Comments on: Sorry Day reveals brilliance and bastardry

By: Jillian

Jillian — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

No one here has said it’s ok for coalition politicians such as Wilson Tuckey and Chris Pearce to express disrespect. I’m sure most coalition voters would be disappointed with their behaviour as well as with the behaviour of the Rudd staffers.

By: Julia

Julia — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Does Christian Kerr claim that no staffers in Howard’s government were ever rude to the opposition? Nelson’s speech deserved more contempt than mere back-turning.

By: Christopher

Christopher — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

For Labour to sack the staffers as called for by the Liberals, to be balanced and fair, would also require the sacking of Wilson Tuckey and his group that boycotted the apology, as for Mr Howard, expulsion from the Liberal party would seem a fair rebuke

By: Helen

Helen — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The brilliance was Rudd’s speech, the bastardry was Nelson’s.

By: Ian Jessup

Ian Jessup — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Wonder what that right-wing WA Liberal Party stooge Papafilis made of Tuckey and Pearce yesterday? Now, imagine what he would say if a Labor MP turned his back, say, on the Queen! Stay in WA, Tony, where your bile belongs.

By: Engineer

Engineer — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Since when does the punishment not have to fit the crime? So what if a few of those many who chose, for whatever reason, to turn their backs happen to be associated through employment with some party or other? Let’s return to the main story.

By: Frank Birchall

Frank Birchall — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I agree with Angela: what Harris and Gleason did is certainly not a sacking offence. As if sacking them would in any way “bring together” the Minchins, Tuckeys and Pearces of the so-called Coalition.

By: mike smith

mike smith — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

He should sack them for turning their back on Nelson’s antics? Get real!

By: John Robinson

John Robinson — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Exactly. They , along with the slow hand clappers, trashed what could have been ‘the moment’ . With Rudd’s great speech and Nelson’s convoluted sort-of agreement, it could have been the moment. But no. Just more of the same. Another opportunity lost.

By: Henry

Henry — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Is it any wonder people turned their backs when the rubbish started to flow from Brendan, he started ok then had to resort to the party line. What a mean spirited bunch of losers.

By: Angela Ballard

Angela Ballard — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

It seems that for some folks its ok for coalition politicians such as Wilson Tuckey and Chris Pearce to express disrespect but not the young staffers of the PM. Calling for their sacking displays bias. They have apologised. Tuckey and Pearce have not.

By: Jan

Jan — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Christine Kerr is correct-counselling is a weasel word. Tuckey and Pearce are what they are-no one expected more (less is never a surprise). Harris and Pearce should go; they failed to recognise Rudd was asking for bi-partisanship-not more of the same.

By: Lisa Crago

Lisa Crago — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Sacking is a bit rough, however, ironicly they should say sorry to uncle brendon. I gathered that Wilson Tuckey had been banned from the house incase his head exploded and words fell out.

By: Sandra Keenan

Sandra Keenan — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Yes, Kevin Rudd sought to unite Australians behind Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, but “puerile politics” were not introduced into yesterday’s proceedings by Harris and Gleason. That dishonour belongs to Brendan Nelson and his self-defeating attempt to have two bob each way - a half-hearted ‘Sorry’ for one section of the electorate and his party (the small ‘l’ bit) and a ‘press the old buttons that work with the ignorant’: (‘hopeless abos’, ‘tough, enterprising pioneers’, ‘great warrior diggers’, etc.,) for the remnant of the right that has dominated the last decade. Unfortunately for the nation, Nelson wasn’t able to put party politics aside and rise to the occasion which was about Sorry Business, not quibbling.
Harris and Gleason, along with Barry Jones and the many thousands of others who turned their backs on Nelson’s attempts to degrade the occasion and vilify all indigenous Australians with his gratuitious descriptions of offences allegedly comitted by some, should