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You should be ashamed of yourself

Mr Abbott’s virulent attack against Gillian Triggs and the Human Rights Commission clearly demonstrates the type of person ‘we have elected’ to lead our country – a heartless narcissistic charlatan who thinks governing means having your photo taken and who will personally attack anyone who dares to criticise his approach regardless of what the facts show.

In February 2014, Scott Morrison said that “the Abbott government will be most cooperative in the immigration inquiry regarding children in detention … the government would be more than willing to cooperate with the human rights body, and even consider what it would be recommending.”

Unless Tony doesn’t like the results.

The report on children in detention was sent to the Attorney-General on 11 November 2014 who then sat on it, releasing it three months to the day after having received it. Abbott’s suggestion that this was a politically motivated attack is ludicrous as the report is also critical of the previous government and was influenced by Kevin Rudd’s decision in July 2013 to bar asylum seekers who arrived by boat from any chance of resettlement in Australia.

This left thousands of people with no hope, indefinitely incarcerated in hell holes in the poorest nations on earth.

In August 2013 there were no children on Nauru under the former Labor government. As of October 31 2014, there were 167 children in the offshore processing centre. Currently there are 211 children in detention in centres in Australia and 119 being held indefinitely on Nauru.

According to Immigration Department statistics, the average length of detention has grown to 436 days and more than half of the children in detention have been there longer than a year.

Dr Sarah Mares, a child and family psychiatrist, visited Christmas Island twice last year and was consultant to the Human Rights Inquiry. She said the length of time that most of these children have been in detention means that many of them now have developed significant anxiety and depression during their prolonged detention and will require additional support and intervention.

Solicitor Sarah Dale who works with unaccompanied minors in both detention and the community said: “We are seeing children who have fled torture and trauma in war torn areas, children who have lost family members and some who witnessed the death of their family members. Some children have been in detention for 17 months.”

The inquiry staff interviewed 1129 children over a 15-month period from January 2013 to March 2014, spanning both the Labor and Coalition governments.

It shows there were 233 recorded assaults involving children and 33 incidents of reported sexual assault, yet there was not one word from the Prime Minister in response to these tragic statistics. Not one word of compassion for the victims. Not one skerrick of responsibility. Not one word on how we can stop this horrific abuse.

The self-centred political beast who is currently charading under the title of Prime Minister of Australia saw this as a politically motivated attack on him. As he always does, he immediately said what about them – it’s all Labor’s fault.

During Question Time this week Mr Abbott declared he would spend every day up until the next election reminding us of the failures of the previous government. Does he seriously think that’s what he was elected to do?

Having axed the taxes (costing us billions in revenue and investment in renewable energy) and stopped the boats (whilst offering no assistance to the global refugee crisis or the asylum seekers in indefinite incarceration) and signed three free trade agreements (at what cost we don’t know though the budget noted a $1.6 billion drop in revenue due to the FTA with Japan) and given approval for countless coal mines (that seem to be commercially unviable), Tony seems to feel his job is done and we should be congratulating him for his successes.

Those who suggest there is more to do will be rounded on, attacked, abused, and silenced.

Those who suggest that Mr Abbott is not being truthful (too many examples to list) are shouted down under a barrage of prepared lines repeated over and over and over in public, or screamed at with a string of expletives in private (as happened to Wyatt Roy when he suggested they should confess to breaking promises).

Tony Abbott says they should stop the navel-gazing and get on with governing. How this is to be achieved when Tony thinks a report about children in detention is an attack on him is unclear. Since when are camera crews invited into “high level briefings” from our security forces? Why is Tony Abbott reading out confidential evidence on television and making highly prejudicial statements on a matter that is before the courts?

Because it’s all about the drama and Tony is the prima uomo. His image is the most important thing and he demands his colleagues sacrifice truth, integrity, and decency to maintain the charade that this man is fit to lead us.

You should be ashamed of yourself.

45 comments

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  1. Graham Houghton

    Well said, Kaye. This government, and particularly this nobody that leads it, is an absolute disgrace. It (he) is the antithesis of goodness, decency and civilised, humane behaviour. I have never felt such disgust, or anger over a government and its front bench in my life. How can we get rid of them now? Now. They are taking us to hell.

  2. Sir ScotchMistery

    To feel shame, one must understand the basic nature of the human condition. For example, a male lion who hunts out an opponent from the pride will systematically kill and eat the offspring of all other males.

    They don’t see anything shameful about doing that. I don’t see anything shameful either. Perhaps a bit disappointing for the futurre of wild lions, but I get it.

    Wyatt Roy was lucky he was only shouted at, I think.

    The current occupant of the seat normally used by the prime minister of Australia, has no sons, but I suspect is currently elevating daughter Frances’ public profile, to see if he can get her over the line as his successor? One can only wait with this “man”, and see what he dreams up next.

    Shame doesn’t come into it. In fact, I would be surprised if he could spell “shame”.

  3. keerti

    definition of insanity: The inability to distinguish fantasy from reality.
    Is there no mechanism to remove a public official who …….

  4. DanDark

    One story that was told was about a little 18 month profoundly deaf girl who had no hearing aids,nor any other assistance for her disability.
    Her parents are also profoundly deaf and they are being left to flounder in appalling conditions in these horrendous camps.

    The neglect is breathtaking, where is the duty of care, these people are in the care of the Australuan gov, morrison is their guardian whether they like it or not they cannot act like subhuman f-wits.
    Having a son who was born with a lack of hearing 20 years ago, and from a young age neede expert help.
    I know that this is just cruel and the detrimental effects on this little girl will resound for the rest of her life.
    If a parent in this country treated their child in this way, they would be prosecuted for neglect and so they should be.. You know when Tones is about to go on the attack because his voice starts turning into a shrill.
    Yes this lot will rot in hell when it’s their turn, what goes around comes around….

  5. Graham Houghton

    As Colin Herring has pointed out today in a post on the ‘Not Fit to Govern’ facebook page, Abbott is now entering a very dangerous stage in his evolution as Prime Minister. He labels his post ‘Belligerence’ and he’s absolutely right. That is now what we are beginning to see explicitly in the way he conducts himself. Up until now he had (unsuccessfully) tried to hide the true Abbott, but now we see the streetfighter coming out. It was displayed yesterday in all its ugly nastiness when he aggressively eyeballed and pointed his finger across the dispatch box at a member of the opposition over some slight remark. Very close to crossing the floor and taking a swing; just as he was when all he could do was try to contain his rage over the ‘shit happens’ interview. He needs to be watched very very carefully. He is the number one threat to this country right now.

  6. Kerri

    True Sir Scotch Mistery. Maybe he will change Fraces name to Kim?
    And where is Freedom Boy is all of this??
    Why are the media not asking our delegated (albeit illegitimately) Human Rights Commissioner??
    Yes Abbott should be ashamed!
    Also those 61 members of the party who voted to not have a spill should also be ashamed for missing an opportunity to rid us of this derelict, corrupt and egocentric pathological liar.
    So too should those who voted for him be ashamed for being lazy voters and believing the propaganda spun by the Murdoch media, however I am prepared to forgive the voters for being sucked in to such belligerent carbon dioxide, PROVIDED they learn and never do it again!!!

  7. stephentardrew

    I have stopped posting because no words can express my disgust. When actions fail words solve nothing unless there is a moral response to alleviate all of these wrongs.

    I can honestly say I am disgusted, in the true sense of the word, and when sorrow arises and cruelty reigns we are lost as a nation.

    The voices of apologists simply sink us further into the mire.

    There is a point where the only response is heartfelt love and concern for those who suffer through no fault of their own.

    Politicians use others suffering as a football in a game of judgment, blame, retribution and vilification.

    What a heartless unloving bunch of lying, egocentric narcissistic fools this country elected.

    My country my country wherefore my country?

    I am ashamed of my country.

    Yet we must fight these doyens of cruel immoral greed, anger and hate.

    The only way to volitionally hurt others is to vilify and despise them.

    This government manages that in spades.

    Abbott has lost all credibility as a decent human being.

  8. Kerri

    Graham Houghton I would love to see the media push him! Start by refusing to call him PM instead just Mr Abbott! This would play on his psyche and really test his temper. I say lead him on until he crack big time!

  9. Graham Houghton

    Kerri, how right you are. Push him to the limit. I’ve said before that I knew this man in the infant school playground many many times; not literally, of course, but his type. He can’t help himself and he will crack; in fact I think it’s already started.

  10. crypt0

    A government thoroughly populated by pseudo christians and this is the result.
    I can only wonder what real Christians make of all this.
    Or have we come so far that abbott bush blair howard et al, and the bulk of our current government are in fact the “real”christians of today?

  11. townsvilleblog

    Bully’s are fairly easy to break, if you can break their confidence in themselves they are history.

  12. MJ Wright

    Kerri…
    How about Prime thing!!!!

  13. Ricardo29

    I like the suggestion someone made that Labor should not participate in question time. If they all sat there with their arms crossed and said nothing it would drive Abbott berserk. It would also, probably, lead him to say something offensive, stupid or idiotic. Questioned about such a tactic, Labor could say it reflected their deep disquiet about: the partisanship of the speaker, the lack of respect for the PM and Government or the unwillingness to participate in a forum where they were to blame for everything.

  14. Matters Not

    Great article Kaye.

    Currently there are 211 children in detention in centres in Australia and 119 being held indefinitely on Nauru.

    I can only think about that word indefinitely. Unless there is a change in policy, then these people, including the children, have no place to go. The idea of being resettled in Cambodia could only be made by those who have never been there or who have not read anything regarding ‘peasant’ life in that country. As ‘outsiders’, without wealth, life would be unbearable.

    And they can’t stay on Nauru indefinitely.

    The very idea of asking the Indonesian President to be compassionate re two convicted Australian drug smugglers while the powers that be here in Australia show no compassion for people who have committed no crime is just hypocrisy writ large.

  15. Dimmy

    Bravo !!

  16. Kyran

    I have read elsewhere that a report is required to be produced, under the parliamentary rules, within three months of the government receiving it. When they first received it, they deliberately sat on it and commenced their campaign against Triggs and the Commission, for the full three months, in what I believe was nothing more than a political exercise to vilify the Commission. Classic case of shoot the messenger, but done before the message is delivered. To add insult to injury, they delayed the tabling of the report twice, resulting in it being held till 7.30 pm, minimising the prospect of any significant media scrutiny. I share with the other posters my absolute revulsion with this barbaric policy. The fact that any “strategy” is now methodically, calculatingly, clinically assessed, by both parties, with callous indifference to one of the most vulnerable groups in our care, is an indictment on any society. How this can be happening at the same time there is a Royal Commission into institutionalised child (sexual) abuse confounds me. As a society, we are (quite rightly) investigating decades of child abuse and each horrifying example is met with justified anger. How can this current obscenity be viewed through any other prism? Thank you Ms Lee for keeping the light on this very dark corner of our society. Take care

  17. Kaye Lee

    It seems at last that people are waking up to Abbott

    “No, Mr Abbott – it is you and your government that should be ashamed. By seeking to politicise the report and its findings, by seeking to demonise commission president Gillian Triggs, the government compounds its own failures and those of preceding governments. It has tried to shift attention to anyone and everyone, while accepting no responsibility, which only magnifies its own shameful behaviour.

    Mr Abbott’s response to this report indicates that, despite his claims to the contrary following Monday’s leadership vote in the Liberal party room, nothing has changed in his approach to governing. His instinct is to attack, instead of taking a position based on decency and dignity.

    He and his former immigration minister, Scott Morrison, have seen this important inquiry as an opportunity to deliberately and methodically disparage and undermine the Human Rights Commission.

    That is shameful.”

    http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-age-editorial/tony-abbott-fails-another-leadership-test-20150212-13d4cx.html

  18. Kaye Lee

    “The first response of the Abbott government to the most comprehensive inquiry conducted into children in immigration detention was to bury it by delaying its release until late on the last possible night it could be tabled in the Parliament.

    The second response was to denigrate it, with Tony Abbott accusing the Human Rights Commission of being blatantly partisan and saying it should be ashamed of itself. This is a direct attack on the professionalism, competence and impartiality of the commission president, Gillian Triggs, a lawyer of 46 years experience.

    Four days after the beginning of “good government”, the over-the-top reaction is a reminder of this government’s tendency to behave like an opposition. Rather than shoot the messenger, the government should heed the message.”

    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/children-in-detention-tony-abbott-takes-aim-at-the-messenger-20150212-13csuv.html

  19. Sir ScotchMistery

    I have to admit more posts go in the bin now than used to for the simple reason, as Stephen Tardrew notes, words fail to change anything, and only action will work.

    For the record, I haven’t used the acronym (capitalised) “pm” now for months, because the current occupant of the seat normally reserved for the Prime Minister of Australia, doesn’t rate it. Similarly, Brandis isn’t an attorney’s arsehole, so “ag” has gone as well. The occupant of the same role in Queensland was always referred to as “the conveyancer”, since that was/is still, his only actual qualification. In our minutes in the organisation I am part of, he was always referred to as “the member for Kawana”.

    My shock comes when rusted on liberals who I have thought have been intelligent, don’t see or prefer not to admit maybe, that there is a problem. I fail to see how anyone with only half a brain, even a pommie, doesn’t see the issue.

    I will have to write something, just to get it off my chest. Maybe “we, the architects of our own destruction finally admit…. that we got it wrong”

    I wake in the mornings and feel sick to my stomach. Originally I thought, “OMG here we go again, I’m pregnant”. Then I thought about it over a cup of tea, but can’t work out the timing. Then thought some more and finally made sense of a few things.

    a) 59 years old, probably makes it unlikely.
    b) being male doesn’t help.

    Then I realised it was Tony Abbott making me sick, not pregnancy, and got on with the rest of the day.

  20. John Fraser

    <

    stephentardrew & Sir ScotchMistery

    I have cut it down to the most basic descriptive :

    "The pig Abbott."

    At times I add "the piglets".

  21. diannaart

    Ditto, everybody.

  22. The AIM Network

    I have to admit more posts go in the bin now than used to

    Not our I hope, Scotchy.

  23. Sir ScotchMistery

    No not yours dear leader of those with nuts and voice.

  24. stephentardrew

    Got kicked off Good Government blog. Try again.

    Kill the goose that laid the brown mushy egg.

    They just cannot help themselves making things worse.

    Ask for resignation then offer lollies in return.

    Sounds like bribery to me.

    Georgy dumb, dumb our hero of legal ineptitude.

    http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/revealed-abbott-government-tried-to-remove-gillian-triggs-as-head-of-the-australian-human-rights-commission-20150213-13du7s.html

  25. stephentardrew

    John beat me to it nevertheless the more the merrier.

    The pigs smelly bum!

  26. lawrencewinder

    Rabid-the-Hun’s Boss, “Le Jongleur” Roskam opined today (in support of Rabid) on ABC 774, that Triggs had been proved wrong many many times….as a parting shot at programs end.
    Hmmmm… I wonder if the virulence of the attacks on this woman are really because she represents a civilised intelligence that these sort of intellectual minnows could never hope to achieve?

  27. Rosemary (@RosemaryJ36)

    I think the only question Labor should put in QT is “Has the Prime Minister consulted a psychiatrist in recent times in relation to his mental condition?”

  28. Kyran

    I also heard that, lawrencewinder. Earlier, in the same broadcast, he admitted he had not read the report and made his assumptions based on her earlier comments. Roskam, off to the bin (thank you Mr Mistery (being Irish, I don’t recognise Sir’s, only cur’s)) for providing a bin. And, now that you are not pregnant, you can have some medication. Mr Lord recommends Annie’s Lane. I think I’ll go with methylated spirits! Take care

  29. Kyran

    Ms Lee, was he the one with the Amnesty International badge on his lapel, whilst the minister for abomination? Didn’t one of his kid’s have a diametrically opposed view? His demise is no loss to society. Vale? Not likely! Take care

  30. Florence nee Fedup

    Phillip should have never said it will be a secret ballot with no speeches on the motion standing. Not what Abbott wanted. He wanted to head off that vote, with one on whether the motion could be put to a vote. Second, Phillip reminded Abbott, that the party room appointed him. Phillip struck to party conventions,

    I do wish, as Julie would say, this government became so… yesterday.

    Interesting that there were no children on the Islands before Labor was force to go down the track of Manus and Christmas Islands.

    The difference is, those children have been held behind wire fences for over a year. Over a year, because Morrison refuse to grant bridging visas. Refuse to process them, until parliament passed his TPV legalisation. Truth is,, there is little difference between the two. What happen to his TPV when the time runs out. Will someone have to revert them to permanent visas as happened with Howards. Peoples live put on hold for years, for no good reason.,

    Please do not forget, this more reduce the number we take by 7000. Yes, back to 13700. Labor intended to increase the number to near 30,000

    Any chance of a regional solution has been dumped. In fact, relationship with most countries in the region has become strained.

    We have hundred’s maybe thousands of children who have been traumatise, not getting the help they need. Wonder how many future terrorists we are creating?

  31. Florence nee Fedup

    “Some senior ministers hold Mr Ruddock partly to blame, saying one of his roles should be to rally support for the Prime Minister.”

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-13/philip-ruddock-to-stand-down-as-chief-government-whip/6093194

    One is not entitled it appears to an opinion in the Liberal party. They are all there to protect the PM. I thought his job would have been to ensure a fair vote for all sides. As he said during the crisis, his job was to facilitate a vote on the motion put. Not to give his opinion on what the result should be.

    Does Abbott have the mindset of a dictator? More like a four year, wanting the rules changed in the game he is playing with others, because he is not winning.

  32. Florence nee Fedup

    Would love to see Labor in QT, not sit with their arms crossed, but to ignore Abbott completely, directing all questions to the ministers.. If Madam Chair attempts to redirect questions to Abbott they then get up and walk out.

  33. Florence nee Fedup

    The Indonesians have already pointed out, that treatment of the asylum seekers give them no right to lecture their country.

  34. Sir ScotchMistery

    @StephenTardrew the boiled lollies analogy may be quite apt considering #Tones capacity to support certain priests and a security company like Transfield who are also purchasers of boiled lollies apparently.

  35. Florence nee Fedup

    They have had that report since early last November. One would have thought, they would have prepared a reply, listing all they find inaccurate with the report. Yes, have a counter report ready for public consumption.

  36. Florence nee Fedup

    Did not Abbott promised there would by no recriminations against anyone after the Monday ballot. No getting even. Then why is Ruddock being forced to stand down?

  37. stephentardrew

    Sir ScotchMistery: Well it’s true he just sucks at everything including John’s pigs arse.

    A case of self-infatuation and poor oral hygiene.

  38. Kaye Lee

    From John’s link…

    Let’s bring this down, then, to a level that Abbott and his mates on Team Australia might understand. I don’t care who started it, Tony, you have a chance to finish it. Triggs dobbed because it’s her job and because she plays by the rules. It’s not actually about you, it’s about the kids. You are supposed to be an adult. Grow up or we won’t let you play on our team.

  39. Loz

    This government and its leader have no shame. The should not be inflicted on the Australian people.

  40. Kerri

    I am no fan of Ruddock but as I recall the spill motion was announced Friday and Tones brought it forward to Monday so how was the Whip expected to drum up support?

  41. Florence nee Fedup

    I thought the role of the whip was to drum up support for the government within the houses. Ensure everyone turned up to vote. Did not know they were there to protect the PM.

    Replacing the very experience Ruddock who knows how the parliament works on every level, with a inexperience new comer, who only shown ability, in writing emails begging all to vote for Abbott.

    Does not have experience in the running of the house. How is this man, who took sides with Abbott, going to gain the trust of the back benchers in general.

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