Give Tony a chance! You’re kidding me!

September 22, 2013
Written by: Michael Taylor
154 Replies

I quite like the Sydney Morning Herald journalist with the acid wit, Mike Carlton. He’s one of the only journalists left in the country in touch with us common folk and besides, any journalist who refers to Andrew Bolt as Melbourne’s village idiot is worth listening to.

Yesterday he asked that we give Tony Abbott a chance to prove himself as Prime Minister. Suggesting that Tony Abbott entered the job the least credentialed of any in living memory he reminds us that:

. . . history shows that the prime ministership can sometimes have transformative powers, elevating those who attain it. Bob Hawke abandoned his boozy larrikin ways to become Labor’s most electorally successful leader. Paul Keating, with no formal education beyond the age of 15, rose to a dazzling command of the policy heights. John Howard, like Abbott also once seen as unelectable, was the towering conservative figure of his generation for nearly 12 years.

It seems only reasonable to wait and see what Abbott makes of it.

It’s a valid point.

I’ve waited four days. He’s the same idiot. Even the Irish have recognised four days of failure with the Irish Times reporting:

Australia’s new prime minister Tony Abbott spent the last past three years destabilising the Labor administration at every opportunity, saying it was the country’s “worst government ever”.

For a thousand days there was no respite from the Abbott attacks, which made it seem like the longest election campaign to date. But when the actual campaign began, Abbott suddenly shifted gear.

The tough campaigner who said the Labor carbon tax would ruin the economy (it didn’t), and whose scare tactics warned of Labor’s “debt and deficit”, accused Rudd of being “so negative”.

The Australian public could have been forgiven for saying, “Mr Pot, let me introduce you to Mr Kettle”. But they didn’t notice, or were way past caring.

Days before the election, the “budget crisis” Abbott said was Labor’s legacy was forgotten. Knowing the election was in the bag, he backed away from his promise to balance the budget within one term. Now it was “within 10 years” (by which time the Liberal-National coalition will be on its fourth term of government if it is still in power).

Having secured victory with a 32-seat majority, Abbott and his cabinet were not sworn in until 11 days after the election. The supposed budget crisis was now just a memory and the asylum-seeker boats he had pledged to stop from day one of winning power kept on coming. Seven of them in fact, containing more than 500 men, women and children from Iran, Afghanistan and other troubled regions of Asia.

But the Liberal Party chief has been true to his view that climate change is “crap”. The climate commission, an independent body set up by the previous government “to provide reliable and authoritative” information has been abolished.

Former chief commissioner Prof Tim Flannery is disillusioned: “We’ve just seen one of the earliest ever starts to the bush-fire season in Sydney following the hottest 12 months on record,” he said.

Not only an idiot but a powerful one.

But let’s not be candid. Give Tony Abbott a chance and he’ll do what?

In his election victory speech, Mr Abbott promised no surprises. He’s had the chance to prove his word is true but that has already been broken to the detriment of at least one set of disadvantaged Australians. He has also broken his word by not following through with his pre-election commitment to Indigenous Australians.

But it is even more frightening if he doesn’t break his word. True to his form will he succumb to the wishes of the IPA and:

Lower the tax-free threshold from $18,200 back to $6000. This will drag more than one million low-income earners back into the tax system. It will also increase the taxes for 6 million Australians earning less than $80,000.

Save families $300 dollars a year of Carbon Tax but cost them $2,300 per year in reinstated tax.

Privatise Medibank.

Privatise the Snowy-Hydro Scheme.

Privatise Australia Post.

Privatise the SBS.

Break up the ABC and put out to tender each individual function.

Privatise the Australian Institute of Sport.

End all public subsidies to sport and the arts.

Privatise the CSIRO.

Immediately halt construction of the National Broadband Network and privatise any sections that have already been built.

Abolish the means-tested Schoolkids Bonus that benefits 1.3 million families by providing up to $410 for each primary school child and up to $820 for each high school child.

Abolish the Baby Bonus.

Repeal the mining tax.

Withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol.

Repeal the Fair Work Act.

Repeal the carbon tax, and don’t replace it.

Repeal the marine park Legislation.

Repeal Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.

Abolish the low-income superannuation contribution.

Reject proposals for compulsory food and alcohol labelling.

Reduce the size of the public service from current levels of more than 260,000 to at least the 2001 low of 212,784.

Abolish the Clean Energy Fund (done already).

Repeal the renewable energy target.

Introduce voluntary voting.

End mandatory disclosures on political donations.

End media blackout in final days of election campaigns.

End public funding to political parties.

Eliminate the National Preventative Health Agency.

Abolish the means test on the private health insurance rebate.

Repeal the Alcopops tax.

Means-test Medicare.

Cease subsidising the car industry.

End all corporate welfare and subsidies by closing the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education.

Introduce a special economic zone in the north of Australia.

Remove anti-dumping laws.

Abolish the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Abolish the Office for Film and Literature Classification.

Abolish the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

Eliminate laws that require radio and television broadcasters to be ‘balanced ‘.

Abolish television spectrum licensing and devolve spectrum management to the common law.

End local content requirements for Australian television stations.

Eliminate media ownership restrictions.

Give Tony Abbott a chance and he’ll also risk the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef. According to The Huffington Post:

“Australia is facing a hard choice right now whether to make a quick buck from coal exports or whether to preserve an economically, long-standing national treasure.

” . . . Tony Abbott could overturn all the steps that have been taken domestically to protect the environment, to instead fast track coal export developments and drastically weaken environmental laws that were created to protect the country”.

Give Tony a chance! You’re kidding me!

Mike, it’s insulting to Hawke, Keating and Howard to be compared in some small way with Abbott. Even Howard waited a few years before unleashing his hunger for power and his pandering to the big end of town. Those three men are intellectual giants compared to our new Prime Minister. They also believed, rightly or wrongly (with the exception of Howard on occasions) that most of their actions were in the best interests of the country. Give Tony Abbott a chance and he’ll show us the complete opposite.

Mike, I also think it’s irrelevant if the prime ministership makes a good man out of Tony Abbott. He won’t be remembered for it. Instead, he’ll be remembered as the bloke we gave a chance to run this country and who blew it. Spectacularly.

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154 comments

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TarnyaSeptember 22, 2013 at 8:47 am

Where do we go now? How do we survive on a day to day basis? And how do we provide for our families and educate our children? Maybe we become the boat people and seek refuge in another country because we have nothing left for us in our own.

patsySeptember 22, 2013 at 8:51 am

I woke up this morning with a little hope for our wonderful country……..BUT after reading your report I feel I am in Kansas……or worst still in 1939 nazi Germany ……I know as the article says give abbott a chance…..but what about the poor working class….as there will be none…RICH abbott followers or more broken lives….what is his intention for helping the homeless….for with him leading our country they will be higher than any boat can carry…….maybe he should open his eyes to THE HOMELESS…and go see where they live, he would see the real world of the poorer people……and more to come…..stop the boats no stop abbott

J.FraserSeptember 22, 2013 at 8:54 am

Lets not forget Murdoch in the rush to exculpate those extreme right wing fundamentalists such as “Slick” Abbott.

Here in Queensland Murdoch’s idiot children “Courier Mail” and “Sunday Mail” continue their idiotic ways unabated.

As I have no doubt his idiotic children throughout the rest of Australia continue with their propaganda.

NancySeptember 22, 2013 at 9:21 am

It is a sad day when an unAustralian is pulling the puppet strings. Abbott owes Murdoch BIG time. One term Tony!

Dan RowdenSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:24 am

The problem with making these sorts of political predictions is that you run the risk of ending up with all the credibility of Bob Ellis. Cautionary tale…

Colin ThaiSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:24 am

Great article, and very scary…. You know the old saying “You ain’t seen nothing yet” That’s how I see this Abbott character and his team. The homeless have been mentioned in this forum, he knows all about that but he ain’t going there… Why should he , he’s much better than the poor unfortunate people.. As we all know the way he is shaping up this country will be a rich people’s domain only. Maybe he will organize ( the ordinary people ) to build some sort of large effigy of his rule (a kind of pyramid say) . The rich people and companies of this world will have a open slather on all WE HAVE in this country, — farms, big companies will take over. They will be drilling for oil everywhere, never mind the off shore waters that are vital to the endangered sea life, coral etc. And don’t forget the on shore !!! Pollution , don’t worry about it, it’s not in their backyard. And I see somewhere in this forum ” give them a chance” well the first week is over for them. THEY HAVE HAD THE CHANCE… ps I would love to know the feelings of some of the people who voted for THEM…. I spoke to a few yesterday around my area and all they said was…..” we did not know they would do that etc etc…. But these people ain’t really into politics so you can understand. Maybe the Murdoch propaganda worked for more than I can imagine, thanking you……

Gunda AdrianSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:29 am

This is just too scary, the idiot public who voted this Government in with no actual idea what their agenda was. I had thought at the time of the election, people will get what they deserve.

People were saying Abbott would take it easy in his first term. If things were as bad as they said, the Government should work through those first before vindictively tearing down what was done before

Removal of the Science Minister portfolio which we have had since 1930’s, also removal of Innovation and aged and disability minister is gobsmacking and obviously a hint of things to come.

The new tax thresholds will affect so many that can least afford it, those same people were given compensation for any impact the carbon tax might have had on them, a lot of the additional cost of power was from the increased network charges and not due to the carbon tax anyway.

It is a shame the majority of people are all about “me” and vote not for what can be done for the country but for their specific interests. Considering we are placed in one of the better economic positions in the world at this time, I cannot understand people’s negativity and concern about the state of our financial situation.

Also, I do love the fact they are not going to publicise the refugee boat arrivals, out of sight, out of mind. Unfortunately for the poor refugees will this also be the case.

So, whatever is done by this Government in their first term of office will no doubt be forgotten, and the people these things affect will remain blissfully unaware which is most unfortunate for those that will be affected and most importantly our country.

mludowykSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:35 am

Labor and the Greens have to oppose Abbott at every opportunity to try to limit the damage. And everyone has to keep protesting and keep writing to the journalists in the MSM and to politicians to try to get the message out to the dumbos who voted for this clown.

RoseSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:36 am

When Howard came into power he messed about with the school curriculum and when he did that generations of young people no longer learnt about politics or our political processes. With the upcoming election one of my nieces thought she had to vote labour. Unpacking her concerns about the environment, she was suited to being a Greens voter. My son is in business and his values were suited to Labour. So many young people have asked me to explain politics to them. The ignorance of our young people is a threat to democracy, and I think it has been done deliberately. Give them circuses and wine, and that will keep the masses happy and ignorant.

rossleighbrisbaneSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:38 am

mludowyk, Don’t call Tony a clown! As Michael discovered, this leads to enormous backlash, and there’s even some talk that clowns are forming a group to try and have us shut down.
I’ve written to Andrew Bolt, and am expecting an article from him on our right to free speech.

kate ahearneSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:40 am

Thanks for a wonderful article – Yep, 4 days was about enough ‘chance’ for Tony. They’ve already pissed off the Indonesians and a helluva lot of women.

patsySeptember 22, 2013 at 9:48 am

love the term “village idiot” for Andrew bolt couldn’t have said it better…as well as him being vile.cruel and so far up himself..and ugly inside and out

Adam SmithSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:54 am

This man holding the ‘hallowed’ PM’s office, must be scrutinised every minute of the day. Anything less will only lead to even more misery, for the ignorant many, at the hands of the greedy conniving few! He has already started on the road of irreconcilability when it comes to science and religion. He has is on the road to trashing internationally held values as witnessed by the reported comments made by respected Indonesian Members of Parliament. Australians who value truth and justice owe it to the nation to speak out about the LNP Abbott Government. If they don’t, they’ll be complicit in his calculated trickery foisted not only upon ignorant Australians, but on other nations around the world. His reductionism concerning Climate Change law is only for starters.

Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:20 am

I started googling some of these supposed “policies” and one thing kept coming up. A “report” by the IPA, a right wing, free market think tank. Time and time again, it kept coming up. So I looked at the report. YOU HAVE COPIED THE SO CALLED POLICIES VERBATIM!

First of all, for all your readers, here is the IPA report that most of this post is based on.

http://ipa.org.au/publications/2080/be-like-gough-75-radical-ideas-to-transform-australia

Some of these have become policy and for good reason. Others (most on the list) are NOT policies of the Abbott Government at all. The IPA is a think tank.

To be honest portraying most of these “ideas” as anything else is misleading, lazy and downright offensive.

If you are going to write about things that are supposedly government policy, at least have your facts right. Do not portray something as something when you know damn well it’s not the case. In this case portraying suggestions being put forward by a free market think tank as signed sealed and delivered government policy.

You’re an amateur.

Kaye LeeSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:25 am

Justin Scott you may not be aware that Tony Abbott gave the keynote speech at the 70th Anniversary of the IPA in April. Here is an excerpt from his speech.

““John, there is one campaign where you will not prevail – namely your urgent advice to me in the IPA Review last August to be more like Gough Whitlam. You had a great deal of advice for me in that particular issue and I want to assure you that the Coalition will indeed repeal the carbon tax, abolish the Department of Climate Change, abolish the Clean Energy Fund. We will repeal Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, at least in its current form. We will abolish new health and environmental bureaucracies. We will deliver $1 billion in red tape savings every year. We will develop northern Australia. We will repeal the mining tax. We will create a one stop shop for environmental approvals. We will privatise Medibank Private. We will trim the public service and we will stop throwing good money after bad on the NBN.

So, ladies and gentlemen, that is a big “yes” to many of the 75 specific policies you urged upon me in that particular issue of the magazine….but Gough Whitlam I will never be!”

Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:26 am

Yes, I’m an amateur. Just exercising my right to have an opinion.

Many people – such as yourself obviously – don’t like the idea of people from the left having one.

kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 10:31 am

The IPA have rounded out their advice to an even 100 now
http://ipa.org.au/publications/2110/25-more-ideas-for-tony-abbott

Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:32 am

I follow the rule that I may not agree with your opinion but I will fight to the death for your right to express it. What you are writing is not opinion. You are portraying what you are writing as fact and it isn’t. You are misleading your readers into believing those are government policies when they are simply not. When the *fact* is you have copied them verbatim from the most right wing, free market leaning think tank in the country. Most of them are not policy and shouldn’t be portrayed as anything but what they are – ideas. I may not agree with your “opinion” and may choose to engage in debate regarding your opinion, but when you blatantly lie about something being policy when it isn’t, you are attempting to rewrite facts. That is lazy and it’s wrong. On the right or left wing.

Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:33 am

Kayelee even Tony Abbott realises that many of those *ideas* would be political suicide.

Colin ThaiSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:37 am

Well said Michael, how dare you have free speech !!!! Maybe we will be PAYING yes Paying for free speech , I can just see it now a TAX on what you say, if it’s against you know who !!! . Thanking you…….

Geoff Of EppingSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:38 am

Did Abbott and Co give julia Gillard a chance…..for even one nanosecond? One single chance?
Sorry Mike as much as I have been a fan of your writing….either
1) you are joking
or
2) you have been ordered to write this drivel
.
Either way I thought you had more integrity.

Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:39 am

This is not an opinion piece! This a piece that portrays itself as FACT. Opinions are great. I don’t have to agree with an opinion, but am glad when someone else has an educated, well though out, well articulated one, be it left or right wing. This is not that.

Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:40 am

I take your point, Justin, but I stand by what I said. I believe, that true to form, these will be on the agenda.

MargaretSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:44 am

The IPA may well be a right wing political think tank, but the Liberal Party is the political arm of the IPA. That, I think, makes the IPA somewhat different from other political think tanks around.

Dan RowdenSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:46 am

Justin,

The only thing worse than portraying an opinion as fact, is portraying someone’s opinion as if they claimed it were fact. I certainly think Michael ought have stated where he got his list, but he at no point claimed these things were Coalition policy. He is simply asserting that, in his view, these things will happen under an Abbott Government. They certainly fit with the prevailing philosophy so the view isn’t entirely fanciful.

kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 10:47 am

Tony owes a lot to Rupert Murdoch and Gina Rinehart who both just happen to be members of the IPA. Tony has been heavily involved in the IPA. It is extremely important, in my view, to watch VERY closely where Tony’s policies are coming from and, as you can see from my earlier post, he is working his way through their list. I would have thought trashing the NBN and action on climate change and renewable energy would have been “political suicide” but it appears that 32% of Australians disagreed with me. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Colin ThaiSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:47 am

Oh My !!! Some of the people who praise Mr Abbott are getting a wee bit irate, oh ! My ! Go and send him a cheer up msg boo hoo cry cry !! Thanking you…..

Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:49 am

“But it is even more frightening if he doesn’t break his word. True to his form he will:”

He WILL. Not “I BELIEVE he will”. Not “I THINK he will”. Not even “I would be surprised if he didn’t”.

When you use a definitive (will) it portrays fact.

Lucy JrSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:50 am

Trouble is Tony Abbott has a term to inflict his and IPA’s ambitions on us. Political popularity is no concern. If Rupert hasn’t gone to hell Tony will be daughtered up all over again for the next election.

Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:51 am

Justin, shall I remove the post just for you? 😉

Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:53 am

Colin I actually don’t praise Tony Abbott at all. Too socially conservative for my liking (even as a LIberal). It does, however, irk me somewhat that the man has been in the job 2 weeks and all of a sudden he’s going to tear the country apart with his ultra-right-wing, ultra conservative philosophy. I do actually agree with half of the things on that list, but again, the idea of portraying them as fact, as *policy* is incorrect and that is my argument here.

Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:55 am

@Michael Taylor I think it’s a ridiculously poor post, but that is simply my opinion and there are obviously those who take your side. It’s OK that we disagree.

kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 11:03 am

Justin this isn’t a “side taking” thing. I was very interested to read the links from Deaf Australia and Indigenous Australians. I was also interested to read the reaction from the overseas press. And if you look at the list from the IPA, MANY things Michael mentioned are indeed already Coalition policy. I am not sure of what you consider a good post. Personally I found it very informative.

David BlackSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:04 am

I was struck by the number of time the word “idiot” cropped up in this thread. It doesn’t do anything for the standard of public discourse to label Tony Abbott or the people who like him as “idiots.”
Of course, neither he or they are “idiots,” (or “misogynists,” “racists,” “bigots” etc.)
Resorting to this childish name-calling says more about the person using terms like “idiot” than the person it is directed against.

Möbius EckoSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:12 am

Justin Scott they’ve since added 25 more ideas for Tony Abbott. http://ipa.org.au/publications/2110/25-more-ideas-for-tony-abbott/pg/2

Though they are just ideas for Abbott, Abbott has attended IPA functions and endorsed their ideas.

Abbott has been asked on his endorsement of the IPA and obfuscated as he so often does, but did say he would consider them in government. So until he either rejects the ideas outright or his endorsement of the ideas then we have every right to assume Abbott will take them up, especially since many align with his own stated ideas and ideology.

Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:15 am

David, I think he’s an idiot. Simple.

J.FraserSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:15 am

Thankfully “Justin Scott” never took me to task for my “Opinion” about Murdoch and his idiotic children “Courier Mail” etc.

Wouldn’t like to think that I had somehow misrepresented the show pony of extreme right wing fundamentalists of the IPA.

J.FraserSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:16 am

“David Black” is alive and lives in a simplistic world.

David BlackSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:17 am

Yes, Michael. That’s probably how he got where he is.

Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:17 am

Justin, I certainly don’t expect everybody to like what I post and I don’t mind them saying so. It’s when they continuously harp on about it that annoys me.

Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:18 am

And David, that astounds me. 🙂

Möbius EckoSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:20 am

So David Black you can point us to where you made the same protests against name calling, and often disgustingly vicious, by the right wing sites.

I am struck at the double standards now in play across the social media where respect and deference to Abbott and the office of PM is being called for when not the slightest skerrick was shown for Gillard and even Rudd when they held the office.

Abbott and his followers have set the standard and to now call on his detractors to be polite and timid is asking for them to become sheep. We have now seen that politeness, fairness, integrity and facts no longer have any meaning when Abbott can win a government with the aid of the MSM by railing against those decent things.

Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:20 am

One thing, Justin, if you knew me you’d know that I like to stir things up a bit. So yes, I expect to get under some people’s skin. 😉

Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:21 am

“we have every right to assume”. Yep, you do have every right to assume that. Agreed. And as I’ve said, What we don’t have a right to do – on the left or the right – is put it in writing as if it were anything other than an assumption. We also don’t have the right to claim an article suggests Abbott is the least credentialed Leader in living memory when in fact it doesn’t suggest that at all because for it to suggest that would be factually incorrect, seeing as Keating only went to school until he was 15, while Abbott has 2 degrees, was a Rhodes Scholar, a journalist and twice a minister under Howard.

ErwinSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:21 am

Dire prospects. But again the collective lunatic fringe (mainstream) elected him and in some ways they deserve what’s coming to them. Just unfortunate that I too will be on the receiving end.

Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:23 am

@Michael Taylor I’ve made my point and will withdraw from the discussion 😉

Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:27 am

Only two degrees? Gosh, I have three. That doesn’t make me a genius though.

kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 11:28 am

It’s interesting to hear what the people who have actually worked with Tony Abbott think about his “credentials” to lead.

AnomanderSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:33 am

As a matter of research, I scanned the Sunday Terrorgraph this morning. Go no! I’d never buy that piece of Merdeoch Trash.

Funnily, no mention of the government making any bad decisions at all – no pics of Nazis or people eating babies – amazing.

Several pages deep there is a story about Julie Bishop working out (shudder) which included how “evil” Julia Gillard was as she tried to destroy Tony Abbott as a human being. And another about how Greg Hunt ‘found’ 50 gas projects in limbo. Needless to say they will all receive the immediate go ahead.

It is clearly going to be up to the 5th estate to hold these bastards to account.

BryanSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:33 am

The ‘independent journalist’ that penned this article plagiarised almost all of his ideas from an article by the Institute of Public Affairs: http://ipa.org.au/publications/2080/be-like-gough-75-radical-ideas-to-transform-australia

Maybe he was hoping his readers would be too poorly read or stupid to notice.

If this is the quality of journalism we can expect from your network, I’ll stick to the wire services.

kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 11:34 am

and this from Malcolm Turnbull

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/abbotts-climate-change-policy-is-bullshit-20091207-kdmb.html

kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 11:35 am

Bryan you would do well to read previous comments before you shoot your mouth off

AliceSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:36 am

The Sad thing about alot of these policies is they are irreversible and completely detrimental to society;
Lower the tax threshold – I’m just going to have to cop 3 tax returns doing it tough.
But suspending marine park legislation and shutting the climate commission. These are irreversible disasters that will change the world we live in.

Möbius EckoSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:40 am

Read up Bryan, you are behind in the discussion.

I and others I know who read this knew straight away it was from the IPA, it’s not as though that has been in any way secret and the ideas have been reported on in the mainstream and social media, including the meeting Abbott attended where the ideas were released, with 25 more added recently.

So this should have been credited, but the fact remains Abbott has taken up many of the ideas and has endorsed the IPA and its ideas.

J.FraserSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:50 am

What is really interesting is that “Justin Scott” apparently doesn’t have anything to say about “no Science Minister”.

R&D that one “Justin Scott”.

Colin ThaiSeptember 22, 2013 at 12:00 pm

How dare Hewson Fraser Keating say those things about our lovely well loved Abbott, at least they are well known Politicians of our time, they must have some realistic thinking going on, and what surprises me TWO of them are or were from the same team as Abbott, 3 cheers for those lads, ps would have loved to see Mr Tony debating with any of them.. Thanking you

JulieSeptember 22, 2013 at 12:01 pm

I think Carlton has written this piece so as to repel criticism of being one sided in his views(pro Labor) Of course he knows Abbott will make huge mistakes with backward thinking & outdated methodology, but we must be seen to be giving him a fair go.Like giving Fine Cotton 100 metre handicap.

kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 12:02 pm

J. Fraser, rest easy we still have a Sports Portfolio.

Unfortunately, aside from getting rid of the Science portfolio, we no longer have a Minister for Disability Reform. Kevin Andrews, as Minister for Social Services, has taken on the “bleeding heart” portfolio which will encompass aged care, disability, housing, all income support payments and pensions, services for migrants and refugees, as well as multicultural affairs.

Furthermore, the Abbott Government will disband the social inclusion board, established under the former government to look at the causes and effects of entrenched disadvantage.

girlseuleSeptember 22, 2013 at 12:17 pm

That is a scary list.

RoswellSeptember 22, 2013 at 12:58 pm

It’s of no interest to me where the list came from. What is of interest, and I believe the evidence there, is what Abbott will pick from it.

Kath BairdSeptember 22, 2013 at 1:08 pm

Yes, it’s a bit more of a reality now! But the press still focus on the Labor leadership and there is so much more to investigate in the Abbott Agenda! thanks Mike Carlton keep exposing him and his plans then we can vote the coalition out and make him a one term PM.

Craig BrownSeptember 22, 2013 at 1:39 pm

“DOWN WITH THE CLOWN”
“JUNK THE MONK”
“DROP THE FOP”
“OUST THE OGRE”
“AXE THE BRUTE”
“FIRE THE FREAK”
“BOOT THE BEAST”

bernylSeptember 22, 2013 at 1:57 pm

This is the bloke we are talking about;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyY-xI6zgfk

He’s our Prime Minister.

Adam SmithSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:01 pm

Pull the other leg Justin Scott. I can see a fascist a mile away and this one is Catholic to boot!

David BlackSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:09 pm

J.Fraser, why do you put posters’ names in inverted commas? Don’t you think that people who post under their own names could actually be genuine?

Adam SmithSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:18 pm

Did, you or anyone see the ‘Ackerman’ fascist fella on the ABC Insiders program? This thing reminded me about a letter, written by Oliver Cromwell, addressing religious elites in 1650, quote, “I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken”.

Adam SmithSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:24 pm

@ David Black, at least some people are expressing their feelings freely honestly, which is more that I can discern out of your style of righteous rhetorical thuggery, honestly skewed, as it apparently appears to the reader.

kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 2:24 pm

Yes I saw Spackattack on Insiders and was very disappointed that he was there. After he perpetuated the “Tim is gay” rubbish on a previous program there was a huge backlash and Barrie Cassidy had said that he would not be appearing on the program again. He is a moron.

Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:25 pm

Adam, knowing in advance that Ackerman was appearing on the show was enough to put me off of watching it.

But I admire your courage. 😉

J.FraserSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:26 pm

@”David Black” … no I don’t think you are genuine about anything political.

Otherwise you would educate yourself.

McKinley ValentineSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:26 pm

I’m as horrified by Abbott as the next person, but I can’t any evidence to back up some of the scarier items on your list. For example, if you Google Abbott and the ACCC, you find only articles in which he says he’s going to increase funding to it, not scrap it.

The idea of him abolishing the Office of Film and Literature Classification is improbable since he’s a Christian conservative, and again I can’t find any evidence to suggest he’s planning to.

Although a member of the Liberal Party did discuss the idea of bringing in voluntary voting, Abbott hasn’t said he supports it or plans to do it.

Could you add some links to back up these things? If they’re true we need to know, and if they’re not, we can focus our efforts on fighting the changes he really has promised (eg repealing the carbon tax etc)

Adam SmithSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:31 pm

Watching Ackerman at work reveals the secretive ways of the Abbott Government. It also re-afirms what Benjamin Disraeli said about governments like the Abbott Government, quote, “A Conservative Government is an organised hypocrisy.” The expression upon Barry Cassidy’s face and others as Ackerman spoke for Abbott was very revealing indeed.

Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:32 pm

Hi McKinley, I’ve changed the sentence before the list so it doesn’t appear so vague. Thanks for the feedback. Regards, Michael T.

J.FraserSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:37 pm

Australia’s newest Prime Minister

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/abbott-insisted-on-nestor-reference-20130217-2eksx.html

Australia’s Prime Ministers confessor :

“Cardinal Pell is a fine man… Cardinal Pell is one of the greatest churchmen that Australia has seen.” – Tony Abbott on Cardinal George Pell

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/07/28/1027818485171.html

A bunch of fucing idiots running Australia.

Adam SmithSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:44 pm

@McKinley Valentine, John Peter Howard increased funding to the ACCC when Costello appointed Mr Samuels head of the regulator. He (Mr Samuels) in accordance with his remit, then issued a report to Parliament that petrol voucher discounts were good for consumers. Howard accepted the report and allowed for its implementation putting hundreds of small petrol retail businesses out of business. Yet some of these ‘dullard’ operators felt good about the policy and continued to vote for a Howard Government, believing LNP small business policies were good for them. Today, most small business people depend more than ever, on kindness of large operators, to get their work from the capital made available by big business, here and overseas. Do they really believe in this thing called Competition, or do they continue to live in the land of the ‘Wizard of OZ’!

AnthonySeptember 22, 2013 at 2:58 pm

I am an Aussie who has been living abroad for the last 10 years and I can’t help but laugh really. I have been saying all along that Tony is the Aussie version of George W Bush, how the hell do you vote this guy in? But you did vote him in, by a landslide I might add, so stop bloody whinging.

VexedbutfightingSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:59 pm

He had a chance to be a decent human being in opposition. He failed. No morals, no ethics, no conscience = no second chance.

J.FraserSeptember 22, 2013 at 3:24 pm

December 2010 .. At a Press conference Abbott refers to the NBN as “essentially a video entertainment system”.

Fucing idiot !

July 2011 … Abbott wins the Sans Science comment of the month in relation to how CO2 emissions are calculated “Its actually pretty hard to do this because carbon dioxide is invisible and its weightless and you can’t smell it”.

Fucing idiot.

Tweet from April 13 2013 … “Abbott said you can download 4 HD movies on the coalition’s Broadband policy at the same time … Moron never said it would take 200+ hours”

Why wouldn’t people call Abbott an idiot ?

bernylSeptember 22, 2013 at 3:39 pm

How dare Liberal supporters come here and cry foul on the grounds of that their totally toxic leader and his schoolyard bully ministers aren’t being given a fair go. Talk about hypocrisy. You’ve surely got to be kidding! The completely toxic and immoral LNP with Noddy at the helm, completely void of any morality or ethics, spared no effort or circumstance to vilify Julia Gillard in the most disgustingly abominable manner, and you liken that to what’s been written here. Suffering a guilty conscience are we???.
Unlike their male competitors, the bullies knew Julia would never turn up at their door to punch their lights out, more’s the pity. We’re now being governed by supposedly mature schoolyard bullies and you’re totally responsible for voted them in!!!!!! We’ve gone from a highly respected world entity, to an absolute laughing stock, and you’re to blame!!!!
Yes I’m angry!

McKinley ValentineSeptember 22, 2013 at 3:42 pm

Thanks Michael

MarkSeptember 22, 2013 at 4:52 pm

Where do you get off claiming to be Independent source of news your as bad as the Murdoch press your so views are so far to the left that your a bad joke. Where do you pluck your information from do you just make up facts to support your ill informed argument. Ppl like you who spread lies as the truth repulse me hang your head in shame and learn the meaning of the word independent

J.FraserSeptember 22, 2013 at 4:59 pm

@"Mark"

Just remind people when you held your head up high in the last 4 years of Abbott's reign of terror.

rossleighbrisbaneSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:15 pm

@Mark

The meaning of the word “independent”

“Adjective
Free from outside control; not depending on another’s authority.
Noun
An independent person or body.
Synonyms
free – substantive – self-contained – self-sufficient”

Don’t know which part, you have a problem with but try to actually object to some part of the blog and name something that you consider a “lie”. If you search the site, you’ll find an article from another contributor who argues that Abbott won’t go as far as some fear and disagrees with some of the points in this article.

But as least you’re aware how bad the Murdoch Press, is so congratulations on that!

Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:38 pm

Further to add:

independent
Adjective
Free from outside control; not depending on another’s authority.

Like this and most other blogs; Unlike the blogs of the likes of Bolt, Akerman and Blair, who are beholden to their employers and their political masters & puppeteers.

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:39 pm

For those who do not think the facts are facts, you still have the option, of proving them wrong.

Just saying they are false, carries no value at all.

Most are given with links. Most are words uttered by Abbott himself.

Just list what you take objection to, add proof of were the writer has gone wrong.

Should only take a few minutes.

Otherwise, I can only come to the conclusion, it is only your opinion, they are wrong.

See, I will not go a far, as to suggest, some might be telling a few porkies.

Funny thing, I have been on these sites for over three years. Have never seen any information, challenge with the backing of proof behind it.

I have seen numerous examples of proof being presented, to prove to those that challenge the information, that they are wrong.

I AM NOT saying we get everything right. Most are appreciative,m if proven wrong.
The last thing most want to do, is spread false information.

I think our visitors are really saying, they do not agree with the interpretation we put on information, That is a different matter. Then we are back to opinion.

So, were are we wrong. Were are the misleading facts.

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:42 pm

Justin, if I believe

Read somewhere today, that our PM is very stubborn man,.

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:47 pm

I can never recall Ms. Gillard being referred to as the PM or even PM Gillard.

I can remember many other names and descriptions applied to her, every time she was mentioned. Even her name became Juliar. Get off your soap box, and come into the real world.

Abbott is going to get the respect, he gave others. No more, no less.

He broke the rules and conventions. He set the standards. He will suffer the consequences.

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:51 pm

Justin, you are right about what Rudd said. Even though it was a far off dream, or brain fart, in my opinion, that is when Rudd lost the election.

From then it was down hill. It was down hill, because in that utterance, he gave Abbott legitimacy for his brain farts.

Rudd did not propose anything like Abbott did. The shame is, that by opening his gob, he gave the perception he did.

MarkSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:52 pm

Free from outside control to post left wing propaganda. Accept the election result as Australians that’s something we can be proud of in a democracy this so called independent news source is sprouting its own left wing agenda nothing independent there not a word has been said about the office of film and literature. Not a word has been said about privatising the ABC report the facts then your welcome to claim independance. I have heard nothing but bagging of the Murdoch press but since this news columns support left wing views it’s fine. I suggest rather than posting the definition of the word independent you educate yourself on why the Australian democracy is such well respected institution. We accept the election results peacefully. Claims for independance lose all merit when sprouting your own left wing agenda

johnSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:57 pm

Bullshit!

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:59 pm

“Keating only went to school until he was 15, while Abbott has 2 degrees, was a Rhodes Scholar, a journalist and twice a minister under Howard.”

Keating, which most say now was b[very successful,.Among those, was Brendan Nelson this week at NPC.

Even Howard has a good word for Keating now.

There is another difference as well as their education.

One obviously has a better brain.

Cannot think of any other reason why Keating was so successful.

rossleighbrisbaneSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:01 pm

Not a word has been said about privatising the ABC. This sounds like a word to me, even if it isn’t actual policy.

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/state-liberals-propose-privatising-abc-sbs-20130521-2jz5d.html

MarkSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:03 pm

Very typical of the left wingers Micheal resort to swearing and cursing when you know your in the wrong very mature

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:06 pm

Kayelee, what did you think of what Piers had to say abut the treasury,. A little frightening,,

kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 6:06 pm

Mark, according to the Australian, “the incoming Coalition government is not expected to make wholesale cuts to the ABC, but is believed to have privately put senior figures at the public broadcaster on notice that they are unlikely to find funding for any new projects.”

The IPA has this to say – “Under an Abbott government, budget cuts will most certainly be on the legislative agenda if only to save tax dollars. But privatisation—or at least rationalisation—of the public broadcaster remains a sound policy option. If the ABC is sold off and capital is returned to the federal budgets, its journalists would be free to air all the ideologically-tainted content they like. Some programs would not sell, and others would continue to aggravate many Australians. But at least taxpayers would not be forced to pay for it.”

Möbius EckoSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:09 pm

Mark are you just as vociferous against right wing sites that claim to be fair?

How about discussing policy and telling us exactly where the errors are with sources and facts instead of lamely attacking the messenger.

Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:11 pm

Mo, I thinks it’s the standard “hey look over there” method.

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:11 pm

Why Ackerman is back, is a worry within itself. Not only back, but Cassidy not even able to pull him into line. He ran that show this morning. He controlled the agenda.

No wonder the rest had the looks on there face. Could it have been disgust.
I wonder if Cassidy’s instruction, to give him a free go.

If not, Piers had one.

Adam SmithSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:12 pm

The fact that Mr Abbott referred to Australian Scientists, working on Antarctica and the Barrier Reef, recording and measuring impacts, caused by human activity, as ‘crap’, reveals his arrogance for the survival of living species. For a leader of a nation, to be recorded in the film archives and in the print media as a liar… well what can any reasonable honest man or woman say?

Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:12 pm

Very typical of the left wingers Micheal resort to swearing and cursing

Really? Where?

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:16 pm

I heard rumours that there will be a Gillard book out before Christmas. It would surprise me, if she wasted much time on Rudd.

I think there will be bigger fish in her sights.

kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 6:17 pm

“We accept the election results peacefully.”

ummmm I seem to remember the phrase “illegitimate government” coming up a fair bit over the last three years of dummy spitting. I even recall a headline saying “Abbott attacks Gillard’s legitimacy as Prime Minister”. But of course that’s different isn’t it.

Möbius EckoSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:22 pm

Yes Michael. How many times have we seen this faux outrage in a topic against a site that dares to rightly criticise Abbott and the Coalition.

The number of times being called to be harsh against Labor as a balance but the accuser never criticising the Coalition and never asking for the same balance in right wing sites.

The fact is, and it’s an almost universal phenomenon, the left are more critical and vocal of left politics and parties than the right ever are against right politics and parties. The left are willing to call fault of their own side but the right very rarely do for their side, indeed mostly the opposite, they cover up and gloss them over.

MarkSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:24 pm

Absolutely every media organisation has its own agenda right wing or left wing and yes Micheal left wingers are entitled to an opinion you just lose all credibility when you start swearing and cursing people who disagree with your political point if view. Not a policy discussion but just pointing out the lack of facts and scaremongering in this news article. Micheal you have 3 degrees but have no knowledge of politics or the role of the opposition leader. Clearly you find the behaviour of Rudd over the course of Gillard term to be acceptable from a senior figure in government. However bad abbot may seem rudds behaviour over that period has been far worse than anything abbot has said and done. That’s the problem the labor party had they painted abbot as a monster yet the majority of voters still preferred him to the labor circus that held power for 6 years. Labor has had a track record of holding onto power at all costs with the leadership changed twice over their term of government. While the coalition isn’t perfect at least they had the courage to face the Australian public over work choices even if the opinion polls showed they were heading for defeat. That is something the labor base can not claim at all but for some of you that us an acceptable position for a major political party to take. Labor more interested in holding onto power than standing for what they believe in with any form of conviction. That is why they lost the election

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:24 pm

Mark, where have we not accepted the election result. Yes, it is a legitimate, duly elected government, according to the Constitution,

Exactly the same, as the Gillard government was.

How many of you people accepted the Gillard minority government as legitimate. How many joined the three years dummy split. How many demanded a new election from day one. How many threatened to destroy it, at every opportunity

We accept the government.What we do not accept, what it stands for. That is allowed in a democracy.

We are stating very clearly, why we do ot like this government.

Möbius EckoSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:29 pm

Please Mark, that really is a bunch of ideological nonsense.

As to not knowing politics, what is the role of the opposition leader because Abbott certainly didn’t fulfil it? Indeed he probably changed the role forever, but watch the right scream blue murder if any Labor opposition leader followed Abbott’s example.

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:30 pm

and can I add, a great many of up support the established legislation he is trashing. Trashing mostly because he does not like the fact, that it is Labor legislation.

Most will be supporting to seeing most put back in place in the next government.

This is not new situation for reforms that Labor put into legislation, Since the days of Whitlam, most have to be ancestored, when they once again gain power. Medicare for starters.

This time, Labor is not turning their back on what Gillard achieved.

They learnt that is the wrong action, when they turned their backs on Keating.

Labor is no longer ashamed of their achievements.

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:31 pm

I was polled yesterday. Was a funny one, mixed up in other polling. Cannot be long before the polls begin again.

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:36 pm

Such a large comment on swearing and cursing. Maybe, he should have copied and pasted a few examples. I must have missed them.

The comments are definitely riddled with cursing.

doctorrob54September 22, 2013 at 6:38 pm

Abbott should be given the same chance and respect he gave and showed Julia Gillard,simple as that.Give the lying,destructive,vicious hate filled bastard nothing.All efforts must be made to limit the damage he is going to inflict on the environment and low wage earners in his one term of Government.

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:44 pm

Funny, only the right have any knowledge of politics. I suspect, in fact know, have worked in or near politics for most of their lives.

Yes, I do not understated what many from the right, are depicting politics now. Then I do not understand their definition of lying or breaking promises either,

They seem to have different meanings for words, that many on this site do.

I suspect what they want to happen, is for the last six years to be erased from history, Yes, they would like us, not to remember Abbott, for his time as Opposition leader.

They want us to go back to an imaginary past, were all was sugar and spice, and leaders held in high respect.

That era never existed.

What will happen, is that politics will continue and be practiced, inn the manner, that Abbott set the ground rules for. Once the cast is broken, there is o going back.

The only thing I ask, is that we keep to the truth. NO need to lie.

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:48 pm

What government does not hold onto power at all time.

This government did function at all times. There was never a point, that it was ever in danger of falling. Why should they have handed the reins over to Abbott.

That is stupidity. Government are elected,, and should expect to govern for that time.

If one wants a good example of a PM that held on at all costs, one cannot go past Howard.

The other has to be Rudd.

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:51 pm

We do not and should not govern by opinions polls. Can you see Abbott handing over the reins to Labor, if the polls turn against him. Can you see

What nonsense.

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:53 pm

They lost the election, mainly because Ru

Abbott was very lucky, not that clever.

MarkSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:59 pm

Labor changed back to Rudd from Gillard due to internal polling fed up Rudd was replaced by Gillard due to poor polls. Can’t just give government to the opposition because of polls you need a majority in parliament but you can replace a sitting prime minister from within your own ranks those are the facts that was alternative to abbot

Carol TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 7:06 pm

Michael and Mobius, for the past several years it has been the lot of Labor supporters to have to continuously defend people and policies against tactics which consisted mostly of sarcasm. When we have put forward support of policies (and even when we’ve criticised them such as that of Nauru), immediately the reaction has been *attack the person*..any debate of the issues for the most part consisted of right wing platitudes such *everyone knows Labor can’t handle the economy*..which of course is not debate only repetition of a slogan. We have even written entire topics inviting those of the right to explain why Abbott’s policies/ideas were superior – deathly silence was the result.

Any now it’s the turn of we of the left to have something precise to criticise – Tony’s small unto minuscule target tactics do not work when you’re prime minister. His numerous faux pas/sometimes quite idiotic ideas such as his Bat-phone to the patrol boats can no longer be ignored by the media..although I’m certain that the Murdoch press will do their best to do so.

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 7:28 pm

Mark, once again i agree with you.

I will also say, that her removal was wrong, very wrong. I see in todays media, polls that try to justify the decision made.

I personally do not agree, that Gillard would have done worse that Rudd. I also accept, that Rudd;s white anting, made Gillard’s position untenable.

The truth is, if Rudd had taken the wellbeing of the country and Labor into consideration, he would have been satisfied with being FM.

The biggest takes Gillard made, was treating him with kindness, instead of taking action, when it became obvious what his game was.

You know, I do not believe that Rudd ever wanted the job back, That could have accounted for his speech on election night. He was close to gloating. Gloating what for.

I suspect he is not finished with getting revenge. Do not know how he will treat Albanese, if he gets the ob, I suspect the same as he treated Gillard.

No, decisions should ever be taken with polls in mind. hat undermines the constitution and democracy in this country.

Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 7:29 pm

“They lost the election, mainly because Ru”

They lost the election, mainly because Rudd’s ongoing white anting over three years,

Abbott was lucky.

Sorry, I am losing words again.

PinkFloydSeptember 22, 2013 at 7:55 pm

Great read Michael. Have been following your recent articles too, but I believe there should be more links/evidence to support and strengthen your arguments within the article, especially curious as to where the information about cuts proposed by Abbott are sourced from. This can also be clicked on and located by others who also choose to inform other people about information not necessarily being distributed through mainstream media and social networks – snowball effect.

Adam SmithSeptember 22, 2013 at 8:22 pm

What I like about Mike carlton is very simple. He says it like it is and he always exposes “the let them eat cake people” so ubiquitous in most members of the LNP.

Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 8:43 pm

Thanks PinkFloyd. Good point and taken on board. 🙂

kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 9:08 pm

PinkFloyd here is the IPA wish list to which many of us (including Michael in his article) are referring. By my count approx. 20 of them are on the agenda to become true.

http://ipa.org.au/publications/2080/be-like-gough-75-radical-ideas-to-transform-australia

They have added another 25 ideas many of which Coalition and business discussion has been leaning towards

http://ipa.org.au/publications/2110/25-more-ideas-for-tony-abbott

Tony’s close connection to the IPA (plus membership by people like Rupert Murdoch and Gina Rinehart, his angels), plus their ever increasing presence in the media definitely make them worth watching closely.

http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/politics/abc-drums-up-appearances-for-the-ipa/

“I know I could be paranoid, maybe I am reading too much into this organisation, I am just a dumb punter of course? Though as Ms Harmer states: “Watch out instead for the IPA and their like – the white pointers in the shallows. Their bite can be fatal.”

http://yathink.com.au/article-display/just-who-the-hell-are-the-ipa,62

olddaveySeptember 22, 2013 at 9:39 pm

With regards to the ABC, the opinion from the left is that it leans to the right and the opinion fto the right is that it leans to the right. I reckon it is fairly down the middle with a few exceptions ( I don’t read the posts on the drum etc but am know they get hijacked at many times). It.s unlikely anyone who reads this type of forum will be swayed one way or the other anyway.

What does annoy is when questions are asked repeatedly and no relevant answer is forthcoming.
The interviewer concerned should say something like “Thank you Mr Abbott, because I have asked you the same question x number of times and have not received a satisfactory answer this interview is terminated.”

The interviewee’s mike is turned off immediately and the program logo appears with the message “interview terminated due to lack of relevance on the part of interviewee.”

For every one like this with a labor person there are ten with a coalition one. If they cant answer a simple question tell them to piss off.

Peter JohnsonSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:24 pm

The day after the election I was watching ABC 24 when they put 2 people from Bennalong telling us why they voted LNP the first a lady her reply was because Tony looks sexy, the second a bloke who said that he voted LNP because they would stop the boats and that would stop the disease that they bring in from spreading.Now to me it does show that they are more than a few cents short of a dollar.But then after the election Tony did say that the Australian economy was in good shape.Could somebody please explain to me why he complained for three years that Australia was destitute then within a couple of hours after being elected were doing fine.I think that was the only truth I have heard out of him for over three years.

Michael TaylorSeptember 23, 2013 at 1:19 am

Why did he complain for three years? Peter, good question. But I think we know the answer to that.

Kaye LeeSeptember 23, 2013 at 6:32 am

And so I wake this morning to the news that the ENTIRE board of NBNco has tendered their resignation due to attacks by Malcolm Turnbull. Great work Malcolm.

Adam SmithSeptember 23, 2013 at 7:59 am

When the Australian people voted for Mr Abbott did they look to him for authority or stability? Did they see in him a certain special kind of strength, assurance and steadiness? Or did they vote for populism and the kind promoted intimacy we were bombarded with by main stream media? How much damage has already been done to women, as well as our public service institutions, and this fellow has only officially just started to occupy the Office of The Prime Minister of Australia.

Möbius EckoSeptember 23, 2013 at 8:06 am

Peter Johnson. I heard an interview with two young ladies after they had voted, who on being asked if they didn’t mind saying how they voted said Tony Abbott because he was going to give them $75,000 to have a baby.

What this does tell me though is that there are going to be an awful lot of very disappointed voters out there when they realise they are not getting what they thought they would when they voted. They will be in denial for the first year or so and the polls will reflect that, after all no one likes to admit they made a monumental f up.

Möbius EckoSeptember 23, 2013 at 8:12 am

Kaye Lee also watch the space in the coming weeks with Greg Hunt and the fast tracking, Green Tape streamlining, of mining developments in Queensland that will have major negative impacts on the Great Barrier Reef and the Great Artesian Basin, especially SE Queensland, which can permanently lose water in large areas because of the mining.

Also the fast tracking with minimal environmental protections of hundreds of CSG wells in Queensland and NSW.

Cass SilvaSeptember 23, 2013 at 9:40 am

Some people have to be up to their neck in it before they admit that the person they voted for thinks they are all shitkickers anyway.

DSeptember 24, 2013 at 2:30 pm

Love to know where you got these figures from?

“Lower the tax-free threshold from $18,200 back to $6000. This will drag more than one million low-income earners back into the tax system. It will also increase the taxes for 6 million Australians earning less than $80,000.

Save families $300 dollars a year of Carbon Tax but cost them $2,300 per year in reinstated tax.”

What are the figures being used to calculate this?

Have you also factored in the Low Income Threshold Offset (LITO) being reduced from $1500 to $445 for income less than $66,667 per year under the Labour Government?

I’m sure some readers would like to see some transparency in the calculations.

kayelee1September 24, 2013 at 2:45 pm

D, as has been explained MANY times, these are things that the IPA is pushing for and Tony is already adopting many of their suggestions. The tax free threshold will no doubt form part of the tax review. The figure of $2300 comes from the 12,200 diff in thresholds multiplied by the current lowest bracket rate of 19 cents per dollar. The figure of $300 per year in savings I can’t find. Both parties estimated the cost to average households at about $500 a year but had we moved early to an ETS this would have dropped to less than $150.

kayelee1September 24, 2013 at 2:50 pm

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-28/abbott-using-outdated-figure-on-carbon-tax-cost/4912726

I have not included in those figures how much we are saving on mortgages due to low interest rates. Households were FAR better off. Not sure what will happen now.

“While there is little doubt that many families still struggle to make ends meet, this report shows that on average, Australian households, both high and low income, are financially better off than in previous decades … Cost of living pressures are more related to our increased expectations and the greater demands from a modern society than the prices we pay for petrol or electricity.”

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/20/australia-cost-living

Michael TaylorSeptember 24, 2013 at 2:59 pm

Thanks Kaylee. 🙂

kayelee1September 24, 2013 at 3:10 pm

Avec plaisir 🙂

And you may find this heartening. Tony claims to have an overwhelming mandate but it turns out he only won by about 30,000 votes. 11 of the Coalition seats have margins of less than 4,000.

Thirty Thousand Votes And Abbott's Gone

Michael TaylorSeptember 24, 2013 at 3:13 pm

Kayelee, I reckon he might have lost a good proportion of those 30,000 supporters in his first week.

kayelee1September 24, 2013 at 3:18 pm

Michael all we need to do is get the young people interested. If they all register to vote because of climate change and the NBN and the secrecy about asylum seekers and only one woman in the mininstry (or even cause they just feel the same visceral loathing that I do) then it will be Bubye Tony. I doubt he will risk a double dissolution though I hope he does.

Michael TaylorSeptember 24, 2013 at 3:45 pm

Kayelee, I have a great deal of faith in the young come the next election.

Dan RowdenSeptember 24, 2013 at 4:48 pm

kayelee1,

I’m curious as to your reasons for thinking a double dissolution would be anything but a disaster. It would be so easy for the Government and the supportive elements of the media to spin it in such a way (obstructionist threat ton stable government etc) that I think the Government would be returned with a bigger majority and probable Senate control.

Tom NewtonSeptember 24, 2013 at 5:51 pm

I think we have a very big problem with Mr Anthony Abattoir and the less well off will be hit hard.
Bad times ahead. The Boats are still a problem and they are going to keep it secret, Mr Morrison get your act together. Now news that they are going to continue on with Labors NBN. The mind boggles as to what next.
…………… Very Dissapointed.

Adam SmithSeptember 24, 2013 at 6:27 pm

Liberals argued hard and loud that big new taxes are no good. As with the climate change issue. But here we are, Abbott’s Cabinet in office not even two weeks and they are already talking about tax increases.

kayelee1September 24, 2013 at 6:28 pm

Dan I suppose I am letting my incredulity at the election result colour my judgement to a degree. I just think people MUST be realising what a mistake they made. For what it is worth: First Morgan Poll since election. 2PP L-NP 50.5% (-2.9), ALP 49.5% (+2.9)

Fed upSeptember 24, 2013 at 6:33 pm

More poll figures. Tony Abbott is preferred to Albanese 37 33 Abbott to Shorten 37 32.

This is a brand new PM compared with two men that have elected no role in Labor

Fed upSeptember 24, 2013 at 6:36 pm

We have the actions of those young people in Indi to follow. I suspect, the movement just might grow. I like it, because it is not party driven,,

Those young people that stood behind the new member for Indi, looked proud indeed.

Nothing wrong with quality Independents.

Adam SmithSeptember 24, 2013 at 6:50 pm

@Fed up, yes I agree that there is nothing wrong with some independent political thinkers wanting to be, and being elected. When I recall and reflect upon the negotiations entered into between Abbott & Gillard in 2010, it was the independents whom voted with Gillard. If the Member for Indi does her work, as she promised she would, I can see her consolidate her independent popularity expanding amongst the many voters who gave her their first preference vote. Good luck Cathy.

Marshall RobertsSeptember 24, 2013 at 7:37 pm

And there it is again… cutting the tax free threshold from 18K to 6K. The IPA did not suggest that in their 100 ideas for Abbott, and Abbott made a big deal of keeping the 18K threshold in his budget reply speech. It’s on record in Hansard. I’m no fan of Abbott but can we please stop saying this. http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/genpdf/chamber/hansardr/135b167f-578d-4414-a5b0-b2a35bc1cc32/0238/hansard_frag.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf

kayelee1September 24, 2013 at 8:27 pm

Marshall you are correct. The IPA actually want a single flat rate of income tax which would be infinitely worse. If Tony isn’t going to increase GST or decrease the tax free threshold but he is going to decrease company tax, then what the hell is the tax review for? I think it is widely accepted that we need to address revenue/taxation but every move Tony makes is in favour of business and the wealthy at the expense of the poor eg reducing company tax, removing the means test for the private health insurance rebate, imposing a great big new tax for his ridiculous paid parental leave scheme (which will just be passed on to consumers), removing the FBT regulations re business use for cars etc etc. I would suggest the promises he has made are temporary and I think we should ALL be very wary of what MAY come up on the horizon.

Marshall RobertsSeptember 24, 2013 at 8:31 pm

Yes, I expect we’re in for a hell of a rough ride. I’ve written about my own sense of despair here: http://www.anidealist.net/message-in-a-bottle/ So I don’t disagree with the thrust of your article, but I’ve seen that tax free threshold cut parrotted on blogs and news sites, and facebook, so many times, it’s driving me insane…..

Tom NewtonSeptember 24, 2013 at 8:38 pm

It was not just the young ones in INDI as it put all MP’s on notice that they must deliver to their electorate or get the chop like Sophie did. They are elected by the people and if they do not deliver they deserve to get their marching orders. Tony now has to deliver or get the chop. He has a long way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Adam SmithSeptember 24, 2013 at 9:07 pm

The LNP did say that they will be reducing the tax free threshold. By lowering the tax free threshold they may intend making income taxes more progressive so as to capture as much income as is possible through bracket creep. And by taxing more wages at a lower rates say $6001 at 5%? they’ll increase tax receipts to offset tax cuts in the corporate sector to attract more capital investment from around the world. That is the only way that Mr Abbott may be able to promise big infrastructure investment, whilst bringing his budget into surplus. Of course the LNP States are clamouring for 15% GST on everything.

Marshall RobertsSeptember 24, 2013 at 9:17 pm

Source? I haven’t seen any commitment from the LNP to reduce it. I’ve found plenty of people (including Wayne Swan) saying Abbott will ramp it back, but not the LNP itself saying that. All I could find was Abbott vowing to keep it, in his budget reply speech. Happy to stand corrected though.

kayelee1September 24, 2013 at 9:49 pm

Marshall I am not sure how he intends paying for it if he repeals the carbon tax. One other point is that it was set to increase to 19,400 in 2015-16. I think we can kiss THAT one goodbye.

Truth SeekerSeptember 24, 2013 at 11:06 pm

Migs, Good one 😀 Love your work 😎

Cheers 😀

jimboSeptember 27, 2013 at 4:17 am

Australia was tricked, Rudd was positioned to destabilise the labour party.

Labour just kept our hopes for a healthy nation alive with their policies for their term, now the libs are
swooping in and Americanising our government / industry framework.

Privatisation is something that is very expensive to undo, it is forever and it is devastating.
And they call themselves ‘Liberal’

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TarnyaSeptember 22, 2013 at 8:47 am

Where do we go now? How do we survive on a day to day basis? And how do we provide for our families and educate our children? Maybe we become the boat people and seek refuge in another country because we have nothing left for us in our own.
patsySeptember 22, 2013 at 8:51 am

I woke up this morning with a little hope for our wonderful country……..BUT after reading your report I feel I am in Kansas……or worst still in 1939 nazi Germany ……I know as the article says give abbott a chance…..but what about the poor working class….as there will be none…RICH abbott followers or more broken lives….what is his intention for helping the homeless….for with him leading our country they will be higher than any boat can carry…….maybe he should open his eyes to THE HOMELESS…and go see where they live, he would see the real world of the poorer people……and more to come…..stop the boats no stop abbott
J.FraserSeptember 22, 2013 at 8:54 am

Lets not forget Murdoch in the rush to exculpate those extreme right wing fundamentalists such as “Slick” Abbott.

Here in Queensland Murdoch’s idiot children “Courier Mail” and “Sunday Mail” continue their idiotic ways unabated.

As I have no doubt his idiotic children throughout the rest of Australia continue with their propaganda.
NancySeptember 22, 2013 at 9:21 am

It is a sad day when an unAustralian is pulling the puppet strings. Abbott owes Murdoch BIG time. One term Tony!
Dan RowdenSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:24 am

The problem with making these sorts of political predictions is that you run the risk of ending up with all the credibility of Bob Ellis. Cautionary tale…
Colin ThaiSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:24 am

Great article, and very scary…. You know the old saying “You ain’t seen nothing yet” That’s how I see this Abbott character and his team. The homeless have been mentioned in this forum, he knows all about that but he ain’t going there… Why should he , he’s much better than the poor unfortunate people.. As we all know the way he is shaping up this country will be a rich people’s domain only. Maybe he will organize ( the ordinary people ) to build some sort of large effigy of his rule (a kind of pyramid say) . The rich people and companies of this world will have a open slather on all WE HAVE in this country, — farms, big companies will take over. They will be drilling for oil everywhere, never mind the off shore waters that are vital to the endangered sea life, coral etc. And don’t forget the on shore !!! Pollution , don’t worry about it, it’s not in their backyard. And I see somewhere in this forum ” give them a chance” well the first week is over for them. THEY HAVE HAD THE CHANCE… ps I would love to know the feelings of some of the people who voted for THEM…. I spoke to a few yesterday around my area and all they said was…..” we did not know they would do that etc etc…. But these people ain’t really into politics so you can understand. Maybe the Murdoch propaganda worked for more than I can imagine, thanking you……
Gunda AdrianSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:29 am

This is just too scary, the idiot public who voted this Government in with no actual idea what their agenda was. I had thought at the time of the election, people will get what they deserve.

People were saying Abbott would take it easy in his first term. If things were as bad as they said, the Government should work through those first before vindictively tearing down what was done before

Removal of the Science Minister portfolio which we have had since 1930’s, also removal of Innovation and aged and disability minister is gobsmacking and obviously a hint of things to come.

The new tax thresholds will affect so many that can least afford it, those same people were given compensation for any impact the carbon tax might have had on them, a lot of the additional cost of power was from the increased network charges and not due to the carbon tax anyway.

It is a shame the majority of people are all about “me” and vote not for what can be done for the country but for their specific interests. Considering we are placed in one of the better economic positions in the world at this time, I cannot understand people’s negativity and concern about the state of our financial situation.

Also, I do love the fact they are not going to publicise the refugee boat arrivals, out of sight, out of mind. Unfortunately for the poor refugees will this also be the case.

So, whatever is done by this Government in their first term of office will no doubt be forgotten, and the people these things affect will remain blissfully unaware which is most unfortunate for those that will be affected and most importantly our country.
mludowykSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:35 am

Labor and the Greens have to oppose Abbott at every opportunity to try to limit the damage. And everyone has to keep protesting and keep writing to the journalists in the MSM and to politicians to try to get the message out to the dumbos who voted for this clown.
RoseSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:36 am

When Howard came into power he messed about with the school curriculum and when he did that generations of young people no longer learnt about politics or our political processes. With the upcoming election one of my nieces thought she had to vote labour. Unpacking her concerns about the environment, she was suited to being a Greens voter. My son is in business and his values were suited to Labour. So many young people have asked me to explain politics to them. The ignorance of our young people is a threat to democracy, and I think it has been done deliberately. Give them circuses and wine, and that will keep the masses happy and ignorant.
rossleighbrisbaneSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:38 am

mludowyk, Don’t call Tony a clown! As Michael discovered, this leads to enormous backlash, and there’s even some talk that clowns are forming a group to try and have us shut down.
I’ve written to Andrew Bolt, and am expecting an article from him on our right to free speech.
kate ahearneSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:40 am

Thanks for a wonderful article – Yep, 4 days was about enough ‘chance’ for Tony. They’ve already pissed off the Indonesians and a helluva lot of women.
patsySeptember 22, 2013 at 9:48 am

love the term “village idiot” for Andrew bolt couldn’t have said it better…as well as him being vile.cruel and so far up himself..and ugly inside and out
Adam SmithSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:54 am

This man holding the ‘hallowed’ PM’s office, must be scrutinised every minute of the day. Anything less will only lead to even more misery, for the ignorant many, at the hands of the greedy conniving few! He has already started on the road of irreconcilability when it comes to science and religion. He has is on the road to trashing internationally held values as witnessed by the reported comments made by respected Indonesian Members of Parliament. Australians who value truth and justice owe it to the nation to speak out about the LNP Abbott Government. If they don’t, they’ll be complicit in his calculated trickery foisted not only upon ignorant Australians, but on other nations around the world. His reductionism concerning Climate Change law is only for starters.
Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:20 am

I started googling some of these supposed “policies” and one thing kept coming up. A “report” by the IPA, a right wing, free market think tank. Time and time again, it kept coming up. So I looked at the report. YOU HAVE COPIED THE SO CALLED POLICIES VERBATIM!

First of all, for all your readers, here is the IPA report that most of this post is based on.

http://ipa.org.au/publications/2080/be-like-gough-75-radical-ideas-to-transform-australia

Some of these have become policy and for good reason. Others (most on the list) are NOT policies of the Abbott Government at all. The IPA is a think tank.

To be honest portraying most of these “ideas” as anything else is misleading, lazy and downright offensive.

If you are going to write about things that are supposedly government policy, at least have your facts right. Do not portray something as something when you know damn well it’s not the case. In this case portraying suggestions being put forward by a free market think tank as signed sealed and delivered government policy.

You’re an amateur.
Kaye LeeSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:25 am

Justin Scott you may not be aware that Tony Abbott gave the keynote speech at the 70th Anniversary of the IPA in April. Here is an excerpt from his speech.

““John, there is one campaign where you will not prevail – namely your urgent advice to me in the IPA Review last August to be more like Gough Whitlam. You had a great deal of advice for me in that particular issue and I want to assure you that the Coalition will indeed repeal the carbon tax, abolish the Department of Climate Change, abolish the Clean Energy Fund. We will repeal Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, at least in its current form. We will abolish new health and environmental bureaucracies. We will deliver $1 billion in red tape savings every year. We will develop northern Australia. We will repeal the mining tax. We will create a one stop shop for environmental approvals. We will privatise Medibank Private. We will trim the public service and we will stop throwing good money after bad on the NBN.

So, ladies and gentlemen, that is a big “yes” to many of the 75 specific policies you urged upon me in that particular issue of the magazine….but Gough Whitlam I will never be!”
Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:26 am

Yes, I’m an amateur. Just exercising my right to have an opinion.

Many people – such as yourself obviously – don’t like the idea of people from the left having one.
kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 10:31 am

The IPA have rounded out their advice to an even 100 now
http://ipa.org.au/publications/2110/25-more-ideas-for-tony-abbott
Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:32 am

I follow the rule that I may not agree with your opinion but I will fight to the death for your right to express it. What you are writing is not opinion. You are portraying what you are writing as fact and it isn’t. You are misleading your readers into believing those are government policies when they are simply not. When the *fact* is you have copied them verbatim from the most right wing, free market leaning think tank in the country. Most of them are not policy and shouldn’t be portrayed as anything but what they are – ideas. I may not agree with your “opinion” and may choose to engage in debate regarding your opinion, but when you blatantly lie about something being policy when it isn’t, you are attempting to rewrite facts. That is lazy and it’s wrong. On the right or left wing.
Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:33 am

Kayelee even Tony Abbott realises that many of those *ideas* would be political suicide.
Colin ThaiSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:37 am

Well said Michael, how dare you have free speech !!!! Maybe we will be PAYING yes Paying for free speech , I can just see it now a TAX on what you say, if it’s against you know who !!! . Thanking you…….
Geoff Of EppingSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:38 am

Did Abbott and Co give julia Gillard a chance…..for even one nanosecond? One single chance?
Sorry Mike as much as I have been a fan of your writing….either
1) you are joking
or
2) you have been ordered to write this drivel
.
Either way I thought you had more integrity.
Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:39 am

This is not an opinion piece! This a piece that portrays itself as FACT. Opinions are great. I don’t have to agree with an opinion, but am glad when someone else has an educated, well though out, well articulated one, be it left or right wing. This is not that.
Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:40 am

I take your point, Justin, but I stand by what I said. I believe, that true to form, these will be on the agenda.
MargaretSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:44 am

The IPA may well be a right wing political think tank, but the Liberal Party is the political arm of the IPA. That, I think, makes the IPA somewhat different from other political think tanks around.
Dan RowdenSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:46 am

Justin,

The only thing worse than portraying an opinion as fact, is portraying someone’s opinion as if they claimed it were fact. I certainly think Michael ought have stated where he got his list, but he at no point claimed these things were Coalition policy. He is simply asserting that, in his view, these things will happen under an Abbott Government. They certainly fit with the prevailing philosophy so the view isn’t entirely fanciful.
kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 10:47 am

Tony owes a lot to Rupert Murdoch and Gina Rinehart who both just happen to be members of the IPA. Tony has been heavily involved in the IPA. It is extremely important, in my view, to watch VERY closely where Tony’s policies are coming from and, as you can see from my earlier post, he is working his way through their list. I would have thought trashing the NBN and action on climate change and renewable energy would have been “political suicide” but it appears that 32% of Australians disagreed with me. Be afraid, be very afraid.
Colin ThaiSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:47 am

Oh My !!! Some of the people who praise Mr Abbott are getting a wee bit irate, oh ! My ! Go and send him a cheer up msg boo hoo cry cry !! Thanking you…..
Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:49 am

“But it is even more frightening if he doesn’t break his word. True to his form he will:”

He WILL. Not “I BELIEVE he will”. Not “I THINK he will”. Not even “I would be surprised if he didn’t”.

When you use a definitive (will) it portrays fact.
Lucy JrSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:50 am

Trouble is Tony Abbott has a term to inflict his and IPA’s ambitions on us. Political popularity is no concern. If Rupert hasn’t gone to hell Tony will be daughtered up all over again for the next election.
Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:51 am

Justin, shall I remove the post just for you? 😉
Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:53 am

Colin I actually don’t praise Tony Abbott at all. Too socially conservative for my liking (even as a LIberal). It does, however, irk me somewhat that the man has been in the job 2 weeks and all of a sudden he’s going to tear the country apart with his ultra-right-wing, ultra conservative philosophy. I do actually agree with half of the things on that list, but again, the idea of portraying them as fact, as *policy* is incorrect and that is my argument here.
Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:55 am

@Michael Taylor I think it’s a ridiculously poor post, but that is simply my opinion and there are obviously those who take your side. It’s OK that we disagree.
kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 11:03 am

Justin this isn’t a “side taking” thing. I was very interested to read the links from Deaf Australia and Indigenous Australians. I was also interested to read the reaction from the overseas press. And if you look at the list from the IPA, MANY things Michael mentioned are indeed already Coalition policy. I am not sure of what you consider a good post. Personally I found it very informative.
David BlackSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:04 am

I was struck by the number of time the word “idiot” cropped up in this thread. It doesn’t do anything for the standard of public discourse to label Tony Abbott or the people who like him as “idiots.”
Of course, neither he or they are “idiots,” (or “misogynists,” “racists,” “bigots” etc.)
Resorting to this childish name-calling says more about the person using terms like “idiot” than the person it is directed against.
Möbius EckoSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:12 am

Justin Scott they’ve since added 25 more ideas for Tony Abbott. http://ipa.org.au/publications/2110/25-more-ideas-for-tony-abbott/pg/2

Though they are just ideas for Abbott, Abbott has attended IPA functions and endorsed their ideas.

Abbott has been asked on his endorsement of the IPA and obfuscated as he so often does, but did say he would consider them in government. So until he either rejects the ideas outright or his endorsement of the ideas then we have every right to assume Abbott will take them up, especially since many align with his own stated ideas and ideology.
Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:15 am

David, I think he’s an idiot. Simple.
J.FraserSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:15 am

Thankfully “Justin Scott” never took me to task for my “Opinion” about Murdoch and his idiotic children “Courier Mail” etc.

Wouldn’t like to think that I had somehow misrepresented the show pony of extreme right wing fundamentalists of the IPA.
J.FraserSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:16 am

“David Black” is alive and lives in a simplistic world.
David BlackSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:17 am

Yes, Michael. That’s probably how he got where he is.
Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:17 am

Justin, I certainly don’t expect everybody to like what I post and I don’t mind them saying so. It’s when they continuously harp on about it that annoys me.
Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:18 am

And David, that astounds me. 🙂
Möbius EckoSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:20 am

So David Black you can point us to where you made the same protests against name calling, and often disgustingly vicious, by the right wing sites.

I am struck at the double standards now in play across the social media where respect and deference to Abbott and the office of PM is being called for when not the slightest skerrick was shown for Gillard and even Rudd when they held the office.

Abbott and his followers have set the standard and to now call on his detractors to be polite and timid is asking for them to become sheep. We have now seen that politeness, fairness, integrity and facts no longer have any meaning when Abbott can win a government with the aid of the MSM by railing against those decent things.
Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:20 am

One thing, Justin, if you knew me you’d know that I like to stir things up a bit. So yes, I expect to get under some people’s skin. 😉
Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:21 am

“we have every right to assume”. Yep, you do have every right to assume that. Agreed. And as I’ve said, What we don’t have a right to do – on the left or the right – is put it in writing as if it were anything other than an assumption. We also don’t have the right to claim an article suggests Abbott is the least credentialed Leader in living memory when in fact it doesn’t suggest that at all because for it to suggest that would be factually incorrect, seeing as Keating only went to school until he was 15, while Abbott has 2 degrees, was a Rhodes Scholar, a journalist and twice a minister under Howard.
ErwinSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:21 am

Dire prospects. But again the collective lunatic fringe (mainstream) elected him and in some ways they deserve what’s coming to them. Just unfortunate that I too will be on the receiving end.
Justin ScottSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:23 am

@Michael Taylor I’ve made my point and will withdraw from the discussion 😉
Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:27 am

Only two degrees? Gosh, I have three. That doesn’t make me a genius though.
kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 11:28 am

It’s interesting to hear what the people who have actually worked with Tony Abbott think about his “credentials” to lead.
AnomanderSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:33 am

As a matter of research, I scanned the Sunday Terrorgraph this morning. Go no! I’d never buy that piece of Merdeoch Trash.

Funnily, no mention of the government making any bad decisions at all – no pics of Nazis or people eating babies – amazing.

Several pages deep there is a story about Julie Bishop working out (shudder) which included how “evil” Julia Gillard was as she tried to destroy Tony Abbott as a human being. And another about how Greg Hunt ‘found’ 50 gas projects in limbo. Needless to say they will all receive the immediate go ahead.

It is clearly going to be up to the 5th estate to hold these bastards to account.
BryanSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:33 am

The ‘independent journalist’ that penned this article plagiarised almost all of his ideas from an article by the Institute of Public Affairs: http://ipa.org.au/publications/2080/be-like-gough-75-radical-ideas-to-transform-australia

Maybe he was hoping his readers would be too poorly read or stupid to notice.

If this is the quality of journalism we can expect from your network, I’ll stick to the wire services.
kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 11:34 am

and this from Malcolm Turnbull

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/abbotts-climate-change-policy-is-bullshit-20091207-kdmb.html
kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 11:35 am

Bryan you would do well to read previous comments before you shoot your mouth off
AliceSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:36 am

The Sad thing about alot of these policies is they are irreversible and completely detrimental to society;
Lower the tax threshold – I’m just going to have to cop 3 tax returns doing it tough.
But suspending marine park legislation and shutting the climate commission. These are irreversible disasters that will change the world we live in.
Möbius EckoSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:40 am

Read up Bryan, you are behind in the discussion.

I and others I know who read this knew straight away it was from the IPA, it’s not as though that has been in any way secret and the ideas have been reported on in the mainstream and social media, including the meeting Abbott attended where the ideas were released, with 25 more added recently.

So this should have been credited, but the fact remains Abbott has taken up many of the ideas and has endorsed the IPA and its ideas.
J.FraserSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:50 am

What is really interesting is that “Justin Scott” apparently doesn’t have anything to say about “no Science Minister”.

R&D that one “Justin Scott”.
Colin ThaiSeptember 22, 2013 at 12:00 pm

How dare Hewson Fraser Keating say those things about our lovely well loved Abbott, at least they are well known Politicians of our time, they must have some realistic thinking going on, and what surprises me TWO of them are or were from the same team as Abbott, 3 cheers for those lads, ps would have loved to see Mr Tony debating with any of them.. Thanking you
JulieSeptember 22, 2013 at 12:01 pm

I think Carlton has written this piece so as to repel criticism of being one sided in his views(pro Labor) Of course he knows Abbott will make huge mistakes with backward thinking & outdated methodology, but we must be seen to be giving him a fair go.Like giving Fine Cotton 100 metre handicap.
kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 12:02 pm

J. Fraser, rest easy we still have a Sports Portfolio.

Unfortunately, aside from getting rid of the Science portfolio, we no longer have a Minister for Disability Reform. Kevin Andrews, as Minister for Social Services, has taken on the “bleeding heart” portfolio which will encompass aged care, disability, housing, all income support payments and pensions, services for migrants and refugees, as well as multicultural affairs.

Furthermore, the Abbott Government will disband the social inclusion board, established under the former government to look at the causes and effects of entrenched disadvantage.
girlseuleSeptember 22, 2013 at 12:17 pm

That is a scary list.
RoswellSeptember 22, 2013 at 12:58 pm

It’s of no interest to me where the list came from. What is of interest, and I believe the evidence there, is what Abbott will pick from it.
Kath BairdSeptember 22, 2013 at 1:08 pm

Yes, it’s a bit more of a reality now! But the press still focus on the Labor leadership and there is so much more to investigate in the Abbott Agenda! thanks Mike Carlton keep exposing him and his plans then we can vote the coalition out and make him a one term PM.
Craig BrownSeptember 22, 2013 at 1:39 pm

“DOWN WITH THE CLOWN”
“JUNK THE MONK”
“DROP THE FOP”
“OUST THE OGRE”
“AXE THE BRUTE”
“FIRE THE FREAK”
“BOOT THE BEAST”
bernylSeptember 22, 2013 at 1:57 pm

This is the bloke we are talking about;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyY-xI6zgfk

He’s our Prime Minister.
Adam SmithSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:01 pm

Pull the other leg Justin Scott. I can see a fascist a mile away and this one is Catholic to boot!
David BlackSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:09 pm

J.Fraser, why do you put posters’ names in inverted commas? Don’t you think that people who post under their own names could actually be genuine?
Adam SmithSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:18 pm

Did, you or anyone see the ‘Ackerman’ fascist fella on the ABC Insiders program? This thing reminded me about a letter, written by Oliver Cromwell, addressing religious elites in 1650, quote, “I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken”.
Adam SmithSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:24 pm

@ David Black, at least some people are expressing their feelings freely honestly, which is more that I can discern out of your style of righteous rhetorical thuggery, honestly skewed, as it apparently appears to the reader.
kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 2:24 pm

Yes I saw Spackattack on Insiders and was very disappointed that he was there. After he perpetuated the “Tim is gay” rubbish on a previous program there was a huge backlash and Barrie Cassidy had said that he would not be appearing on the program again. He is a moron.
Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:25 pm

Adam, knowing in advance that Ackerman was appearing on the show was enough to put me off of watching it.

But I admire your courage. 😉
J.FraserSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:26 pm

@”David Black” … no I don’t think you are genuine about anything political.

Otherwise you would educate yourself.
McKinley ValentineSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:26 pm

I’m as horrified by Abbott as the next person, but I can’t any evidence to back up some of the scarier items on your list. For example, if you Google Abbott and the ACCC, you find only articles in which he says he’s going to increase funding to it, not scrap it.

The idea of him abolishing the Office of Film and Literature Classification is improbable since he’s a Christian conservative, and again I can’t find any evidence to suggest he’s planning to.

Although a member of the Liberal Party did discuss the idea of bringing in voluntary voting, Abbott hasn’t said he supports it or plans to do it.

Could you add some links to back up these things? If they’re true we need to know, and if they’re not, we can focus our efforts on fighting the changes he really has promised (eg repealing the carbon tax etc)
Adam SmithSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:31 pm

Watching Ackerman at work reveals the secretive ways of the Abbott Government. It also re-afirms what Benjamin Disraeli said about governments like the Abbott Government, quote, “A Conservative Government is an organised hypocrisy.” The expression upon Barry Cassidy’s face and others as Ackerman spoke for Abbott was very revealing indeed.
Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:32 pm

Hi McKinley, I’ve changed the sentence before the list so it doesn’t appear so vague. Thanks for the feedback. Regards, Michael T.
J.FraserSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:37 pm

Australia’s newest Prime Minister

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/abbott-insisted-on-nestor-reference-20130217-2eksx.html

Australia’s Prime Ministers confessor :

“Cardinal Pell is a fine man… Cardinal Pell is one of the greatest churchmen that Australia has seen.” – Tony Abbott on Cardinal George Pell

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/07/28/1027818485171.html

A bunch of fucing idiots running Australia.
Adam SmithSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:44 pm

@McKinley Valentine, John Peter Howard increased funding to the ACCC when Costello appointed Mr Samuels head of the regulator. He (Mr Samuels) in accordance with his remit, then issued a report to Parliament that petrol voucher discounts were good for consumers. Howard accepted the report and allowed for its implementation putting hundreds of small petrol retail businesses out of business. Yet some of these ‘dullard’ operators felt good about the policy and continued to vote for a Howard Government, believing LNP small business policies were good for them. Today, most small business people depend more than ever, on kindness of large operators, to get their work from the capital made available by big business, here and overseas. Do they really believe in this thing called Competition, or do they continue to live in the land of the ‘Wizard of OZ’!
AnthonySeptember 22, 2013 at 2:58 pm

I am an Aussie who has been living abroad for the last 10 years and I can’t help but laugh really. I have been saying all along that Tony is the Aussie version of George W Bush, how the hell do you vote this guy in? But you did vote him in, by a landslide I might add, so stop bloody whinging.
VexedbutfightingSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:59 pm

He had a chance to be a decent human being in opposition. He failed. No morals, no ethics, no conscience = no second chance.
J.FraserSeptember 22, 2013 at 3:24 pm

December 2010 .. At a Press conference Abbott refers to the NBN as “essentially a video entertainment system”.

Fucing idiot !

July 2011 … Abbott wins the Sans Science comment of the month in relation to how CO2 emissions are calculated “Its actually pretty hard to do this because carbon dioxide is invisible and its weightless and you can’t smell it”.

Fucing idiot.

Tweet from April 13 2013 … “Abbott said you can download 4 HD movies on the coalition’s Broadband policy at the same time … Moron never said it would take 200+ hours”

Why wouldn’t people call Abbott an idiot ?
bernylSeptember 22, 2013 at 3:39 pm

How dare Liberal supporters come here and cry foul on the grounds of that their totally toxic leader and his schoolyard bully ministers aren’t being given a fair go. Talk about hypocrisy. You’ve surely got to be kidding! The completely toxic and immoral LNP with Noddy at the helm, completely void of any morality or ethics, spared no effort or circumstance to vilify Julia Gillard in the most disgustingly abominable manner, and you liken that to what’s been written here. Suffering a guilty conscience are we???.
Unlike their male competitors, the bullies knew Julia would never turn up at their door to punch their lights out, more’s the pity. We’re now being governed by supposedly mature schoolyard bullies and you’re totally responsible for voted them in!!!!!! We’ve gone from a highly respected world entity, to an absolute laughing stock, and you’re to blame!!!!
Yes I’m angry!
McKinley ValentineSeptember 22, 2013 at 3:42 pm

Thanks Michael
MarkSeptember 22, 2013 at 4:52 pm

Where do you get off claiming to be Independent source of news your as bad as the Murdoch press your so views are so far to the left that your a bad joke. Where do you pluck your information from do you just make up facts to support your ill informed argument. Ppl like you who spread lies as the truth repulse me hang your head in shame and learn the meaning of the word independent
J.FraserSeptember 22, 2013 at 4:59 pm

<

@"Mark"

Just remind people when you held your head up high in the last 4 years of Abbott's reign of terror.
rossleighbrisbaneSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:15 pm

@Mark

The meaning of the word “independent”

“Adjective
Free from outside control; not depending on another’s authority.
Noun
An independent person or body.
Synonyms
free – substantive – self-contained – self-sufficient”

Don’t know which part, you have a problem with but try to actually object to some part of the blog and name something that you consider a “lie”. If you search the site, you’ll find an article from another contributor who argues that Abbott won’t go as far as some fear and disagrees with some of the points in this article.

But as least you’re aware how bad the Murdoch Press, is so congratulations on that!
Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:38 pm

Further to add:

independent
Adjective
Free from outside control; not depending on another’s authority.

Like this and most other blogs; Unlike the blogs of the likes of Bolt, Akerman and Blair, who are beholden to their employers and their political masters & puppeteers.
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:39 pm

For those who do not think the facts are facts, you still have the option, of proving them wrong.

Just saying they are false, carries no value at all.

Most are given with links. Most are words uttered by Abbott himself.

Just list what you take objection to, add proof of were the writer has gone wrong.

Should only take a few minutes.

Otherwise, I can only come to the conclusion, it is only your opinion, they are wrong.

See, I will not go a far, as to suggest, some might be telling a few porkies.

Funny thing, I have been on these sites for over three years. Have never seen any information, challenge with the backing of proof behind it.

I have seen numerous examples of proof being presented, to prove to those that challenge the information, that they are wrong.

I AM NOT saying we get everything right. Most are appreciative,m if proven wrong.
The last thing most want to do, is spread false information.

I think our visitors are really saying, they do not agree with the interpretation we put on information, That is a different matter. Then we are back to opinion.

So, were are we wrong. Were are the misleading facts.
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:42 pm

Justin, if I believe

Read somewhere today, that our PM is very stubborn man,.
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:47 pm

I can never recall Ms. Gillard being referred to as the PM or even PM Gillard.

I can remember many other names and descriptions applied to her, every time she was mentioned. Even her name became Juliar. Get off your soap box, and come into the real world.

Abbott is going to get the respect, he gave others. No more, no less.

He broke the rules and conventions. He set the standards. He will suffer the consequences.
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:51 pm

Justin, you are right about what Rudd said. Even though it was a far off dream, or brain fart, in my opinion, that is when Rudd lost the election.

From then it was down hill. It was down hill, because in that utterance, he gave Abbott legitimacy for his brain farts.

Rudd did not propose anything like Abbott did. The shame is, that by opening his gob, he gave the perception he did.
MarkSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:52 pm

Free from outside control to post left wing propaganda. Accept the election result as Australians that’s something we can be proud of in a democracy this so called independent news source is sprouting its own left wing agenda nothing independent there not a word has been said about the office of film and literature. Not a word has been said about privatising the ABC report the facts then your welcome to claim independance. I have heard nothing but bagging of the Murdoch press but since this news columns support left wing views it’s fine. I suggest rather than posting the definition of the word independent you educate yourself on why the Australian democracy is such well respected institution. We accept the election results peacefully. Claims for independance lose all merit when sprouting your own left wing agenda
johnSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:57 pm

Bullshit!
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:59 pm

“Keating only went to school until he was 15, while Abbott has 2 degrees, was a Rhodes Scholar, a journalist and twice a minister under Howard.”

Keating, which most say now was b[very successful,.Among those, was Brendan Nelson this week at NPC.

Even Howard has a good word for Keating now.

There is another difference as well as their education.

One obviously has a better brain.

Cannot think of any other reason why Keating was so successful.
rossleighbrisbaneSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:01 pm

Not a word has been said about privatising the ABC. This sounds like a word to me, even if it isn’t actual policy.

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/state-liberals-propose-privatising-abc-sbs-20130521-2jz5d.html
MarkSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:03 pm

Very typical of the left wingers Micheal resort to swearing and cursing when you know your in the wrong very mature
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:06 pm

Kayelee, what did you think of what Piers had to say abut the treasury,. A little frightening,,
kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 6:06 pm

Mark, according to the Australian, “the incoming Coalition government is not expected to make wholesale cuts to the ABC, but is believed to have privately put senior figures at the public broadcaster on notice that they are unlikely to find funding for any new projects.”

The IPA has this to say – “Under an Abbott government, budget cuts will most certainly be on the legislative agenda if only to save tax dollars. But privatisation—or at least rationalisation—of the public broadcaster remains a sound policy option. If the ABC is sold off and capital is returned to the federal budgets, its journalists would be free to air all the ideologically-tainted content they like. Some programs would not sell, and others would continue to aggravate many Australians. But at least taxpayers would not be forced to pay for it.”
Möbius EckoSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:09 pm

Mark are you just as vociferous against right wing sites that claim to be fair?

How about discussing policy and telling us exactly where the errors are with sources and facts instead of lamely attacking the messenger.
Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:11 pm

Mo, I thinks it’s the standard “hey look over there” method.
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:11 pm

Why Ackerman is back, is a worry within itself. Not only back, but Cassidy not even able to pull him into line. He ran that show this morning. He controlled the agenda.

No wonder the rest had the looks on there face. Could it have been disgust.
I wonder if Cassidy’s instruction, to give him a free go.

If not, Piers had one.
Adam SmithSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:12 pm

The fact that Mr Abbott referred to Australian Scientists, working on Antarctica and the Barrier Reef, recording and measuring impacts, caused by human activity, as ‘crap’, reveals his arrogance for the survival of living species. For a leader of a nation, to be recorded in the film archives and in the print media as a liar… well what can any reasonable honest man or woman say?
Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:12 pm

Very typical of the left wingers Micheal resort to swearing and cursing

Really? Where?
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:16 pm

I heard rumours that there will be a Gillard book out before Christmas. It would surprise me, if she wasted much time on Rudd.

I think there will be bigger fish in her sights.
kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 6:17 pm

“We accept the election results peacefully.”

ummmm I seem to remember the phrase “illegitimate government” coming up a fair bit over the last three years of dummy spitting. I even recall a headline saying “Abbott attacks Gillard’s legitimacy as Prime Minister”. But of course that’s different isn’t it.
Möbius EckoSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:22 pm

Yes Michael. How many times have we seen this faux outrage in a topic against a site that dares to rightly criticise Abbott and the Coalition.

The number of times being called to be harsh against Labor as a balance but the accuser never criticising the Coalition and never asking for the same balance in right wing sites.

The fact is, and it’s an almost universal phenomenon, the left are more critical and vocal of left politics and parties than the right ever are against right politics and parties. The left are willing to call fault of their own side but the right very rarely do for their side, indeed mostly the opposite, they cover up and gloss them over.
MarkSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:24 pm

Absolutely every media organisation has its own agenda right wing or left wing and yes Micheal left wingers are entitled to an opinion you just lose all credibility when you start swearing and cursing people who disagree with your political point if view. Not a policy discussion but just pointing out the lack of facts and scaremongering in this news article. Micheal you have 3 degrees but have no knowledge of politics or the role of the opposition leader. Clearly you find the behaviour of Rudd over the course of Gillard term to be acceptable from a senior figure in government. However bad abbot may seem rudds behaviour over that period has been far worse than anything abbot has said and done. That’s the problem the labor party had they painted abbot as a monster yet the majority of voters still preferred him to the labor circus that held power for 6 years. Labor has had a track record of holding onto power at all costs with the leadership changed twice over their term of government. While the coalition isn’t perfect at least they had the courage to face the Australian public over work choices even if the opinion polls showed they were heading for defeat. That is something the labor base can not claim at all but for some of you that us an acceptable position for a major political party to take. Labor more interested in holding onto power than standing for what they believe in with any form of conviction. That is why they lost the election
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:24 pm

Mark, where have we not accepted the election result. Yes, it is a legitimate, duly elected government, according to the Constitution,

Exactly the same, as the Gillard government was.

How many of you people accepted the Gillard minority government as legitimate. How many joined the three years dummy split. How many demanded a new election from day one. How many threatened to destroy it, at every opportunity

We accept the government.What we do not accept, what it stands for. That is allowed in a democracy.

We are stating very clearly, why we do ot like this government.
Möbius EckoSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:29 pm

Please Mark, that really is a bunch of ideological nonsense.

As to not knowing politics, what is the role of the opposition leader because Abbott certainly didn’t fulfil it? Indeed he probably changed the role forever, but watch the right scream blue murder if any Labor opposition leader followed Abbott’s example.
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:30 pm

and can I add, a great many of up support the established legislation he is trashing. Trashing mostly because he does not like the fact, that it is Labor legislation.

Most will be supporting to seeing most put back in place in the next government.

This is not new situation for reforms that Labor put into legislation, Since the days of Whitlam, most have to be ancestored, when they once again gain power. Medicare for starters.

This time, Labor is not turning their back on what Gillard achieved.

They learnt that is the wrong action, when they turned their backs on Keating.

Labor is no longer ashamed of their achievements.
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:31 pm

I was polled yesterday. Was a funny one, mixed up in other polling. Cannot be long before the polls begin again.
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:36 pm

Such a large comment on swearing and cursing. Maybe, he should have copied and pasted a few examples. I must have missed them.

The comments are definitely riddled with cursing.
doctorrob54September 22, 2013 at 6:38 pm

Abbott should be given the same chance and respect he gave and showed Julia Gillard,simple as that.Give the lying,destructive,vicious hate filled bastard nothing.All efforts must be made to limit the damage he is going to inflict on the environment and low wage earners in his one term of Government.
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:44 pm

Funny, only the right have any knowledge of politics. I suspect, in fact know, have worked in or near politics for most of their lives.

Yes, I do not understated what many from the right, are depicting politics now. Then I do not understand their definition of lying or breaking promises either,

They seem to have different meanings for words, that many on this site do.

I suspect what they want to happen, is for the last six years to be erased from history, Yes, they would like us, not to remember Abbott, for his time as Opposition leader.

They want us to go back to an imaginary past, were all was sugar and spice, and leaders held in high respect.

That era never existed.

What will happen, is that politics will continue and be practiced, inn the manner, that Abbott set the ground rules for. Once the cast is broken, there is o going back.

The only thing I ask, is that we keep to the truth. NO need to lie.
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:48 pm

What government does not hold onto power at all time.

This government did function at all times. There was never a point, that it was ever in danger of falling. Why should they have handed the reins over to Abbott.

That is stupidity. Government are elected,, and should expect to govern for that time.

If one wants a good example of a PM that held on at all costs, one cannot go past Howard.

The other has to be Rudd.
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:51 pm

We do not and should not govern by opinions polls. Can you see Abbott handing over the reins to Labor, if the polls turn against him. Can you see

What nonsense.
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:53 pm

They lost the election, mainly because Ru

Abbott was very lucky, not that clever.
MarkSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:59 pm

Labor changed back to Rudd from Gillard due to internal polling fed up Rudd was replaced by Gillard due to poor polls. Can’t just give government to the opposition because of polls you need a majority in parliament but you can replace a sitting prime minister from within your own ranks those are the facts that was alternative to abbot
Carol TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 7:06 pm

Michael and Mobius, for the past several years it has been the lot of Labor supporters to have to continuously defend people and policies against tactics which consisted mostly of sarcasm. When we have put forward support of policies (and even when we’ve criticised them such as that of Nauru), immediately the reaction has been *attack the person*..any debate of the issues for the most part consisted of right wing platitudes such *everyone knows Labor can’t handle the economy*..which of course is not debate only repetition of a slogan. We have even written entire topics inviting those of the right to explain why Abbott’s policies/ideas were superior – deathly silence was the result.

Any now it’s the turn of we of the left to have something precise to criticise – Tony’s small unto minuscule target tactics do not work when you’re prime minister. His numerous faux pas/sometimes quite idiotic ideas such as his Bat-phone to the patrol boats can no longer be ignored by the media..although I’m certain that the Murdoch press will do their best to do so.
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 7:28 pm

Mark, once again i agree with you.

I will also say, that her removal was wrong, very wrong. I see in todays media, polls that try to justify the decision made.

I personally do not agree, that Gillard would have done worse that Rudd. I also accept, that Rudd;s white anting, made Gillard’s position untenable.

The truth is, if Rudd had taken the wellbeing of the country and Labor into consideration, he would have been satisfied with being FM.

The biggest takes Gillard made, was treating him with kindness, instead of taking action, when it became obvious what his game was.

You know, I do not believe that Rudd ever wanted the job back, That could have accounted for his speech on election night. He was close to gloating. Gloating what for.

I suspect he is not finished with getting revenge. Do not know how he will treat Albanese, if he gets the ob, I suspect the same as he treated Gillard.

No, decisions should ever be taken with polls in mind. hat undermines the constitution and democracy in this country.
Fed upSeptember 22, 2013 at 7:29 pm

“They lost the election, mainly because Ru”

They lost the election, mainly because Rudd’s ongoing white anting over three years,

Abbott was lucky.

Sorry, I am losing words again.
PinkFloydSeptember 22, 2013 at 7:55 pm

Great read Michael. Have been following your recent articles too, but I believe there should be more links/evidence to support and strengthen your arguments within the article, especially curious as to where the information about cuts proposed by Abbott are sourced from. This can also be clicked on and located by others who also choose to inform other people about information not necessarily being distributed through mainstream media and social networks – snowball effect.
Adam SmithSeptember 22, 2013 at 8:22 pm

What I like about Mike carlton is very simple. He says it like it is and he always exposes “the let them eat cake people” so ubiquitous in most members of the LNP.
Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 8:43 pm

Thanks PinkFloyd. Good point and taken on board. 🙂
kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 9:08 pm

PinkFloyd here is the IPA wish list to which many of us (including Michael in his article) are referring. By my count approx. 20 of them are on the agenda to become true.

http://ipa.org.au/publications/2080/be-like-gough-75-radical-ideas-to-transform-australia

They have added another 25 ideas many of which Coalition and business discussion has been leaning towards

http://ipa.org.au/publications/2110/25-more-ideas-for-tony-abbott

Tony’s close connection to the IPA (plus membership by people like Rupert Murdoch and Gina Rinehart, his angels), plus their ever increasing presence in the media definitely make them worth watching closely.

http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/politics/abc-drums-up-appearances-for-the-ipa/

“I know I could be paranoid, maybe I am reading too much into this organisation, I am just a dumb punter of course? Though as Ms Harmer states: “Watch out instead for the IPA and their like – the white pointers in the shallows. Their bite can be fatal.”

http://yathink.com.au/article-display/just-who-the-hell-are-the-ipa,62
olddaveySeptember 22, 2013 at 9:39 pm

With regards to the ABC, the opinion from the left is that it leans to the right and the opinion fto the right is that it leans to the right. I reckon it is fairly down the middle with a few exceptions ( I don’t read the posts on the drum etc but am know they get hijacked at many times). It.s unlikely anyone who reads this type of forum will be swayed one way or the other anyway.

What does annoy is when questions are asked repeatedly and no relevant answer is forthcoming.
The interviewer concerned should say something like “Thank you Mr Abbott, because I have asked you the same question x number of times and have not received a satisfactory answer this interview is terminated.”

The interviewee’s mike is turned off immediately and the program logo appears with the message “interview terminated due to lack of relevance on the part of interviewee.”

For every one like this with a labor person there are ten with a coalition one. If they cant answer a simple question tell them to piss off.
Peter JohnsonSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:24 pm

The day after the election I was watching ABC 24 when they put 2 people from Bennalong telling us why they voted LNP the first a lady her reply was because Tony looks sexy, the second a bloke who said that he voted LNP because they would stop the boats and that would stop the disease that they bring in from spreading.Now to me it does show that they are more than a few cents short of a dollar.But then after the election Tony did say that the Australian economy was in good shape.Could somebody please explain to me why he complained for three years that Australia was destitute then within a couple of hours after being elected were doing fine.I think that was the only truth I have heard out of him for over three years.
Michael TaylorSeptember 23, 2013 at 1:19 am

Why did he complain for three years? Peter, good question. But I think we know the answer to that.
Kaye LeeSeptember 23, 2013 at 6:32 am

And so I wake this morning to the news that the ENTIRE board of NBNco has tendered their resignation due to attacks by Malcolm Turnbull. Great work Malcolm.
Adam SmithSeptember 23, 2013 at 7:59 am

When the Australian people voted for Mr Abbott did they look to him for authority or stability? Did they see in him a certain special kind of strength, assurance and steadiness? Or did they vote for populism and the kind promoted intimacy we were bombarded with by main stream media? How much damage has already been done to women, as well as our public service institutions, and this fellow has only officially just started to occupy the Office of The Prime Minister of Australia.
Möbius EckoSeptember 23, 2013 at 8:06 am

Peter Johnson. I heard an interview with two young ladies after they had voted, who on being asked if they didn’t mind saying how they voted said Tony Abbott because he was going to give them $75,000 to have a baby.

What this does tell me though is that there are going to be an awful lot of very disappointed voters out there when they realise they are not getting what they thought they would when they voted. They will be in denial for the first year or so and the polls will reflect that, after all no one likes to admit they made a monumental f up.
Möbius EckoSeptember 23, 2013 at 8:12 am

Kaye Lee also watch the space in the coming weeks with Greg Hunt and the fast tracking, Green Tape streamlining, of mining developments in Queensland that will have major negative impacts on the Great Barrier Reef and the Great Artesian Basin, especially SE Queensland, which can permanently lose water in large areas because of the mining.

Also the fast tracking with minimal environmental protections of hundreds of CSG wells in Queensland and NSW.
Cass SilvaSeptember 23, 2013 at 9:40 am

Some people have to be up to their neck in it before they admit that the person they voted for thinks they are all shitkickers anyway.
DSeptember 24, 2013 at 2:30 pm

Love to know where you got these figures from?

“Lower the tax-free threshold from $18,200 back to $6000. This will drag more than one million low-income earners back into the tax system. It will also increase the taxes for 6 million Australians earning less than $80,000.

Save families $300 dollars a year of Carbon Tax but cost them $2,300 per year in reinstated tax.”

What are the figures being used to calculate this?

Have you also factored in the Low Income Threshold Offset (LITO) being reduced from $1500 to $445 for income less than $66,667 per year under the Labour Government?

I’m sure some readers would like to see some transparency in the calculations.
kayelee1September 24, 2013 at 2:45 pm

D, as has been explained MANY times, these are things that the IPA is pushing for and Tony is already adopting many of their suggestions. The tax free threshold will no doubt form part of the tax review. The figure of $2300 comes from the 12,200 diff in thresholds multiplied by the current lowest bracket rate of 19 cents per dollar. The figure of $300 per year in savings I can’t find. Both parties estimated the cost to average households at about $500 a year but had we moved early to an ETS this would have dropped to less than $150.
kayelee1September 24, 2013 at 2:50 pm

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-28/abbott-using-outdated-figure-on-carbon-tax-cost/4912726

I have not included in those figures how much we are saving on mortgages due to low interest rates. Households were FAR better off. Not sure what will happen now.

“While there is little doubt that many families still struggle to make ends meet, this report shows that on average, Australian households, both high and low income, are financially better off than in previous decades … Cost of living pressures are more related to our increased expectations and the greater demands from a modern society than the prices we pay for petrol or electricity.”

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/20/australia-cost-living
Michael TaylorSeptember 24, 2013 at 2:59 pm

Thanks Kaylee. 🙂
kayelee1September 24, 2013 at 3:10 pm

Avec plaisir 🙂

And you may find this heartening. Tony claims to have an overwhelming mandate but it turns out he only won by about 30,000 votes. 11 of the Coalition seats have margins of less than 4,000.

Thirty Thousand Votes And Abbott's Gone
Michael TaylorSeptember 24, 2013 at 3:13 pm

Kayelee, I reckon he might have lost a good proportion of those 30,000 supporters in his first week.
kayelee1September 24, 2013 at 3:18 pm

Michael all we need to do is get the young people interested. If they all register to vote because of climate change and the NBN and the secrecy about asylum seekers and only one woman in the mininstry (or even cause they just feel the same visceral loathing that I do) then it will be Bubye Tony. I doubt he will risk a double dissolution though I hope he does.
Michael TaylorSeptember 24, 2013 at 3:45 pm

Kayelee, I have a great deal of faith in the young come the next election.
Dan RowdenSeptember 24, 2013 at 4:48 pm

kayelee1,

I’m curious as to your reasons for thinking a double dissolution would be anything but a disaster. It would be so easy for the Government and the supportive elements of the media to spin it in such a way (obstructionist threat ton stable government etc) that I think the Government would be returned with a bigger majority and probable Senate control.
Tom NewtonSeptember 24, 2013 at 5:51 pm

I think we have a very big problem with Mr Anthony Abattoir and the less well off will be hit hard.
Bad times ahead. The Boats are still a problem and they are going to keep it secret, Mr Morrison get your act together. Now news that they are going to continue on with Labors NBN. The mind boggles as to what next.
…………… Very Dissapointed.
Adam SmithSeptember 24, 2013 at 6:27 pm

Liberals argued hard and loud that big new taxes are no good. As with the climate change issue. But here we are, Abbott’s Cabinet in office not even two weeks and they are already talking about tax increases.
kayelee1September 24, 2013 at 6:28 pm

Dan I suppose I am letting my incredulity at the election result colour my judgement to a degree. I just think people MUST be realising what a mistake they made. For what it is worth: First Morgan Poll since election. 2PP L-NP 50.5% (-2.9), ALP 49.5% (+2.9)
Fed upSeptember 24, 2013 at 6:33 pm

More poll figures. Tony Abbott is preferred to Albanese 37 33 Abbott to Shorten 37 32.

This is a brand new PM compared with two men that have elected no role in Labor
Fed upSeptember 24, 2013 at 6:36 pm

We have the actions of those young people in Indi to follow. I suspect, the movement just might grow. I like it, because it is not party driven,,

Those young people that stood behind the new member for Indi, looked proud indeed.

Nothing wrong with quality Independents.
Adam SmithSeptember 24, 2013 at 6:50 pm

@Fed up, yes I agree that there is nothing wrong with some independent political thinkers wanting to be, and being elected. When I recall and reflect upon the negotiations entered into between Abbott & Gillard in 2010, it was the independents whom voted with Gillard. If the Member for Indi does her work, as she promised she would, I can see her consolidate her independent popularity expanding amongst the many voters who gave her their first preference vote. Good luck Cathy.
Marshall RobertsSeptember 24, 2013 at 7:37 pm

And there it is again… cutting the tax free threshold from 18K to 6K. The IPA did not suggest that in their 100 ideas for Abbott, and Abbott made a big deal of keeping the 18K threshold in his budget reply speech. It’s on record in Hansard. I’m no fan of Abbott but can we please stop saying this. http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/genpdf/chamber/hansardr/135b167f-578d-4414-a5b0-b2a35bc1cc32/0238/hansard_frag.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf
kayelee1September 24, 2013 at 8:27 pm

Marshall you are correct. The IPA actually want a single flat rate of income tax which would be infinitely worse. If Tony isn’t going to increase GST or decrease the tax free threshold but he is going to decrease company tax, then what the hell is the tax review for? I think it is widely accepted that we need to address revenue/taxation but every move Tony makes is in favour of business and the wealthy at the expense of the poor eg reducing company tax, removing the means test for the private health insurance rebate, imposing a great big new tax for his ridiculous paid parental leave scheme (which will just be passed on to consumers), removing the FBT regulations re business use for cars etc etc. I would suggest the promises he has made are temporary and I think we should ALL be very wary of what MAY come up on the horizon.
Marshall RobertsSeptember 24, 2013 at 8:31 pm

Yes, I expect we’re in for a hell of a rough ride. I’ve written about my own sense of despair here: http://www.anidealist.net/message-in-a-bottle/ So I don’t disagree with the thrust of your article, but I’ve seen that tax free threshold cut parrotted on blogs and news sites, and facebook, so many times, it’s driving me insane…..
Tom NewtonSeptember 24, 2013 at 8:38 pm

It was not just the young ones in INDI as it put all MP’s on notice that they must deliver to their electorate or get the chop like Sophie did. They are elected by the people and if they do not deliver they deserve to get their marching orders. Tony now has to deliver or get the chop. He has a long way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Adam SmithSeptember 24, 2013 at 9:07 pm

The LNP did say that they will be reducing the tax free threshold. By lowering the tax free threshold they may intend making income taxes more progressive so as to capture as much income as is possible through bracket creep. And by taxing more wages at a lower rates say $6001 at 5%? they’ll increase tax receipts to offset tax cuts in the corporate sector to attract more capital investment from around the world. That is the only way that Mr Abbott may be able to promise big infrastructure investment, whilst bringing his budget into surplus. Of course the LNP States are clamouring for 15% GST on everything.
Marshall RobertsSeptember 24, 2013 at 9:17 pm

Source? I haven’t seen any commitment from the LNP to reduce it. I’ve found plenty of people (including Wayne Swan) saying Abbott will ramp it back, but not the LNP itself saying that. All I could find was Abbott vowing to keep it, in his budget reply speech. Happy to stand corrected though.
kayelee1September 24, 2013 at 9:49 pm

Marshall I am not sure how he intends paying for it if he repeals the carbon tax. One other point is that it was set to increase to 19,400 in 2015-16. I think we can kiss THAT one goodbye.
Truth SeekerSeptember 24, 2013 at 11:06 pm

Migs, Good one 😀 Love your work 😎

Cheers 😀
jimboSeptember 27, 2013 at 4:17 am

Australia was tricked, Rudd was positioned to destabilise the labour party.

Labour just kept our hopes for a healthy nation alive with their policies for their term, now the libs are
swooping in and Americanising our government / industry framework.

Privatisation is something that is very expensive to undo, it is forever and it is devastating.
And they call themselves ‘Liberal’

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