Behind every man . . .
According to Paul Sheehan, the Abbott coup wasn’t entirely about the ex-PM. It was about his Chief of Staff, Peta Credlin.
The allegedly widely-loathed and uber-controlling Ms Credlin was rusted onto the PM, or he on her, and word is, Abbott couldn’t put his socks on without her approval. The only way to rid the party of this meddlesome female was to give her boss the flick.
Sheehan’s effort to construct this Shakespearean interpretation of events probably says a whole lot more about his attitudes to women than it does about the actual situation, however, that the PM and his CoS were a dark and destructive dyad is likely incontestable.
I must say Abbott cut a lonely figure when he said his barbed goodbyes. Where were the women in his life at his darkest hour? No flaunting of a wife and daughters clothed in white garments. And only two flags.
Enter Malcolm Turnbull, also supported by a formidable woman, wife Lucinda. At first blush, this couple couldn’t be more different from Abbott and Credlin, which is not to say that their philosophy will be anymore palatable, only that it will be more palatably presented which, if you think about it, could well be even worse for us.
Somebody better do something about LOTO Bill Shorten, and they better do it soon. He has all the conviction of a dying cod. I don’t know what’s wrong with the man, but his delivery stinks, its content is excruciating, and he has the energy levels of someone at the high-end of a depression test score. Turnbull will wipe the floor with him.
Indeed, the entire cohort of ALP MPs appeared to be in baffled retreat in Question Time yesterday, stunned by the speed of events and at finding themselves unexpectedly confronted by a government front bench revelling in its liberation from the stifling oppression of three-word slogans, and the narrow-minded narrative of goodies and baddies preached by a failed priest who never quite managed to move beyond the unctuous tones and medieval attitudes acquired in the seminary yonks ago. Shorten might well have taken this man down in the next election. But Turnbull is a whole other kettle of fish.
Bemused overseas observers claim that for Australians, changing our Prime Ministers has become a national sport. But it actually isn’t us, the people. The parties elect their leaders and the parties give them the boot. That we’ve had five PMs in as many years speaks to the inability of our major parties to conduct their affairs in a reasonable manner. The criteria they’re using to choose their leaders are well borked. Until they dig deep into their collective psyches and address what’s driving them into serial unforced errors, many of us will turn our backs and give our votes to independents and minor parties, which will result in hung parliaments and tetchy senates.
Personally, I don’t have a problem with hung parliaments and tetchy senates. They act as safeguards against increasingly fascist governments. However, revolving door leadership is draining, time-wasting and a bit pathetic, to be honest, so it would be nice if the majors took a good look at themselves and remembered their raison d’être is to serve the public, not to conduct personal feuds at our expense.
Abbott gave us all such brilliant material. I don’t know what we’ll carp about in the immediate future. Adios, Tones. Don’t let the door hit your unsaleable arse on your way out.
This article was first published on No Place For Sheep.
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Abbott has been “liberated” from his job just as he Liberated the thousands of Holden workers from theirs. We reap what we sow.
‘There is an old Christian saying that aplies to Tonys demise”””’ The Lord Giveth And The Lord Taketh Away. Enjoy your retirement Tony.
Effectively consigned to the dustbin, what ARE the plans for Abbott? Will he continue as Minister for Women/Aboriginal Affairs??? Please NO.
Maybe he can keep Bronwyn company on the back bench?
“Abbott couldn’t put his socks on without her approval”. Here was me thinking he couldn’t put his socks on without her help.
The dystopia of their policies is the problem, for which the identity of the ‘salesman’ is a mere distraction.
If a hung parliament serves to curb rampant ego’s and require intelligent debate, I can’t see a problem (other than for both of the political party’s). Thank you, Ms Wilson. Take care.
I think you should correct the headline error.
Unfortunately we are missing the elephant in the party room, it is not us that chooses who runs for election (in the Liberal party anyway) it is one Rupert Murdoch, he has been controlling most PM’s for the last 20-30 yrs. My god the man even brags & boasts about “it was the sun that won it” comes to mind.
Just reflect on the last 2 weeks, Murdoch comes out here, meets Malcolm, bingo we have a new PM, are we really so blind not to see who is really pulling the strings.
All Labor needs to do when it gets back into power is immediately pass a bill that puts into law “to own a paper you must!! be an Australian citizen”, just like the US!!! If they don’t, in 20 yrs time we will still be having the same discussions, just like we were 20yrs ago.
I’m not that worries about Malcolm too much, his superior smug talking down to people as too dumb to understand will soon wear thin, just like it did the last time.
Remember the orders that came down from Murdoch through Abbott before Abbott was elected “Malcolm you must destroy the NBN for uncle Rupert” which he has done, now to completely finish it off he is going to pass it on to Hockey FFS, pass out the jams tins.
I don’t think Murdoch met with Malcolm….he met ScoMo and Abbott. Murdoch and Turnbull don’t get on so well and he was pissed off at Malcolm for insisting that football had to stay on free to air tv.
Strange Kaye I saw reports he had seen him, but hey that’s social media for you. I’m sure even some TV stations reported it. Oh does anyone else get a virus report x4 on AIMN currently.?
I could be wrong. It’s been known to happen 😉
That is about the truth of the matter. Murdoch told scabbott to get rid of Credlin and he did not so Murdoch has got rid of scabbott hence killing two birds with one henchmen.
It will take more than waiting for a blip in Turnbull’s numbers to give Shorten the nod as PM, Bill just doesn’t cut it. He has been in the job for 2 yrs and is the same as that first day. Public persona bad and unacceptable by a huge majority.
There is a man waiting in the wings with everything Bill doesn’t have and has the personality to combat Turnbull. I suspect we all know who that man is, suffice to say he was overwhelmingly the Party members pick and Shortens right wing element did a job on Albo in the caucus.
The longer Shorten delays, the less the public will forgive a change. Do it now Bill for the party and the country.
http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m548/davidlen2/446762-bill-shorten_zpspo1awi0r.jpg
“Somebody better do something about LOTO Bill Shorten, and they better do it soon. He has all the conviction of a dying cod.”
Thanks for that one Jennifer!
And what are we going to do about Shorten? I agree with David that Albanese is the obvious choice, but really I can’t help thinking that anybody would be better than our Bill.
Yes been getting the same virus warnings of a trojan horse on each new page when opened
I have to say I have no sympathy for Credlin! So many have cried the “Poor Peta Song”.. If she truly has been the controlling and stabilising force behind Abbott then she has been a very nasty and unprincipled manager and if you play the game you accept the rules. Also Abbott, early in his vindictive farewell speech (once the Visine kicked in) claimed he had never leaked or backgrounded on anyone???? Still lying after all these years, but I guess Peta is his excuse? The latest rumours about senior ministers getting the boot were widely purported to have come from the PMO. So was that Peta leaking??? Abbott also claimed the ChAFTA, which is yet to be signed. Just can’t help himself. They will need to bury him standing up to stop his lying. As for Margie and the girls? We all await the divorce announcement and the giftal virgins have kept as far away as possible now daddy can’t get them free clothes or degrees anymore.
Dear Tony good bye good riddance don’t let the door hit your arse on the way out it’s a good door.
Failed as a priest.
Failed as Prime Minister.
Succeeded as a Political thug, and bovver boy.
Basically failed as a human being.
Stephen
The ‘problem’ of Australia having so many PM’s in such a short time is the fact the Party elects the leader (ergo “PRIME Minister). Not President not Premier not Regal Not General etc.
If the people had a say (as put in place with ALP) then the people could own it and have a right to request dismissal. If the people show majority support ( as the 71% did for Rudd) then the Party should work with Leader.
The people voted for Albanese. He should have been Leader.
Now I think there must be new ‘blood’. Jason Clare and Andrew Leigh are the future. Give them a go. Clear the air. Move on from old school and ask the people.
(Still…Scott Ludlam is a pretty impressive speaker with integrity. )
All in all just ask the people.
They loathed Abbott after first (non) budget and wanted Turnbull.
After all the mess now they are back to square 1.
And we are left rudderless…looking for a new person with vision.
Yes indeed Jennifer,
“The parties elect their leaders and the parties give them the boot. That we’ve had five PMs in as many years speaks to the inability of our major parties to conduct their affairs in a reasonable manner.”
This ^^^ is a major issue…
I am so very relieved that Abbott is gone. I just wonder whether he’s going to play silly buggers in the background…
Diannaart agree about hung parliaments and tetchy senates. I keep citing my younger daughter who, on her first go at voting, refused to vote “above the line” researched all of her local choices. Accessed a website that allowed you to create your own “How to Vote ” card. Printed it out and voted accordingly. She favoured the sex party. The greens. And a few other independants who showed zero interest in religion and maybe spoke in favour of animals and personal rights and freedoms. I followed her lead. Never too old to learn.
Voting above the line has been a major boost for the big two and should be abolished. People should be forced to think about their preferences as more frequently it is preferences that complete the victory.
Now tht Abborr has gone, it might be time foe a second female PM; I’m for Tanya
Kerri
At election 2013, took along a how-to-vote I had prepared earlier and carefully went through placing my preferences in order – although claim is that you only have to tick the first 6 – distrustful soul that I am, I persisted to the very end, while people came in, voted and left like some kind of time lapse behind me.
Your daughter is way more cluey than I was when I started out, not remotely political I voted Libs first time, however, I owe it all to Joh Bjelke-Petersen for my politicisation – decided I was for progress and have become more progressive as years flew by – so much for people becoming more conservative was they age!
Must admit I am no longer tensing up when I listen to the news and hear the words “the Prime Minister today….” having reached a point where I had taken to switching off radios or shouting “la la la” very loudly to myself due to Abbott’s appalling verbal skills.
There is no such thing as a perfect PM, however, we deserved better than Abbott – we do not select the party leaders; the people who are to blame are the politicians themselves – we do get to vote on them.
Good one Jenifer……
I’m with you, Peter F – think Tanya is very capable of wiping the floor with Turnbull. I don’t think a change of leader for Labor has to be such a disaster – they can do it quietly and in a civilised manner as the Greens did when they changed leader recently. Perhaps Bill Shorten could voluntarily step down ‘for health reasons’ (real or imaginary)? I always used to think that Thatcher got an easy ride because most of the men opposing her had been bought up by strict nannies so were conditioned to do what a forceful woman told them to do; with Turnbull, I think he is possibly too well brought up to be as obnoxious to a woman as he is to a man, so Tanya would have the mental advantage straight off. Penny Wong is another I have a lot of time for.
Hypothetical; Bill Shorten announces that, since he is bereft of any real ideas and ideals, and carrying far too much suspicious personal baggage, he is resigning from his position as LOTO, for the good of both the party and the nation.
Who then, should pick up the torch for Labor?
It seems down to choice between Anthony Albanese or Tanya Plibersek.
Plibersek is intelligent and articulate (as well as somewhat photogenic). Unfortunately, she also has a spouse who was convicted for narcotics trafficking. That could seriously hurt public perception of her ethics and judgement.
Albanese is intelligent and articulate too (if less photogenic). He has no scandals attached to his person (as far I have heard). Albo is also the preferred Labor leader, according to both rank and file vote and public opinion polling.
Personally, I think Albanese the more pragmatic and likely option as the hypothetical new leader of the opposition.
Meanwhile, in the real world;
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/morgan-poll-finds-even-labor-voters-prefer-malcolm-turnbull-to-bill-shorten-20150915-gjngti.html
@corvus boreus…your link supports prefaced comments 100%
Did abbott get extra remuneration for all his work as Minister for Women/Aboriginal Affairs???
Or did he just clean up on the traveling/accommodation allowance side of things ?
Given his record, it seems hard to believe that he did all that extra work for SFA.
what will Tony do when Peta dumps him too? he is obviously of no value to her now
Roscoe…he will go crawling back to Marge and the bludging daughters…hope Marge kicks the evil tosser out on his scrawny neck, takes the 50% of his ‘entitlement’ (entitlement that’s a joke) and leaves him to his fate.
the man is amoral but was used by the party to regain power and achieved his raison d’etre. Now useless he was discarded like a snotty tissue.
He will be remembered as the greatest abuser of entitlements, the laziest and most inept pm in australian history.. Achievements unlikely to be surpassed