “offend Mr Abbott”. He doesn’t even know you exist.

    What you did was make false allegations about someone which you had absolutely no evidence to support. And behaviours like that tears your integrity to shreds.

    Yesm free speech does not give one the right to tell lies.

    True. So please don’t tell any more lies in future.

  80. Crash Skeptic

    Catching Up wrote:
    I also said at that time, I was only talking in generalities, as I had no idea why the woman decided to adopt the baby out.

    Oh really? You seemed pretty damn sure at the time.

    Why don’t you just have the integrity to say “It was a dumb attack, I got carried away, and I shouldn’t have done it, and I won’t do it again.”

    It’s not that freaking hard, CU.

    And here are a selection of your exact words from January 24 on the “Never” article:

    As he went to Oxford after deserting the mother of what he thought was his child …

    I think you would find giving up that baby was not mum’s choice.

    The reason that Abbott gave up that baby, was because he wanted to be a priest.

    Where were his strong Catholic values at that time.

    Adoption, let him off the hook.

    Girls were keeping babies at that time.

    I suppose he went to confession, and that made everything OK.

    At that time, men who did not take responsibility for their own off spring, were not seen in a good light by society.

    They were not young adolescents. They were at university. Old enough to marry, or take on responsibility for the child.

    If it was mum’s choice, that is OK.. I doubt if mum was given many choices.

    He took the path he did, not because he was young, but because he decided to become a priest.

    good Catholic boys do not get girls pregnant.

    The good Catholic boy, who walked aw

    [sic. you seem to be writing in sentence-fragments here]

    A good Catholic boy would not had a baby to walk away from.

    you are wrong.. There was an article he wrote as a young reporter, after he left the seminary, and other reports, that he left Australia because he decided to be an priest.

    (NOTE: Despite being asked, you never produced any such article.)

    And when Tom of Melbourne asked if you had any evidence, you replied:

    No Tom, I have not. But listening to the mother at the time, I did not get the impression or hear her say it was her choice.

    I was surprised, as I said, woman by then were more likely to keep a baby they gave birth to, than give it up.

    Many were beginning to abort, but I do not believe that would have been a choice in this case.

    NOTE: Above you claim women were “more likely to keep a baby they gave birth to, than give it up.” Remeber that for a minute. (see further down).

    Yes, it is written in more that one place, that he could not have the child, as he wanted to be a priest.

    Of course, the people I was mixing with at the time where not in the leafy suburbs of the North Shore, but in the Western suburbs of Sydney. The family reputation did not carry as much weight. Babies seem to come first.

    Tom, now what did you and family think of men at that time, who did not accept responsibilities for their kid.

    that is what was expected of a man in those days. One did not leave the woman in the lurch.

    Most of the mothers who gave up their babies, where left in the lurch by the fathers

    One adopted the baby out, if they could not get married. That was the norm

    But earlier, you were saying how “women were more likely to keep a baby they gave birth to, than give it up.” More backflips than a gymnast…

    Not many women ion those days, adopted out a child by choice. There was no choice.

    All I picked up was that she believed she had no choice, but to adopt the baby out. I believe that.

    What I am questioning, is why she had no choice.

    And when Tom cautioned you against judging people’s personal lives with no evidence, you wrote:

    Why not. I have not read or seen anything , that indicates that is not true. If some one comes out and contradicts me with reasonable evidence I will accept that.

    What I have said, is the same standard that is used when allegations are made against Labor leaders. Proof does not seem to matter.

    And there we have it.

    Because in your perception, you dislike people accusing Gillard of things, you feel you have a licence to lie about your opponents.

    “Proof does not seem to matter.”

    So you go and make a vile personal attack on a politician you don’t like – based on a teenage romance 30 years ago.

    Wow. Classy.

    I repeat – Why don’t you just have the integrity to say “It was a dumb attack, I got carried away, and I shouldn’t have done it, and I won’t do it again.”

  81. Crash Skeptic

    Ken Brown wrote:
    regarding Robert McClelland he has the right to resign if he wishes….I think he said for family reasons and I thought he was just resigning Senate leadership and staying on as Senator until the election. If he leaves early there will be NO by election….as has been past practice in the Senate Labor has the right choose who is to replace him.

    Robert McClelland is not a Senator. He is a lower house MP. So if he resigns, there should be a by-election, but Gillard is going to claim that because she has announced the election-date, she does not have to hold a by-election.

  82. Crash Skeptic

    Glenn Miller wrote:
    There will be no GST and yet as soon as he was elected there was suddenly a GST.

    Rubbish. Nothing happened “as soon as he was elected”.

    Howard went to the March, 1996 election on a ‘No GST’ platform. He won a term in office, kept his promise and did not introduce it.

    When he decided he was open to a GST, he told the Australian people in May, 1997.

    Then in August, 1997, he announced that the Coalition were definitely going to the next election on a ‘pro-GST’ platform.

    He then campaigned and argued his case for 1 year and 2 months to try and convince the Australian people to vote for him.

    And in October, 1998, he was re-elected. He then kept his promise and introduced a GST.

    It’s sad that lefties continue to lie about this.

    So accusing our prime minister of lying only makes me think of the old saying…pot calling the kettle black.

    Gillard promised ‘No Carbon Tax’. And then broke her promise and introduced it.
    We call her a liar because… she lies.

    Howard campaigned for a GST for 1 year and 2 months before the 1998 election. He respected the Australian people enough to tell them the truth <before the election and gave them the opportunity to say ‘no’.

  83. Catching up

    First the word abortion was not used. So that is a vile attack on me.

    Second, Abbott did not marry the woman he thought was the mother of his baby. That was the norm at that time. If that is a vile attack, so be it.

    Thirdly, why is vile attacks on the PM acceptable., but one is not allow to make similar allegations about Mr. Abbott.

    I believe you all need to grow up.

    As you say, one is allow to offend.,

  84. Catching up

    Tom caution me. Would not that the kettle calling the pot black..

    Well I am cautioning you both. Some of things you both say about the PM should not be said. Most is outrageous. Much is pure lies.

    The arrogance of some of you are beyond belief.

    I am saying once again, that in those days, men who left the woman holding the baby were not well thought of. If that is vile, so be it. If it gives an offence, I could not care less.

  85. Catching up

    PS. I stand by every word I said.

  86. Catching up

    Yes, I good Catholic boy would not have got any girl pregnant.

  87. Dasha

    Glenn Miller, you are so wrong.

    Comparing Mr Howard’ GST change to Ms Gillard’s carbon tax change is an insult to the thinking Australians.

    Mr Howard changed his mind but he had the courage to bring GST policy to 1998 election campaign. He won the election and he had the mandate from Australian people to implement the policy.

    Ms Gillard, on the opposite, explicitly announced” will be no carbon tax under the government I lead” just 6 days before the 2010 election. She lied to Australian people to get elected. We all know what happened afterwards.

    Untrustworthiness and incompetence will be her legacy.

  88. chrissy stewart

    All I can say is keep fighting for what you believe in Julia you have achieved a great deal in a difficult parliament we set you yes we the public voted the way we did at the last election….Yes you have had to make choices some not always popular…but too often people always remember the negative…the bad things…the bad times….but for every bad thing etc there are many in life that are good…i say to all the people still harping on the carbon tax and the rudd thing….’build a bridge and get over it’..move on…you can’t change it……you can’t go back….why get stuck on it. If she was not a women you certainly would have forgotten it all I am absolutely and utterly convinced she is being criticised so much because she is a women and she has risen to high office. I too in my working life have felt that along the way I missed out on promotions etc just because I was a women…I too have been given less pay for the same job as a man. And at one point was asked to do higher duties but not get paid anymore yes true…how unfair is that…I think people have to get past the leader of each party and look at the policies…Labor are upfront with theirs…what has Abbott told us except what he is going to cut…like the school kids bonus it was the liberals who originally bought that in and now they are going to cut it by saying its a rort…all labor did was changed it to two payments one in january and one in july and no receipts, we all know how much it costs to educate our children and this is a welcome small amount to assist…and also remember in liberal days we use to complain many things on our tax returns one was education expenses this is just a different way of claiming and the truth be known overall we probably get less than when we could claim.

    Mr Abbott is so negative. He won’t or can’t reveal his policies because he doesnt have them. We will be a great deal worse off under Abbott and Liberals mark my words.

    And as for the carbon tax I haven’t noticed much difference in supermarket pricing its the 2 biggest ones that do the price war…I don’t shop at them thats how I voice my disapproval. I shop at Aldi and IGA. I am not faced with aisles and aisles of unwanted in your face specials that arent specials only made to look like it. I don’t go home with all these specials that sit would sit in my cupboard and end up in the bin for non use.

    My grocery bill is nothing like it use to be…..My daughter now shops like I do and saves heaps.

    so I say Go Julia I hope you get back in . Your a fine person doing a fine job.

  89. el gordo

    ‘I noticed quite a few people commenting about the Fact that julia gillard said there would be no carbon tax and yet we have a tax.’

    Going into the election there was clear evidence that it might be a hung parliament and that some difficult decisions would have to be made.

    The PM chose badly and now my party is doomed for a decade.

  90. Mark

    Oh Dear oh dear CU you are desperate to post when you have to pick someone up for a spelling mistake. Grow up.

  91. Truth Seeker

    Dasha, that is bullshit on both counts, Howard had every intention of introducing a GST when he said it, and you are only quoting the first part of her speech, which then went on to say ” but let me make it perfectly clear, Ia am committed to putting a price on carbon” (paraphrasing) etc
    but let’s not let the truth get in the way of your puerile and misleading arguments 😯

    Peter, you constantly assert that the government are heading for a flogging at the election based on what? news polls seven months out which, except for the last one, have been trending towards Labor.
    Maybe you should take another look at the US election, and then realise that the right wing press made the same assertions over there, and look how well that worked out for them 😀

    And the fact that you have announced that you are going to waste your vote on the greens, after decrying everything that JG has done is hilarious, as everything that you disliked so much, and more, will be done in spades by Abbott. 🙁

    If you were serious about the greens agenda, 🙁 then you would hope and pray that the ALP get in, cos there isn’t a snowballs chance in hell that the greens will run the country, and even with the chance that they had, with the current minority gov, they showed their irrelevance, which will be magnified by a factor of ten under Abbott.

    sad, really sad 🙁

  92. John Lord

    “There of those who like to opine about politics yet conveniently leave out the political consequences when forming it”

  93. el gordo

    The PM must be replaced for the good of the party now, not after a massive defeat at the polls.

  94. Iain Hall

    El Gordo:

    The PM chose badly and now my party is doomed for a decade.

    You are being an optimist here I think ! The ALP could very well spend much more time than that in the wilderness.

  95. Truth Seeker

    el dildo, you are sooooo full of it 🙁

    Iain, ditto with knobs on

  96. Iain Hall

    Truth seeker
    Have you ever read about kubler-Ross’s stages of grieving?

    Clearly you are still in the denial stage and as sad as it is you will have to go though the other stages eventually until you come to the acceptance that Labor, under Gillard is a “dead government (and political party) walking” It is a tragedy for this country that the once admirable ALP will be laid so low as a result Julia Gillard and her shambles of a team who seem incapable of successfully organising a good time in a brothel, especially since the one man believed to have experience in doing so has been both expelled from the party and faces fraud charges.

  97. Tom of Melbourne

    ”if you tell a lie long enough and loud enough, that lie will miraculously become truth

    …and certainly that is the modus operandi of Gillard and her backers.

    Gillard’s dishonesty doesn’t require a debate about the “no carbon tax” commitment.

    The unequivocal case is her written agreement with WIlkie. Can anyone name another Prime Minister who has in such duplicity-

    • Made a written agreement with another MP specifically in order to move into the Lodge
    • Broken the specific terms of the commitment
    • Rather than face up to the consequences of the breach of agreement, makes another sleazy agreement with a known rorter.

    Then there is her earlier excuse about her dubious behaviour regarding her fraudulent boyfriend, she excused herself – “I was young and naïve”. Now that excuse is just dishonest.

    People got rid of Howard because he was seen as dishonest, Gillard faces the same outcome.

  98. Truth Seeker

    Iain, if you think that by your continuing to announce that this is the case, that it will be, then you are even more delusional than I gave you credit for. (which is saying something)

    And again, ignoring the facts, as you do so well, doesn’t change THE FACTS, and following the LNP idea that if you tell a lie long enough and loud enough, that lie will miraculously become truth, shows the absolute desperation and puerile nature of your arguments.

    Unlike you and your right wing, nut job mates, I will continue to work with the facts, and if the people are silly enough to give Abbott a go, then they will get exactly what they deserve, sad as it will be for this great country and the future of our kids.

    However I hope and trust that the Australian people by and large are smarter than that, you and your supporters are sadly not!

  99. Catching up

    Mark, I believe it is you that has the problem.

    I corrected my own spelling mistake.

    I never have corrected spelling mistakes of anyone.

    Cannot, as I make too many typos and grammar mistakes myself, which is pointed out to me all the time.

    Why not stick to the content, and leave the personal put downs out.

    .

  100. Catching up

    Labor will not be in the wildness for long, is we are unlucky enough to see Abbott elected.

    It is likely we will see something that is not usual in this country, a one term government.

    I believe we are not desperate as many claim we are for this reason. Many really believe that Abbott will be a disater.

    Maybe some people have to learn the hard way.

    We are being continually told over and over of all the PM’s faults and disasters. This we now know by rote.

    Why not tell us something many of us do not know. Tell us why Mr. Abbott will make a wonderful PM,

    Why you believe this, escapes many of us completely.

    Tell me, why you have so much faith in Mr. Abbott, and why you see your way to trust him.

  101. 730reportland

    Excellent post Vicky, really well covered and written.
    l would just like to point out to others, that Lefty panic is not really needed. The embedded media cheered Mr-Rabbit in 2010 and he didn`t make it past the post. For those in Love with Noise-Polls, go check out Crikey, they have a record of polls translated to seats. Mr-Rabbit was going to get 79 seats in 2010, he got 73. (outside-paywall)

  102. Tom of Melbourne

    I think you’re missing something here Catching Up.

    This thread is about Gillard, it reflects very favourably on her. I don’t think it is an accurate portrayal of her (lack of) honesty, and it glosses over her numerous policy failures.

    People aren’t migrating to Abbott, they’re just moving away from Gillard. Many don’t trust her, and stopped listening to her a year ago.

  103. Catching up

    Tom, be honest,you never accepted the woman.

    You could not accept an a female leader, no matter how much ability she has, let alone one that is an atheist one that lives in sin, one that has chosen not to have children.

    To make matters worse in your eyes, the woman has had the hide to have relationships with men who were married, but separated.

    An independent woman, who believes that she is equal to a man, is not accept by many, I am sad to say, some woman as well.

    No, Tom, you could never accept this woman

    At least be honest about the reasons why.

    Tom is not alone in this attitude.

    I would like to add, this woman lives the life that many woman, across society live today.

    You are all entitled to your personal values, but recognise they do not reflect the norm today. Society has changed.

  104. 730reportland

    sloppy joe is on meet the press
    hockey talks about `Joolya`, `Kevin07` and `leader-ship` speculation, not teabag policy, ideas and decisions
    .
    teabags are staying with proven old failure, won`t work this time either, credlins eggs and other stunts won`t drag Mr-Rabbits carcass over the line

  105. Tom of Melbourne

    Min, Gillard has a history of policy failure, just off the top of my head-
    • Medicare Gold
    • The first attempt at IR policy, which was such a disaster that Rudd had to take ownership and renegotiate it with unions and employers
    • The East Timor Solution
    • The Malaysian Solution
    • Nauru
    • Marriage equality
    • MRRT
    • Carbon/emissions policy (big committee, community consensus, not before 30 June 2013)
    —————
    Catching Up, that is just crap, and I’ll call you on it. If you want to engage in a reasonably orderly discussion, you can stop the personal, speculative, made up crap.

  106. LOVO

    Why would Abbott and his ‘team le cream’ make/be a better Govt…….. many here have said ‘ What Julia has achieved as PM’ …and many have said ‘No… no good’ … but nought has been said on the ‘Why’ the Abbott would be, and let me make this perfectly clear, a better PM.
    The trouble with the RW cinema here, ….. too many ‘projectionists’ 😀

  107. Catching up

    Tom, you are now going back into ancient history.

    Howard had many failures during his life as an MP and especially as a treasurer.

    He failed his first run at being a PM, That election campaign was pitiful.

    There is not a politician alive that does not have failures, as well as success.

    When one looks at Abbott, the list of failures and disgraceful behavior is endless.

    One finds it hard to find anything he was a success at, except at kicking heads, and Howard’s attack dog.

    As I said, let us know what is so amazing about Abbott, that leads you to be willing to replace the PM with.

    From where I sit, it would be like jumping out of the frying pan, into the fire.

  108. LOVO

    From where I sit, it would be like jumping out of the spa bath, into the pig trough.

  109. Catching up

    Yes LOVO, it would indeed be, There will be no room in that trough for the lower and middle income earners, let alone the needy..

    Especially with Gina and her ilk taking up all the room.

  110. heather944

    Couldn’t agree more – the rich will be getting richer and the poor will be getting poorer (they will aim to keep them uneducated, poor and desperate – just the way the rich like their workers to be – willing to do anything for a mere pittance).

  111. Tom of Melbourne

    1. The above (Scottyfreak) is written by someone who clearly hasn’t read the actual text of the agreement that Gillard and Wilkie signed. They’d note that Gillard committed to acting “unilaterally” to achieve the agreed reforms.

    2. The only study I’ve seen that tracks voting patterns by IQ is a UK one. This showed Liberal Democrat voters to be most intelligent, followed by Greens, followed by Conservative, followed by Labour.

    3. The area with highest number of university degrees per capita is located in a safe Liberal seat, I suppose formal qualifications have some association with intelligence.

  112. Catching up

    http://www.skynews.com.au/national/article.aspx?id=846400

    “Only one in three women are preparing to vote for Labor, despite holding concerns about Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, a new poll reveals.

    The women-only Galaxy poll, published in the Sunday Telegraph, found that only 36 per cent of women were preparing to vote Labor.

    This is despite the poll showing that 62 per cent of women have concerns about Mr Abbott.

    Forty-four per cent reported reservations about the opposition leader saying ‘no to everything’, while 39 per cent cited feeling disquiet about his views on abortion.

    The majority said his status as a family man would have no bearing on their vote, with only 13 per cent saying they were more likely to vote for him due to his experience with marriage and rising kids.

    ‘Female voters are supporting the Liberal Party despite concerns about Tony Abbott,’ Galaxy’s David Briggs told the Daily Telegraph.

    ‘Among females aged 18-34 years, 46 per cent are concerned about the opposition leader’s views on abortion.’

    As to claims Mr Abbott is a misogynist – 44 per cent disagree he is, while 25 per cent agree.

    Meanwhile 44 per cent of the 800 women said Prime Minister Julia Gillard was a strong role model, compared to 43 per cent who called her a ‘disappointment’.”

  113. Min

    ToM, what would you consider policy failures? This is to do with actual policy. For example, the Malaysia Solution which BTW I had some misgivings about but was prepared to at least give it a try knowing that the answer is far more complex than just a 3-line slogan Abbott-style..that is, the underlying theory is a regional solution to a regional problem. This one failed due to a judgement of the High Court.

    Ms. Gillard’s only other failure to my mind is her lack of support for marriage equality, but on the other hand she followed her conscience and allowed her people to follows theirs. To my mind the failure was with the Opposition and those such as Turnbull who by rights should have crossed the floor on this issue.

  114. el gordo

    CU what is this GEFC you talk of?

  115. Catching up

    We are now getting Sophie Mirabella ABC 24. Now that could be interesting.

  116. Catching up

    Green Energy Future, legislation. Forget what the C stands for.

  117. Catching up

    “The area with highest number of university degrees per capita is located in a safe Liberal seat, I suppose formal qualifications have some association with intelligence.”

    May be more to do with money, opportunity and parents background,of having degrees themselves.

    There is no evidence to suggest that those who come from Labor areas and vote Labor do not do as well, once they get to Uni. Some even do better.

    Research has shown that those who come from the State School system. actually do better.

  118. Catching up

    Green Energy Future, legislation. Forget what the C stands for.

    Departments set up to distribute the money from the price on carbon emissions, to assist companies move from fossil power to a clean energy future.

    There have already been successes. Some meat processors saving up to 65% on their power bills per annum.

    Yes, there is much that Mr. Abbott will have to demolish,.

  119. ScottyFreak (@ScottyFreak)

    I find it annoying that a lot of the right-wing comments here take what is bespoken from the LNPers and regurgitated in the media as gospel. The honesty of the PM has come up time and time again, yet no one has bother to look any deeper for the facts. Look closely at the “carbon tax” statement. The centre of which is the TV interview which she says “There will be no carbon tax under a government I lead”. This is where the right stops. Declares that we have a carbon tax now and shouts “Liar!!”, “Liar!!”. However, if they were to listed a little further or indeed read an article by known right-wing protagonist Paul Kelly http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/julia-gillards-carbon-price-promise/story-fn59niix-1225907522983 they would understand that there has been no lie spoken.The only thing that has happened was a bringing forward of the then-proposed price on carbon to 2012, not 2013. Why is it so hard for the right to understand there is no carbon tax? Because that have been spoon-fed that from Abbott and the compliant media. This is proof positive that the right cannot research, nor likely understand.

    Another is the agreement with Wilke re:pokie reform. This really goes to the right having the memory of a forgetful goldfish, as it only happened recently. For those forgetful souls: Gillard did propose to legislate with Wilke on these reforms. Both when to all parties to register how many would be voting for it. This happened several times, with all these times finding there was not enough support for it. Regardless of changes, it was not going to get the votes for it. It was decided not to pursue it simply because it would not have been successful, so a trial in Canberra was proposed. Wilke (incorrectly) blamed Gillard, and the media, seeing a chance to help Abbott along, willfully followed that line. Wilke was very much the kid who wanted to take his bat and ball and go home. However he eventually realised it would’ve been dead even if it was tabled.

    Frankly the Malaysia Solution was an attempt by the government to compromise with a pig-headed opposition who would not compromise at all. When it was found to be illegal, they had to do what the Opposition demanded to find some breaking of the stalemate. Not content with getting their way on locations for processing centres, the inhumane Shadow Immigration Minister Scott Morrison then demanded a return to TPV’s. Fortunately this has not been given any consideration. To me, the ALP were caught between a rock and a hard place…trying to stop the trade in asylum seekers and contending with the latent racism in the Liberal Party…and naturally the media and LNP sycophants blamed the government for the compromise.

    The right love to jump up and down calling the PM “Liar!!” “Liar!!”, yet cannot offer one actual lie spoken. They do this whilst conveniently ignoring the lies spoken by Abbott (countries with carbon pricing, “illegal” asylum seekers, no new taxes then PPL, reading reports and that the PM has lied). It is delusion caused by ideological hatred and a clear refusal to look at fact. Is it any wonder those who follow right-wing / conservative agendas have been found to be of a lower intelligence? (Hey, that’s not me saying that, it has been scientifically found)

  120. Truth Seeker

    Scottyfreak, exactly, well said 😀 Of course ToM and others have been rolling out the same old chestnuts ad infinitum, and when it is pointed out that they are full of lies and misrepresentations, they give the old nag mouth to mouth so they can flog it to death again, ignoring facts truth and reason as pure inconvenience. 😯

    ToM even goes to the length of pure hypocrisy in claiming that this thread is about Julia, when there have been numerous threads asking for good points about Abbott and all we get on those threads is….But Julia is a liar… carbon tax BLAH BLAH BLAH, Wilkie BLAH BLAH BLAH etc etc :shock

    ToM and the rest of the RW nut jobs FFS GROW UP

  121. Truth Seeker

    but of course they cant change their attacks, cos that’s all they’ve got……NOTHIN’ 😯

    I have had more intelligent discussions with six year olds….. pathetic 🙁

  122. el gordo

    ‘Departments set up to distribute the money from the price on carbon emissions, to assist companies move from fossil power to a clean energy future.’

    Yes that will all have to go.

  123. 730reportland

    lt`s funny what both sides screech about on the blogs.
    Lefty`s have totally missed Mr-Rabbits latest stunt.
    Teabags have totally missed what other Righty`s are saying.

  124. ScottyFreak (@ScottyFreak)

    Also, as an addendum to the comment that Howard received a mandate to introduce the GST after the 98 election…He certainly went to the election declaring a GST will be a policy he will introduce. However, it should be noted that there was a huge 4.6% swing against Howard in that election, losing the popular vote, but securing enough seats to scrape into power. It can be legitimately declared that Howard scored no mandate to introduce the GST, and was saved by the gerrymandering that happened after the 96 election. In fact, many, many commentators dissecting that election were universal in saying that it was the GST policy that turned a fair number of voters off. Hardly a mandate…

  125. Catching up

    To be replaced immediately by the ones that Mr.. Abbott intends to put in place under his Direct Action.

    Sounds a little silly and wasteful to me.

    el gordo, it surprises me, that you, the one that knows all about climate change and what this government has done wrong, do not know the nuts and bolts, of what the PM has introduced.

    Thye main difference between the Clean Energy Future, and Direct Action, is how it is to be funded.

    GEF, places the cost on the emitters. Direct Action, directly on the taxpayer. Up to $1300 or more per taxpayer.

    Of course, there is also the fantasy land planting of trees, over an area the size of Tasmania, to be effective.

  126. Catching up

    El Gordo, maybe you should have a look at what is available. May be there is assistance available to allow you to make changes, to get the power bills down that you are claiming are sending you broke.

    I am only guessing, as I have no idea how it works, but that is the aim.

  127. el gordo

    CU I don’t think Abbott will go to the election with the Direct Action Plan, at least I hope not, because its also a stoopid idea.

  128. Catching up

    el gordo, I agree Direct Action is stupid expensive and will not work.

    Mr. Abbott has recently said he will be taking it to an election,

    We have had Hunt out pushing it.

    In spite of what you , I think, there is a large majority that believes there needs to be some type of scheme to address the matter.

  129. LOVO

    All I hear is that one side pushes the positives about the PM…. the ‘others’ push their negatives about the PM…… and then one side pushes the negatives about the LOTO…. and then the ‘others’ push….. the negatives about the PM, again….. is it just moi or is something missing in ‘the others’ argument …… oh, thats right… balance 🙄 Why?????? ….could it be that there are ‘NO’ positives to push 😯

  130. Catching up

    Well put it this way,. There was no marriage. The baby was adopted out.

    Mr, Brandis said that one could say what they like, as long as it is an opinion.

    Well my opinion is that Abbott walked away from what he believed to be his baby.

    It is my opinion, that good Catholic boys do not get girls pregnant,. If they do, they did the right thing.

    Now. Maybe you can convince me and others, that it is OK to say what one likes re the PM, but Mr. Abbott is out of bounds.

    You have now admitted, that I did not use the word “abortion”. Therefore, I stand by what I said.

    If it causes you offence, so be it.

    it is your mob that have set the standards in this regard. Afraid, as you keep telling us, you will just have to lumped it. or move on. The choice is yours.

    There will be no apology or back down from me. I am only saying, what I see as the truth.

  131. Crash Skeptic

    Catching Up wrote:

    Tom, be honest,you never accepted the woman.

    You could not accept an a female leader, no matter how much ability she has, let alone one that is an atheist one that lives in sin, one that has chosen not to have children.

    To make matters worse in your eyes, the woman has had the hide to have relationships with men who were married, but separated.

    An independent woman, who believes that she is equal to a man, is not accept by many, I am sad to say, some woman as well.

    No, Tom, you could never accept this woman

    At least be honest about the reasons why.

    Tom is not alone in this attitude.

    I would like to add, this woman lives the life that many woman, across society live today.

    You are all entitled to your personal values, but recognise they do not reflect the norm today. Society has changed.

    And AGAIN with the completely fabricated attacks about other people’s personal lives!

    I realize Tom has already replied to this but I’m just gob-smacked by your arrogance and hypocricy, CU.

    How the hell can you possibly know what motivates a poster you’ve never met?

    Seriously, who the hell do you think you are? Do you have a crystal ball and tarot cards hidden up your bum!

    Is there any lie you are not willing to make up and spread without evidence? You seem to be just a bundle of speculation, projection and hate.

    And then you have the sheer arrogance to complain about “put-downs” – when you spend half your posts making claims about other peoples’ personal lives that you can’t possibly know. What a hypocrite and what a joke.

    For once in your life, maybe you should try to actually stick to the politics rather than other peoples’ personal lives. Politics is what the blog is about!

  132. Veronica Snicklspooks

    Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia, has the hardest job in the world running a minority Government with the Greens and Independence! She had done so well to last as long as she has and even if I don’t agree to all she has done I accept it!
    With Abbott in the background determined to ruin everything she says and the grubby little thing attacking her personally, and now slithering under some stone to hide and let other members of his party do the ‘sliming’ for him while he sits back and smiles! And some people want him for Prime Minister?????? I beg, PLEASE don’t vote for him!!!!! He will say anything to get in, promise the world and forget about it when he gets in!!!! This will be the end of Australia!!!!!!!

  133. Catching up

    Crash, remind you, that I always lob back what is served from the other side.

    Since when have you not dealt in put downs.

    I do as you do, judge people on what they write. Except, I actually reply to what is written, not my interpretation of what I think they meant. .

    Like the long tirade I have had to endure from you, not based on what I said, but what you believe I meant.

    Now, what I am interested in, when did you become an apologist for Tom.

    I believe he is big enough to defend himself. Well at least he is big enough to dish it out.

    “For once in your life, maybe you should try to actually stick to the politics rather than other peoples’ personal lives. Politics is what the blog is about!”

    Definitely the word on this subject. Abuse away to your hearts content, I will not be responding. Now or in the future.

  134. Crash Skeptic

    Mr, Brandis said that one could say what they like, as long as it is an opinion.

    Well my opinion is that Abbott walked away from what he believed to be his baby.

    It is my opinion, that good Catholic boys do not get girls pregnant,. If they do, they did the right thing.

    Are you seriously so dense that you don’t understand the difference between the objective and subjective>?

    Here is an example of opinions:
    “I think Tony Abbott is a sexist pig.”
    “I think Gina Rinehart is very sensual and attractive woman.”
    “I think the carbon tax is the best policy ever.”
    “I think multiculturalism is a terrible idea.”
    “I think chocolate is better than strawberry.”

    None of the above is definitively “true” or “false”. They are just subjective opinions, and nobody should be able to censor or prosecute for that.

    Now let’s take another statement – “Catching Up is a child-molester who is recorded on the Sex Offenders Register and has to wear an ankle-bracelet and report to a polie station regularly.”

    Is this a subjective opinion? NO! It’s a claim of fact that is either objectively true or false. (and if false, it’s a lie that would be liable for defamation action.)

    The fact that you seem to believe that you can tell specific lies about other people’s personal lives, and then pretend it’s an “opinion” is an utter disgrace.

    You appear to be either very stupid. Or perhaps – just ruthlessly, viciously dishonest.

    Now. Maybe you can convince me and others, that it is OK to say what one likes re the PM, but Mr. Abbott is out of bounds.

    Nobody’s ever claimed that. You are living in a fantasy land.

    BTW – I’m still waiting on that list of lies you claim I told about the PM….

    You have now admitted, that I did not use the word “abortion”.

    It was a typo. I meant to write ‘adoption’. And I already corrected it the moment you pointed it out.

    See, that’s the difference between you and me, CU. I have integrity – You don’t.

    Therefore, I stand by what I said.

    If it causes you offence, so be it.

    All you are achieving is to demonstrate that you are an arrogant, hypocritical liar. Good luck with that.

    it is your mob that have set the standards in this regard. Afraid, as you keep telling us, you will just have to lumped it. or move on. The choice is yours.

    My choice is to point out what a pathetic, arrogant liar and hypocrite you are.

    Perhaps one day you will learn the value of honesty. Or perhaps you will remain an old lying fool.

    As you say it – “lump it”.

    There will be no apology or back down from me. I am only saying, what I see as the truth.

    You have never met the people involved, so you have no idea what the “truth” is.

    YOu are just fabricating lies. I guess that’s just what liars do. (No wonder you love Gillard so much.)

    BTW, when are you reporting to the police station next re: the sex-offenses?

  135. Catching up

    Wonder how many Abbott was f*cking at the same time, if you put it that way.

    Did she claim to be a good Catholic girl.

    Personally I could not care less if he is a good Catholic boy or not, Whatever he is, it is sure to be fake., It is Abbott himself that has put his religion front and foremost.

    Time to drop this matter. Nothing more can be gained by keeping it up. People are able to make their own minds up.

  136. el gordo

    ‘…is it just moi or is something missing in ‘the others’ argument ……’

    Its politics and even if a right winger put up a post the other side would be just as critical.

    Hopefully someone who is not particularly interested in politics will drop in here and be educated on the different arguments.

  137. el gordo

    Returning to Victoria’s post…

    ‘…the unengaged voter still believes everything they read/see in the biased mainstream media.’

    This is not true, the politically detached block are mainly concerned about the hip pocket nerve and will go with the team which offers them relief.

  138. Truth Seeker

    Seeing as how there seems to be an over abundance of them here, I have just posted my poem “The Aspirational Voter”, but this poem comes with a warning for the rabid right;

    Read it at your own peril, as you may never be able to look in the mirror again 😯

    The Aspirational Voter

    Cheers 😀

  139. Peter

    In her summation of the Greens, why does Victoria make no mention that it was a concerted effort by Labor MPs and union heavy-hitters like Howe who smeared the Greens as “extremists”. This was the same party that happily signed an agreement with the Greens. Perhaps if Victoria was prepared to write a more balanced piece – something with a little more nuance, it wouldn’t be regarded as trite propaganda. And in what universe is Gillard presiding over a “progressive” government. I think the Greens are well entitled to highlight every nasty right-wing policy turn Gillard implements.

  140. el gordo

    Victoria I note your criticism of the Greens, but its too late, they have already destroyed our party.

    They are zealots and after the next election Labor should make a clean break from them.

    ‘Without trying to start a fight with Greens supporters on Twitter (which by the way is really not fun), I can’t help but think that someone needs to remind some Greens who the real enemy is.’

    The watermelons I see here and there are seriously brainwashed, which may go someway in understanding their ferocious nature when contradicted.

    You’re right about Abbott not introducing gay marriage and he will pay the Indonesian and Sri lankan governments to stop the asylum seeker boats leaving their shores.

    A majority of Australians are not against gay marriage, but Abbott will put it in the bottom draw and forget this ‘human right’ until nearing the end of his third term.

  141. el gordo

    Peter, the Greens are extremists.

  142. Peter

    I think the most astute comment is from Tom of Melbourne:

    “People aren’t migrating to Abbott, they’re just moving away from Gillard. Many don’t trust her, and stopped listening to her a year ago.”

    The last four polls over two months – Essential, Galaxy, Morgan – all show a 55-45-ish battle. With the ALP’s vote stuck in the low 30s.

    Interestingly, the Financial Review from the start of the year, reported on a poll of the top marginal seats. The ALP is doing substantially worse in these marginal seats than they are in the national polls – showing huge swings against it. This marginal poll showed ALP with a loss of 18 seats. The ALP have a whole swag of marginal seats that require very very small swings to go to the Libs.

    Both parties’ own internal marginal seat polling would say the same. The ALP’s campaign will not be about achieving a majority (that is now clearly gone) but to solidify the base to stop a huge wipe-out. The shrill attacks on Abbott makes the ALP base happy but turns a large number of voters off – the voters you need to achieve a majority.

  143. Peter

    @El Gordo. “Peter, the Greens are extremists”. Um…ok. *rolls eyes*.

  144. el gordo

    You must be extremist if you believe CO2 causes global warming.

  145. Peter

    @Gordo. Still yawning…

  146. sulphurcrested

    Brilliantly well put, Victoria.
    Was saying yes! yes!! yes!!! all the way through.
    Thank you!

  147. 730reportland

    el gordo, deniers are shills and dills

  148. 730reportland

    ” but Abbott will put it in the bottom draw and forget this ‘human right’ until nearing the end of his third term.”
    Do you earn good coin for your teabag based comments el’gordo.? They are good comedy, l`ll recommend a pay rise.

  149. Mark

    Accusing me of personal putdowns. Following your blog for a little while now and I would award you a HD for your personal putdowns. If you did not feel the need to correct my spelling why comment?

  150. LOVO

    Ahhh, Julia….. what your up against….. *fair dinkom* has become elevator muzak….. blood oath, ay ….. 🙄
    What sulphurcrested said, Vicky.. 😀

  151. susiq

    I think she’s the best thing that’s happened to Australia in a very long time. She just keeps getting better. I wish this government would be more radical, not less. She was the powerhouse behind Kevin Rudd- she deserved the job and we can’t blame her if her own party got fed up with Rudd.

  152. danielharrison

    Aussies like do-nothing governments like the Howard government-ooops sorry we did get the GST. Julia wants to get things done- it’s not an ego trip, it’s sleeves rolled up. Good on her!

  153. archie maclean

    Did I wake up after 100 years like Rip Van Winkle and find the media in control of our fair nation? All that seems to matter is media newspolls. It’s not a popularity contest, it’s about getting the job done. The LNP lost their only good bet when they kicked out Malcolm Turnbull. Oooh, ahhh, he crossed the floor! Big deal! In the USA candidates frequently change parties eg Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg. Changing your mind shows actual thought!

  154. Miglo

    Mark, I have read through all the comments and I would say that it is you that have come here all gung-ho, willing to attack the author and other contributors. Take your anger elsewhere.

  155. Truth Seeker

    When the polls show such a shift after a week when all we got from Abbott was a speech saying nothing and the only promises, to sack 20,000+ PS jobs and withdraw the baby bonus, the question should be asked;
    Are the polls indicative of the thoughts of the people, or are the polls more about the MSM controlling the masses perception of winners and losers for their own bosses agendas?

    My guess is the latter! 👿

    A government bought and paid for by vested interests will only benefit the aforementioned vested interests, to the detriment of our country, our children’s futures and our democracy, and any that support these aims should be seen as traitors to this country, whether media barons, politicians or LNP trolls!

    If the right or left win by fair and free elections, that should be accepted by all as the will of the people, that cannot be the position when the people are being misled by a dishonest and morally bankrupt MSM pushing their own agendas.

    Murdoch is regarded with disdain in the, Canada and the US, and has been completely discredited in the UK, yet he owns 70% of the media in this country, We NEED an enquiry NOW

    Just saying!

  156. ScottyFreak (@ScottyFreak)

    ToM, the studies have been held in the US, and suggest that Conservatives have lower intelligence than “Liberals” (obviously not Australian Liberals), due to processes of thought often more open in progressives than conservatives, who are often held back by more ideological focused ideals rather than any ‘greater good’ viewpoints.

    Frankly, the argument that the greater number of university degree per capita in Liberal seats misses the whole point by a fair margin. You can possess all the certificates, degrees and papers in the world and still not be ‘intelligent’. It does not necessarily open your mind, not give you the ‘real world’ perspective, just says you can talk about certain subjects with some degree of perceived clarity. Proof of that is Abbott himself – a Rhodes Scholar, yet clearly bereft of progressive, non-myopic views of the world…and definitely not an intelligent person. You mistake knowledge for intelligence. Knowledge is the gaining, intelligence is the use.

  157. Catherine Crittenden

    More of same in this morning’s poll.
    A majority of Labor voters support Julia Gillard as the leader, up slightly since the last poll.

  158. Crash Skeptic

    Scottyfreak wrote:
    Folks like Crash Skeptic and killerbee identify exactly what the PM is up against. The ill-informed, twisting words to suit their own ideological parading. The number one thing the PM has been roundly criticised for was the “carbon tax”. The ill-informed leave it at that and say it’s a lie. The savvy and sensible know that the very next statement she said during that interview was: “But I am determined to put a price on carbon”.

    That is completely false, ScottyFreak.

    Her very next statement was “”What we will do is we will tackle the challenge of climate change.”

    She never once mentioned a “price on carbon” in the entire interview.

    The closest she came was talking about “leading a debate to come to a consensus” about what to do.

    Face it. She broke her promise. And everybody knows it.

    Trying to re-write history is not going to convince the Australian people, and merely makes the left appear even more untrustworthy that Gillard has already tainted it.

  159. Catching up

    Poor Fella Australia

  160. el gordo

    The PM was disingenuous on the tax and that’s how she destroyed the support of Labor’s heartland.

    She is now furiously pork barrelling Sydney’s west, but nothing will save the party from near certain defeat.

  161. Catching up

    The PM did not say she would not put a price on carbon emission as she has done.

    The PM has bought much more in than that cost.

    The PM with her CEFC is spending the money to assist industry to move to cleaner, and in the longer run cheaper power, to run their industries.

    Yes, we are now moving into this century.

  162. Catching up

    Pork barrelling sure worked for Howard. why not for Labor.

    Not that I agree that is what is occurring. The PM’s policies, as usual, appear to be focused and tightly targeted.

    The question is, are they the policies that take us into the future.

  163. Tom of Melbourne

    I’ve outlined previously, the current policy on carbon emissions is nothing like the one Gillard took to the election, in 2010 she committed to-
    • No carbon tax
    • Spend the term building community consensus
    • Establish a representative community forum to build consensus
    • Not introduce a change before 30 June 2013

    Too much attention is paid to the first one, whereas the reality is that Gillard has broken the 4 pillars of her commitment.

  164. Catching up

    Curious, where is this Labor heartland to be found?

    I do not have much time for Paul Howes, but he did have much to say, that sounded good this morning. I suspect he is talking about today’ s Labor heartland.

    I suspect, that heartland is forever changing,. as the society and the global economy do. Today’s answer will not be found in the past.

    I was impressed when Howes admitted he was wrong about putting faith in polls.

  165. Truth Seeker

    Crash and burn sceptic, there are a number of interviews, here is a quote from the Australian, election eve;
    “I don’t rule out the possibility of legislating a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, a market-based mechanism,” she said of the next parliament. “I rule out a carbon tax.”

  166. Catching up

  167. Tom of Melbourne

    ScottyFreak, I’ve seen some research in the US that identified state average IQ and then whether the state voted red or blue. Democrats were more likely to have a higher IQ.

    This makes some sense. But the US Democrats are nothing like the ALP or the British Labour Party.

    As I indicated the groups in the UK that had the highest IQ voted Green and LibDem, Labour were lower than the Conservatives. Is there any reason to believe the results would be different here?

    ..and I think you will find that both income and education level attained have correlation with intelligence.

  168. Catching up

    PROOF

  169. Catching up

    So if one does not succeed, it is because they lack intelligence. Where does that leave you.

  170. Catching up

    Anyone have opinions on the new Meet the Press on Ten.

  171. Crash Skeptic

    Tom of Melbourne wrote:

    I’ve outlined previously, the current policy on carbon emissions is nothing like the one Gillard took to the election, in 2010 she committed to-
    • No carbon tax
    • Spend the term building community consensus
    • Establish a representative community forum to build consensus
    • Not introduce a change before 30 June 2013

    Too much attention is paid to the first one, whereas the reality is that Gillard has broken the 4 pillars of her commitment.

    I agree totally. I have a lengthy response to John Lord that I have not posted due to time-constraints on these very issues.

    But I have a question – I’ve seen links (and recall) Gillard saying that any carbon price “would not be triggered until after the 2013 election” (said back before the 2010 election), but I don’t have one at hand where she specifically mentions 30 June, 2013 (although it makes sense, given it’s the turnover the Financial Year)

    Do you have any links to share re: the dates? (always looking to buttress my case 🙂 )

  172. Catching up

    reb, why the sarcasm. I was only asking, as I have seen no comments anywhere. It appears to be very similar to the older one.

    I found the interviews with Hockey interesting.

    I know some want to remain on the PM’s so called broken promises, but I feel it is time we moved on.

    What is to be gained by repeating over and over, what happened in the past. The question is now. surely, is it the right scheme.

    We all have out opinion on whether it is a lie or not. No matter how much more is written, I believe most have made up their minds.

    How about dealing with what is occurring today, not five years ago,

  173. Catching up

    My impression of the programme. if it continues as it has started, it could be OK.

    At least Paul Howes was given the chance to talk. Whether one agrees with what he has to say, is up to the individual.

  174. reb

    “And all I can say at this point is you go girl.”

    The rest of Australia seems to agree with you. Gillard will be gone in a little over six months’ time.

  175. reb

    Anyone have opinions on the new Meet the Press on Ten.”

    Oh, look over there… a furry thing…

  176. Truth Seeker

    ..and I think you will find that both income and education level attained have correlation with intelligence. 😯 WTF? Gina Rinehart and Clive Palmer must be thee exceptions then 🙄 Nyahahahahaha 😆 not to mention Bolt, Hadley and Jones 😯

    What a crock, I have got family members in the top 1% of intellects in the UK, 1 who ran a germ warfare facility in the 1960s, and any one of them would make those mentioned above, and the entire LNP look like house bricks by comparison, and certainly did not generate the kind of wealth that those idiots get payed.

    as a general rule, the number of degrees that people like Abbott get are directly proportional to the size of the parents bank balance and very little to do with academic prowess, or intelligence!

  177. Catching up

    I believe the question I asked about MTP is relevant to this post.

    I found, that for once it treated Labor and this PM in a more positive manner.

    May be that is why we have not heard much about it.

    The rant of some here, reinforces what was written in the post.

  178. Catching up

    I have gone back and read the post. Now I could have it wrong, but I believe it is not so much about the PM, but about what she is up against.

    Yes, I believe it is about how the media and others in this country treats her.

    I do not believe it was an open invitation to continue the abuse.

    The question I suppose, is whether the media and others are unreasonable.

    It could be not so much what they do, but how they do it.

    Now, I was impressed yesterday, with interviewers that were willing to ask questions, and allow answers to be given, with little opinion of interviewees input.

    I am now catching up with Insiders, sadly the opposite is true. Everything colored by some of the so called journalist’s own views.

  179. Mark Willcock

    Victoria, what you have written is, some of the most idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent article, were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought or truth.

  180. reb

    “I know some want to remain on the PM’s so called broken promises, but I feel it is time we moved on.”

    Well I know that you personally would like everyone to just “move on” but this is a thread about Julia Gillard isn’t it…….??

  181. reb

    “reb, why the sarcasm.”

    What sarcasm…?

    The topic is about Julia Gillard, and when the comments become critical of Gillard you try some half-hearted look over there diversion asking anyone if they’ve watched “Meet the Press…”

    LOL! 🙂

  182. reb

    “The rant of some here”

    “the rant” LOL…. 🙂

  183. Crash Skeptic

    Catching Up wrote:

    I know some want to remain on the PM’s so called broken promises, but I feel it is time we moved on.

    She broke her promise. The facts speak for themselves.

    What is to be gained by repeating over and over, what happened in the past. The question is now. surely, is it the right scheme.

    In case you’re unaware, there’s an election in a few months…

    And Gillard’s honesty and integrity is a key issue which will decide many votes.

    That’s why it’s “repeated over and over”.

    We all have out opinion on whether it is a lie or not. No matter how much more is written, I believe most have made up their minds.

    How about dealing with what is occurring today, not five years ago,

    1 – It was 2.5 years go.

    2 – Gillard is the PM, so her behaviour is relevant.

    3 – Lefties still bitch about the GST and “children overboard” (in grossly distorted forms) and yet you expect us to “get over” Gillard’s lies in 15 minutes flat? Dream on.

    4 – Oh, and best of all….You just posted a Youtube link on “Tony Abbott’s archaic views” where the majority of the quotes were more than 5 years old. In fact, it opened with a quote from 1979!

    Gotta love the hypocrisy….

  184. Catching up

    I wonder if it is possible to make comments on this site without being personally attacked.

    It appears not.

  185. el gordo

    Mark Wilcox is correct.

  186. Crash Skeptic

    CU, if you behave with hypocrisy, expect to be called on it.

    And given your previous unrepentant dives into the unethical sewer of vicious dishonesty, fabrications and hypocrisy, spare me the Mother Theresa act.

    You were given 50 chances to reconsider your behaviour. You refused.

    So “lump it”.

  187. Catching up

    This has to be the first PM in history that does not have a relationship with Murdoch.

    Yes, I know she called in on him on her first trip to the USA, I believe that was the first and last visit.

    Says something for guts, as PM.

    May explain some of the reasons for the situation the PM finds herself in.

  188. Catching up

    Crash, I still stand by all I said. It is not up to you to call me out.

    Disagree yes, but that is were it should end. After all, it was not even about anything raised on this post. It has nothing to do with what Victoria has written.

    it is about a personal vendetta by you. I suspect, on behalf of others.

    After all, you even got the accusations wrong at the beginning.

  189. reb

    “Victoria, what you have written is, some of the most idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent article, were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought or truth.”

    Hear hear…!!

  190. Tom of Melbourne

    ”If there is one difference between people who vote Labor and those that vote Liberal its in the level of hatred they feel for people

    Alison, that’s crap.

    Of all the mean spirited, hateful people I’ve met, the meanest, most devious, dishonest and rat cunning are low level union officials who hang around the construction industry. All loyal ALP members.

  191. el gordo

    ‘The ALP holds dear to it’s heart a more empathic and caring ethos – ‘

    That’s why the ALP usually do better at state level, but at the moment the stench of corruption has put the electorate off.

  192. Miglo

    Well I guess that those who only have an interest in slamming the post while offering nothing constructive in return, are wasting their time being here.

  193. Crash Skeptic

    ScottyFreak wrote:
    Crash Skeptic, my apologies, getting the media mixed up.

    Interesting. Because I’ve heard the same false claim – “her next sentence was “but I am determined to put a price on carbon” – repeated verbatim by multiple lefties in multiple places.

    It sounds like you were just repeating a lefty urban legend you hadn’t verified, and were surprised to be contradicted. But hey, I’m a reasonable man, so “mix up” it is. 🙂

    (But you know, you might want to go easy on how “savvy and sensible” you are, and the whole “it is scientifically proven that people who disagree with me have low IQs” routine…….)

    I’d also note that I’m pretty sure it was TruthSeeker made the same identical claim a week ago (almost same wording) re: the Carbon Tax interview. Although he too appears to be sheltering behind the Australian article now (after John lord mentioned it…)

    The only thing, really, that was different was the timing,

    Yes, timing!
    BEFORE AN ELECTION versusAFTER AN ELECTION

    Scotty, that’s the difference between “breaking a promise” and “seeking a mandate”.

    Do you understand the concept of an electoral mandate?

    which was brought forward to cater to the Greens.

    Two points.
    1 – This merely demonstrates her pathetic negotiation skills. She should have said “Here’s a salad sandwich. Now support me, or get stuffed.” And they would still have supported her.

    It is utterly inconceivable that a hard-left party like the Greens would support a right-wing party, ahead of another left-wing party.

    The Greens had absolutely zero to bargain with, and Gillard caved anyway.

    It’s hard not to suspect that she just wanted to use them as “cover”. But then we’ll probably never know that for sure.

    Whichever the medium, the message is clear: the is no carbon tax, the PM did not lie about it, and any points to the contrary are scurrilous deception by the Opposition.

    Nonsense. (Or perhaps “scurrilous deception” to quote you.)

    Scotty, we have a carbon tax this very second. It was introduced on July 1, 2012, and is currently $23 per tonne.

    It is due be replaced by an ’emmissions trading scheme in 2015-2016, but we have a carbon tax this very second.

    The four ‘pillars’ as you and ToM were whinging about need to be looked at in the cold, hard light of reality.

    Not just us. I think you’ll find the majority of the Australian people are “whinging” about her dishonesty.

    Gillard’s behaviour has led the ALP to historically poor polling. And unless something dramatic changes soon, she is likely to lead them to a wipeout on election day.

    And if that happens, her Carbon Tax goes down the gurgler.

    That’s the ‘cold, hard reality’.

    But to call them lies is disingenuous and fallacious.

    On the contrary, she broke her promise(s). Plain and simple.

    To pretend she didn’t is “disingenuous and fallacious”.

    To claim “there is no carbon tax” is “disingenuous and fallacious”. It exists right now Scotty.

  194. ScottyFreak (@ScottyFreak)

    Crash Skeptic, my apologies, getting the media mixed up. The Carbon Price promise, leading to a CPRS, was here: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/julia-gillards-carbon-price-promise/story-fn59niix-1225907522983 The only thing, really, that was different was the timing, which was brought forward to cater to the Greens. Whichever the medium, the message is clear: the is no carbon tax, the PM did not lie about it, and any points to the contrary are scurrilous deception by the Opposition.

    The four ‘pillars’ as you and ToM were whinging about need to be looked at in the cold, hard light of reality. The hung parliament caused all sorts of reconsideration. The agreement with the Greens was built on the bringing forward the PoC date. It was exactly the same proposal put before Abbott, and he could’ve agreed to it if he so wished. A lot of things went out the window, from both sides of the House, following the 2010 election. But to call them lies is disingenuous and fallacious.

  195. Catching up

    reb, come out from under the rock at last, I see,

    Tell me what was so wrong about what I said.

    By the way, they were not a couple of romantic kids. They were of an age, many married at that time.

    Thanks for allowing me to get my opinion of his actions out into the community. I am sire there are many that would agree with me.

    How long do you and your ilk intend to keep this vendetta up?

  196. Catching up

    reb, there was baby Abbott believed was his. He did not marry the mother. The baby was adopted out.

    Where is the fabrication.

    Men at that time were expected to marry when this occurred.

    If that did not occur, the mother went into hiding at some church home, while she had the baby.

    She had two choices at the time. Marry or adopt the baby out.

  197. Catching up

    “After sixty-six years in the business, veteran journalist Rodney E. Lever says he knows when the media are trying to rig an election — and that’s just what’s going on now.

    AFTER A LIFETIME as a working newspaperman, one can’t help sniffing the wind when an important election is brewing. In the current one – the roughest and dirtiest that I can recall – it is easy to smell a rat.

    My career in newspapers started at 14, when I was first employed on Sydney’s Daily Telegraph as an enthusiastic copy boy who once left ink-stained fingers on Frank Packer’s shiny white collar when he was dressing for an important function.

    Nevertheless, I rose through the ranks — first as a cadet reporter learning the craft, to eventually become an all-round journalist and with executive status on some of Australia’s best known newspapers.

    I know a fair amount about the business 66 years later.

    Sir Frank Packer (by Judy Cassab, 1956, via National Portrait Gallery)

    I have, in fact, been in the game eleven years longer than Rupert Murdoch….”

    “,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,That’s how I know exactly what the odious rats are up to in trying to rig Australia’s forthcoming September election.

    The major figure in the background is the same Rupert Murdoch who cannot seem to accept he has become an international pariah who has brought democratic governance on three continents into disrepute and chaos. He is keeping a low profile at the moment, waiting for the outcome of the criminal trials of his senior UK staff. But he is taking a real interest in his Australian empire.

    Given his problems waiting for a final government decision on his British acquisitions, and in America, where he is savagely hated by the current administration, Australia may be all he has left to bully.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

    http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/2013-federal-election-fix/

  198. el gordo

    ‘The Greens had absolutely zero to bargain with, and Gillard caved anyway.

    ‘It’s hard not to suspect that she just wanted to use them as “cover”. But then we’ll probably never know that for sure.’

    History will show joolya is a closet watermelon.

  199. Crash Skeptic

    Catching Up wrote:

    it is about a personal vendetta by you.

    I’ll be quite open about the fact that your behaviour disgusts me.

    Attacking people based on their personal lives, and specifically a teenage romance 30+ years ago is thuggish and uncivilised.

    Call it a what you want.

    I suspect, on behalf of others.

    Um, excuse me?

    After all, you even got the accusations wrong at the beginning.

    Rubbish. I quoted you fifty times. How unsurprising that a liar would go on to lie about their own words.

  200. el gordo

    ‘Abbott can try to remove it, and the associated concessions and tax-free threshold benefits, but to do so would be devastating to the economy as whole….’

    He will scrap the tax and the taxpayer will be hugely better off.

  201. Alison White

    @ Catching Up – don’t take their acidity to heart – it’s merely a reflection about how they feel about themselves and humanity in general. If there is one difference between people who vote Labor and those that vote Liberal its in the level of hatred they feel for people. Examples of this include: If you’re poor – it’s because you deserve it. If you vote labor – you must be dumb. If you get shafted by your boss – then it’s your fault for not being his boss.
    You get my drift. Most Liberals NEVER think about others unless they are businesses – which, to my way of thinking is arse-about. Businesses rise and fall with changes in technology – always have – always will – whereas people and the planet we live on are enduring and important.
    The ALP holds dear to it’s heart a more empathic and caring ethos – and the Liberals only recourse is to sneer knowing they cannot compete on that level.

    Chin up – the Liberals may win – but it will just be a matter of time before they will be seen for the heartless bastards they are and be dumped once again. The only aspect that alarms me is that people expect so much more from a Labor Government than they do a Liberal one – this seems innately unfair.

  202. reb

    “CU, if you behave with hypocrisy, expect to be called on it. And given your previous unrepentant dives into the unethical sewer of vicious dishonesty, fabrications and hypocrisy, spare me the Mother Theresa act.”

    My sentiments exactly….!!

  203. Catching up

    Alison, it was a very old disagreement from another site a long time ago. This new site is the first chance he has had to get back at me. I was not wrong then I am not now.

    He cares nothing about what I have written. It is just a battering ram to get back at me.

    I cannot understand how one can carry grudges so long, especially when they are about nothing of importance.

    There are some people who cannot stand others disagreeing with them, especially if one is a woman.

  204. Jason

    ToM,
    “Of all the mean spirited, hateful people I’ve met, the meanest, most devious, dishonest and rat cunning are low level union officials who hang around the construction industry. All loyal ALP members.”

    Bullshit! pity we “painters and dockers” never met you ToM! then you may have found out about brutal as well.

  205. Tom of Melbourne

    Alison, as a matter of interest, I had a fair sort of career in the union movement, so please don’t bother to lecture me on their attitudes, or the tribulations of workers.

    But if you have any specific point to make, please make it.

    Also – Tom – many of the comments you have made it this very thread support the assertion I’ve made.

    Really Alison, are they the ones where I call the government heartless for their position on asylum seekers, the ones where I’ve condemned their marginalization of minority groups, or perhaps the ones where I think Gillard is wrong on marriage equality.

    You’ll have to be a little more specific; otherwise you will only demonstrate that you make stuff up.
    —————–
    Catching Up, you really shouldn’t bother to complain, you have said the most remarkably and deliberately inaccurate comments about many people here, without a hint of retraction.

    I think you may have to learn to cop some of the feedback you’re getting.

  206. Catching up

    Alison, that is what those from the right do not understand. There is always another race to run and win. Thankfully the country is strong enough to survive in the meantime.

    Tom, I am not complaining. The comments of you and your ilk, tells people more about you than me.

    Have not seen anyone else come into condemning me. This time and last.

    I have not uttered one word that is false.

    Keep it up for as long as you like if that is what gives you gratification..

  207. Tom of Melbourne

    Catching UP, I think Crash Sceptic gave you a fair summary of some of your mean spirited and inaccurate comments, didn’t you read them?

  208. ScottyFreak (@ScottyFreak)

    CS, oh please, does your pseudo intellectualism keep you safe and warm at night? Because that is all you have, and it slips with every comment. Read carefully so as not to get lost in it’s meaning: we have no carbon tax! By very definition a tax is a levy on all sections of a given function (personal / company etc) that must be paid regardless of situation (see GST). This is anything but. Now read this carefully: It is an emissions trading scheme with a fixed price on permits for the first three years. Permits are still able to be bought and sold, but at a fixed price. A carbon tax implies that the government would simply tax companies for their carbon emissions, and is not the same as a system where permits are tradable, and in some cases provided for free.

    Got it? Clear? No, you’ll probably come out with some smart-alec comment about how it has been said before but it actually isn’t the case because somebody (who interestingly cannot discern between tax and tradable permits as well) claims to know it is actually a tax and the claims that the claims that it is not a tax are wrong…

    So yes, the claims that we have a carbon tax are disingenuous and fallacious.

    Abbott can try to remove it, and the associated concessions and tax-free threshold benefits, but to do so would be devastating to the economy as whole and will guarantee him and the Libs of being a one-term government…even before his rank attitude and questionable ethical behaviours are taken into account…

    Scurrilous deception indeed.

  209. reb

    CU, what on earth are you on about…??

    This is a thread about Julia Gillard….

    Who mentioned Tony Abbott…??

    Oh look, it was you!

    How unsurprisement…! 🙂

  210. reb

    “reb, come out from under the rock at last, I see,

    Actually, I’m currently overseas so haven’t had much time to log on to the inter webs..

    But thanks for the personal insult…

    What was it you were saying earlier about being able to post on this site without being subjected to personal insults….??

    Hypocrisy much?

  211. Alison White

    Tom – many of the comments you have made it this very thread support the assertion I’ve made.

    To respond to your one example – have you ever worked on the docks? It’s a hard place to work and there is some merit in developing a hard shell. Ergo they may have good reason to be ‘mean’. I would argue that the one exception proves the rule.

    I note with interest tho that you do not dispute my ‘abbreviations’ of LNP ethos.

  212. Alison White

    Before I get hoisted on my own petard – I apologise for the error (I was interrupted mid-sentence) I meant to add after the ‘docks’ the following ‘and building sites’.

    Most labor people ARE kinder, nicer and more socially aware people. This is backed up by research too:

    http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/09/03/conservatives-and-liberals-have-different-brains-studies-show/

    http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2010/03/02/Higher-IQ-linked-to-liberalism-atheism/UPI-68381267513202/#ixzz2LEWdT2Nv

    pertains to the right wing – left wing paradigm so don’t get too excited Tom, Reb etc…

  213. Catching up

    Sadly I did read it. Only because in the past, he has lied about what I said.

    Put words into my mouth and twisted others.

    There is nothing as mean spirited in what I have said, that matches what comes out of yours, when you run the PM down.,

    I have heard more mean spirit things spout of your mouth when talking about the PM.

    I believe that was why I said what I did at the time, in reply of accustions against the PM. Really, it was so long ago, I canot remermber why the issue arose.

    As I only ever make such comments in reply, it has to be something you or your ilk said at the time, that led to me raising the issue.

    I will say it again.

    Abbott believe he was the father of his girlfriends baby.

    They were old enough to marry.

    Abbott suggested the baby be adopted out,

    The baby was adopted out, as there was no marriage.

    The choice for women at that time, was marriage or adoption.

    We had recentl;y apology given the at parlimant house for the injustice done to women in similar situations at that time.

    Now what is mean spirited about that. It was Abbott himself, that made a big thing of the story.

    Oh, I forgot, I also said that good catholic boys do not make girls pregnant., If they are unlicky to be caught inm that situation, they marry, or had the father come after them with the shot gun.

    The sad part is about that time, girls were beginning to keep their babies, thanks to PM Whitlam introducing the single mothers pension.

    It also meant that the fathers were expected to contribute to the childs upbringing.

    Would have been hard to do that and go to Oxford.

    I remember now why I said it, I think. I used it as another example of Abbott running when things go wrong.

    I have no idea of the mother’s role at the time. I was saying what generally happened, and what was expected of good catholic boys.

    Now Tom if yo want to keep going, it is OK with me. I can assure you, I will keep repeating what I have said. You leave me no option.

    Tom, it is up to you and your mates, whether it is dropped or not.

  214. Tom of Melbourne

    Heavens Catching Up!

    I don’t bother to correct each inaccuracy you post, I don’t have the time or interest.

    But others post opinion that has a rationale, structure, a little logic. Much of the stuff you post is simply invented. If various people pick you up on this, it is a consequence of your own actions.

    You’ll have to put up with that.

  215. Catching up

  216. Catching up

    Tom, where is the inaccuracy. There are none, otherwise you would have pointed it out.

    That is why you will not comment. Once again you have been caught out making false allegations.

  217. Tom of Melbourne

    I’ll just suggest you review the pointed Crash Sceptic made, he seemed to dissect your many inaccuracies quite well, and rather than repeat them, how about you review and reply?

    As I said, I have neither the interest nor the time (nor the inclination) to correct all the stuff you invent and post.

    On the other hand, I really don’t care if you continue to post your inventions, but you’ll have to cop some feedback for it.

  218. Catching up

    No Tom, it was Crash that was inaccurate.

  219. Catching up

    Truth. appears to be having trouble with his memory. Also,nothing about the other issue that Crash took me to task for. The one where I said that Tom’s dislike of the PM wOne who choose to remain barren. That he could never bring himself to support her, no matter how well she performed.

    Tom, he has not objected, so maybe I have hit on the truth. Only Tom knows that,

    All I was asking, if I am correct that, Tom and others like him just be honest in their reasons not for liking the PM.

    Now can someone explain to me, why was that a shocking thing to ask. Especially from some that have accuse the PM of being a marriage wrecker and sleeping her way to the top,

  220. Catching up

    Tom, what inventions? As I said, I am happy to keep replying, while you make false accusations about me.

  221. Tom of Melbourne

    Catching Up, this is typical of your stream of consciousness invention and projection. You just make it up, without any evidence, rational, knowledge, logic, or intelligence. This is typical of the vacuousness that you choose to put into the public domain-

    You could not accept an a female leader, no matter how much ability she has, let alone one that is an atheist one that lives in sin, one that has chosen not to have children.
    To make matters worse in your eyes, the woman has had the hide to have relationships with men who were married, but separated.
    An independent woman, who believes that she is equal to a man, is not accept by many, I am sad to say, some woman as well.
    No, Tom, you could never accept this woman

    I chose not to press you on it at the time, because you simply demonstrated stupidity in posting it.

    If you deliberately post stuff, without any intelligence, you can expect some feedback.

    Now how about you reply to all the surgical, precise criticism that Crash Skeptic made of your comments, or stop wasting the time of others that probably want to comment about politics on this quality blog?

  222. Truth Seeker

    I see yellow ToM has made way for purple ToM again 😯 must be a toilet break to look for some fresh arguments :mrgreen: 😆

  223. Catching up

    What do you think. Could I have hit a tender spot. You could be right about being more than one. That would make more sense of the tirade I have has to endure.

    One would think they would back off, knowing from experience, I will not back off, once attacked.

    What is made up.

    May be you can enlighten me.

    I came to that conclusion, that Tom and others like him, dislike the PM for other reasons than what she has done as PM, after following what I he has said over the years.

    Was just suggesting he might not be quite honest with himself.

    Q and A is also in cuckoo land tonight, One finds it hard to rake seriously.

  224. Catching up

    Mr. Hunt is having as much success as some here in defending himself.

  225. Mark

    Miglo, didums you need to toughen up a bit. ”Ättack the author” Given the real meaning of attack please quote me posts and prove this cheap shot. What I have simply done is expressed an opinion in forthright and honest language.

  226. Catching up

    “Bullshit! pity we “painters and dockers” never met you ToM! then you may have found out about brutal as well.:

    Jason would that be in NSW. If so, I found them to be gentlemen. have not had contact since the Cockatoo dispute.

    Tom must have been insulted by an unionist back in the dark ages. As we can seem no one can carry a grudge as good a Tom.

    Does not seem to understand, that it is his own behavior that put many offside.

  227. Truth Seeker

    Cu, the problem is that no-one knows how many ToMs they are arguing with, maybe that’s why they just repeat the same old arguments ad infinitum? They don’t realise that they have already covered it, under a different gravatar. 😯

    Cheers 😀

  228. Truth Seeker

    Yep, Toilet break 🙄

  229. Crash Skeptic

    Sadly I did read it. Only because in the past, he has lied about what I said.

    Bollocks. I have never lied about you once.

    I accidentally wrote the word “abortion” instead of “adoption” once.

    And when it was pointed out, I withdrew it and corrected it instantly in my very next comment.

    This is now the THIRD time I’ve pointed this out.

  230. Catching up

    Crash you are comical.. Let it go, you are making a fool of yourself.

    You are still twisting what I have said. Not that it matters.

  231. Catching up

    Wonder if ToM and Crash are alto egos. Seem to be working in tandem.

  232. Crash Skeptic

    Crash you are comical.. Let it go, you are making a fool of yourself.

    You are still twisting what I have said. Not that it matters.

    The only fool here is you, CU.

    In your last post, you accuse me of lying about you – despite the fact it was typo that has been corrected multiple times.

    Calling you a lying piece of trash is too good for you.

    Wonder if ToM and Crash are alto egos. Seem to be working in tandem.

    And earlier today, you suggested I was working “on behalf of others”.

    Yawn. Always with the false allegations…

    You just can’t help yourself can you. Utterly pathetic,

  233. Catching up

    Migs, who would that be, He reminds me a little of Pyne, When someone, especially the PM. say something critical of Mr. Abbott. He demands immediate redress. It does not appear to matter, that Abbott just before had used worse against the PM.

    I do not know where this mob is coming from, They reserve the right to say whatever they want against the PM and commenters on this and other sites.

    They squeal like scalded pigs, when one uses the same language against them.

    God help us, if one dares to say anything against Abbott, even if it is true, and one is repeating what he said,

    I just wish they would learn, there comes a time to drop the abuse. It becomes tedious and boring.

  234. Catching up

    Anyone have an opinion on tonight’s Q and A. Sound very much like some of the rot, we get at time on the blogs.

  235. Catching up

    Crash, what was the false allegation.

  236. Catching up

    Migs Thanks, but it really does not matter.

    He has been so far over the top, I do believe that most readers would know where the truth lies. if not, they are as bad as him.

    Thanks anyway.

  237. Miglo

    Cu, Crash Skeptic reminds me of someone.

  238. Miglo

    Cu, I’ve edited a few of his posts to remove the personal abuse.

  239. Truth Seeker

    Cu, the sad thing is that they scream blue bloody murder if they think (or want to portray) that someone has made something up, yet they are by far and away the worst offenders.

    But I’ll bet pounds to peanuts that if they get their way, with Abbott in the Lodge, not if but when the economy is stuffed, and the climate is beyond help, they won’t say to their kids and grandkids SORRY, we supported and voted for the knob that stuffed the economy and made CC worse than it needed to be, they’ll just blame Labor. 🙄 🙁

    They are the most traitorous, short sighted, narrow minded, self opinionated, ignorant and dishonest people, and those are their good points 😀

    Cheers 😀

  240. el gordo

    TS the economy will be fine under the Coalition, they are better money managers, and climate change will carry on naturally so nobody need apologise to the grandkids.

    Its also important to understand that the LNP are conservationists.

    ‘THE NSW government has caved in to community and political pressure over coal seam gas, announcing a ban on all activity within two kilometres of residential areas and industry clusters, such as horse breeders and wine producers, across the state.

    ‘It has also announced that the Chief Scientist and Engineer, Mary O’Kane, will review all coal seam gas activity in NSW, including the effect on water catchments, and report on any risks by July.’

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/dead-in-the-water-ofarrell-buries-coal-seam-gas-plans-20130218-2eniw.html#ixzz2LHjyflnM

  241. el gordo

    You’ve got your balls in a knot TS, try and be rational.

    The LNP have a different approach to economic management than the incumbent government, this is essentially what the people are voting on.

    There are two other things the electorate want resolved… asylum seekers and climate change ….

  242. reb

    “Q and A is also in cuckoo land tonight, One finds it hard to rake seriously.”

    News Flash: It’s not alone.

  243. reb

    “Crash you are comical.. Let it go, you are making a fool of yourself.”

    Pot meet kettle.

  244. reb

    “You are still twisting what I have said. Not that it matters..”

    Oh that old chestnut. “Twisting” what you’ve said… LOL..

    The reality is that anyone reading your posts would be left wondering what on Earth it is that you are actually trying to say..

    The post is about Julia Gillard, and then all of a sudden from out of nowhere you start ranting on about Tony Abbott’s baby.

    And then you challenge and criticise others for refusing to respond to your nonsensical posts…

    Perhaps if you could post something that was marginally lucid you might be taken a little more seriously…

  245. Truth Seeker

    El dildo, yes and the tooth fairy will be around shortly in his rubber van, to collect your brain cos you’re obviously nut using it……. 🙁

    You really are living in an alternate universe, talk about delusional 🙄

    And I am sure your kids (?) will be happy with that pile of crap, but then they are/will be YOUR kids 🙁

  246. Truth Seeker

    el dildo, yes and with an LNP treasurer that can’t count past ten without taking his shoes off or his pants down, and then only comes up with eleventy they certainly have a different approach 😆 and if they’re looking to Abbot to fix any of these issues, they will be sadly disappointed.

    My previous comment stands 🙁

  247. Tom of Melbourne

    Wonder if ToM and Crash are alto egos.

    Really Catching Up, you continually prove that you make stuff up. You seem intent on reflecting on the lives and motivations of contributors, rather than addressing the points they make.

    Stop making stuff up, stop speculating. You’re derailing some lucid dialogue between several people (of opposing views) who are willing to address themselves to actual political issues.

    Give up the speculation about contributors and talk about politics.

  248. Catching up

    Sorry can that comment be deleted. Press send by mistake.

  249. Catching up

    reb, once again, you have it wrong. Either you are mistaken, or you are once again twisting the facts.

    I did not raise this issue. If you comprehended what I have said over and over, it was brought from another site, which involved another person by Crash, as a deliberate attack on me.

    Why Crash, who I have had no contact with, in the past, did this, I do not know. If he had concerns with what I said, why not raise it at the time and on the site, I made the comment. Which by the way, was emphasising that every time Abbott gets in a corner, he flees.

    The issue was months ago. Has nothing to do with what Victoria has written here.

    I did not raise it. All I have done is defend myself.

    Apology require, but I know it will not be made,

    it is time you pulled the dogs off me.

  250. Catching up

    reb, someone at the beginning of this fabricated attack began with telling me, that one did not have the right to not being offended,

    Well if that is correct, why are you three acting as if offended. None of you are. it is all concocted act, used as an excuse to attack. What does surprise me, id we have not seen el gordo with I agree with…, Maybe she is getting the message.

    As I have only repeated what is in the public domain, I once again stand by what I said.

    Let it go. It is becoming tedious and boring. reb, note, no one is supporting the outrage of you three.

  251. Truth Seeker

    And purple ToM is back telling Cu to stop making things up, talk about pot and kettle.

    They couldn’t lie straight in bed 😯 , and again referring to yourselves as contributors, Nyaaaaahahahaha 😆 the word you’re thinking of begins with T, and rolls off the tongue 😯

  252. Catching up

    If one reads this morning media, we are in for three weeks of the PM being in danger of being deposed.

    I just read somewhere, this is the 26th time the media have made this prediction.

    I suppose if one keeps saying it, there is a chance of it coming true.

    Then 25 predictions that did not eventuate, is in no way a good record.

    That will be before the ides of March predictions.

    it seems that the NT challenge,so soon after being elected in, has been missed by the media.

    Would be much easier for the media to report news. There is plenty out there, no need to create their own.

  253. Catching up

    Readers’ most viewed

    Most viewed articles on Brisbane Times
    Top 5 National Times articles
    Beware knives of March
    Rudd resurrection is no fantasy: just ask Walt
    Poll a ‘wake-up call’ for Labor
    Final nail in PM’s coffin
    PC WCs no wee matter
    Most viewed articles on WA Today
    Top 5 National Times articles
    The discount fuel docket illusion
    Fighting the stigma of mental illness
    Final nail in PM’s coffin
    Poll a ‘wake-up call’ for Labor
    Beware knives of March
    Most viewed articles on The Sydney Morning Herald
    Top 5 National Times articles
    Beware knives of March
    Final nail in PM’s coffin
    Poll a ‘wake-up call’ for Labor
    Bully-boy Malaysia immature and Australia’s reaction so limp
    Rudd resurrection is no fantasy: just ask Walt
    Most viewed articles on Canberra Times
    Top 5 National Times articles
    MP says legal costs no threat to keeping his seat
    Beware knives of March
    Obama-style fight ‘could save PM’
    Stalemate as queen bluffs all
    Och aye, PM could be on a hiding to nothing
    Most viewed articles on The Age
    Top 5 National Times articles
    Poll dents faith in Gillard
    Poll a ‘wake-up call’ for Labor
    Final nail in PM’s coffin
    Beware knives of March
    Rudd resurrection is no fantasy: just ask Walt

    Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/sofa-so-good-pms-office-furniture-out-of-hiding-after-howards-deepseated-dislike-20130218-2enfq.html#ixzz2LJJCWRQn

    Is this a true reflection of the news that is in the public interested,. Does the pubic really wants to hear so much about the polls. Is it news, or opinion. Who says the PM.is desperate. Body language yesterday,did not say so, Why is it the final nail in her coffin.

    I believe I have ever seen so much uninvited advice given to any previous PM.

  254. Catching up

    “………………Ms Gillard refused to discuss the poll on Monday as she spruiked the government’s latest initiative, the $1 billion ”Industry and Innovation Statement”.
    Senior Liberals welcomed the poll findings just months before the election, but played down claims it was the result of Mr Abbott hiding his negative side.
    The manager of opposition business, Christopher Pyne, said the Coalition’s 17-point lead on primary votes showed Mr Abbott had what voters want…………….”

    Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/beware-knives-of-march-20130218-2enj0.html#ixzz2LJOSTJqw.

    Is the word ” spruiked” needed. I see it used regularly against the PM. Does language convey perceptions. Is it important, is that occurs.

  255. Catching up

    Follow the National Times on Twitter

    Poll: Do you think a leadership change will help Labor’s chances of re-election?
    Poll form
    Yes, something has to change
    No, it’s the Labor brand that’s on the nose
    Not sure
    View resultsPoll closes in 22 hours.
    Disclaimer: These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.

    Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/final-nail-in-pms-coffin-20130218-2end2.html#ixzz2LJPnoFSF

    How does one answer this poll. Ir sure makes assumptions.

  256. Catching up

    Merchants of hate rally for another protest

    “……………………MEMO to all readers who are not angry, self-righteous, middle-aged white people with deep wells of bile and resentment:

    It is probably advisable that you avoid the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra a few weeks from now.

    For on March 12, the malcontents and fringe-dwellers who brought us one of the great fizzers from 2011’s political calendar, the Convoy of No Confidence (or No Consequence as Anthony Albanese dubbed it), are trying to get up an encore performance of sorts.

    Rather than the stage-managed cavalcade of crackpots of 18 months ago, this looks like being more of a trickle towards the national capital – a Convoy of Incontinence, if you like.

    This time around it is the “Rotten to the Core Rally”, brought to you by the same bunch of climate-change deniers and ratbags who were bellowing about the carbon tax and waving “Ditch the Witch” and “Bob Brown’s Bitch” placards…….

    http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/merchants-of-hate-rally-for-another-protest/story-e6frerc6-1226580596501?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+cmnews+%28The+Courier+Mail+

  257. Ken Brown

    El Gordo – the LNP are not better money managers. They’re good at stealing subscribers assets such as Telstra and using the money to fund Federal public servants and politicians super funds (acka Future Fund). Under Howard/Costello they had a lot of luck that the international GFC and continuing crisises hadn’t as then hit the USA and Europe until Labor gained Government. From the antics of Abbott, Hockey and co. we wouldn’t have had the prudent and inovative approach we had from Treasurer Swan if they had been in the driver’s seat.

    The O’Farrell Govt aren’t conservationists (just ask NSW National Parks!)….they are liars… before the election it was water before coal gas. Now its try and placate SW Sydney by stealing the Queensland Govts failed policies. Forests near Narrabri/ Gunnedah are set for destruction from coal mining and CSG with animals such as the Koala threatened with extinction. Some of Australia’s best agricultural land and aquifers are in danger of salination, depletion and ruin.

    Queensland and NSW are cot cases financially and both Governments are hell bent on short term royalty payments, whilst ignoring potential damage to eternal food producing land and water and the decimation of our flora and fauna.

  258. reb

    “Let it go. It is becoming tedious and boring. reb, note, no one is supporting the outrage of you three.”

    You’re living in a parallel universe CU.

  259. Crash Skeptic

    Catching Up wrote:

    reb, once again, you have it wrong. Either you are mistaken, or you are once again twisting the facts.

    I did not raise this issue. If you comprehended what I have said over and over, it was brought from another site, which involved another person by Crash, as a deliberate attack on me.

    Why Crash, who I have had no contact with, in the past, did this, I do not know. If he had concerns with what I said, why not raise it at the time and on the site, I made the comment.

    1 – You were not “deliberately attacked”. You made baseless, dishonest claims, and you’ve been rightly criticized for it.
    2 – You did raise the issue. You made your comments unsolicited on January 24 on the “Never” article on this blog.
    3 – You were offered a 100 chances to retract, but you refused.
    4 – I was unaware of your existence until a month ago.
    5 – I have never read or interacted with you anywhere but this blog.
    6 – I have no idea what this “other site” is you’re referring to.
    7 – I have no idea who this “other person” is you’re referring to.

    Others here have referred to your “parallel universe”. I would second those comments.

  260. Crash Skeptic

    Miglo wrote:
    Cu, I’ve edited a few of his posts to remove the personal abuse.

    Miglo, do you realize that when CU makes false claims about others, she’s skating pretty close to defamation/libel territory?

    And yes, I’m aware realistically that she is safe because she is a “nobody” (as all of us here are) and this is on a small blog with relatively few unique viewers.

    But the point still stands. If you doubt that for a second, imagine a major politician/public-figure going on TV and declaring “It is a fact that John Doe forced his girlfriend to have an adoption/abortion/anything else”.

    Without evidence to back it up, the result could easily be a court case.

    And may I ask, will you also be editing all the posts where people are referred to with rude names? (eg: “El Dildo”, “Bore of Melbourne”, “Crash and Burn Skeptic”, “Crashing Bore”)

    And will you be editing your own post where you refer to me as “Crass Skeptic”?

    Because I’ll tell you what I think is “crass”, Miglo. Tolerating (even cheering on) commenters who post borderline-defamation material, and then being more concerned about those who criticise that behaviour.

    Yep, that’s pretty crass, Miglo.

    Miglo wrote:
    Cu, Crash Skeptic reminds me of someone.

    And this site is reminiscent of Webdiary. And that turned out so well.

    Miglo, it’s your call if you want to be even-handed or encourage an echo-chamber.

    – But complaining about “trolls” while protecting your own “pet trolls” becomes fairly obvious to regular readers.
    – Likewise, complaining about denigration/ridicule whilst allowing a free rein (and even joining in) denigration/ridicule by your “own side” also becomes obvious.

    And once that perception is set, it’s awfully hard to shake.

    Like I said, your call.

  261. Fed up

    I really feel protected, when I have a gang attacking me. Attacking me, because one has taken offence at what I have said.

    I can only say, if the kitchen is too hot, get out of it.

    No matter how much you beat it up, this vendetta is a about nothing.

    Some need to toughen up a little, especially when they are so good at handing it out.

    I am sure anyone following this childish tirade are will be aware of what it is about. Therefore I will not bother posting the truth again.

    Would not ,mind the lies and false accusations removed though.

    Three against one, is very fair. Wonder how a 71 year woman can be such a threat..

    How long is this going to last. How many threads do you intend to derail.

    I am not going away.

  262. Miglo

    How about we all change the current debate?

  263. reb

    “complaining about “trolls” while protecting your own “pet trolls” becomes fairly obvious to regular readers.”

    Yep. Indeed.

    CU has stated on more than one occasion that the reason I’m critical of Julia Gillard is “because she’s a woman,” a baseless accusation.

    Yet when I point this out, I get accused of “attacking” CU.

    It’s fairly obvious that CU is a protected species around these parts.

  264. reb

    I have absolutely no idea what you’re on about CU…

    Seriously, get a grip.

  265. reb

    “I have a gang attacking me. Attacking me, because one has taken offence at what I have said.”

    What “attack” precisely….?

    You were the one who accused me of criticising Julia Gillard “because she is a woman” – a baseless accusation that has no foundation in any truth whatsoever.

    And the you accuse me of attacking you…?

    Honestly, it’s like trying to communicate with someone who’s barely functioning on the periphery of reality…

  266. reb

    good idea Miglo… 🙂

  267. Min

    Fed up and,

    How long is this going to last. How many threads do you intend to derail.

    I am not going away.

    . Everyone is entitled to their opinion free from denigrating put downs and every author worthy, and to have their topic respected. If one sees errors of fact or error in conclusions drawn then point these out and that’s the end of it.

  268. Miglo

    Crash Skeptic, how about you start up your own blog or web site?

  269. el gordo

    ‘Crash Skeptic, how about you start up your own blog or web site?’

    Give CS a guest post here, so that we can have an intelligent discussion.

  270. el gordo

    Comment deleted.

  271. Miglo

    Ignored.

  272. Fed up

    “infinitum, but I would retire CU for a spell.”

    el gordo, i have a thick hide, but can I ask, how have I offended thee,

    Why the sarcasm, as that is what I will be kind enough to call it. Do you realize the comments are pure nastiness.

    Does it get you brownie points off the others.

  273. Crash Skeptic

    Miglo wrote:

    Crash Skeptic, how about you start up your own blog or web site?

    Because I have neither the reliable spare time nor inclination.

    As a commenter, I can write 20 posts in a day if I’m stuck interstate, or at an airport, or on-call, for whatever reason have dead time to kill. But then if I’m busy or bored with the place, I can then instantly switch to ignore a blog for 20 days.

    But running a blog would require a bit more consistency if I expected anyone to stick around and read it.

    However, I would say that if I ever did run a blog myself, I most certainly would not be advertising it as the “independent…” “unbiased…” or whatever.

    Instead, I would clearly personalise it, and indicate that it’s a bunch of my own views, And nor would I hide my political leanings or value-system.

  274. Fed up

    Could it mean independent of the MSM and mainly Mr. Murdoch.

    I suspect a independent paper can be bias to either side pf politics.

    Could it have more to do with ownership. It would be nice to be balance, but is that necessary for a independent paper.

    I see an independent say school, being one that is not connected to the state or religious body..

    It is about ownership and control, I would say,

    I would say,m that ownership and control, gives one the right to run it as one sees fit.

  275. Fed up

    reb, I believe your site might be independent., As the owner, you run it as you see fit. I assume you set the rules.

    No Migs, I will not be going there to tell him how to run it. That is his business.

    On few visits I have made, I have noted some very good posts.

  276. Miglo

    Reb, you have been on the attack against Victoria and Cu from day one and those attacks make up a fair proportion of your comments.

  277. Fed up

    WHY??????????????

  278. Bacchus

    but if it’s just another partisan site then the claim of “independent” is somewhat misleading don’t you think.

    You surprise me reb – I would have thought you, of all people, would know the difference between “independent”, “objective” and “unaligned.” Crash Septic doesn’t seem too bright, but much of your writing on your independent blog is well respected on the intertubes…

    Independent
    Adjective
    Free from outside control; not depending on another’s authority.

    Objective
    (of a person or their judgment) Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.

    Unaligned
    Not aligned
    aligned
    Allied with one side of an argument or cause.

    “Independent” is exactly what this site is – authors of any political colour have been invited to subject their writing to partisan scrutiny. Some have taken up the challenge – for most, it seems too much of a challenge…

  279. reb

    Crash Skeptic makes a lot of sense.

  280. Bacchus

    Are you suggesting I’m “off the planet” Migs? 😈

    😆 :mrgreen:

  281. Miglo

    Crash Skeptic and reb obviously have no concept of what the term ‘independent’ applies to.

  282. reb

    “Crash Skeptic and reb obviously have no concept of what the term ‘independent’ applies to.”

    I once thought “independent” to mean “objective” or “unaligned” but perhaps you could enlighten us as to what it means in the context of this site….?

  283. Miglo

    Why should I? I can’t be bothered with that crap, reb.

  284. Miglo

    Perhaps everyone could take a visit to reb’s site and tell him how to run it.

  285. reb

    Well Miglo, You said I had “no concept” of what “independent” applies to, so I’m simply asking you to explain it to me …

    Surely it’s not that too much to ask…?

  286. Miglo

    Well Miglo, You said I had “no concept” of what “independent” applies to, so I’m simply asking you to explain it to me …

    After you explain to me why the majority of your comments here contribute nothing but run down some of the authors or other commenters.

    Comment edited.

  287. reb

    “I would say,m that ownership and control, gives one the right to run it as one sees fit.

    Perhaps CU, but if it’s just another partisan site then the claim of “independent” is somewhat misleading don’t you think.

    And for the record, I’ve never said anything about how Migs should run this site.

    It’s entirely up to him…

  288. reb

    ” explain to me why the majority of your comments here contribute nothing but run down some of the authors or other commenters.

    That’s bullshit Migs..

    I’ve been a vocal supporter of John Lord’s posts and Barry Tucker’s.

  289. reb

    “Now run along back to the gutter and have a whinge.”

    Is that part of your “encouraging diversity” policy…? 🙄

  290. reb

    Migs,

    Victoria stated that Abbott scheduled his NPC address to coincide with the day of Craig Thomson’s arrest…!

    I’m sorry but that’s bullshit…!

    If you think that amounts to “an attack” of Victoria, then I’ll be whatever….

  291. reb

    “those attacks make up a fair proportion of your comments.”

    I guess you must just scroll past those comments where CU accuses me of hating Julia Gillard simply because she’s a woman… 🙄

    Why don’t you actually haul up CU on those false accusations, rather than me for responding to them…?

  292. Miglo

    But reb, is that any reason to despise the lady, just because she says one thing you disagree with?

    I have even said that her comment was speculation, but it does not distract me from everything else she say.

  293. Miglo

    Reb, your continued expressed hate of Julia Gillard does lead us to speculate why it is so venomous.

  294. reb

    I never said I “despise her” Migs (your words)…

    I just said it was clearly abject nonsense.

    So can you tell me what you mean by “independent” because your last few comments confirm your anything but….

    I’m just wondering what you actually mean by “independent” cos it’s completely different to my understanding of what it means…

  295. reb

    “your continued expressed hate of Julia Gillard does lead us “

    Who is this “us” that you speak of….??

  296. el gordo

    ‘but can I ask, how have I offended thee,’

    You have constantly referred to me as ‘she’ and as you know ‘she’is the cat’s mother and has nothing to do with me.

    All I ask is for a modicum of respect.

  297. Miglo

    The ‘us’ is a select little band. 🙂

    Anyway, how about we give it a break? I’m off to watch a DVD about extraterrestrials.

  298. Miglo

    While I’m typing extraterrestrials along comes Bacchus. :mrgreen:

  299. reb

    Fair enough Bacchus, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed that you’re attempting to diffuse the situation with compliments.

    By the way, TDT isn’t independent, we’re firmly ensconced in the pockets of “big red wine”…

  300. Min

    Bacchus, precisely said. Migs has indeed done his best to encourage authors with other than Left points of view, sent out the invitation. The blog itself is independent/unaligned which does not mean that each and every author and each and every topic must follow someone else’s opinion of what “unbiased” might mean.

  301. reb

    “much of your writing on your independent blog is well respected on the intertubes…

    I doubt that very much. Everybody hates me…

    Can’t you tell….??

  302. Fed up

    I take it that you are joking. I, for one do not like to see “she” misused. I imagine as I have objected tp Abbott’s continous misused and pointing thar some sat it is the car’s mother.

    I do not believe I have used the word in that manner.

    I do know sometimes I used it as a tease, as you like to play games with your gender.

    I do not take everything you say seriously. I suspect many times you are not

    I am relutacnt to use “you” and will do in future. If this is not suitable, let me know what I am to use.

  303. Fed up

    TS. was getting sick of the other one, though I am sorry to let the lizard go. Was fond of it.

    Name suits. I am fed up with much that is going on. No need for most of it. As for the picture, it is a contradiction to the name. Bright and sunny.

    Yes, I think I might have got it right.

  304. Miglo

    Waiting for the DVD to load . . .

    Bacchus, you remind me of Mork. :mrgreen:

    Reb, nobody hates you. I’ve often said you are a very good writer. It’s just that you have a unique style of attracting arguments.

  305. Fed up

    el gordo, you have ask me why, and I have been able to answer, I hope I have made it a little better.

    Yes, I do believe that she and her can be used in a way that is insulting.

  306. Truth Seeker

    Migs, for what it’s worth, Cu, I and others, as I am sure you are aware, have covered this question before, and I feel that reb is just being disingenuous. 😯

    Independent Australia is a hugely successful blog, (Note the first word in the name, for rebs benefit only) and for one that comes across as an intellectual snob and heavily biased against the gov and PM in particular, he is looking decidedly irrational and either deliberately obtuse, or is nowhere near as smart as he thinks he is, my guess is the latter, but In the interest of honest and open disclosure, as hard as I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, I have always felt that he was at least disingenuous.

    This is my opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone else here 😀 again in the interest of honest and open disclosure 😯

    I also find it passing strange that there are many here who despite not even running their own blogs feel compelled to tell you, one of the most successful blog masters, how to run this site 🙄

    Anyway Migs, if I have overstepped the mark, please send me to the moderator, or the naughty corner, 😀 but in conclusion let me just say to all those who think that they could do better…. go and start your own blogs and see how successful you are, or STFU 😀

    Cheers 🙂 😀 😆

  307. el gordo

    ‘…as you like to play games with your gender.’

    I have a sensitive and gentle nature, but sadly I remain a man. You might prefer to vall me ‘that gent’.

  308. el gordo

    …call me …

  309. Fed up

    We have a new picture being drawn about the PM. She will keep the job because no one wants it.

    We are now onto Shorten.

  310. Alison White

    Hey Reb – re your comment that it is unlikely the arrest of Craig Thompson was timed to coincide with Abbott’s NPC address – it’s pretty darn remarkable that the two policemen from Victoria just sat around in their hotel room until it was 5mins before Abbott’s question time….pretty darn amazing that the media had been forewarned but not Thompson who was not being officially charged for failing to attend a VOLUNTARY interview (most irregular if not illegal),…absolutely out of this world that Thompson should be strip searched over a trivial issue which bears no relationship to prohibited substance abuse or a history of suicide attempts….pretty f@rcking fantastical that a NSW police officer should appear with Abbott on a doorstop interview (and not just as eye candy). No, nothing here to suggest that there has been ANY collusion with State Liberals at all. SARC

  311. reb

    Oh, I see that a whole host of comments have just been deleted.

  312. reb

    On another note, I see that a milestone has been reached – 500 “Likes” on Facebook… 🙂

  313. Miglo

    Oh, I see that a whole host of comments have just been deleted.

    On another note, I see that a milestone has been reached – 500 “Likes” on Facebook… 🙂

    I see a correlation.

  314. 730reportland

    What happened to
    Media bias threatens democracy thread,
    is wordpress playing up.?

  315. Pingback: An Open Letter to Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd | Victoria Rollison

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 2 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video, document, spreadsheet, interactive, text, archive, code, other. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop file here

Return to home page