It’s not unusual for a politician to stand against, rather than for something. John Howard’s dismissal of climate change (until he reckoned there were a few votes in it) and Julia Gillard’s opposition to gay marriage are a couple of recent stand outs. Taking a stand against a popular issue is not a crime, however, even if it does go against public opinion.
But in Tony Abbott we have an unusual case. He is against every social, environmental and economic reform imaginable. I cannot think of anything in the known universe he might agree with.
Let’s hear what he has to say about these issues, some of which you may of course agree with.
Same-sex marriage: Mr Abbott has said marriage is between a man and a woman not just to fulfill their own personal happiness ”but because we have obligations to the children that come with families.”
Homosexuality: Federal Opposition leader Tony Abbott has defended comments he made about homosexuality on 60 Minutes, saying gays and lesbians “challenge” the order of things.
Mr Abbott said he felt “threatened” by homosexuality on the program, a comment that has angered the gay and lesbian community and something he tried to back track from during an interview on the ABC.
“There is no doubt that it (homosexuality) challenges, if you like, orthodox notions of the right order of things” Mr Abbott told Lateline.
Abortion: “Christians aren’t required to right every wrong in the political arena, but they can help change the nation’s culture, suggests Tony Abbott despite the debt that political institutions owe to the West’s Christian heritage, there is the constant claim that Christians in politics are confused about the separation of church and state. There’s also a tendency among Christians in the community to think that Christians in politics have to sell out their principles in order to survive. Christian politicians are often warding off simultaneous accusations that they are zealots or fakes. Indeed, the public caricature of a Christian politician is hypocrite or wuss, in denial about the ruthlessness and expediency necessary to wield power, or too sanctimonious to be effective. Take the challenge of abortion. The problem with the Australian practice of abortion is that an objectively grave matter has been reduced to a question of the mother’s convenience.”
Boat people: Tony Abbott claimed boat people were acting in an un-Christian manner. Err, so is sinking the boats.
Euthanasia: “Legalising euthanasia in Australia would put elderly people at risk of being “bumped off”, federal Health Minister Tony Abbott has warned, after an Australian man traveled to Switzerland to legally end his life.”
The needy: “We can’t abolish poverty because poverty in part is a function of individual behaviour.”
Women’s rights: Tony Abbott warns women against sex before marriage. And how about this brain fart: “I think it would be folly to expect that women will ever dominate or even approach equal representation in a large number of areas simply because their aptitudes, abilities and interests are different for physiological reasons.”
Recognition of Indigenous culture: “Western civilisation came to this country in 1788 and I’m proud of that … Aboriginal people have much to celebrate in this country’s British Heritage.”
Climate change: As a climate denier, Tony Abbott is most famous for his statement that climate science is “absolute crap“. However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg – he actually has a long history of denying climate change science. “The fact that we have had if anything cooling global temperatures over the last decade, not withstanding continued dramatic increases of carbon dioxide emissions, suggests the role of CO2 is not nearly as clear as the climate catastrophists suggest.”
Technology: “There is no way on God’s earth that we need to be spending $50 billion plus of borrowed money on what is going to turn out to be a telecommunications white elephant – school halls on steroids.”
Foreign investment: Tony Abbott made headlines recently when during a visit to China, he declared that “it would rarely be in Australia’s national interest to allow a foreign government or its agencies to control an Australian business.”
In other words: foreign direct investment by such entities would not be welcome.
Divorce: Liberal Party frontbencher Tony Abbott wants laws toughened up to make divorce harder. The opposition families and Aboriginal affairs spokesman has called for a return to the fault-based system of divorce discarded in 1975, which was replaced by a “no-fault” system. Mr Abbott’s plan, outlined in his book Battlelines, would see a grounds for divorce reintroduced, including adultery, cruelty, habitual drunkenness and imprisonment. It would be similar to the defunct Matrimonial Causes Act.
Pensioners: “Tony Abbott’s Liberals have re-confirmed they will claw back hundreds of dollars from Australian pensioners. The Member for Curtin, Julie Bishop confirmed on Channel 10 Breakfast that an Abbott Government will rip away the latest increase to the pension – $338 a year for single pensioners on the maximum rate and $510 a year for pensioner couples on the maximum rate.”
Low paid workers: “The Coalition has today confirmed that they would re-impose a 15 per cent tax on Australia’s lowest paid workers (earning below $37,000) including 2.1 million women.”
Democracy: In his address to the National Press Club this week he told us he likes democracy and: “Government is important – my colleagues and I are in the parliament because it matters and because we care about our country – but, in a democracy, the people must come first.”
Yes, of course. That’s why he has tried every trick in the book to bring down a duly elected Government; a Government he calls “illegitimate”, “inherently unstable” and “toxic” to name a few.
Small business: “Tony Abbott has confirmed that the Liberals will cut vital tax breaks for Australia’s more than two million small business men and women if elected in September. Mr Abbott has pledged to scrap the instant asset tax write-off, which allows small businesses to claim a deduction for the full value of each new asset costing up to $6,500 after one year.”
He certainly is a unique little package, isn’t he? But with such a suite of archaic views he belongs in a museum, not politics.
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Congratulations. You have just PINNED THE TAIL …. ON THE DONKEY!!
You have excelled with this edition.
Shocking!!
Wow! a women should not have sex before marriage but I will assume it’s ok for a man as Abbott did, therefore a man will need to have sex with a married women who then has committed adultery under the tightening of the divorce laws! Abbott must really hate women!
Great read…
If he behaves this badly to get power, imagine what he’d do with it.
Teddy, does that mean that those that vote for him are exercising their democratic right to use the DONKEY VOTE? 😀
Rob, it doesn’t bare thinking about
Cheers 😀 😀
but you must remember he has told us we cannot believe everything he says !
Michael, we should consider combining our Abbott profiles as the basis for a book. Title?
The link to interview with j.bishop, channel 10 breakfast, wrong link, goes to the press release re super, tax low paidvworkers
Thanks captain51. I’ll change it when I get home later tonight. Oops. 😳
Great post Migs! 🙂
Thanks rebster. 🙂
Great Post Migs, the truth is this guy is a bold faced lying fake.
Further to women’s rights and pensioners, very many pensioners are widowed women who have been traditional in that they didn’t work outside the home but raised children and took care of the home. Or women who divorced later in life after a lifetime spent in the domestic sphere. They have few if any assets, usually, and in some cases not even this, the family home which they must insure and maintain on their pensions. These are many of the pensioners an Abbott-led government would take the small but vital amount of $338 a year from. Abbott spends more a day on office supplies. Abbott spends many times more a day than the PM on office supplies.
One question though – why on earth do people in his electorate keep voting him in? Surely on of the interdependent wouldn’t be as bad!!
I’m depressed! Is there actually any voting option that can make a difference in this country? Seems any way ends in a donkey or is not powerful enough to enact change 🙁
BURN IT WITH FIRE ITS THE BEST WAY TO UN-WANT SOMETHING
i will make sure to be living in america if that * HOLE is elected
i have many gay friends and i am now making this viral, please spread this with your friends on facebook and more we need to stop people like this or we will end up like Russia. and trust me if that happens there will be war and im not going to fight for a worthless country
bring back kevin rudd again sure he messed up but honestly who cares he was better than any other mp/pm
Migs, great article. 😀
There is much there to be worried about, unfortunately, like the man I spoke to a few weeks back, even though he knew that the ALP were better for him and his business, he will still vote LNP 🙁
There is such political apathy in this country, sadly “She’ll be right mate” won’t cut it when our way of life, workers rights and the economy has followed Europe and the US of A down the gurgler. 😯
Keep up the good work 😀
Cheers 🙂 😀 😎
Great article Migs! TS you’re right there is to much apathy in this country. Keep up the good work both of you!
muckaround, good to see you here. 😀
Keep up the fight J 😀 😎
Cheers 🙂 😀
Sharp, precise and genuinely frightening
Steven, one can vote independent, or for small parties. We are not restricted to the two parties.
Just make sure they are real independents.
If what I read on Twitter is correct you can add to Low Paid Workers the reduction of the tax free threshold down to $6000 that the Labor government increased to $18,200.
Will Michael reach the magic 1000?
Great post Migs, will definately be sharing this, TA is a definate danger not only to Australia, but everywhere else.
Please keep this great work going for all of us.
You could be right reb except that O’Farrell will definitely get a second term. Unlike Newman he’s doing his damage slowly.
Trouble with Abbott as a one term PM is he, like Newman, will do a lot of long term damage in that one term. Also I don’t think he, or more likely the Coalition under someone else, will be just one term.
Voters who have screwed up badly don’t like to demonstrate they got it wrong and more often than not give the Liberals a second go even when they are royally screwing them, Kennett is an example of that. The predominantly Right Wing media will also play a part in glossing over a Liberal government’s failures as they are doing with O’Farrell.
If Abbott wins, and there’s still a long way to go, I reckon we have less to fear than some around here profess.
I really cant see him tearing up the carbon tax – depriving pensioners of their compensation etc. At best, he’ll do some tinkering around edges to avoid too much upheaval.
And once we all get a taste of Abbott’s true colours as PM he’ll simply be a one-term PM in much the same way as Campbell Newman and Barrie O’Farrell…
You can all speculate all you like on the success or failure of Tony Abbott as our next Prime Minister but this I know – this wasteful and dysfunctional “government” has got to go. They have had 5 years to get something, anything right but they have managed to botch just about every major project they have implemented.
The destruction of the Pacific Solution is a glaring example of their incompetency.
The unimpeded stampede of welfare parasites will cost this country dearly in future years – both financially and socially.
These failed politicians will retire on their generous benefits while we, the taxpayers of this once great country, will be made to pay for Labor’s wasteful spending for many years to come.
My greatest wish is that I will never have to suffer another Labor/socialist/communist government for as long as I live.
It’s just the same old same old, Mobius…
The Libs get in and they slash and burn social services, health, education and welfare, and protect the interests of the wealthy and big business…
Then Labor get in, once people wise up to the fact that they’re being over, and they just go to the other end of the spectrum, spending more on social services, health and education.
It’s just a never ending cycle, meanwhile we the voters, are somehow meant to feel that we’re in control of it all when the reality is that we get one day in every three years to “have a say” and for the rest of the time the megalomaniacs have their way doing whatever the hell they like, while rewarding themselves accordingly, while treating us all with contempt along the way.
It’s a disgrace!
Pacific Solution back in place. Does not work
One of the best economies in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I suspect the eyes are kept tightly shut.
My greatest wish is that I will never have to suffer another Labor/socialist/communist government for as long as I live.
I’m more than happy to break your neck!
Thanks all. 🙂
John, it just reached 1,000 Facebook Shares which blew me away. I’ve been out of town attending a family event and haven’t been able to see what’s been happening.
Nell, here’s another one worth sharing:
“… this once great country”
LOL! Been to Europe lately or the US…?
This once great country is still looking pretty great … LOL…:)
I’ve been to Europe and the US lately and all they can talk about over there is how great Australia is.
Tell any taxi driver in the US that you’re an Aussie and you hear the same four things:
1. What a strong dollar you have.
2. What a great economy you have.
3. You’ve always had stable government.
4. We’re envious of how Australia managed to stave off the GFC.
LOL Jason.
I’d be just as happy to see his/her spirit broken.
John. how does “Tony Abbott: Unplugged” sound?
Depending on the margin, I too couldn’t see Abbott lasting more than one term.
Eyes open now, Nyaaaaaaahahahahahaha 😆
Jason, Nyaaaaaaaaaahahahahaha Nice one 😆
Migs, one term of Abbott could take decades to fix, as one term of Newman is likely to…..
not so funny 😯
Cheers 😀
There’s none so blind as a right wing ideologue with their eyes wide open.
“…they have managed to botch just about every major project they have implemented.”
I would like to see a detailed list of every major project they have botched, but not the misleading MSM headlines, the actual data and facts proving they were bungled. Methinks that would tell a very different story to the one the Liberal supporters have been led by the nose to believe or are deliberately ignoring.
Cu – “Pacific Solution back in place. Does not work”
This is an illustration of just how much of a snow job the right wing propaganda machine has been able to succeed in.
Much to their shame, and nothing justified them doing it, this Labor government not only implemented the Pacific Solution exactly as Abbott and the opposition demanded it, but they made it worse. The only single thing they have not implemented, and something that was only done for a very brief time under Howard, is the turning back of boats.
The government has put refugees into worse conditions on remote Pacific locations than Howard put them in, and it’s doing this to their children as well.
It has introduced a visa system for them that makes TPVs look fair.
In every way it has taken Howard’s Pacific Solution and made it more punitive to the refugees. Yet across the MSM and from the opposition all you hear is how Labor has failed to stop the boats and lost control of our borders. By the way that “losing control of borders” is the biggest piece of bunkum propaganda ever foisted upon the gormless.
This is why Abbott has now been reduced to just one three word slogan, and something he reiterated in his non-policy document, he stop the boats. He and the opposition have fallen back to this as their only boat people policy as they can’t get any worse than what the Labor government has done.
Of course turning the boats back will fail, even if it can be implemented as policy and acted on. The reason is the same for why it was stopped under Howard after the successful turning back of the first couple. This failure of Howard’s policy led to children overboard, and if Abbott is true to his word, which I doubt he is, then he’s proposing lots more children overboard incidents.
I would like to think that Abbott would be a one term wonder..that is, having done his job in getting the LNP back into power that some in the Liberal Party might consider that he would then be dispensable. However, this would be underestimating the far right of the LNP and the fact that there is no one in the Libs with leadership ability with the exception of Turnbull. Would the far right allow Turnbull to become leader? I believe that the answer is no, they would not.
I believe Morrison new policy is to make them work for the dole. They will have to go to the back of the queue to be given permanent visas. I believe Labor is giving them none.
They are going to lower the number of asylum seekers we take from the region.
They are also going to turn those boats back.
Yes, I believe Labor has now a more harsh replica of the Pacific solution.
I also believe that the PM has still not finish with the problem.
The penny will drop with many, that when the Coalition blames the government for the excess cost, which occurred this week with an interview on 2G, but got lost in the other noise. They are going to point out to Morrison, they are a part of the problem. In fact, they are the problem.
As the year proceeds, there will be two main election issues that will emerge from the public.
The first is asylum seekers.
The second is people who believe in a man made climate change, and the need to keep the present GEFC in place. Yes, Abbott is correct, the so called carbon tax will be an issue, but not in the way he thinks. There is still a major number of people who believe something needs to be done. I also think there are many more, who are not interested in the arguments, and will want things left as they now are.
Tony Abbott says a future Coalition government would cut Australia’s humanitarian refugee intake by more than 6,000 places, despite a previous offer to boost the quota.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-23/abbott-plans-to-reduce-refugee-intake/4387948
“They are going to lower the number of asylum seekers we take from the region.”
I thought Abbott suggested an increase….?
Sorry reb, I should have explained better. Just thought it was common knowledge.
oh ok, my mistake…
Miglo..brilliant! What a great summation of the Abbott ‘picture’. Am tempted to keep this one for posting to facebook a little way along the timeline for the next few months. I guess I can come back and find it in a week or two?
Want to keep the pressure on in ‘bite-size’ pieces so the fence sitters and the blinded MSM readers can take it in. That, of course, is dependent on their willingness to open the minds to ‘the truth’!
Just discovered this site. Such a relief to find some common ground, thankyou!
Now that we are in an election year, there is much written about comparing Abbott and Gillard as PM material.
To me it’s about leadership and who can best represent us at home and on the world stage.
I have just posted my take on the question of leadership.
Cheers 😀
No, reb you are wrong. The new policy, which was repeated again this week on 2gb has rescinded that promise.
The argument is that we cannot afford so many. Go to Morrison site, I am sure you would find trhe information there, as Morrison is so proud of the policy.
http://www.2gb.com/audioplayer/5996#
From the same link
“But Mr Abbott has pledged to return the quota to just 13,750 – a move that is estimated to save the budget $1.4 billion over the forward estimates – arguing that the extra places are sending the “wrong message” to people smugglers.”
I hated posting it. It is full of hate. Then maybe we need to hear it.
As bad as Labor’s policy is, this is much worse.
“Sorry reb, I should have explained better..”
It’s ok CU, it’s my mistake, I thought I read somewhere that Abbott had proposed to increase our humanitarian intake… But I must’ve been dreaming or hallucinating or something..
Oh hang on, it looks like I wasn’t mistaken after all..
From Jason’s link above…
“Earlier this year, Mr Abbott offered to support an increase in the humanitarian intake to 20,000 places as part of the negotiations aimed at breaking the political deadlock over asylum seeker policy. “
I understand CU, what I meant was my initial recollection that he had mentioned an increase to 20,000 was correct…
I wasn’t aware that since then he’s revoked that offer…
I’m sorry, but I can’t quite bring myself to visit any site that has anything to do with Scott Morrison….
The Liberal party has always had these political philosophies and these policy aims. Tony Abbot and his team are at least now showing the true Liberal agenda, they are hanging out their dirty washing for all to see…I hope they stay in for a long time, by the time they have finished with a largely disengaged aussie public the Liberals will be in serious trouble and the aussie public will be re-engaged with who is running their country. The real danger is that some real operater will take over the Liberals and hide them again before Tony can destroy them. 🙂
There is only one thing voters need to know about Abbott…..that he is a serial pathological liar. Fullstop.
No, you are wrong about Abbott, its Craig Thomson who is the pathological liar and he needs professional help.
“The fact that we have had if anything cooling global temperatures over the last decade, not withstanding continued dramatic increases of carbon dioxide emissions, suggests the role of CO2 is not nearly as clear as the climate catastrophists suggest.”
Hear hear!
One generally moves on from “no no no” to everything, when they go from being toddlers to children.
Mr. Abbott appears to be struck there.
The prospect of abbott serving any time in government, let alone as “leader” fills me with dread.
Abbott and his chosen pack of far right zealots are already doing their utmost to destroy our social fabric in their efforts to gain power.
The OM ably assisting, as they seek to destroy, or own, the NBN in the commercial interests of Murdoch, while abbott and the stormtroopers take care of his political interests.
Do any seriously think that these hate-mongers and fascists will cease such actions if they somehow manage realise their ambitions?
The fact that we are currently facing huge social and economic disruptions as the effects of AGW become more widely recognised and acknowledged.
The fact that a frightened, ignorant and divided “electorate” are ripe for “comfortable lies” as opposed to “inconvenient truths”.?
These facts, the actions of the lnp and OM in their repeated attacks on the foundations of our democracy and upon reality, say otherwise.
The extreme right, as personified in the abbott cabal represents a huge danger to our society, and is preventable.
TONY ASSBOTT IS A LOSER