A couple of weeks ago, Mr Abbott suggested that some of his colleagues had a problem with Peta Credlin because of her gender, and that they had trouble relating to a women who was so powerful. He made it clear that her sex was irrelevant to him and that he’d have the same relationship with her whatever sex she was. Some people, however, argued charges of sexism were pretty hypocritical coming from a man who’d only appointed one woman to Cabinet.
In a very exciting development, Abbott has doubled the number of women in Cabinet. One senior Liberal source said this was a welcome development as there’d now be someone else to clear the cups when Julie Bishop is overseas, before hastily adding that this was a joke and that they actually had tea-ladies to do that sort of thing.
Still this Ministerial reshuffle achieves most of Mr Abbott’s aims.
The promotion of a woman to the Health Portfolio – albeit one who doesn’t know how to spell “Susan” properly – should stop those screeching feminist harpies who are complaining that the Minister for Women has only announced initiatives for women with children, while the promotion of Josh Frydenberg rewards young talent.
But the moving of Scott Morrison to Social Services has a twofold effect. If he’s effective, it should enable the government to slash spending in this area, while also reducing Morrison’s popularity and thereby putting a dent in any leadership aspirations he may have. It’s one thing to be popular while holding foreign children offshore, but it’ll be a different matter when it’s Australian children ringing Senator Muir to ask him to please support government legislation so that they can be returned to their parents!
In a move that surprised most keen observers, David Johnston has lost the Defence portfolio. Johnston’s lacklustre performance and canoe comments meant that most thought he was absolutely secure, because once Mr Abbott starts demoting underperforming Ministers, a dangerous precendent may have been set. If Johnston wasn’t safe, then one must also consider that Hockey, Pyne, and Joyce can’t simply presume that hiding in one’s office for three months after saying something foolish is enough to keep one in the Ministry.
Peter Dutton, the mostly invisible Minister for Health moves to Immigration, where he can merely cite “operational matters” as a reason for having nothing to say.
Kevin Andrews – a keen Euthanasia opponent – has been given a portfolio consistent with his views on the sanctity of human life: Defence.
All in all, this looks like a very successful reshuffle and all those screaming about icebergs should just sit back in their deckchairs, order another cocktail and enjoy the ride.
Did anyone notice Mr Abbott’s linguistic slip in the press conference when he referred to “science” as “silence”? That probably sums up his views on the topics of science and government.
CapnMorgan on the Guardian: Could not do better if I tried.
I see the Minister for Being Cruel to Brown People has been moved across to the Ministry for Being Cruel to Poor People. A wise choice, and well within his capabilities.
Perhaps he can work his way up to Minister for Pulling the Wings Off Flies?
Scott Morrison has been appointed the Minister for Social Services taking on an expanded portfolio which includes welfare, families, child care and the paid parental leave scheme.
Oh yes, Scott seems the perfect man for this job. PPL will be rammed through, nannies will be paid for. And peoples on welfare better start asking their relatives who has a spare couch.
Morrison. Was in charge of vulnerable asylum seekers, now in charge of Australia’s most vulnerable, the unemployed, the sick and pensioners.
Ship still listing perilously to starboard… engines failing… And the crew’s pants are on fire…
Morrison in Social Services. That’s an oxymoron, isn’t it? I’m a pensioner. Should I be reaching for the Prozac?
Morrisscum, the Sinister for Social Services (aka SSS sounding like a snake).
That’s the way I’m going to refer to him from now until he too will be unemployed and wondering how he is going to pay for the roof over his head and the food in his kids’ bellies.
I didn’t need another reason to consider rabid Abbott to be a monster, but his appointment of the most sadistical LNP Degenerate in the guise of Morrisscum to this portfolio, is yet another slap in the faces of Australian citizens.
I hope you are taking notes Labor on how you will reverse these gross injustices and reform policy platforms, so that they properly and effectively address the living standards of vulnerable people.
If Labor needs some ideas, collaboration with the Greens and other progressive voices will do the job.
Now the Libs have another dilemma. Morrison’s popularity will fall fast and they can’t have a woman leading them. Who will take over from Tony?
Has our boy Tony held on to the Minister for Women gig?
Oh dear. What a pathetic reshuffle.
Morrison should never be allowed anywhere near human beings, never mind the vulnerable ones. But then all politicians are there for their human electors, aren’t they? In this current gov’t. clearly not!
Morrison has demonstrated his somewhat novel approach to getting wayward senators to buckle to his will and pass distasteful
legislation : he uses blackmail.
Let’s hope that Ricky Muir hasn’t got an elderly relative in a nursing home as she or he could soon become hostage to kerosine baths.
I wonder what Peter Dutton has got on Abbott – after a disastrous term as Health Minister he now gets Immigration and the very urgent and difficult task of getting some 2300 unfortunate people out of detention on Manus and Nauru Islands. But, as suggested elsewhere, he will fit neatly into the ‘cone of silence’ constructed by Morrison.
Doubled the number of females in his ministry – speechless. Now we have two actual women. WOW! And, did He actually say tea-LADIES?
@john Kelly, yes I would recommend stocking up on Prozac and other anti-anxiety potions
– what can one say to such artistry?
C’mon Labor get over your misgiving over sticking to principles – such as you used to hold – and reacquaint yourself with the Greens.
Terry2 your excellent question “I wonder what Peter Dutton has got on Abbott?” could well be answered with…he was a serving police officer in Queensland and would have had access, lawfully or ?? to records, files, all manner of juicy tit bits.
On performance so far he is a shifty, slimy, nasty lump of manure and capable of all manner of dirt…..in this case I would suggest the eyes definitely have it.
As for Minister for Immigration I suspect Abbott has stuffed up. As with Health, Dutton wouldn’t know his arse from his elbow. Pity Richard Marles is no great shakes either as Shadow. But this could be the making of him, It should be like opposing a hyena as opposed to a chest thumping gorilla.
Does it mean that the people involved in the ship building industry can look forward to building canoes?
Wun: Paper canoes.
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Congratulations must go to P.M. Abbott.
He is continuing to hold onto first place …….. as the worst government in Australia's 40,000 years of human occupation.
It’s good to see that there was a passing reference to science.Perhaps some of the sacked CSIRO researchers get a job with Mumbles MacFarlane
Rossleigh,
Reblogged at The Pub.
Love your work!
@Terry2
You make interesting points. Yes indeed, what has the gormless Dutton got on Abbott? Abbott is stuck with the stigma that he can’t send ole dopey Dutton off into the Never-Never coz there must be something (even if there’s not).
I think Abbott is acting as the true ruthless born-to-rule loser that he is and he has decided to assassinate (in a nicer political way) his LNP opponents by giving them impossible portfolios. How else, can one explain these ludicrous decisions today?
By the way, I bet it is the handiwork of our resident Cruella de Vil, aka Peta Credlin. (By the way, I’m a woman and I maintain the right to accuse Peta or Cruella, as not a nice person. So there!)
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Why move Andrews ?
And into Defence ?
I wonder what information is going to come out of the murder of the 8 children in Cairns ?
Yes, c’mon Labor. Do something, say something.
Make friends with the Greens and other progressives.
Show Aussies, there is a way out of this LNP asphyxiation!
They would have done better by getting rid of Abbott Credlin Andrews Hocky Joyce and Pyne.
@David You might be right about Marles.
But what I hope is that he is much better than Bowen and whoever else filled the Labor position of Minister for Immigration because they were also unconscionable in their lack of action and delays in giving true refugees a voice to explain their needs for sanctuary.
A very disappointing phase in Labor history.
@John Fraser
Interesting point.
It will be interesting to see how the God-fearing Minister Andrews answers questions about his previous incompetence in providing preventions against the sad outcome of the woman’s decline and her murder of her children and niece.
Make people desperate enough, who knows what will happen?
But I blame YOU, Andrews, you Grim Reaper!
No matter what portfolio you ineffectually sit in, you are the Grim Reaper.
@ Jennifer Meyer-Smith
I look forward (not) to his unchristian treatment of the damaged veterans of Australia’s recent unnecessary bellicose follies.
The longer this excuse for a Govt. goes, the “worser” it becomes. (I put that in Tones Plain Speak).
Does this mean we will have “Operation reducing Poor Population”with tactics like slow starvation, military enforcement/patrols at grocery shops. We will not know the results of this “Operation” until we see the growth of Debtors Prisons.(which will replace detention centres.
Does this mean that the Navy will be patrolling shopping centres ?
Scott Morrison in Social Services – is this a joke? This cruel and evil person who keeps children behind bars and uses them as pawns in his sadistic political game. What a deplorable government.
I seem to remember that the captain of the Titanic maintained speed in a vain attempt to approach a nearby ship for help: result was that he took on water more rapidly. The parallels are fascinating.
I suggest that the unemployed start packing a bag for Manus Island and the aged will get a bonus to go talk to Dr Nitschke.
Scott Morrison pledged to “ensure the integrity, dignity and sustainability of our safety net. But the best social service we can afford any Australian, to help them deal with the cost of living, is a job. Getting as many Australians, who are able, to get off welfare and into work will be one of my core goals”.
Mr Hockey has also hinted strongly that a support package for families that includes greater support for families with kids in childcare and a revised paid parental leave scheme will form the centrepiece of his second budget.
Here come the sweeteners – something in the next budget from Scott whose new expanded portfolio includes welfare, family support, seniors, aged care, the National Disability Insurance Scheme and importantly, childcare and Mr Abbott’s signature paid parental leave scheme.
The first 5 groups mentioned better start squirreling away nuts.
This is a list of what Scott is now responsible for. Scary stuff for a man who ignores courts, refuses to inform anyone what he is doing, eliminates avenue of appeal and oversight, and feels he should be the sole arbiter.
With you100% Jennifer…
Kaye Lee,
Maybe, just maybe, if Scrot Morriscum tries some of his asylum seeker tricks on true blue Aussie recipients, a High Court challenge might be productive.
But then maybe, just maybe, we won’t get an election in 2016. Instead, a suspension of the Constitution and the declaration of a state of emergency.
Yes, that’d work nicely.
Any bets on National Service?
With few children to hold hostage now that the senate has bowed to Senator Morrisons demands he now has a million or so he can hold hostage.
As for our new Minister for Immigration, in 2008, when new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised to the Stolen Generations, Dutton was the only coalition front bencher to abstain.
He hails from the party’s right, a protege of former party kingpin Santo Santoro and an ally of the faction’s contemporary chief, Opposition Senate Leader Nick Minchin.
Former Howard government finance minister Nick Minchin was a close factional and political adviser to Tony Abbott and played a crucial role in his elevation to the Liberal leadership in 2009.
In February we heard “Nick Minchin is off to New York to take up the plum consul general diplomatic posting.
The foreign minister, Julie Bishop, confirmed that Minchin, who left politics for family reasons when his Senate term expired in June 2011, will take up the job in April.
The position comes with a big salary and a $25m luxury apartment on the East river. The appointment comes after Bishop vetoed former Labor state premier Steve Bracks’ appointment to the job. The Gillard government named Bracks last year to the role, but Bishop dumped him shortly before he was due to begin.”
Dutton’s other mentor,Santo Santoro Federal Minister for Ageing in the Howard Government, resigned from the ministry in 2007 over a share scandal.
The senator had failed to immediately sell off stocks in a biotechnology company after being appointed to his health-related portfolio in 2006.
“Mr Howard earlier this week refused to sack Senator Santoro, saying the Queenslander had alerted him as soon as the error was realised, and that he had donated the profit from the shares to a charity.
However, that charity has since been revealed as conservative values group Family Council of Queensland – which is not a charity.
And its president, Alan Baker, was the person who sold the shares to Senator Santoro in the first place.”
But that didn’t slow him down.
Made to choose between his position on the party executive and his job as a paid lobbyist, Queensland LNP power broker Santo Santoro has resigned as the Liberal party’s federal vice president.
Not long after winning the election, Prime Minister Tony Abbott decreed changes would be made to government policy “to ensure you can either be a powerbroker or a lobbyist, but you can’t be both”.
The changes came into effect on March 20.
Given the financial discrepancies between the two roles, most who have found themselves in the position of having to choose, have decided to remain lobbyists.
Mr Santoro owns Santo Santoro Consulting and is registered as a lobbyist on both the Queensland and federal registers.
Nice crowd.
Kaye Lee,
Do you get a slight whiff of “we do this because we can”?
In every single decision they make Fiona….join the dots is a game I have been playing for a while and I have learned to follow the smell.
@Pegaso The unemployed will start packing their bags when they see you do so first, mate.
Yep Kaye Lee,
Morrisscum is a nasty piece of fish.
(Might sound lame, but if we threaten destruction they will get ASIO on our backsides, the nasty scum they are.)
Bottom line is humanity is needed for asylum seekers and people who, for whatever reason, at this point of time, depend on welfare.
To have Morrisscum, that evil bit of shil in charge, is pure hatred of the most vulnerable.
Abbott and his puppet masters are the worst culprits of this.
Morrisscum will be vilified in history, the sad bit of shit he is.
@Fiona – I like your thinking.
Kaye Lee,
I’ve been a political junkie almost all my life – from the 1961 election when I was 5 or 6 years old.
Even more so, now, follow the smell.
I know I have an ASIO file – and I don’t give a damn.
Jennifer Meyer-Smith,
Which bit? I don’t like any of my thinking at all!
@Fiona, anything to do with anti-LNP Degenerates and realistic plans to annihilate them at the next election by forming an Alliance of progressive, alternative action makers from the Greens, Labor, progressive parties and sane Indies will do me.
Hmmm. Let’s play devil’s advocate for a moment. What if the reviled Morrison is being given the chance to redeem his “image”? A chance to play “Mr Nice Guy” for a while leading up to the next election.
With polling not just in the toilet, but having passed through the treatment plant and relegated to sea pollution, the Liberals over the next year need to build their stocks towards the next election. The last groups they need to piss off are pensioners and families.
Can the turd that is Morrison’s image be polished enough with this new portfolio to make him a potential contender for a replacement to Tony Abbott about a year out from the election?
Stranger things have happened in politics…
Jennifer Meyer-Smith,
No I don’t, but I’m interested. Ask Michael for my email.
Queensland senator Brett Mason was axed as parliamentary secretary to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, a job Queensland MP Steve Ciobo will take on while also serving as Parliamentary Secretary to Trade Minister Andrew Robb.
I wonder if Julie got a say in that. The chaperone has a spy in the camp.
Mr Morrison will also join the government’s key expenditure review committee, or razor gang, as the government crafts its second budget, as will newly appointed Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg who fills the spot vacated by Arthur Sinodinos.
Mr Frydenberg has moved rapidly through the ranks since being elected. He will be the first member of the class of 2010 to enter the ministry.
Politically, he is close to Environment Minister Greg Hunt, Mr Morrison and ex-Families Minister now sitting on Defence, Kevin Andrews. (btw how are those marriage counselling vouchers going Kev?)
He has been groomed as tour guide for billionaires on the Asia outing of the REAL Team Australia.
“Mr Abbott has given his parliamentary secretary Josh Frydenberg the task of shepherding the travelling party of 20 CEOs, including Westpac boss Gail Kelly, Commonwealth Bank boss Ian Narev, ANZ’s Mike Smith, Orica’s Ian Smith and the Business Council of Australia’s Jennifer Westacott.”
In other changes, Education Minister Christopher Pyne has added Training to his portfolio, Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane will have Science added to his portfolio title, after much public criticism that it had been dropped.
I love the way Science is added to his portfolio “title”.
@Michael Please give me Fiona’s email. I believe you have my email address. If you don’t mind, please send her email to me asap. Thanks.
It’s hard to imagine a nastier attack on the rights of ordinary Australians than this reshuffle represents. Morrison who has presided over the most inhumane asylum-seeker regime in our history, gets to wreak his own particular kind of havoc on every vulnerable Australian group; Andrews, who in any just world would have been demoted to the toilet, gets Defence – where he will be eaten alive by the Joint Chiefs, hopefully and preferably humiliatingly and Dutton the invisible health minister inherits a near invisible problem.
The only demotion seems to be Johnston when, in reality, the poodle and Smokin’ Joe — on performances — should have been sent off. Fortunately, I think the changes are only going to reinforce the ineptitude of the Abbott Scumocracy. Soon may it fall.
Jennifer Meyer-Smith, I was being sarcastic,I thought you may have picked that up by my comment about the aged.
Email sent, Jennifer.
Fancy putting the cold blooded, unspeakably callous psychopath, Scott Murderson, as Minister for Social Services … putting this heartless reptile in charge of poor Australians when they are at their most vulnerable is like putting the Grinch in charge of Christmas! My God, the ONLY portfolio suitable for this misanthropic sociopath is Minister in Charge of Heard Island (or somewhere equally remote)! Exchanging one cold blooded, disreputable, discredited moron for another within the fascist LNP, really IS like shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic! None of them have a single redeeming feature … rotten to the core and corrupt from the inside out! The ONLY decent move they could EVER make is if the whole lot of them step down and put the LNP/Greens in charge …. 99.99% of intelligent Australians have had an absolute GUT FULL of this loathsome government!
I don’t think it matters one iota who goes where because Credlin will have her greasy little figure in the pie.
Morrison going soft is not going to cut it. They just haven’t realized they are all toxic liars and no amount of shuffling is going to cover the first year. Remember first impressions stick and they have a load of crap weighing them down.
Guarantee they will not be able to resist beating upon the underprivileged and low income.
Labor, Greens and the independents have got many bullets to fire at this lot for lying, blatant hypocrisy and mismanagement of the economy which the coming recession can only reinforce.
Guaranteed the circus will roll on as the lies and gaffs continue.
The voices of doom an gloom have been shuffled but the deck of cards remains the same.
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I wonder how all this Credlin Machiavelli moves will play out in the conservative ranks.
No real changes in the ranks … still Abbotts gang.
Which also means there will be no changes in policies … just …. as Penny Wong said …. "different sales people".
Pretty sure nothing will change Australia's mind that the Abbott gang has been a disastrous experiment.
Best thing to do now is reinforce in peoples minds that Murdoch's media has to share the blame too.
Bacchus:
That’s interesting.
Apart from blogs such as this, and asylum-seeker support sites… I haven’t seen any disapproval or outrage over Morrison’s actions. The only criticism I’ve seen is on line. Nobody I know actually gives a damn.
Maybe I just move with the wrong crowd.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/outrage-ignores-that-boat-deaths-are-down/story-fni0ffxg-1226838530811
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/war-in-iraq-syria-wont-inflame-terrorist-threat-morrison-20140914-10gtel.html
http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/morrisons-silence-warrants-outrage/2308712/
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/571164/20141030/australia-visa-ban-ebola-sierra-leone.htm
That’s just outrage page one. I didn’t google disapproval.
“Can the turd that is Morrison’s image be polished…”
-Bacchus
Mythbusters have proven that you can indeed polish a turd
Morrison’s image might be a bridge too far, though.
From Tony Windsor….
“Breaking news in the social services area. The hungry will be permitted to eat the homeless.”
The reason why David Johnston was sacked as Defence Minister was this statement, which the Abbott government now wants to walk away from – you will never hear this Abbott government promise mentioned again :
“We will deliver those submarines from right here at ASC in South Australia. The Coalition today is committed to building 12 new submarines here in Adelaide.” [David Johnston Press Conference – 8 May 2013]
This is 1984 as George Orwell envisaged it – Winston Smith had a day job rewriting history for the government of the day and obliterating all references to prior historical facts that no longer suited the government’s agenda.
Using that precedent there wouldn’t be a Minister left standing Terry.
Scott Morrison appointed Minister for Social Services. In his first interview he has announced a new logo for his department, instead of Social Security it will now be known as the SS. When asked further questions by reporters Morrison said that he could not comment about operation on-welfare matters. This reporter understands that Transfield is being contracted by the Gov to begin building employment training camps in the central desert to be staffed by G4S training guards. It is understood the government intends to fund each unemployed, disabled, aged, homeless, sick, mentally ill, and most of the youth of Australia to attend these camps so they can experience the joy of work. After all Morrison has a new motto for his department, WORK SETS YOU FREE. This was apparently suggested to him by cabinet colleague Eric Abetz whose uncle saw it where his party worked in Poland many years ago, ARBEIT MACH FRIE at a place called Auschwitz.
ken
He has also said that the $200 relationship counselling voucher will become a compulsory community re-education service and the $200 will still apply but his time you pay them !
Didn’t take long for the Chief Idiot to fall on his misogynist mealy mouthed face. Lets all rejoice the return of $550 as the price of electricity rises while the gift from God fades into the vacuous space that is Abbott’s loopy fosilised brain.
He knows how to condescend to women just let him open his mouth.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbott-names-carbon-tax-repeal-as-his-top-achievement-as-minister-for-women-20141221-12bw42.html
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/federal-cabinet-reshuffle-scott-morrison-picks-up-social-services-portfolio-in-bid-to-stop-the-bludgers/story-fnii5s40-1227163795658
“Mr Abbott said jobs and families would be the theme of the government next year in the wake of the carbon and mining taxes being abolished and the asylum seeker boats stopping.
He described Mr Morrison as the master of difficult policy.
“I have said time and time again that fit working aged people should be working, preferably for a wage but if not for the dole,’’ he said. “This is about trying to ensure that Australians are having a go. If you want to get a fair go, you have got to give a fair go and that is what this ministry is all about.” Mr Morrison will also be responsible for reshaping Mr Abbott’s pet Paid Parental Leave and childcare schemes as well as the reindexation of the pension.
Mr Morrison, who will handle a large portion of the budget, will join the government’s razor gang; The Expenditure Review Committee.”
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The cabal of the most hated Ministers in Australia remain at the top of Abbotts government.
Great comments all.
Sorry to @Pegaso for getting the wrong end of the stick!
Holy shit, the face of cruelty has been given a different job, yep time to get my younger kids on the next boat and get out of this country, no one is safe with the sociopath Morriscum in his new role, if we thought it couldn’t get any worse with this gov full of criminals it’s about tooooooo, there is no future for this country with this pack of sick men and now 2 psychotic women running the show,
Ley is a lucked out loser that’s why she is in politics, can’t get a decent job because she is incompetent has no idea about anything really
RIP Australia….
it is interesting to note the general tenor of the comment that constantly surrounds this illegitimate rabble posing as a government.
From the minute they were elected the stench started to rise and I remember writing, within a month, that I had never known a new government to have had no “honeymoon” period.
The flat mood disinterest being shown in the present maneuvers only adds to the atmosphere of funk emanating from them…. different stew, same shit!
Exactly, John. Tony’s reshuffle has only reinforced the ideologues into a further entrenched position. No real shift in view that maybe their policies are a blight on the vulnerable. Not a glimmer of the art of negotiation among them. Tony’s team incapable of learning.
This, after the Victorian election which clearly informed the government that people do not like being played as idiots.
Indeed, Jennifer. 12 months into term is time enough for Labor to start offering alternatives – real alternatives. Labor ain’t gonna progress while the trend for voting Independents and/or under the line for senate continues.
Lenore Taylor had an article in the on-line Guardian on this coalition government, it had garnered over 1200 comments by yesterday afternoon.
Scanning through these comments, if you were very generous, maybe 10 or so were “for” the government the rest varied from scathing to downright hostility.
By any measure 1200 plus comments on any on-line article is on the high side but the sheer percentage of negative comments was extraordinary.
With an army of spin doctors monitoring the media you would assume this didn’t go unnoticed and a memo would be sitting on Peta Credlins desk early this morning.
A minor ministerial reshuffle announcement right on Christmas, sounds about right.
Thanks Terry2, will repost on twitter if ok with you, it is one of the few paths we have available, to keep hammering the point to a larger audience
David,
Go for it – the truth needs to get out somehow.
Cheers
@Rooss… I suspect that Peta Credlin won’t be worried about Guardian readers. They’re not the votes she’s after.
morrison’s work began with keating in ’92 and there are plenty of labor role models and mentors.
Replacing Andrews may have a benefit in tarnishing morrison and stirring lost labor conscience?