In a further attempt to remove any scent of humanity the libs are trying to get rid of Petro Georgiou, they are a disgrace and the very definition of "Un-Australian"!
Petro Georgiou has acted in the finest Liberal traditions, writes Tony Cutcliffe.
WHEN federal Liberal backbencher Petro Georgiou wrote for these pages in May last year ("Why we need a new policy on refugees", Opinion, 26/5/05), he began by declaring it was time for Australia to show "compassion and accountability" in the way it treated asylum seekers.
He will have been aware that his stand would provoke yet another attempt to wrest the seat of Kooyong away from him. The preselection nomination by the ambitious young Joshua Frydenberg shows just how far the Liberal machine has strayed from its roots in the relatively short time Georgiou has been in Parliament.
As member for Kooyong, Georgiou occupies the seat once held by the much respected founder of the Liberal Party, Sir Robert Menzies. Among Liberals, Menzies is not just respected, he is absolutely revered for his values and for his political legacy. John Howard even went so far as to install Menzies' old desk in his Canberra office.
Georgiou has had a distinguished career in public policy. He worked for former prime minister Malcolm Fraser, during which time he was instrumental in establishing the multicultural broadcasting flagship SBS. He continued to utter Menzies' war cry by providing key strategic support to Jeff Kennett, who presided over the reconstruction of Victoria's collapsed economy.
Why then are the knives out for Georgiou when it seems that the spirit of Menzies would embrace him and all the things he stands for? Why are superannuated pinstripes such as Hugh Morgan reported to be leading the charge, when Georgiou has reliably supported structural reform in the interests of public good? How is it that former senior Liberal Neil Brown is reportedly moving against Georgiou, who has been a courageous champion of human and civil rights?
A scan of Georgiou's previous stands uncovers much of the motivation for others who might want to bring him down. Former communications minister Richard Alston, now comfortably ensconced as high commissioner in London, is reported to be one of the political assassins. Georgiou upset Alston's applecart in 2002 when he and others refused to allow Alston to use the parliamentary Liberal Party as a rubber stamp for Alston's legislation. Others will be upset by Georgiou's stand for the civil rights of same-sex couples. He will have upset yet others by opposing the trampling of civil rights in anti-terrorism legislation.
To the ghostly applause of Menzies, Georgiou has stuck his head up time and time again for forgotten people in the same way that Menzies championed the so-called forgotten people of his era. Georgiou has marched for the cause of Aboriginal reconciliation and has steadfastly promoted harmonious and constructive multiculturalism.
In 1999, Georgiou annoyed others in his party by reminding them of Menzies' particular commitment to social justice and equity of opportunity. He implored his own party to keep this in mind when considering its options in welfare and social reform. He urged others to remember that those who had been relegated to the community's margins rarely had a choice in the matter. Despite potential political benefits, Georgiou also opposed non-compulsory voting because it wouldn't benefit the broader population.
Reading the demands of national identity, Georgiou worked diligently for the cause of a republic in the referendum, setting himself apart from the egotistical supersizing that ultimately shattered the "yes" case. However, it seems that Georgiou's determination to protect the rights of defenceless refugees, particularly their children, has brought on him the faceless opprobrium from which his challengers draw their comfort. He steadfastly refuses to bow to the bunyip bluebloods who would have his head.
The Liberal leader at the time of Georgiou's original preselection was Alexander Downer, who described Georgiou's selection as important for broadening the base of a party that had become "too narrow in years gone by". The same Downer is now reported to be up to his garters in the putsch against his parliamentary colleague. Sadly, even former governor-general Sir Zelman Cowen appears to have forgotten his former vice-regal manners and entered the fray.
Contrary to some of the spin, the challenge to Georgiou is not a measure of his departure from the party's best interests: it demonstrates how far his party has moved from the enduring principles of its founder whom it purports to venerate.
Tony Cutcliffe is a director of the Melbourne-based community forum the Eureka Project.
By Jewel Topsfield and Orietta Guerrera March 22, 2006
PRIME Minister John Howard will back Liberal moderate Petro Georgiou, who challenged him over the mandatory detention policy for asylum seekers, in the looming preselection battle for the seat of Kooyong.
A spokesman for Mr Howard yesterday said the Prime Minister supported all sitting members — the same position as Treasurer Peter Costello.
Mr Georgiou is facing a challenge from Joshua Frydenberg, a former senior adviser on security and justice issues to Mr Howard, who is now a director of global banking at Deutsche Bank.
Mr Frydenberg is being backed by influential members of the business community, including former Business Council of Australia chairman Hugh Morgan and former Allens Arthur Robinson chairman Michael Robinson.
His push is also supported by senior Victorian Liberals in the Kooyong electorate, who have claimed Mr Georgiou has presided over dwindling fund-raising, party membership and declining voter support at five successive federal elections.
Mr Georgiou's supporters include former premier Jeff Kennett, former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and senior state Liberal Ted Baillieu.
Mr Baillieu said Mr Georgiou was popular and should win the preselection.
"Petro has enormous support both amongst the membership and in the broader electorate," Mr Baillieu said earlier this week.
Liberal MP Bruce Baird, who was part of a group of backbenchers led by Mr Georgiou who negotiated with Mr Howard to get children and long-term detainees out of detention, said it would be a tragedy if Mr Georgiou was not preselected.
"Without his drive and determination there would be a lot women and children sitting in detention centres," he said. "He provides the conscience of the party and a strong humanitarian interest in human rights and civil liberties," Mr Baird said
On the streets of Camberwell yesterday, there was strong support for the sitting member of 12 years — even among Labor voters.
Liberal voter and Hawthorn resident Violeta Imberger said Mr Georgiou was popular among her friends, and enjoyed a good reputation. "He's from a migrant background, and that background gives you a school-of-hard-knocks outlook," Mrs Imberger said.
"You've seen the hard side of life; you haven't got there because you're from a well-heeled family.
Long-time Camberwell resident Michael Taveira said that while Mr Georgiou and his work weren't always visible around the electorate, he would still vote for him.
"I think he's done an excellent job — on mandatory detention, his work on migration, and in general his liberal attitudes," Mr Taveira said. "Small 'l' liberal — he's one of the few who's genuinely left in the party."
One Labor voter, who asked not to be named, said if any Liberal MP could win his vote it would be Mr Georgiou.
"I'm not at all a Howard supporter — so I'd much prefer him to Howard."
Nominations for preselection close today and in six weeks local members and party officials will decide Mr Georgiou's fate.
I hope he makes it, he is a good bloke..............I do wonder,though,what chance he has with Howard behind him....
Howard's backing Georgiou about as much as Beazely backed Crean.
Funny isn't it how both liberal and labor are trying to get rid of the people that actually have the guts to stand-up and speak out when they disagree with something. And Crean and Georgiou are probably the two best people in both parties.
A letter in yesterday's Age. Be warned Australia, these are the future leaders of the Liberal Party ..
(This Barendse guy sounds like a young Tony Abbott)
Quoted Text
By Suzanne Carbone and Daniel Ziffer May 4, 2006
THE future of our nation is in safe hands if the next generation of student politicians is any guide. A Tuesday night function in the city turned into a vomit-soaked event that required the attendance of police, thanks in part to the president of the Australian Liberal Students Federation, Julian Barendse. A private event run by an accounting students' society for about 50 people was disrupted by a small group of gatecrashers. Observers say the group of between four and six people was unruly and was repeatedly asked to leave. Bond Lounge Bar owner Phil Anderson confirmed the disturbance, which began just after 7pm and dragged on for more than an hour. The function was expected to be peaceful, so Anderson had not hired security. But the group became rowdy and interfered with the event's sponsors. "So they asked me if I could have a word to them," Mr Anderson said. The phrasing went along the lines of "tone it down", but it didn't work. Mr Barendse was allegedly ejected, but about 7.30pm he ventured back in and nabbed some of the banners belonging to the sponsors. "The guy who we'd ejected was still out the front ... (and) was getting beers from inside from his mates," Anderson said. When told to dump the drinks and move on, he said, Mr Barendse ran back into the club and threw up several times. A cubicle-side chat failed to move the 23-year-old student politician, so Mr Anderson sought help. "I didn't really want to call the police," he said yesterday. The police arrived and asked Mr Barendse, an ex-president of the Melbourne University Liberal Club, to leave. He didn't, so they took him outside. "He was saying, 'I'm being assaulted, I'm being assaulted,' " Mr Anderson said, as another member of the errant group videotaped the fracas. The police told him to go, but "he kept walking back in". They eventually clapped handcuffs on him, but what happened afterwards is unknown. A police spokesman could not elaborate due to the "large number" of similar incidents in the city. Mr Barendse, who works part-time for federal member for Casey Tony Smith, yesterday declined to discuss the events. He said only: "This must be the first accounting function that's ever been newsworthy." We agree.
x452. . you would feel so much better if you did not look to these people to solve the daily problems you face. . . they have proved unworthy for decades. . and still people turn out to vote on polling day.
DEMOCRACY = Voters deciding by Poll on who will be the local member that "Big Business" will push around.
On topic though, we were a group of people who thought we could change the world for the better. We were all idealists and decent, hardworking people. Don't tar everyone with the brush of a few.
x452. . you would feel so much better if you did not look to these people to solve the daily problems you face. . . they have proved unworthy for decades. . and still people turn out to vote on polling day.
I face? I am actually not facing any problems at the moment.
Unfortunately me not voting or not caring about politics isn't going to help those in in this country that need help the most, the poor and disadvantaged.
If we were all well off or wealthy then yes politics would not matter and we wouldn't have to give a toss about the tossers that run this country.
We were all idealists and decent, hardworking people. Don't tar everyone with the brush of a few.
It's a shame your kind never make it. It's always the dishonest, immoral, elitist pr*cks that ever get anywhere - howard and abbott are prime examples.
There was a brilliant article on Abbott and his path to politics in the The Age Good Weekend a few weeks ago. Wish I could get it in softcopy format to post here ...
It's a shame your kind never make it. It's always the dishonest, immoral, elitist pr*cks that ever get anywhere - howard and abbott are prime examples.
...
But it's not just the Liberal Party, x452. There are people in every political party that are just like that.
And for the record, I don't vote Liberal these days.
But it's not just the Liberal Party, x452. There are people in every political party that are just like that.
And for the record, I don't vote Liberal these days.
Yes you're right. I chose the libs as an example because they're the Government of the day.
They seem to have a certain strangle hold on this country that I just cannot understand.
I watched "Insight" on SBS last Tuesday night and the topic was "The problem with the Labor Party", and there were voters in the audience completely disillusioned with the Labor Party, rightly so, however some of their reasons for voting Liberal astonish me because they are nothing short of dumb.
One guy said he votes for John Howard because he's a "leader". Well not really, using devisive and "fear" politics to rule your country like a dictator and make huge decisions against the wishes of the people (Iraq, IR Reform) do not make you a "leader".
Another person said the Liberals are better managers of the economy, now anyone that knows anything about economics knows this Government is enjoying a good economy because the previous labor government set it up, and John Howard does NOT have any control of interest rates. They are determined by international economic forces (since the dollar was floated), the U.S. also has relatively low interest rates at the moment.
Another woman said she feels "safe" under John Howard. I don't know why because by joining the Iraq war he has made Australia a terror target whereas prior to that we weren't even a blip on their radar!
A letter to The Age:
Quoted Text
Bring back Keating, I just love the bloke! Monday night's appearance on the 7:30 Report by Paul Keating rekindled in me an excitement in politics that I haven't experienced in what seems an eternity. I love the bloke. Here is a man who was a true leader, a man with a vision for Australia, a man I was glad to follow. Here was a man who knows what he is talking about and isn't afraid to express it. Here is a man with a sense of humour unlike the dull, grey, humourless, lacklustre people who currently occupy Parliament House. Those who are enjoying the benefits of a strong economy should fall to their knees and give thanks to Paul Keating. OK, a good number of Australians dislike Keating intensely, but history will judge him as one of our best and most visionary leaders. If only we could have him back. He'd eat the present mob (on both sides) for breakfast. Ian Braybrook, Castlemaine
The Young Liberal Movement is dedicated to the Liberal philosophy, which recognises the supreme importance of the individual in society.
We are committed to ensuring that society is responsive to the needs of all members of the community.
We believe in freedom of the individual, tolerance of others, and initiative and personal responsibility.
In a Liberal society the role of Government is to create an environment within which every individual has the opportunity and is free to achieve their full potential.
We believe that the voluntary co-operation of groups and individuals within society increases the scope of human endeavour.
As Liberals, we believe that a free enterprise system of economic organisation maximises initiatives, and enhances and individual's freedom and material welfare. We support minimal Government interference in people's daily lives, except where this is shown to be against the public interest or where the lack of Government intervention would work against these principles.
Concentration of political and economic power threatens the freedom of individuals by limiting their choices and reducing their ability to attain their own goals. Equitable distribution of political and economic power encourages individuals to contribute effectively to the decision making process.
The Young Liberals believe that businesses and individuals — not government — are the true creators of wealth and employment.
We believe in equal opportunity and tolerance, and in the encouragement and the facilitation of wealth so that all may enjoy the best possible standards of living, health and education.
...So basically it's everyman for himself and the richer you are the higher your standing and nothing else matters just get to the top any way you can even if it means climbing over the backs of others to get there....The last line is priceless I don't think this statement could be any further from the truth especially with the likes of the federal government in mind.
Hackers raid Liberals' official site By staff writers October 10, 2007 11:26am
THE Liberal Party website was hacked this morning to make Prime Minister John Howard appear to enjoy engaging in a lewd homosexual act.
Under the heading, The Liberal Party of Australia, the website read: John Howard Says "I like to s... d...!"
A spokesman for the Liberal Party's federal secretariat said that officials were investigating the matter. "It appears to be a hoax, but we're checking it out," the spokesman said.
The loophole in the site's security appeared to have been closed by 11am.
The site was a victim of a HTML injection attack, whereby the hacker exploits a security flaw in the site structure to alter the content displayed to the user. It is a simple hack but can be a precursor to more malicious Cross-Site Scripting, or "XSS", attacks, which allow data to be sent to a user's computer.
One hacker contacted by NEWS.com.au said the attack was "perfect" for what it achieved but it appeared "it would be very hard to do anything more than a basic injection of text ".
This was not the first time that liberal.org.au has been attacked.
During the 1998 Federal Election campaign, a Labor Party employee was linked to the hacking of the Liberal’s website where many links led to pornographic content.
The hacker also wrote derogatory comments about several Liberal frontbenchers on the site.
At the time, the attack was described as Australia’s first “electoral cyber warfare” incident.
Ahh the good old Liberals show their true colours of Racism, fear mongering and deceit.Who else could you count on but the Liberals to disseminate pamphlets around with False and miss leading information.This is just a taste of the real undercurrent of bigotry that exists amongst the right-wingers.There is no denying it!
Ahh the good old Liberals show their true colours of Racism, fear mongering and deceit.Who else could you count on but the Liberals to disseminate pamphlets around with False and miss leading information.This is just a taste of the real undercurrent of bigotry that exists amongst the right-wingers.There is no denying it!
What's good for the goose is good for the gander. The Liberal Party have shown time and time again they are a racist, vile and reprehensible party, so it's no surprise their minions are carrying on with their dirty work. Just the fact that Liberal Party members thought this would be ok as a prank should send alarm bells amongst the Australian public.
Howard has distanced himself not because he thinks there's anything wrong with what they did, but because we are two days out from an election. Any other time he would have downplayed or laughed it off saying "people have a right to their own opinions" like he has said time and time again.
If I was the real Islamic Council, I would be suing these w*nkers, how offensive!
Don't you think that anything called a 'Politician' that has moving lips is a solid reason for fear?. All camps are doing the same thing.
I hear the common argument that all politicians are the same (better the devil you know). This might well be the case but it is not a good reason to stick with a bad Government based on the fear that the alternative could be worse (normally spruiked by the bad Government in office) - this only allows the bad Government to remain in Government and do more damage.
We seem to have a concensus that we don't trust politicians. There are things we can do:
1. Vote for our preferred Government in the House of Reps (Labor or Coalition)
2. Vote for a minor party (Greens, Democrats, Family First, Independants or whoever you fancy) in the Senate (but be careful who they are aligned with and who they will give their preferences to). The aim is so neither major party has the balance of power in the Senate, which should be shared amongst the minor parties. The benefit of this is the Government won't be able to pass major laws without scrutiny and/or rejection by those who hold the balance of power. This will mean the Government will have to bribe the minor party like they did with the GST but it severely limits their power to do damage and things like the IR changes would never have happened. It also should mean only decent laws are passed because they have been agreed to by many parties.
3. If we are not happy with the Government, we keep voting them out every 3 years until they start representing us and not their own agendas.
It is disappointing that some people adopt the ;better the devil you know option when they vote!How hard is it to find out what their policies are?I mean, would you vote for a Government that doesn't really give two hoots about the environment? A healthy environment is the real key to a long lived and prosperous economy.
Why does Johny and co refuse to acknowledge this???
Goodbye and good riddance John Howard, let the door hit you on the way out.
After 30+ years in Politics Howard's legacy is ... wall to wall State Labor Governments and a Federal Labor Government with the highest majority in Labor history - says it all doesn't it? A very fitting end to a selfish, cruel and corrupt politician who turned a once respectable party into a cruel, corrupt, elitist, divisive organisation.
Thankyou Australia - for restoring my faith in this country and democracy.
The Liberals became, in the end, IMHO, even more pompous believing their party to be the ONLY one capable of leading Australia. Screaming from the roof tops the past sins of Keating and Hawke and the Labor Party. The Communist connections, the Union Party connections and the Industrial strikes of the past! We no longer live in those times (thank goodness) and I believe the Labor Party of the new Millennium will be different from the Labor Party of the 70's and 80's. The Liberals had stopped considering the People, we the voters. They had forgotten that we aren't as stupid as they would of hoped and we do have long memories. I will be happy to see the back end of both Howard and Costello and also hopefully Abbot. The shake up of the now Opposition should be interesting, to say the least. I do hope however that Mal Brough runs for leader of the Queensland Opposition and gets in as he is the only decent Liberal party member in Qld IMHO.
Been voting since 1973-74 so I too remember the bad old days, very very well. I also remember my 2nd ex-mother-in-law being over the moon with her investment money earning 17.5% I am not saying Labor is going to be any better or worse than what we have had for the last 11 years. Rudd at least, is young and fresh and not yet jaded.
Liberals look to replace Malcolm Turnbull with Andrew Robb By Dennis Shanahan and Matthew Franklin The AustralianAugust 06, 2009 12:01am
LIBERAL MPs are considering replacing Malcolm Turnbull with Andrew Robb before the next election in the wake of his disastrous calls on Kevin Rudd to resign over allegations of impropriety over the ute affair.
The Opposition spokesman on emissions trading is the only Liberal leadership candidate left standing after 18 months of upheavals, particularly with the announced departures at the next election of former treasurer and deputy leader Peter Costello and Mr Turnbull's predecessor Brendan Nelson, The Australian reports.
Concerned about an election massacre, Liberals MPs and strategists are now considering a "plan B" in which a new leader would lose "less badly" than Mr Turnbull, who is trailing the Prime Minister by 50 percentage points as preferred leader.
Liberal planning for a rearguard action came as Mr Rudd unleashed a wave of ministerial attacks on Mr Turnbull to capitalise on this week's final implosion of the Opposition Leader's case that the Prime Minister sought improper favours for his friend John Grant, an Ipswich car dealer.
Mr Robb, Liberal Party director when John Howard was elected prime minister in 1996, may be seen as lacking charisma but is judged as being a "'safe pair of hands" who may limit the "'disaster" expected by Liberals at the election due late next year.
Liberal MPs told The Australian yesterday that if Mr Turnbull's leadership unravelled any further a cold and calculated assessment would have to be made about whether they would "lose less badly" under another leader.
One MP said they had been approached by senior Liberals to "sound out" his colleagues about replacing Mr Turnbull.
Last night Mr Robb told The Australian: "Everyone is willing Malcolm to put the Utegate affair behind him".
Double trouble might trigger election Article from: MARK KENNY, POLITICAL EDITOR, CANBERRA November 27, 2009 09:35pm
THE mutiny consuming the Liberal Party has set the stage for an early double-dissolution election.
The Liberal Party crisis has also derailed Kevin Rudd's plans to parade an emissions trading scheme in Copenhagen next month.
A federal election could clash with the state election scheduled for March 20, causing the state poll to be delayed under the terms of the South Australian Constitution.
Malcolm Turnbull remained defiant on Friday, declaring he would have to be blasted out of the leadership and "will not take a backward step". But his rapidly collapsing support base appeared to crumble further in another dramatic day in Canberra.
The rebellion, sparked by his commitment to agree with the Government over the ETS, gathered further steam with:
MORE resignations from the front bench.
THE emergence of at least one declared leadership contender in the form of Tony Abbott.
A PLANNED spill of the leadership at a partyroom meeting which Mr Turnbull has decreed must be on Tuesday.
MOVES to draft treasury spokesman Joe Hockey to replace Mr Turnbull.
SIGNS key supporters have approached Mr Turnbull, convinced he should now go in the interests of the party.
Mr Hockey, a strong Turnbull loyalist and committed supporter of the ETS, has yet to enter the race but a cross-section of the party is angling for him to do so as the unity candidate.
Mr Hockey kept his head down yesterday but used the social networking site Twitter to canvass views from colleagues about the ETS and their assessment of the political situation.
This was seen as a strategic move away from his leader in preparation for a tilt at the job.
Sources close to Mr Hockey said he was determined not to run against Mr Turnbull but "if the position become's vacant, he's not ruling anything out".
Figures from both the progressive and conservative ends of the party are believed to be pushing Mr Hockey to step up.
He has been linked with a unity ticket including Queensland frontbencher and political enforcer Peter Dutton, who would run as deputy.
This would spell the end for current deputy Julie Bishop.
The unity behind Mr Hockey is an indication of the desire now to replace Mr Turnbull who, according to one former supporter, was in a state of complete denial."He isn't reading this clearly at all, when your backing's gone, its gone," the MP said.
But the quid pro quo for support from the right for Mr Hockey is an agreement to delay the ETS legislation until next year.
This would hand Mr Rudd a trigger for an early election because it is understood the Government has legal advice that a delay is tantamount to a second rejection of its ETS legislation.
In the absence of Mr Hockey's nomination, Mr Abbott, the favoured candidate of the party's Right wing, has formally declared his intention to run. However, he flagged he would step aside if Mr Hockey were to run.
"This isn't all about me," Mr Abbott said.
"The important thing is about getting the (emissions trading scheme) policy changed and the party as united as it can be.
"But if Joe's not a candidate, I'm there with bells on."
The refusal of the Senate to progress the ETS yesterday sparked a bitter exchange in the chamber, with the Federal Government lashing out at the Liberal Party for "ratting" on a good-faith agreement deal with the legislation. The Senate rose late yesterday after it became clear the legislation would not pass the committee stage.
"You have ratted on the agreement, you have ratted on the agreement," the Government's Senate leader, Chris Evans, thundered at his opposite number, Nick Minchin.
The deadlock has plunged the scheme, to which the Opposition had committed, into doubt with its future now hostage to the leadership crisis.
Anti-Turnbull forces want the special party room meeting before the Senate resumes for extended sittings on Monday at 10am so as to not only change leaders but also change the party's ETS policy in favour of sending the bills to the Parliament's economics committee. This would delay passage until next year.
But Mr Turnbull, who has agreed in principle to the meeting to facilitate the spill motion, has not locked in the time. A spokesman for Mr Turnbull said nothing had been decided. A meeting may be held on Tuesday or even later.
Thirteen frontbenchers and other office holders have now tendered their resignations since the crisis erupted mid-week.
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday praised Mr Turnbull's efforts to support the Government's legislation.
"Mr Turnbull has been acting constructively in the nation's interests on this matter," she said.
Every opposition party is bound to see leadership problems, the ALP had 5 leaders (four different) while in opposition, that includes his royal bullshit master Rudd. With talk of an early election I certainly hope the Liberals pull themselves into line I think a great many see the current administration for the bunch of do nothing, broken promise, scam artists they are.
And to finish up todays rant, Joseph Goebbels to explain "climate change" policy
Quoted Text
If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.
"To the rational mind, nothing is inexplicable; only unexplained. " The Doctor
I watched Mr Turnbull on TV the other night. He rather impressed me with his forthrightness and honesty. The detractors are pathetic and will be the reason for the Liberals fall from grace.
I watched Mr Turnbull on TV the other night. He rather impressed me with his forthrightness and honesty. The detractors are pathetic and will be the reason for the Liberals fall from grace.
Yes I agree completely. Turnball has impressed me alot over the last couple of weeks. It also helps that Julie Bishop is out of the spotlight lately. But many of the rest of the party just look to be killing this party. I'd love to see a poll on Turnballs present popularity, I have a feeling it has finally improved.
Hockey and Abbott ...geez, no way no thanks. Thay didn't want Costello because he wouldn't appeal to the masses, I can't see Hockey being any different. Stick with Turnball!!
I don't care who is in charge because all the main ones seem rubbish, I just want people to finally realise what a con all this global warming crap is.. before it's too late and we've wasted billions (not that we haven't already).
Yeah it's going to be interesting to see what happens. I betya if Hockey gets the job, Sunrise are gonna be swooning lol.
I can't wait for the SA election in March... I'm still torn... Rann needs a kick up the pants but then Foley seems like a crappy replacement, and then you've got the Liberals, I don't agree with most of their "conservative" views, and I don't know much about Redmond, she hasn't really shone much, but I do prefer the whole stadiums and revitalising the NW of the city over the new hospital.
Of the three contenders they made the best decision.
Urgh you really think so? I think it was the wrong one. Abbott is VERY conservative in his views which are reminiscant of the 50's. Not to mention he was a big supporter of Howard... The Federal Liberal Party have pretty much lost any hope of garnering a vote from me.
Oh I know he's archaic BUT, I don't want the global warming nonsense passed.
Do you know how much damage we do to the environment? How many toxins factories and stuff release into the air. Anything that can be done to lessen this has to be a good thing, whether it has anything to do with "global warming" or not. When those toxins are released into the air and then mix to form acid rain, further polluting our environment. Any initiative to lessen this impact has to be a good one no matter how much it costs us, so long as our future generations can enjoy a good environment I'm happy.
"Any initiative to lessen this impact has to be a good one no matter how much it costs us" And that's where we disagree.
I would argue this with you, and say why I'm not supporting it, but I am kind of too lazy (and it's useless if you believe all that, I already tried with Kosmas ) More and more scientists are coming out saying it's all lies etc (did you read about the climate minister/s who were caught faking data?).. so I'll wait. Oh and Matt, the above sounded like an essay "and then mix to form acid rain, further polluting our environment." When you don't realllly know what you're talking about but you hope the teacher won't notice (physics nuclear power assessment 07, A (A+ for the intro), no idea what I was on about )
The Liberal's have got it wrong once again. Come on people, he's a staunch Catholic who nearly became a Priest He is sooooo totally against Homosexuals/Gays/Lesbians without exception. Compare him with Joh Bjelke Peterson... same brush....same tar Joe Hockey would of been a better choice but all the Liberals are doing is showing discord and disunity since the Labor Party got into Government.
Oh and Matt, the above sounded like an essay "and then mix to form acid rain, further polluting our environment." When you don't realllly know what you're talking about but you hope the teacher won't notice (physics nuclear power assessment 07, A (A+ for the intro), no idea what I was on about )
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Although I do know what I'm talking about just don't know how to word it properly.
Oh I would love to see Krudd's face over todays smackdown! If only it were one of the 3.5 days of the year that he spent in Australia. Jooolia has warned Abbott they will call and early election, that's good news given a poll on the daily telegraph web site shows 59.70% backing to Abbott and only 32% to Rudd.
"To the rational mind, nothing is inexplicable; only unexplained. " The Doctor
I would laugh so hard if Abbot won an election over Rudd
My initial thought was good Abbott's in he'll torpedo the ETS and throw a lot of mud in the governments direction, after that find more of a front man for the election. However all he really needs to do is show how poor a job the government are doing and how the vast majority of Rudd's "I'll do's" have fallen through the cracks, I mean people elected Keating after he knifed Hawke and he'd had plenty of time to demonstrate flushing the country down the toilet and showing off what a complete prick he was.
"To the rational mind, nothing is inexplicable; only unexplained. " The Doctor
I would think an early election could be a very uncertain prospect for Labor. Explaining the ETS could prove to be a difficult task, and its popularity something akin to GST
Yes, I agree with you all re the ETS tax etc BUT everyone I have spoken/listened to have said Liberal's got it wrong, AGAIN. I actually think every Government should do their full term. Early elections should not be called, ever. It brings too much turmoil and instability to the Country. Every Government should be made to 'do their time' in office, IMHO! I am happy that the ETS was knocked on the head.
I actually think every Government should do their full term.
I sure hope they do, after the next budget it will be even easier to get them out! If Labor are so worried about the environment stop shipping coal to China, thats going to stop one hell of a lot of emmissions!
"To the rational mind, nothing is inexplicable; only unexplained. " The Doctor
Nothing seems to be going right for the Liberals!!
Well they did retain 2 seats at last weekends elections, against the media frenzy of "ETS backlash", "leadership troubles", "Abbott not likable", etc, etc, etc
"To the rational mind, nothing is inexplicable; only unexplained. " The Doctor
It's looking a fair chance that Liberal may finally claw two states back Saturday. Tasmania and South Australia go to the polls with a close vote expected in both states. Should be very interesting!!
Liberal Party concedes defeat in South Australia From: AAP March 24, 2010 4:08pm
THE Liberal Party in South Australia has conceded defeat in the state election.
Party leader Isobel Redmond today said postal votes had confirmed her party would not win enough seats to topple the Rann Labor Government.
We have been waiting to see what the trend is in seats where we were still holding out some hope, sadly for us ... the trends are such that the time has come to concede that we cannot form a government," Ms Redmond said.
"I am here to offer my congratulations to Mike Rann and the Labor team on a successful election campaign.
"It was an interesting experience and a fun ride and I am looking forward to the challenge of the next four years because I intend to get government in 2014," she outside Parliament House.
Not really the right thread for this probably, but anyway interesting story...
LNP's teen candidate hits back at critics By Charlotte Glennie 29/03/10
Nineteen-year-old LNP candidate for Longman, Wyatt Roy, says his age is not a factor. (Supplied)
Over the weekend Wyatt Roy, 19, was officially endorsed by the party's hierarchy to stand in the seat of Longman, north of Brisbane.
That seat, representing an electorate with many seniors, was formerly held by the Liberal minister Mal Brough and is now held by Labor's Jon Sullivan.
Winning the seat is critical for Federal Opposition Tony Abbott if he is to oust Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Many, including Mr Brough, have questioned whether Mr Roy's age and inexperience will stand against him.
But Mr Roy told ABC Local Radio that he was not worried about criticism of his age.
"I think anybody is entitled to their opinion and certainly Mal is entitled to his opinion," he said.
"I think what is important is my approach to politics and what I bring is a completely fresh, clean, energised approach to federal politics."
But Mr Roy, who finished Year 12 in 2007, does have somewhat limited life experience.
"I had two weeks after I finished school and I travelled. I went overseas and went around Europe, as most people do," he said.
"I then moved interstate and started studying in Melbourne. There [I studied] international relations and then I moved back up to Brisbane to continue my studies.
"I worked in the family business when I came up here."
Mr Roy says he comes from a farming family of swinging voters but says the politician he most admires is Mr Abbott.
"I really like Tony. I mean Tony Abbott is a straight shooter," he said.
"[I like him] because he's real. Too many politicians aren't real. I mean, politics has become very disenfranchising."
Big issues
The young aspiring politician was also asked what he thought about tough issues such as climate change.
"I certainly sit with Tony Abbott. ... This is something that I'm quite passionate about," he said.
"Let's look at the two policies. Tony Abbott is fighting climate change through direct action and an incentive-based approach. All the while Kevin Rudd's putting a tax on family and small business."
Mr Roy also takes the party line on asylum seekers.
"It is about the politics of message ... We have started to send a message where it is easy to come to this country, not going through the right processes," he said.
"Now the last thing in the world we want is not to give these people a fair go. They deserve a fair go.
"This comes down to very complicated legislation about how we actually go through the processes of coming to our shores in a legal sense, and then working through that process from being an illegal arrival to being a legitimate arrival."
Mr Roy says there are still "huge questions" that have not been answered about health.
"You're talking about a federal takeover. And quite frankly the people in Caboolture, in my electorate, don't know what Kevin Rudd's takeover means," he said.
"Does it mean more bureaucrats or does it mean more beds? We don't know."
And he says that part of his job is "getting out there and selling" Mr Abbott's message on health.
'Poor recruitment'
Mr Roy won over some listeners this morning, including former Liberal MP Don Cameron, who was voted into the Federal Parliament in 1966 at the age of 26.
"I copped the same thing in being described as a boy," Mr Cameron said.
"But listening to that young fellow, he runs rings around my capacity at even 26."
But Australian Catholic University professor of public policy, Scott Prasser, has reservations.
"I think it's fantastic that young people are interested in politics and this person is obviously very committed and interested in politics," he said.
"But ... here we have one of the most marginal seats in the country, which is potentially winnable at the next federal election.
"What it indicates to me is that the LNP have got very poor recruitment processes.
"Now I think this is an opportunity for the LNP to recruit people of experience, so they can go into Parliament to play the bigger game of spearheading attacks on the Government and developing policy.
Turning back asylum boats not always practical: AbbottWell duh! Talk about stating the bleeding obvious! What an idiot!
Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says a Coalition Government would only turn back asylum seeker boats when it is safe to do so.
Mr Abbott says the proposal is an important part of the Opposition's border protection policy because it will help deter people smugglers.
But he says it will not always be practical to do it.Well done genius! And this man wants to run the country?
"Of course you can't turn every boat back, but you need to be able to turn those boats back where it is safe, where it is possible. It certainly happened during the life of the former government," he said.
The issue of asylum seekers has been on the front pages after Prime Minister Julia Gillard flagged the possibility of a regional processing centre for asylum seekers in East Timor.
However, Ms Gillard has backed away from suggestions the centre would definitely go ahead, after it was revealed she had only discussed the plan in a phone conversation with East Timor's president Jose Ramos Horta.
Ms Gillard says she is interested in coming up with a regional solution to asylum seekers, and has refused to set a date for the rollout of any policy.
Generallty if you fire a few live rounds and they don't pull a full 180 it's problem solved anyway! How is it not always practical they all start out from Indonesia, they've probably fot a friggan flashing sign at the dock "This way to Australia - free bed, free meal".
Swinging voters should be more concerned of Dullard on this matter after being part of the failed policy she seems to now be making more of her own and not even speaking to other governments she's involving in them!
"To the rational mind, nothing is inexplicable; only unexplained. " The Doctor
What's good for the goose is good for the gander, Mr Abbott.
Abbott on defensive over 'fix' phone message
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has defended his efforts to support a Queensland colleague who was later dumped by the Liberal National Party in Queensland.
Member for Ryan Michael Johnson received a phone message from Mr Abbott in February saying he had spoken to LNP heavyweights to support Mr Johnson's case to remain in the party, and offering to "fix" any legal issues involving campaign funds.
Mr Abbott says he was merely offering to help a colleague in trouble and was not later overruled by the LNP.
"More information came to light since I had that conversation with Michael - the LNP took action and I support the party and its decision."
Mr Johnson was deselected in May amid claims that he tried to claim a $12 million commission for brokering a deal to export coal to China.
The Member for Ryan, who has vowed to stand as an independent in the Brisbane seat at the upcoming federal election, says he received the message from Mr Abbott in February, the day after the LNP told him to resign from the federal parliament.
In the message, Mr Abbott says: "If there was a legal problem, well obviously we'd fix it, but I have no reason to think there was."
Mr Johnson says the tape reveals the Queensland LNP heavyweights overruled Mr Abbott when they decided to deselect him.
"Well it just shows the power of the organisation in Queensland over the alternative prime minister of Australia," he said.
"I think it's completely inappropriate. Just as Kevin Rudd was thrown out as prime minister of Australia by the back room and the unelected people of the Labor Party, this shows the influence of the former National Party people who run the LNP today."
I wouldn't read a newspaper article phrased in the way they want it and write someone off.
About the young guy.. two weeks traveling and a year of international relations sort of makes me think you're more of a ninny than if you have nothing. Two weeks doesn't really enlighten you to European culture so don't act as if it does, and IR for a year is just nothing.
The Federal Liberal Party says paying for links to appear at the top of search engine results is a legitimate form of campaign advertising.
The party is paying for its website to be the first search result when rival candidates names are typed into Google.
A spokeswoman for the Liberal Party says the links are clearly marked as advertising, and it is part of their broader strategy for the campaign.
The South Australian independent candidate for Mayo, Bill Spragg, says it is part of a dirty tricks campaign.
"People might think I was connected to the Liberal Party," he said.
"Because if you select a candidate who's standing as an independent and it takes you to a party site, you might wonder what the affiliation of that candidate was."
Logged
I am not saying Labor is going to be any better or worse than what we have had for the last 11 years. Rudd at least, is young and fresh and not yet jaded.
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