48 comments

1. David StephensAugust 12, 2015 at 12:38 pm

   right on sister

2. roaminruinAugust 12, 2015 at 12:43 pm

   I hate him more than you do.

3. stephentardrewAugust 12, 2015 at 12:44 pm

   We have lost our moral compass and how the hell we get it back is worrying.

   This is a slippery slide into dystopian madness where immorality becomes amorality.

   Next amorality becomes the immoral norm.

   This is a highway to hell.

   Australia you are on road to a cruel and unjust future in which you will eventually be its victim.

   Try reading some history.

4. Mark NeedhamAugust 12, 2015 at 1:02 pm

   Good afternoon Kaye Lee,
   Most impressed with your article.
   You didn’t miss much.
   Mark Needham

5. BilalAugust 12, 2015 at 1:09 pm

   Get prepared for Scott “Concentration Camps” Morrison as Dear Leader.

6. Matters NotAugust 12, 2015 at 1:25 pm

   While Morrison is now the ‘man’ for the ‘right’ faction in the Liberal Party, the electorate thinks otherwise. Sure he’s preparing the ground with ‘spreads’ in ‘women’s’ magazines but for the electorate he’s still ‘poison’.

7. kerriAugust 12, 2015 at 2:03 pm

   Another great article Kaye Lee!

8. JollyjumbuckAugust 12, 2015 at 2:25 pm

   I despise Abbott as most people in the country do but will you please except the fact that not everyone agrees with SSM. It seems that most people’s messages are for the legality and recognition of SSM. It is inevitable seeing as other countries are adopting these policies but there are just as many who find these act as immoral and a breakdown of family values and beliefs. Federal elections should be based on all political issues that are good for the country and it’s people not just for who agrees that SSM should be legalised.

9. jimhazAugust 12, 2015 at 2:27 pm

   Kaye’s post is the sort of speech the ALP needs to make (next year) and put as an ad into the Newscorp papers.

10. Kaye LeeAugust 12, 2015 at 2:28 pm

    People have no right to impose their religious beliefs on others. We live in a secular society where discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is illegal regardless of others moral judgements.

11. HarquebusAugust 12, 2015 at 2:33 pm

    Relax Kaye Lee, heaven awaits.

    In my opinion, this is the result of indoctrinated faith based thinking based on belief rather than an educated logical way of thinking based on facts.
    Religions can not survive unless they prey on kids which, is why they do it. Child abuse.

12. Paolo SopraniAugust 12, 2015 at 2:49 pm

    I am really struggling to know what all the fuss over same sex marriage is all about! You would have to be pretty small minded and bigoted to even contemplate making it either controversial or a big deal. If for example I wanted to marry my car I fail to see what business it is of anybody’s, let alone being prevented by them from doing so. Oh wait…

13. KlausAugust 12, 2015 at 3:00 pm

    Strong Stuff. And all 100% correct. This guy is a walking disaster and Australia is falling behind science, openness, friendliness etc…. Having migrated from Germany some 30 years ago, gone back to Germany for 5 years and now back here, I am shocked out of my wits how much freedom is lost in such a short time. We have 2 Professors in solar Energy in Berlin, who did research in Australia but were defunded by the Howard government. This is mega crap and the MSM doesn’t say a word. Tragic for all Australians.

14. AnomanderAugust 12, 2015 at 3:17 pm

    No doubt he is hoping and praying for a terrorist incident, because he desperately needs to show himself as a commander in chief combatting a threat.

    On every other level he is a petulant, over-indulged child.

15. BlinkyewokAugust 12, 2015 at 3:20 pm

    Kaye, I agree with everything you said about the nope dope. Surely the LNP won’t risk going to next election with him still PM. Morrison would be just as nasty but smarter at hiding it. Therefore the best chance of dumping the LNP govt would be leaving Abbott where he is until the election.

16. AnomanderAugust 12, 2015 at 3:23 pm

    @kaye, as always, eloquently and comprehensively stated.

    @jollyjumbuck, I’m interested to know, in what way do you consider SSM correlates to a breakdown of family values and acts of immorality?

    @stephentardrew, a lovely summation.

17. Kaye LeeAugust 12, 2015 at 3:33 pm

    “Australia’s “pathetic” 2030 emissions reduction target shows the country has opted out of the global effort to limit warming, according to the head of the British government’s climate change advisory body.

    Lord Deben, previously a minister in the government of Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher, said Australia’s 26% to 28% reduction in emissions by 2030, based on 2005 levels was “simply not enough”.

    “Australia is fundamentally out of step and this decision puts Australia among the ‘don’t cares’ of the international community,” said Deben, who is the chairman of the Committee on Climate Change.

    “Global warming won’t wait for Mr Abbott and his government. Mr Abbott’s hubris is staggering.” ”

    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/12/tony-abbotts-hubris-is-staggering-uks-climate-adviser-on-emissions-target?CMP=share_btn_fb

18. LeeAugust 12, 2015 at 3:36 pm

    “It is inevitable seeing as other countries are adopting these policies but there are just as many who find these act as immoral and a breakdown of family values and beliefs. ”

    Jollyjumbuck, I saw an article on Facebook this morning about a Jehovah’s Witness who had sex with his 4 daughters. Perhaps you could explain how same sex marriage was responsible for that.

19. Sir ScotchMisteryAugust 12, 2015 at 3:39 pm

    How about ASIO and the AFP do another Hilton. The last one they did sure was good for the security agencies.

    War on drugs, war on terror, war on domestic violence… oh wait, no they have started that one have they, nor the war on priests and their chums bonking kids either.

    At that jumbuck chappie, most thinking people realise that the fact that some folk don’t agree with same sex marriage is their right, and between you and me, I fought and died in the war on stuff to allow them to have the opinion and to express the opinion. But it isn’t my opinion. That means, my opinion is different which is also okay.

    Can you please tell us what difference it would make to those who disagree, if the law on equality were presented and passed? That’s the point. It would make no effing difference at all to them, but to those who want to marry their mate of 40 years, or 40 weeks, why should that be illegal? None of your type ever elucidate the reasons. Mostly because you don’t have any IMHO.

    And BTW, coming in here telling us you hate Rabbott as much as the rest of us, isn’t actually much different to saying “I’m not a racist, but….(fill in story about first people)…” as you did last week.

    @Blinkyewok absolutely, positively correct, but the LNP don’t have the stones, as a group to get rid of him.

20. pudden'headAugust 12, 2015 at 3:48 pm

    Kaye, When did Mr.Abbott ever give any impression that he would be guided by legalities other than when he manoeuvred his various opponents to the courts? I would like to know Pauline Hanson and Peter Slippers’ opinions on our glorious leaders penchant for hobbling or taking revenge on his opponents through the legal halls. Strangely he failed to live up to reputation when our beloved ex Speaker exceeded the boundaries surrounding travel expenses. Should the LNP be reelected with that man at its front the courts will possibly be filled with the myriad who have opposed him along the way.

21. Kaye LeeAugust 12, 2015 at 3:55 pm

    Sir SM,

    The only thing opponents come up with is concern about children. Countless studies have shown that children of same sex relationships score better on health and well-being than their peers. Households are generally more harmonious with the workload shared more evenly rather than on gender based divisions. The one place where children with same sex parents scored worse was in being bullied and victimised. In countries where same sex marriage is legal and accepted this bullying goes away. This is yet another form of not-so-subtle child abuse by Captain Abbott and his merry band of bigots.

22. Kaye LeeAugust 12, 2015 at 3:58 pm

    pudden’head,

    In the unlikely event that Abbott should be re-elected I think we should up the crowd-funding for some court challenges of our own.

23. Kaye LeeAugust 12, 2015 at 4:12 pm

    Rather than going to the expense of a plebiscite (which does not have any legal force) we could make the election a plebescite by making every candidate publically declare their stance on SSM. If we must have a formal plebiscite then it should be asked at election time rather than delaying further.

24. Peter FAugust 12, 2015 at 4:19 pm

    @jollyjumbuck “Federal elections should be based on all political issues that are good for the country and it’s people not just for who agrees that SSM should be legalised.”

    I see this slightly differently. Same sex relationships are now legal in this country. Marriage is a different matter, in that some heterosexual people choose to be married and some don’t. it is not a question of making SSM legal, but making it available to ALL who would like to enter into marriage. This would not have presented such a problem if Howard had not changed the Marriage Act to include the words ‘between a man and a woman’.

    SSM is not for me, but I am quite prepared to allow that it might be right for others. I believe it is a question of equal opportunity. I cannot see how the existing community attitude to marriage places it in such a position as to be sacrosanct.

25. mars08August 12, 2015 at 4:23 pm

    Frankly I don’t believe that Abbott opposes SSM on moral grounds. The bloke is an empty vessel… he has few, if any strong beliefs.

    Tony Abbott is concerned with power and control. I think his stand on this subject is simply about retaining power.

    Sure, polls show that a MAJORITY of citizens support SSM, but how is that majority distributed? If we look at voters, we would find that a MAJORITY do not vote for the Coalition. Abbott is just out to ensure he secures the votes in those electorates that will keep him in power at the next election.

26. Peter FAugust 12, 2015 at 4:24 pm

    @paolo Soprani. You might have to wait until you car is old enough. Mins is only fifteen. At least it doesn’t smoke. While this is said in jest, as I took your comment to be, it is an answer to those who suggest that SSM will lead to people marrying their dog/horse/ etc.

27. paul walterAugust 12, 2015 at 4:49 pm

    Yes, Mars that is the whole of it in a nutshell..lacks the mentality, no ability to introspect, no empathy. So are a number of his colleagues.

    The Klan would be too Trot for them.

28. corvus boreusAugust 12, 2015 at 4:49 pm

    jollyjumbuck,
    It is too bad that you are so fixated with your own prejudicial objections to the idea of consenting adults of the same sex being allowed to marry that you failed to notice that 20 other electoral issues were raised in this article.
    Nor was SSM mentioned in any of the comments until your post.
    Are you morbidly obsessed with the subject?

29. Kaye LeeAugust 12, 2015 at 4:50 pm

    As far as I am aware, marriage participants have to give informed consent and sign something so that kind of wipes out those of you with a car/horse fetish.

30. Sir ScotchMisteryAugust 12, 2015 at 4:55 pm

    OMG can we please point out that not everyone is in favour of Sir ScotchMistery so I don’t get calls from right wing nut jobs asking me out. Again. Tomorrow.

    Dance card is full.

31. keertiAugust 12, 2015 at 4:56 pm

    Why the obsession with SSM? Surely this is not a matter for a plebisite. There are far more important issues facing us, as Kaye Lee has so eloquently pointed out. Whether a few people marry or not will have little or no effect on most of the population, but abutt’s continueing assault on the people of australia will.

32. Sir ScotchMisteryAugust 12, 2015 at 5:30 pm

    @Kaye Lee, I had the great pleasure of spending a couple of hours last week at Love in Brisbane where the speaker wth the most to say was the 10 year old daughter of 2 mums. She spoke for about 20 minutes and ended up with a well-deserved standing ovation.

    Kids of same sex couples have little to worry about with a spokesperson like Taea. It would be good to see the occasional product of hetero-union with the same capacity to hold an audience of 200 in utter silence for 20 minutes.

33. guestAugust 12, 2015 at 6:55 pm

    I am looking forward to the time when history records the kinds of comments made in this article and by many others in aimn. It will be a big encyclopedia of stupidity, incompetence and vandalism. People in the future will wonder how this man ever became leader of the country. It will be very embarrassing for a long time.

34. tet02August 12, 2015 at 7:05 pm

    @keerti, exactly I too worry about the time and energy taken up with issues like choppergate, entitlements, and SSM that, while important and they certainly need to be addressed, shouldn’t be taking up literally months of political toing and froing. Why the government is willing to skirt around the two serious issues of global population sustainability and climate change can only be because they have no idea on a policy to deal with either of the two inflating elephants in the room that’s getting smaller and smaller.

35. keertiAugust 12, 2015 at 7:39 pm

    Or they are actually much more adept at shifting attention from the important to the relatively trivial than we realise.

36. MickAugust 12, 2015 at 8:09 pm

    Great Article about a horrible man. Very easy to read, understand and it gets the message across well even for people like myself who aren’t big readers. Problem is that most Liberal / NSDAP voters would go into complete denial mode if they read it. They would simply label it as leftist / unionist dribble. I find Liberal voters to be very selfish or very stupid with the very selfish being the rich ones and the very stupid buying into the “stop the boats, any Muslim must be an ISIS terrorist, anyone unemployed must be a bludger, union members are all thugs” rhetoric and diatribe.
    I find concerning that we are being led down the failed path of the American system where the rich are getting even more control of the funds and everyone else will have to fight for scraps.

37. EvaAugust 12, 2015 at 10:50 pm

    Perfect summary of everything that is wrong with this Government and Abbott.

38. AnomanderAugust 13, 2015 at 7:29 am

    @tet02, it’s called distraction and one of the weapons employed by politicians and the media.

    Paul Keating was the progenitor and perfector of the art of distraction – every time an issue surfaced that was damaging to the government, out of left-field would come a call for a new flag or a new national anthem. This got passions riled and discussions would ensure that would alleviate pressure on the government.

    But Tony certainly isn’t Keating – he simply doesn’t have the subtlety or nous to truly master the deflection. Instead his pugilist training comes to the fore – he bludgeons and batters away believing he can accomplish through force.

    And it isn’t the government creating these tactical distractions, the government has launched so many brute force attacks on such a wide range of issues, they have fomented widespread discontent across vast swathes of the community, seeing attrocities committed in our name, services diminished, institutions dismantled and our rights and freedoms under relentless attack.

    It is the people themselves who are standing-up and demanding action now on many of these issues, forcing the government to continually fight a series of rear-guard actions. While they are fighting these skirmishes they are struggling to deliver a cohesive message, which makes them appear even more incompetent.

    These issues are important because they are easy wins for the government. Passing legislation to approve SSM would be easily achieved, and they would win enormous support from the community, but they are too fearful of a minority of fundamentalist conservatives in several marginal seats, hoping their inaction will be enough to maintain power at the next election.

    All too late. They have disenfranchised too large a percentage of the electorate to be re-elected, so they are now spoiling. Trying to dismantle as much of previous governments’ legacies and to supplant their IPA driven agenda, before it comes crashing to an end.

39. DJAugust 13, 2015 at 8:01 am

    Very afraid of Morrison now, very afraid. I don’t think enough people know him well enough to know how truly dangerous he is.

40. Kaye LeeAugust 13, 2015 at 8:13 am

    I was disgusted to read about the analysis of marginal seats being used in the discussion about SSM. Rather than considering the proposal on its merits they have looked at how it might affect their re-election in a few specific marginal seats, an analysis no doubt paid for by us. Is this how all policy is to be decided in modern politics?

    And I agree about Morrison. he is a very dangerous man. Read the story of how he destroyed Michael Towke to gain preselection

    http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/nasty-saga-you-nearly-missed-20091025-hem5.html

41. KyranAugust 13, 2015 at 1:20 pm

    And in breaking news;
    “Liberal MP and chairman of Federal Parliament’s intelligence and security committee Dan Tehan has argued the situation in Syria has escalated to a point where Australia must start bombing Islamic State targets in the country.”
    Translation – ASIO haven’t been able to find a ‘home grown’ threat (without the aid of concerned family and friend’s). A deranged individual and some troubled teenagers (struggling for self identity and capable of wielding a plastic sword) don’t quite cut it. The fools even called in camera crews to record their raids. There is no foundation for comment on federal parliament’s intelligence. Not without a microscope.
    In fierce rebuttal, the steely opposition have replied;
    “I think it’s extraordinary, frankly, that the Government sent out a backbencher to start floating ideas without any clear proposal, without any explanation to the Australian people of what the legal basis would be, what the mission would be, what success would look like, what our personnel would be expected to do, and how this would fit in with what the rest of the international community is doing.”
    Translation – the opposition have just worked out the government’s modus operandi. Government sends out a junior mp with a brain snap and waits to see how much blow back there is. Opposition strategy? Send out a senior mp with a WTF? Then wait and see how much blow back there is.
    Therefore, Reclaim voters, ignore Ms Lee’s article. All of the points she has raised are valid (patriarchal condescension) but we have more serious things to be concerned about. Her only reference to this really real threat, really, really real, is
    “By his perpetual dog-whistling about imminent terror threats from an apocalyptic death cult”
    Little johnnie did dog whistles, with weasel words. Our prime miniature uses a megaphone, knowing it will not just incite the dogs, but excite the dogs. Ms Lee’s comments are worthy of careful consideration (ie the backburner). Vote for tiny, cause we know what we need to be afraid of.
    Grateful, Ms Lee. Take care

42. Douglas EvansAugust 14, 2015 at 9:08 am

    Great piece. That’s an impressive list of ‘achievements’ from our appalling government. Did I miss it or did you forget their alienation of our indigenous community as a result of rejecting the suggestions of their representatives in respect of constitutional change? My only fear now is that Abbott will be replaced too soon by either (J) Bishop or Morrison (Turnbull seems not to have a chance) and the electorate will decide its all OK and doze off again.

43. KyranAugust 14, 2015 at 9:32 am

    Has anyone else noticed how often the descriptive ‘worst minister ever’ has been used during this government’s tenure (you know, health, education, treasury, defence, prime, etc)?
    Over on the ABC site, Barrie Cassidy has an opinion piece today. I think it’s satire, as it is titled “Coalition is losing its advantage across the board”. “Is losing”? Seriously?
    I don’t think I’m alone in my experience of that dreadful feeling the day after the election results were announced. Like that misspent night of drunken debauchery in your youth, when you wake up the morning after, still in a drunken haze, thinking “What have I done?”
    A feeling unaltered by tiny’s assurance in February that ‘good government starts today’ or assuaged by my certainty I hadn’t voted for them.

    In the article, he cites Sally Young, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Melbourne, who “raised the question as to whether the Abbott government was the worst ever, that is, in terms of its effectiveness. She conceded her approach values quantity over quality and doesn’t measure how important the legislation was or its impact. However, based on legislation passed, the Abbott Government is the least efficient in 44 years.”

    History seems destined to record this government and its ministers, from the top down, with the descriptive ‘worst ever’. Take care

44. Kaye LeeAugust 14, 2015 at 10:03 am

    Speaking of worst ever,

    “The University of Canberra is preparing for legal action against the Commonwealth for what it argues is an unlawful cancellation of a $26 million federal grant to set up a Centre for Quality Teaching and Learning.

    But Education Minister Christopher Pyne has countered that the funding would have represented a clear waste of taxpayers’ money.

    The UC is also seeking the payment of $4.4 million in unpaid invoices it sent to the Commonwealth before it received official notification the centre had been axed.

    Education Department Secretary Lisa Paul said Mr Pyne was “committed to lifting the quality and status of the teaching profession as a whole” but would be assisted in his endeavours by a ministerial advisory group.”

    http://www.smh.com.au/act-news/university-of-canberra-taking-commonwealth-to-court-over-26-million-broken-promise-20150813-giy8r0.html#ixzz3ik9WvXkb

    So all of Pyne’s bs about improving teacher quality and training is thrown out the window because he wants to punish UC for speaking out against his higher education deregulation. Why have experts advising us when we have Commandant Credlin.

45. randalstellaAugust 14, 2015 at 10:40 am

    Useful summary of the ongoing disaster elected by the voters.
    What would make it more useful is for one of the Labor stalwarts here to use it as a checklist, and itemise just what a Shorten Govt. would do about each matter. They seem to go shy at such opportunities.
    Rather that than another of those ranting ‘open letters’ that manage not to say what Labor will do.
    Any stream that includes Doug Evans is distinguished by his reason and commitment. Nice to see that he bothers still.

    P.S.: Pyne could be un-elected if voters got together. Will they?

46. Möbius EckoAugust 14, 2015 at 12:49 pm

    Here is the Liberal’s tactic up to and for the next election revealed. No surprise – Be scared, weekly.

    Tony Abbott is creating a Whitlam government of our time

47. eli nesAugust 14, 2015 at 11:48 pm

    the universities have been rorting their entitlements for years enrolling students, with no chance of a job, into teaching and nursing degrees and dumbing down courses to keep poor students enrolled. This is in addition to the thousands of functionally illiterate and enumerate students being charged up to $96000 for certificates or diplomas,
    If I can hang on till a hundred, the poor women of Australia will owe more money to the government than the GDP and the tax revenue less the GST will barely pay the political pensions.

48. John LordAugust 15, 2015 at 4:54 pm

    Comprehensive.