This is what Tony Abbott had to say in June 2009:
Let us be absolutely upfront about this. The greatest political crime that a member of this parliament can commit is to mislead this House. A member of parliament can maladminister a portfolio. A member of parliament can squander billions of dollars. A member of parliament can run naked down George Street and survive. But a member of parliament cannot mislead this place and survive. Any member of parliament who misleads this House must resign, if he or she has any integrity, or must be forced to resign, if the party leader has any integrity. That is the point here.
The issue isn’t important. But his message was. I agree with him, by the way.
Now let’s jump forward to July 2015:
Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s office knew Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had misled Parliament about Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis three days before the government eventually owned up to the mistake.
The delay in correcting the parliamentary record until the end of a sitting fortnight meant the government faced no scrutiny in question time over its handling of the case.
The newly released, heavily redacted documents show Mr Abbott’s office knew Ms Bishop had relied on false evidence to defuse Labor’s line of attack about why the letter from Monis to Attorney-General George Brandis had not been taken seriously.
What more can I say, other than “Tony, where are you?”
[textblock style=”7″]
Like what we do at The AIMN?
You’ll like it even more knowing that your donation will help us to keep up the good fight.
Chuck in a few bucks and see just how far it goes!
Your contribution to help with the running costs of this site will be gratefully accepted.
You can donate through PayPal or credit card via the button below, or donate via bank transfer: BSB: 062500; A/c no: 10495969
[/textblock]
“…if the party leader has any integrity.”
There is no hypocrisy in his actions.
Good point there, Jeff.
How come Julia Gillard was a liar when she changed her mind on carbon tax but Julie Bishop “made a mistake, by misleading parliament”?
but it’s the LNP doing it and not the Labor party so it’s all right. They’re allowed to. Apparently.
“It’s the government that is faking things, fudging things and ultimately trying to deceive people.”
-Joint doorstop interview with Michael Keenan, Perth, 23 July 2010
Yup…
“Look, if I tell the kind of massive fibs that this government has told, I would deserve the most condign electoral punishment.”
-Tony Abbott interviewed by the Grill Team, Radio Triple M, Sydney, 25 February 2011
Would have to agree with him there too.
He and I also have a similar job……
“It’s my job between now and polling day to remind the Australian people just what a hopeless, unreliable, untrustworthy, dishonest, deceptive Government this has been. It just doesn’t get democracy.”
-Interviewed by Alan Jones, Radio 2GB, Sydney, 21 July 2010
And Remember Barnaby Joyce changed Hansard
And yet opposition leader, Beige Shrunken, is still just a fraction ahead on the Ipsos preferred prime minister poll – 43% to 39%. Abbott should have been pulverised by now!!!!!
But did he say it, or was it written down, because remember, if he says it, you can’t be absolutely sure that its true…
Bit hard for Shrill Borten to lash the honorable member Mr Rabbort on the floor of parliament when the speakmeister-fuhrer Bronwyn Hairdo is interrupting by chucking out labor MP’s every five minutes… but there you go 🙂 Whatever happens the next 12 months or so are gonna be pretty “interesting”….
Steve. Yes it is written down. It is in Hansard during the Godwin Gretch/Ute Gate affair. You could argue that it was an off the cuff remark though as the government at the time called on the then opposition leader, Mr Turnbull, to put up or shut up.
On a side note. Two government politicians (ALP) were thrown out by the speaker during the debate.
sorry roswell you must be mistaken. Who misled parliament? If the letter was a factor little billy could sidestep the bishop to drop the other bishop into the media but he has no plan to handle personal questions so he simply avoids the media that matters. Does that tactic sound familiar???
“what a hopeless, unreliable, untrustworthy, dishonest, deceptive Government this has been. It just doesn’t get democracy.”
You said it, phony tony.
Now … what about that early election you’ve been talking about for so long ???
I fully expect Shorten to come out swinging HARD on this. He won’t though, and considering Craig Thomson was pilloried for apparently doing the same thing, I would hope that there is some semblance of unity left in the ALP and they demand justice for Mr Thomson. If they don’t have that level of comradeship, then at least try and crucify Bishop the Lesser Hag.
The silence continues while the bullies bully a pregnant silence that has no echo of decent. Yawn.
Two Bishops and an Abbott doth not a truth maker make apparently.