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Breaking Bad the Model

The Federal Government is slowly imploding. There is a sense of inevitability about what is happening. Right now, I suspect, they are breathing a sigh of relief that the year has finally come to an end and they can retreat to their electoral bunkers for six weeks or so to regroup.

But they are unlikely get much respite. The issues they must face after the holiday break are formidable. The resolve among the non-government members of the senate in respect of higher education reform and the GP co-payment appears unbreakable.

Then there is South Australia. In a state by-election held last Saturday the result shocked even the most broad-minded of Liberal party members. Voters appear to have handed Labor the former safe Liberal seat of Fisher. At the very least there was an 8 per cent swing.

As we all know, this sort of thing can spread and become contagious. South Australians will return to the ballot box on January 31st in another by-election, this time for another “safe” state Liberal held seat, that of Davenport.

If the Liberals thought they had Fisher in the bag, they will now be very nervous about Davenport. Apart from Fisher giving the state Labor government a clear majority in the lower house, the federal ramifications are obvious, most notably the fallout from Defence Minister, David Johnstone’s foot in mouth comments about canoes.

What a shemozzle.

I suspect there will be a lot of crystal ball gazing over the summer break. Labor will be hoping for a relatively uneventful, peaceful time to plan their strategy. The LNP will be praying for a tsunami-like disaster to detract from their incompetence. The senate cross benchers will be listening to their constituents like never before, and we the voters, will enjoy a well-earned break from the chaos that is Canberra.

What can we expect next year?

There was a suggestion on ABC’s Insiders last Sunday that Social Services Minister, Kevin Andrews will retire sometime in 2015 forcing a by-election in the federal seat of Menzies. The suggestion is that the Liberal party will endorse Peta Credlin as its candidate to replace Andrews. Labor cannot win Menzies. That is a mountain too high, a bridge too far. But, an independent candidate could.

If a grass roots community can turn a safe seat like Indi into an independent seat that would be a true voice of the people, why could it not be done elsewhere? Why could it not be done in Menzies? It would take 15000 voters who supported Kevin Andrews in 2013 to change their vote in 2014 in favour of an Independent candidate, an 18% swing.

The timing of Kevin Andrews’s departure, if it happens, will be critical for the Liberals. Who knows what catastrophes await them in 2015? Who knows what their accident prone prime minister will do next. Who knows what dastardly ideas about economic reform are swimming around in Joe Hockey’s head? Who knows what Christopher Pyne will say or do if his education reform bills are rejected yet again?

The voters of Indi broke the model with Kathy McGowan (pictured) at the 2013 federal election. In the recent Victorian state election another safe National Party seat fell to an independent. Could the disaffected voters of Menzies do the same? It is highly unlikely but, in the words of Victor Hugo, there is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.

Mindful of their shortcomings and their standing in the polls, they may want Andrews to go sooner rather than later. What better way to avoid a recalcitrant electorate further destabilising government, than to get it over and done, out of the way, as quickly as possible.

What better way for that electorate to send a message so strong that it rocks the very foundations of a self-righteous collection of  ideological misfits. What better way to demonstrate democracy in action than to see an independent elected to the seat of Menzies? What better way to break bad the model.

 

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53 comments

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  1. DanDark

    John K sums up the year very well,
    The ” adults in charge” have put on a show that’s for sure,
    It’s been a sad and sorry year for tones and his fascist Gov
    Is next year going to be better, I doubt that, because they really have no idea how to govern a country,
    Never have and never will, you can’t change their heads and that’s their problem….

  2. Pandrstevenson1@bigpond.com

    It is a good indication that the Liberals are imploding when wherever you go their supporters do not want to talk politics anymore.

  3. Rob031

    Beaut article John. Ta.

    The Abbott government is like an explosives factory where two of the employees are allowed to smoke cigars. As the nervous tension within the factory increases more of them will take up smoking – or start heading for the hills. I’ll be keeping at least one Canberra-facing windows ajar to catch the sound of Abbott and Co. finally blowing up. That’d be even better than the “Southerly Buster” that finally roars up the NSW East coast putting an end to a long summer heatwave.

  4. June M Bullivant OAM

    It is so important for every level of every government that are selling out the people to get a rude shock, they will say Oh I will change but leopards never change their spots, this would send a huge message to the people who are so egotistical, uncaring, and not representing the people that they were elected to look after, please some one do this, our groups are moving in this direction true independents that will govern for us.

  5. mars08

    Don’t be surprised to see Abbott, in overalls, behind the wheel of a fire truck at the first hint of a bushfire. Our action man needs to get back to showing the voters more action… and less vacuous jabbering.

  6. stephentardrew

    Golly gee it’s all getting a bit exciting John. Replacing toxicity with toxicity is certainly going to work out well. They know things are bad but I don’t think they really understand exactly how bad they are. Toxic lying and obfuscation over twelve months will not be eradicated over the next two years. The elitist IPA ideology is set in IPA concrete and there is no escape from Labor or the independents. Predicted as much for quite while. These bastards don’ scare me.

  7. Erotic Moustache

    Take away the shitty things the Govt is doing and this is really a bunch of fun. No doubt conspiracy theories will abound as the Govt disappears into its own footprint.

  8. David

    Agree mars 100%..Dec/Jan is a very opportune time for a disaster, a catastrophe, a small terrorist related incident even. Something to grip the minds and hearts of the holidaying nation and who better to ride in on his white steed, or big red fire engine, or tank or even sponsored bike, all fatherly, caring and reassuring the evil doers will be brought to justice, with the help of his dynamic team.
    Fanciful perhaps? I wouldn’t put anything past the likes of a few of Abbott’s head kickers, as Morrison showed with his disgusting use of an child on Christmas Island to get the vote he needed from the imbecile motoring Senator.

    Given the events of today, with talking head Jones tearing the excuse for a Conservation Minister Hunt to shreds, Abbott’s personally embarrassing loss of memory twice on Ch 7 this morning, the obvious spat with Bishop, Bi election loss in SA, Minister Johnston, Abbott is desperate for a game changer.

    I honestly believe anything is possible and as he is showing all the signs of a man out of control, he obviously doesn’t give a toss. This has been predicted for months, I see now what Labors strategy is. Easy does it, the Govt will implode eventually and all the signs are there.
    We may get an election sooner than we think ( I said hopefully).

  9. stephentardrew

    David:

    It ain’t going to work in fact it will probably be their undoing because the public are turning and are wise to the Terrorist game. Ukraine, ISIS, Putin bashing that went really well didn’t it looking at the polls? Fear not brethren remember the boy who shouted wolf.

    DEBT, debt, debt, debt, terrorism, terrorism, terrorism yet the figures remain solid.

    We are winning and we will keep winning. Get rid of the doubt and just keep on attacking relentlessly.

  10. DanDark

    Bloody Oath we are winning, and Tones is stuffed, he knows it, Victoria know it…..bye bye Tony. 🙂

  11. Rob031

    Dear Tony,

    I think it’s time you visited your doctor and requested a referral to a psychiatrist. Your performance to date, particularly since you pulled off the job of PM (well done), has lots of us (and your own party) wondering about your state of mental health. Perhaps you have slipped your moorings?

    Mr. Abbott will probably not take this kindly-meant advice of course. As we all know with people that we know, the ones *most* in need of psychological help are the ones *least* likely to seek it. That’s part of the problem.

    (If you’re not part of the solution, that means that you are a part of the precipitate. A good line that I couldn’t resist. Sorry about that.)

    Activity displaces anxiety.

  12. David

    Stephen I have no doubt it wouldn’t work it would be a futile act. But desperate individuals as we all know are inclined to do the desperate. Abbott is a physco, it is practically impossible to know what he will do.
    I have a feeling in the bones, a certain PM Chief of Staff has about had enough. One can hold on to a slithering snake for only so long.

  13. corvus boreus

    It seems Anders Blot might be losing his free-to-air slot for his bullshit and bigotry on channel 10, and be relegated to Sky on pay TV.
    Admittedly, this is according to incompetent and biased hack Sharri Markson(the strayan), who, in the same piece, told lies about the Blot report out-rating ‘the Insiders’ (insiders actually out-rated blot 523,000 to 355,000in the last period), so, coming from such a discredited source, the whole story could be a total fiction..

  14. mars08

    Rob031

    Dear Tony,

    I think it’s time you visited your doctor and requested a referral to a psychiatrist. Your performance to date, particularly since you pulled off the job of PM (well done), has lots of us (and your own party) wondering about your state of mental health. Perhaps you have slipped your moorings?

    Yes.. such an excellent question!!!

    Until fairly recently I have thought of Abbott as just a narrow-minded, knuckle-dragging, dog-whistling, amoral, clueless, incurious, etc, etc, etc, imbecile…

    But today… for the first time… I was forced to consider that he’s got serious psychological problems. Although he is still a jerk, he also seems to be increasingly unhinged.

    Did anyone else hear Lord F&*kwad on the news, compare his government to that of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher? He commented that both of those leaders (presumably his idols) had encountered “rough patches” during their time in office… and both had pushed through!

    I am very worried about Tony’s mental health…

  15. mark delmege

    the lieballs could do with a bierection…. over here in the west they are even more incompetent dodgy (can I say corrupt) than they look in Canberra and there is no way they will be returned after the next erection. and thats the good news.

  16. DanDark

    Mars I saw that where the great Thatcher lover Tones said about Howard, Reagan and Tyrant Thatchers rough first terms
    I thought Geee Tones I wouldn’t strive to be like them, Reagan stuffed America up, proved that actors should stay actors, Thatcher rooted the UK , little Johhny screwed Australia
    And Tones compares them with himself, yep he has finally lost his tiny picking little mind,
    too many lies to remember now for him, amnesia setting in, Chris ooops Kochie proved that
    People come out on mass to celebrate Thatchers death, chanting the witch is dead, she was far from loved,
    and lived a very lonely life after she was booted out of office,

  17. mars08

    @DanDark…

    He made a point of not mentioning any progressive leaders who were unpopular because of their policies! He deliberately selected Howard, Reagan and Thatcher as examples of leaders who sacrificed their popularity while pursuing their goals. It’s like he considers them to be martyrs to a cause!

    Dear leader is losing his marbles (what few he had) at an alarming rate.

  18. Dandark

    lol Mars yea he did all that and more by comparing them with his first term woes and popularity slide, whilst counting them off on his fingers with both hands this time.
    Usually its one hand finger counting unless he gets to five points which is rare,
    he is a nincompoop, my 9 year old does better at public speaking than our Tones,
    he is such an embarrassment,
    My cringe factor has just hit all time high since he has hit the morning tv shows last few days…
    Oh lordy jezzzus Christ lol
    I am not sure if I will be still sane after this imbecile gov is kicked to the kerb 🙂

  19. stephentardrew

    Mars8:

    Take it from me I know a little about these things the guy is and intellectually and ethically challenged borderline personality with narcissistic traits, a streak of guitless cruelty and delusions of grandeur.

  20. mars08

    What about his delusions of competence?

  21. corvus boreus

    Self-assessment of abilities conducted according to the principles of the Dunning-Kreuger effect.
    A statesman of vision and skill to rival Thatcher and Reagan, had the proles but the wit to understand it, according to his last outburst of ‘pseudo-introspection’.
    The funny thing is, his increasingly erratic disintegration in behavior has coincided with a noticable smoothing of the furrows of his previously deeply troubled brow over this past week, and an immobile deliberation in his enunciation and expression.
    Botox calm.

  22. Möbius Ecko

    http://tinyurl.com/pwlhu54

    As it is in Australia with the Tories so it is in the UK. After all it is the terrible UK government who Abbott is modelling his on, and if you think Abbott is bad have a look at what Cameron is doing.

    Shorten pulled Hockey up on his claim of paying back Labor’s waste and huge debt by saying it’s a strange way to pay down debt by borrowing more.

  23. Möbius Ecko

    Also in just 12 months Australia has slipped 17 places on the developed nation’s list on action against climate change. We are now the worst performing developed nation.

    I have never seen a Western government destroy so much in such a short a time, and that’s with much of their worst policies blocked by the Senate.

  24. Möbius Ecko

    Oh, and with very little notice, none from the MSM and a whimper on social media, Abbott broke another major promise the other day and I bet it’s not one he addresses in 2015.

    Abbott during the election campaign promised to run an open and transparent government, and one of the things he promised he would do in achieving that was to open the books on travel expenses.

    Abbott the other day refused to release information on travel expenses. I wonder why?

  25. corvus boreus

    Möbius Ecko,
    Are you sure he didn’t say he would achieve travel expenses on opening books(eg Battlelines)?
    Also, they have, in governence, been quite open(in corruption), and transparent(in falsehood).
    So no promises broken there, technically speaking(they are very bendable items, promises).

  26. townsvilleblog

    They are in absolute chaos.

  27. Kerri Laidlaw

    I agree with Stephen Tardrew. Abbott has serious personality disorder issues. I find it amusing that he idolises Thatcher and Reagan given both had Altzheimers and Reagan had early signs whilst in office. Remember the peace bomb?
    Abbotts support system is failing him too. Margie? Credlin?
    Can’t come quickly enough for me.

  28. stephentardrew

    Even when the corruption is staring them in the face, as the dystopia pseudo wishful to be super rich defense minister, they just deny it with a look of shocked indignation and a sense of privileged expectation that we should ignore such excesses while they turn their fellow citizens to poverty and homelessness.

    A large swathe of the MSM are not just failures as journalists they are corrupt and complicit in the most dishonest, draconian, deceitful and cruel government this country has ever had.

    When the MSM throw their moral compass overboard this is what you get elected insanity in the name of a twisted deformed soulless Christianity.

    The media that supported Howard’s policy on Iraq should have place one page apologies and video posts in the media yet they just stepped around their complicity by deflecting, and in many cases, hiding behind ‘it was the other guy’. Their job was to research and see through the other guy.

    They have learned nothing and have repeated exactly the same incompetence and complicity with the perpetrators of lies, corruption and cruelty.

    Those journalist who did not do their jobs should be sacked immediately and their publications made accountable for their lies and complicity.

    It’s time to stop the madness and call a spade a spade. The evidence is damning and if any of us were to behave so corruptly we would end up in jail.

  29. David

    Talking of the media and denial, Pyne last Sunday….”some of my fellow Conservatives are briefing the media and the media is not supportive of the government, with the exception of Bolt”.
    Where is this cuckoo land Pyne lives in? Obviously closeted up somewhere.

  30. Ross

    Nice thinking John, but Menzies is not a rural seat full of disillusioned National Party voters or trendy inner city greens.

    If Credlin is shoehorned into Andrews seat then what, she rolls Tones for the leadership?
    Ministers might be happy the roadblock in the PMO is lifted but then Abbott is off the chain. There would be no-one to whisper answers into his earpiece, how excruciating would that be, but what fun to watch.

    Let’s face it, Abbott wouldn’t last two seconds without Credlin and the coalition know it.

  31. Matthew Oborne

    How does Abbott front the next election as PM?

    He cant make promises without it being mentioned that his promises mean nothing. Promoting Morrison as a success is just showing they love human rights abuses, The conservative media seem to have realised they need to save themselves from being irrelevant, the Liberal states are starting to realise they have to oppose Abbott to stay in power, the nationals are slowly backing away from them. A well thought out campaign could target every senior ministers seat and have a good chance. For the longest time like Dan I felt they can manipulate their way to a victory in 2016, but it is clearer each day that the jig is up.

  32. DanDark

    “The jig is up for them” 🙂
    I live close to the ocean so I look at political parties like the tide,
    its either coming in or going out ,and you cannot stop the incoming or out going tide
    And Tones and Co are on a fast flowing tide going out

    Something cannot last forever on false foundations, you cant build something on a lie
    and that is what Tones and Co have tried to do and now how does he front the next election
    after all the lies, deception, manipulation and cruelty, their unfairness is so blatant its obnoxious
    Its almost impossible I would think Mathew
    It will be like pushing shit/Tones up hill in a wheel barrow with no wheel for the Liberal Party now 🙂

  33. mars08

    Frankly… one thing that really worries me is that the ALP will come to power simply by being slightly less woeful than Abbott’s despicable, venomous thugs…

  34. DanDark

    Tones is on TV now, saying they are rejigging the 7 buck copayment, what a farce the LNP are..
    first he said that Labor had left them 50 billion not 18 billion, Bowen said yesterday PEFO said 30 billion
    Still lying Tones, what an idiot he is….

  35. DanDark

    Mars I hope the ALP have learnt their lesson after their unceremonious dumping last election
    I hold that hope… and hope that they get back to the Light on the Hill…….

    But we are dealing with humans, and we tend to forget that when we vote for them and all humans are fallable
    and some are just down right cruel….Morriscum being one of the worst type of humans there are.

    I agree both parties were on a race to the bottom concerning refugees last election and before then…. 🙁

  36. mars08

    DanDark:

    Mars I hope the ALP have learnt their lesson after their unceremonious dumping last election…

    I suspect the only lessons they learned were NOT to be fair to asylum seekers and NOT to promise a budget surplus. And maybe NOT to air their factional quarrels in public.

  37. DanDark

    Mars, I suspect you might be right, time will tell, because times are a changing, and if Labor constantly snooze on decency and the truth, they will lose….

  38. corvus boreus

    Dandark,
    A little bit of a facepalm over the fact that even now Abbott polls the same on “trustworthy”as Gillard did(36%).
    Over 1 in 3 polled still think that this self-admitted liar and gleefully-proclaimed cheat is trust-worthy.
    With that degree of gullibility prevalent in our society, no wonder so many laughably obvious scams still continue to operate profitably.

  39. DanDark

    Corvus yes sad but true, there are a lot of sheep out there that’s for sure, but living like an ostrich with its head in the sand is easier, they don’t have to think to hard, because they are so used to having that done for them, as humans we always try to take the easy way, but somewhere down the track that easy way was not always the best way and then it will dawn on them maybe………I can only hope 🙂

  40. corvus boreus

    DD, I would personally (temporarily) settle for the day when less than one in three strayans choose to believe the man with the megaphone persistently blasting in their ear telling them that the only way to cure their headache is to keep hitting themselves in the head with the hammer of healing(get your credit card out now!).

  41. Dandark

    Lol “hammer of healing” “credit cards”, it sounds painful,
    I am not a masochist and I can not tolerate sadists/the man with the megaphone is one….
    I have a minimal mortgage on my modest home
    I don’t do credit its too painful 🙂
    And if there is an easy way to do something I avoid it all together…….

  42. Erotic Moustache

    Abbott has serious personality disorder issues. I find it amusing that he idolises Thatcher and Reagan given both had Altzheimers

    Say what? Seriously, say what?

  43. corvus boreus

    EM,
    Seriously, they said what they said in the quotes you said they said above what you said.
    Do you have anything else to add apart from asking them to repeat, then seriously repeat, the quote you quoted?

  44. Matters Not

    Matthew Oborne opined:

    How does Abbott front the next election as PM?

    Exactly! His credibility ‘ought’ to be ‘shot’. Any future campaign ought to emphasise his lack of credibility. ‘Trust’ being only for the mentally challenged. At least when it comes to Abbott.

    He cant (sic) make promises without it being mentioned that his promises mean nothing

    Indeed! Gillard was ‘hoisted’ on the ‘broken promise’ petard but in the whole scheme of things, her ‘fail’ was but a minor indiscretion when compared to Abbott’s cavalcade of complete, deliberate, unrevealed and now demonstrated lies.

    Then there’s this:

    the Liberal states are starting to realise they have to oppose Abbott to stay in power

    The truth is Abbott doesn’t give a stuff about the loss of Liberal State governments. In fact he hopes that all State Governments aren’t LNP.

    The reason being is that State Governments of the same political colour are in fact a ‘negative’ when it comes to re-election at the Federal level. And we all know that Tony is all about himself.

  45. Pingback: Breaking Bad the model | THE VIEW FROM MY GARDEN

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