Dutton, Speers, and that pathetic interview
I regret that I’m compelled to write again about the Leader of the Opposition. In what was an interview about the past, he told us everything about the style of leadership we can expect from him. Let’s call it “Liberal Negative” to give it a name.
Frankly, I was shocked by Dutton’s incapacity to concede defeat. The born-to-rule attitude runs strong. Or so his answers indicated. Time and again, when he ran out of reasoned words, he resorted to the Morrison tactic of abuse and blame.
It was astonishing, even laughable, to hear a man just appointed to be his party’s Leader trying to blame Labor for the very policy failures that the people had overwhelmingly condemned them for two weeks earlier.
As reported in The Guardian, the opposition leader constantly deflected blame for the national energy crisis, saying there is “fault all-round” while blaming the states for locking up gas reserves. For heaven’s sake, they were the Government for a decade.
“Dutton also suggested that there was a “sense of panic” on display from the new energy minister, Chris Bowen while defending the Coalition’s management of the national energy market when it was in Government.
“The sense of panic from Chris Bowen that is out there at the moment wasn’t there when Coalition was in government,” Dutton said. “I think he is a bunny in the headlights.”
A clearly unimpressed Mark Kenny responded via Twitter:
Where is the conservative apology over the chaos and collapse of the coal/gas-heavy energy market? Remember their fulminating clarity when a perfect storm took out SA’s power in 2016? Turns out coal & gas are not always “base load” & not always available. @InsidersABC pic.twitter.com/CewXDIIPUF
— Mark Kenny (@markgkenny) June 18, 2022
How can Dutton, a dyed-in-the-wool true-blue conservative after a decade of the most robust opposition to any reform, now claim that it is all Labor’s fault? Or at least 50% is. Those sorts of lies are why the LNP lost. The people woke to it.
Even though heartland seats fell to climate independents across the country, Dutton said they would not support Labor legislation that enshrined the 43% cut in emissions by 2030. More likely, they would take a smaller target to the next election.
Instead of uniting in the hope of tomorrow, Dutton has surprisingly chosen to reside in today. Does he not realise that the electorate has said no to the type of governance his side practised? Lie and attack, create chaos and confusion, divide and rule. We are on the periphery of a new politic.
Those were my thoughts as l watched Peter Dutton’s interview with Speers on Insiders last Sunday. Even after a resounding defeat, he couldn’t concede that the lack of an energy policy was a key reason. Had he overlooked that he had been part of the Government for the last nine years?
He seemed underprepared, or putting it more bluntly; he wasn’t sufficiently up with the detail to give a reasoned answer to anything, so he repeatedly aborted his answers to attack Labor negatively. All he could offer was a hatred of Labor. It was unprofessional politics and showed his limitations.
He was so wooden that you could almost hear his media advisers’ sighs of despair. My take on the interview is simple. They have learnt nothing from the defeat. We can expect a totality of hostile opposition in the Abbott mould. The Liberals will move further to the right, and the Nationals will remain the climate deniers they are.
Nothing has changed. Nothing.
Speers also asked him about an article published in The Australian where he said he had devised a plan when he was Defence Minister to buy a couple of submarines from the United States to fill a capability gap.
At the time, his comments were disparaged by Defence Minister Richard Marles as “rank politics.” There were even allegations that Dutton may have leaked classified information had the plan been canvassed by the Government’s nuclear submarine task force, which Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead was leading.
No such thing, Dutton told Speers. Apparently, he had reached his conclusion after visiting the Connecticut production line.
The remarks had been formed by “his judgment“:
“There is nothing top secret in a professional judgment as the former defence minister that I have made. It’s not based on classified information or secrets but the judgment that I made,” he said.
Speers went on to ask about the Indigenous voice to parliament that Labor has promised to deliver as a priority.
The opposition wanted time to go over the detail of the proposal before deciding on support, Dutton announced without even a hint of bipartisanship.
“We want to see that detail and there are lots of questions that will come from that. I don’t think the public has any understanding yet of what the Government is proposing,”
Perhaps I’m a bit of an idealist, but I wouldn’t say I was enamoured with the tone of that last sentence.
He then more or less changed the subject to bring up that; “I really want to see the closing of the gap.” It, of course, is a separate issue. And one that is hard to believe.
Labor has promised an Uluru statement from the heart in full. It would include a truth-telling Makarrata commission as a first step toward a treaty with Indigenous Australians and constitutional recognition of the voice to parliament.
Dutton’s record on anything to do with Indigenous folk isn’t great. He is on the record in 2019 as opposing the voice to parliament because it would create a third chamber. A nonsensical suggestion if ever I have heard one.
Liberals tend to pull up the shutters when equality for others is proposed.
In 2008 he opposed the national apology to members of the Stolen Generations, but after becoming Leader of his party, “mistake.”
Of course, changes in the constitution have an abysmal record without the full support of both major parties. In the past, Dutton has shown a giant chip on his shoulder when it comes to people who, in some way, are different. Or at least perceived that way.
Amidst all this negativity from Peter Dutton, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, has urged Dutton to be on the “right side of history” in supporting the voice.
My previous article: About “Boofhead”
My thought for the day
Australia is one of the most advanced technological nations on earth. However, our social progress on matters of great moral importance is still fighting its way out of the dark ages when intolerance ruled.
PS: Trying to deflect blame for Australia’s energy crisis onto Labor shows all the intelligence of a reincarnated Tony Abbott.
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18 comments
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Max Gross
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Clive
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GL
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wam
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Patricia
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totaram
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Kerri
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Harry Lime
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Jon Chesterson
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David Baird
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Harry
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Phil Pryor
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pierre wilkinson
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Harry
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Kathryn
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paul walter
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Harry Lime
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paul walter
Return to home pageI dare predict that Dutton won’t last the year out as ‘leader” of the Libs.
David S interview style of interruption after interruption after interruption is off-putting. To comprehend another person, allow them the opportunity to shot themselves in the foot with their own mouth. Cutting off answers 3 seconds into Duddtons reply was rubbish.
Max, I reckon Scummo is spending his free time sharpening all his knives and daggers in preparation for removing Spud in the near future.
On a side note:
Not unexpected but still horrifying. The US is is heading into a new dark age.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/us-supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade-wiping-out-constitutional-right-to-abortion-20220624-p5awi8.html
A ‘died in the wool true blue conservative’ will always rationalise to foist blame on labor. QED.
Is there a lib in your circle, lord, who believes otherwise??
How does your thought fit with the latest decision of the American Supreme Court?
The god’s miscarriage/abortion will now be blamed on women for having a drink, a puff, a bit of illicit sex, riding bikes, horses or car accidents.
The xstian nutters, with their hundreds of million per shot, will have a ball thinking of ways to blame women for interfering with their successful spermatozoon.
The xstian overlords are not strong enough here, are they???
MaxGross, who would you suggest take his place? The majority of the LNP is now made up of the LNP (Qld), which has really taken over the liberal party whether they like it or not, and the nationals. The only person who might be anyway near a centre liberal is Bridget Archer and she has three strikes against her, in the liberal party world, she is a woman, she is from Tasmania and she is quite inexperienced. The main one being that she is a woman and not from the boys club. There is no one in the liberals or LNP (Qld) who is any different from Dutton.
“Australia is one of the most advanced technological nations on earth.”
Please provide evidence of this claim. Australia is mostly good at digging stuff out of the ground using imported technology. Or raping the countryside using the same. The relentless attacks on science and higher education since John Howard have ensured not much technological sophistication remains. This was the aim – a bunch of easily bamboozled voters, which paid huge dividends in terms of elections won by “conservatives” spouting mumbo-jumbo. Almost all manufacturing has disappeared. When I last looked the CSIRO was run by some supposed physicist who believed in water-divining. I could go on.
Dutton sounded like a broken record. He is stuck in one gear and can’t even see that the environment has changed. He is of very limited abilities and has learned to project his inadequacies onto others. His body language is quite wooden and limited and his constant mouth grooming displays fear. I think I know who is the bunny in the headlights.
The only reason Darth Dutton got the job was to sideline him while earnest machinations take place in the shadows.Reeling from their electoral flogging,much hand wringing and pearl clutching is playing out in the soulless ruins of the Lying Nasty Party.Besides,who in their right mind would want to preside over the rubble?Dutton certainly has learned nothing,with his impersonation of that other wrecking ball, the Mad Monk. Dutton had already demonstrated the Peter Principle in every previous posting,so his current job should be considered a demotion, and confirmation that the LNP are irrelevant.Ain’t karma a bitch?
Wooden bunny frozen in the headlights of change – Dangerous Dotty Dutty Dutton. Murdoch’s only flappy ears left to pull, tag and brainwash. Nevertheless Dutton is still a major threat to Australian and national security (1) because his mouth is not connected to his brain, which is not connected to his soul (you know the old rhyme); and (2) Until Murdoch’s strings and muppetising are cut and his news media empire broken up in Australia, monopoly and political interference outlawed, facing court for lies and undermining our democracy; this neoliberal bunny gets to be heard, and there are enough stupid people, manipulative narcissistic oligarchs, money and power hungry ‘Liberal-National’ nutcases, despite a huge minority in this country to continue sowing the seeds of ruin.
When one looks at the vast array of talent on display on the front bench of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, one can feel comforted that they’ll be there for a while. Dutto’s performance on Insiders was execrable. Unfortunately, we actually NEED an Opposition with the maturity to be constructive where necessary, and critical where criticism is deserved. Dutto’s childish mob are floundering about, indulging in the negativity, divisiveness, disingenuousness and blame-shifting for which they are renowned. Combined with a yawning policy vacuum, this is simply more of what they gave us in government.
The liberals are now so bereft of capable people they resorted to an unappealing right wing head kicker to effectively keep them out of office for years, as others have remarked, the born to rule ideology is strong within the Illiberal party. The Illiberals were resoundingly ejected by voters. You’d think a bit of humility and reflection on the reasons for their devastating but welcome defeat would ensue but no.
Labor has made a good start, a relief to have the REAL adults in charge instead of the spoilt brats who opposed needed change, blocked and did as little as possible about the challenged facing the nation, picked fights snd sowed division, rorted public money, the list is long ……
Labor has a huge task to deal with the toxic legacy bequeathed to them but the early signs are positive. The Murdoch media will perhaps be a more dangerous source of opposition than Dutton but if Labor is able to get “runs in the board” perhaps the Murdocracy will be increasingly ignored as they were on 21 May.
Dutton is a nobody, but there is no-one else. Dutton is a devious, deficient dickhead, but there is no-one else. Peter Duckwit-Futton is leader (hah) of the conservatives because…In the Menzies Holt times, Victoria ran local conservatism. Then much later, Howard, Abbott (gag) Turnbull and Morrison (plop) ran down NSW as a conservative core, so, Queensland, the slaving kanaka yokel state is the core now, and it’s more the core of a boil. Peter Boilonthebum Dutton, spiritual heir to Jo Carbuncule Petersen…
It was Herr Dutto that looked like a rabbit in the headlights when he realised that he was no longer being shown the respect and carte blanche that is his inalienable right as a born to rule oligarch, I mean Speers actually asked difficult questions and interrupted his monologues, never mind trying to keep him on track!
Nong Howard, a wily politician, arguably purged the Liberal party of relative moderates, should bear ultimate blame for what has now degenerated into a rump, unelectable. Voters support the moderate middle and Ithink they did not like what they saw.
To Peter Dutton and others: you LOST mate. I know you find it hard to accept but persisting with your current modus operandi will condemn you and your hard right party to a looooong time on the opposition benches.
Dutton doesn’t seem capable of waking up to the reality that the LNP were not just beaten in the last federal election, they were ABSOLUTELY ANNIHILATED !!! The overwhelming majority of intelligent Australians had grown weary of the Abbott/Morrison Circus, their constant never-ending remorseless LIES, their unspeakable and increasing level of self-serving corruption, their reckless waste of countless MILLIONS of taxpayer dollars, the fact that they left our nation with the WORST level of debt EVER recorded, ie $1 TRILLION, their arrogant, condescending contempt for ordinary working- and middle-class Australians, their nauseating born-to-rule entitlement and their pompous, insufferable bible-thumping hypocrisy! There can be NO DOUBT that the totally inept, swaggering miscreants, rabid skirt-lifting misogynists and xenophobic undemocratic fascists in the Abbott/Morrison regime were the absolute WORST, most reckless, incompetent and malignant government in our history – only that snivelling war criminal, John Howard was as inhumane and as inept!
Australians must be warned that what is coming up in the LNP is even more terrifying! DUTTON is the WORST OF THE WORST! This is a cruel, remorseless political psychopath who hasn’t got one iota of compassion, integrity or credibility! This is a stone-cold sociopath who’s only pleasure is sourced from making other people’s lives a pure misery; who has a long appalling history of targeting the most vulnerable people in our society, of locking up innocent asylum seekers (including little children) in off-shore concentration camps run by his delegated tormentors in Serco! Dutton is a thoroughly miserable and totally depraved excuse for a human being! One can only IMAGINE just how bad things will get if this demonic sociopath ever rises, like a demon from hell, to rull over our nation like a satanic gestapo officer! Australians must NEVER EVER support or vote for Dutton – he is not only a pathological liar, totally inept, unimaginative, mediocre and a born-to-rule autocrat, he is absolutely DANGEROUS to everything Australians value INCLUDING our democracy! The fact that this monstrous aberration (Dutton) was thoroughly despised by just about everyone who has ever worked with him (including his police colleagues in Queensland), is a RED FLAG WARNING to everyone of the true, toxic nature of this truly vile political psychopath!
Nah…didn’t watch -anything with Wackford Speers isn’t worth the time of day.
Does anyone else wonder at the Albo decison to antagonise the XBenchers?
Speaking of fucking idiots..the Taliban didn’t just resume control of Afghanistan,they are also apparently in the majority in the U.S. Supreme Court.The Republican Party should be taken out behind the shed and put down.Finding a gun won’t be a problem,either.
They are a strange crew of weird reactionary modernists who can’t depart the dark ages, Harry.
They daydream as much as they want, but God they are in for a shock when reality finally intrudes their fear driven world.
Amazing how so much of this murk revolves around Chief Justice Clarence Thomas btw
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