Comments on: Gillard’s speech — the other 3500 words

By: klewso

klewso — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:39:15 +0000

But no matter how low Gillard sets that bar - never underestimate Abbott’s capacity for being able to slither beneath it - without a scale out of place.
Remember “Bernie Banton”.

To quote Custer (probably) - “We’re screwed!”

By: klewso

klewso — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:53:36 +0000

An SC is a “Flacid fool”?

I can see a 30 second Labor ad of 12-15 examples (with dates - shouldn’t take a week of “current compilation”) of Abbott repeating “I won’t be taking/answering any questions….!”
Gillard’s “Puddin’ Club” advisors are deluded dopes (like the self-delusional, self-serving Labor hierarchy, running “their shambles/slaughterhouse”) - just look at their finished product - only fit for media fodder.

Reckon Sales and Alberici use the same persona while “bar-b-cuing” their guests - grilling both sides? She wouldn’t have started last night’s interview with the same intro Uhlmann did? For Sales (one “swallow” with Abbott?) drag out her file with Gillard, Evans (Chris - for a real giggle) and any number of Labor ops, then compare them to her usual giggling Liberal demeanor m.o? “Gutsy with Labor : while giggling Liberally”. Alberici is from a similar “vain”.

By: Jimmy

Jimmy — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:03:55 +0000

Michael R James - Thanks for that, very interesting.

Warren Joffe - “So Gillard’s advisers, if they thought they were smart in trying to put Abbott on a spot early about policies and costings will be shown to have been deluded dopes.” Not at all, 1 day in and Abbott has already confirmed he will cut the School Kids Bonus in order to fund the rolling back of means testing for FTB and Private Health, if the fact that he is taking money from low income families to return it to higher income earners doesn’t play well for the ALP I’ll go hee.
And that is just the first policy out the gate.

By: GF50

GF50 — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:15:49 +0000

geomac62
Thanks, love it, cryptic:)

By: drmick

drmick — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:05:48 +0000

M James. I think you have hit the nail on the head.
They have no intention of observing democratic convention and he has been intent on wrecking any democratic organisation that has been foolish enough, (or democratic enough), to let him in.
The bully boy arrogance of pre determining the election result, then planning to over ride the will of the senate..he is talking a coup. The way the police acted with thompson looks and smells like fascism. He wrecked the SRC, he bullied Turdbull out of his job by one scared female vote & has had the longest dummy spit in recorded history
Remember the over reaction of Poon & Abot during the thompson vote? Cowardly, suspicious and maybe even catholic in their attempt to get away from the sin they had committed?
What we will never know, unless he is subjected to appropriate questioning, will be who are his masters. Who is he wrecking the joint for? In who`s interest is it to destroy the judiciary, the senate, the parliament and public confidence by talking down an economy, which is still growing, and a population that is full of people doing it tough because they are having to pay for past excesses, & dont have the bribe money that the former government paid them to shut them up.
This is why they have to hide him away from the real press. He feels he has to give an honest answer to questions he is asked; (read K O`Brien, L Sales). His vets & handlers know that would be a disaster for them and he has to be kept away from these people at all costs.
I still believe he is the best asset that labour has got; all he has to do is keep talking.

By: michael r james

michael r james — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:23:59 +0000

National Press Club In AFHP, Margo Kingston, on January 30, 2013 at 11:53 am

Laura Tingle from the Financial Review, Mr Abbott. An election promise that’s a bit closer to home I’m hoping for. Will you give a commitment today to stop walking away from press conferences, especially the ones that you’ve called and to regularly hold press conferences in Canberra between now and the election and if you’re elected as prime minister? Also, what steps have you taken to establish whether anyone who is closely associated with the federal Coalition and the LNP financed, or is continuing to finance, the legal and public relations costs of Mr James Ashby?

TONY ABBOTT: Well, Laura, what Mr Ashby’s doing is a matter for Mr Ashby. Absolutely a matter for him. I can say with my hand on my heart that as far as I’m aware, no member of the federal Coalition has had any involvement with the Ashby matter, none whatsoever. As I’ve said before, let me say it again, the Ashby matter raises two matters. It raises the question of whether or not sexual harassment took place – and I don’t think anyone should minimise sexual harassment, it’s a very, very serious matter, I don’t think anyone should be in a hurry to start bandying around accusations of malice against people who bring these claims – people have a right to bring a claim under law if they believe that laws have been broken. Second point I make is that in the end the whole Slipper imbroglio raises questions about prime ministerial judgment and these are going to be inevitably front and centre for the Australian people as we approach polling day.

(interrupting another question) TONY ABBOTT:
I’m sorry, Laura. I’m very happy to get my press office to pull out the records and to compare the number of media interviews, the number of press doorstops that I’ve done with those of my opponent. I’m very happy to have my record stack up against that of my opponent. I think you will be very surprised at just how many media interviews I do. But I don’t believe all political wisdom resides in the Canberra Press Gallery. Much political wisdom, Laura, resides in the Canberra Press Gallery, but there’s a lot of commonsense, a lot of decent Australian commonsense that resides in journalists who work outside the Press Gallery in Canberra.
………………………………………..
In other words Abbott believes he can pick and choose whose questions he should answer or decline, as and when it suits him.
LT is not the only journo or voter who is fed up with Abbott’s cowardice in avoiding serious questioning. Her point about his Presser yesterday where he refused to take questions is that he doesn’t need to waste journo’s time. They could just as easily receive the press release by email if they cannot interrogate the LOTO. Maybe they should all boycott his next one (except of course his personal cheer squad of News Ltd and M. Grattan will slavishly show up).
Again, it is not the behaviour of someone with claims to lead a democratic country.

By: CML

CML — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 14:11:42 +0000

@ dazza - I think you are correct about the association between the media and the police. However, I would add a third party to that circus - coalition politicians, both state and federal. And not only about the Thomson affair.
It is all about the born to rule fallacy with that lot!

By: geomac62

geomac62 — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:39:29 +0000

GF50
SC is soft cock as in that comedy on the ABC years ago , Frontline . Obscure I know but it reflects the approach of Chris to Abbott , Pyne etc . I had the same impression as you about Jones on Lateline . It was as if he thought he was on Q&A . An aberration perhaps as he generally does better . Emma Alberici is my favourite , knows her guests and what to ask , forensic .

By: Warren Joffe

Warren Joffe — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:36:37 +0000

At the risk of repeating myself the Coalition’s rational election strategy will be “This is all about restoring trust in government. We make no promises, except one you can easily believe which is that we will try to govern so you will want to re-elect us three years later. We will state what we aim to do, and those will be honest statements, but in each case we will not be bound by time lines and we won’t apologise if, on auditing the real state of the country’s finances left behind by the pink batt specialists, we find that some things are simply not affordable in our first term. Of course there are some things we don’t have to promise like maintaining the purchasing power of the full pension because we don’t even suspect the government of failing that one, except by incompetence”.

So Gillard’s advisers, if they thought they were smart in trying to put Abbott on a spot early about policies and costings will be shown to have been deluded dopes.

By: GF50

GF50 — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:23:26 +0000

geomac62
Could you clarify SC for me? I watched inteview with Pyne but sound off couldn’t come at at that. I thought he only asked one question as every time I looked at the screen it was full on Pyne and his lips were moving. Chris u is really only a sycophant and LNP appologist. They have Leigh Sales o/s couldn’t have her arround for the launch of the “minnie campaigne” launch she may have asked a relevant question. Tony Jones also well on board with LNP policy line of sneer and putdown lateline with Penny Wong, he harangued and loudly interrupted her as he wasn’t getting the answers he wanted ie bag Gillard.

By: Paddy Forsayeth

Paddy Forsayeth — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 11:49:44 +0000

I am looking forward to when Sales is in the chair. She has a very gutsy style.

By: klewso

klewso — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 09:51:32 +0000

“Election” yesterday? “Thomson” today? What happens if there’s an election necessary there?

By: geomac62

geomac62 — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 09:08:37 +0000

zut alors
Wise decision although I watched the question part . Just finished watching 7.30 and will be happier when Sales is back in the chair . Chris Uhlman presented a promo of Abbott and wife and daughter and speech , wife and daughter again etc . A bit of relief with other topics then a soft interview with Pyne . Strangely Chris asked questions at a normal pace , relaxed even , compared to the rapid and rude haranguing of the PM last year . Chris U . SC television presenter and I don,t mean SC in relation to the legal profession .

By: zut alors

zut alors — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 08:26:09 +0000

In an effort to enhance this week I opted to watch neither address to the National Press Club. Judging by the comments here it was a wise decision.

By: drmick

drmick — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 07:52:38 +0000

OTB CML. The beak who fingered assby and his lies, (in a manner of speaking), might be just the bloke to stitch together the limited news modus operandi and the players leading all the way to the Abbott.
If the press make up the lie, (or happen to overhear any rubbish via phone illegal tapping), feed it to the best police that money can buy, and keep everyone else out of the game, then they have a non-story, a non lead an innocent victim and absolutely no responsibility for anything that happens afterwards. We are doomed.
This is very tea party american. Definitely unaustralian but typical Abo. I bet he spent money on mundine last night . See if you can see a white man in a flouro vest in the losers corner.

By: dazza

dazza — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 07:21:35 +0000

Media circus indeed cml, I smell a rat, a similar rat smell as the one in UK when they discovered the police and the media in bed together?

By: Venise Alstergren

Venise Alstergren — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 07:16:47 +0000

CML: I can tell you exactly where a lot of the Victorian taxpayer’s money is going now that we have a Coalition state government. I live on a helicopter flight path-if helicopters have flight paths. The amount of criminal activity must be awesome; chopper flights have increased dramatically. Perhaps the coppers have been given orders to do dragnets, by air, of frustrated Victorian road users? “Gotta slug the motorist whilst waiting for the next drug bust to bring some folding stuff into the coffers”. Seems to be the thinking.

By: Bill Hilliger

Bill Hilliger — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 05:50:24 +0000

Well said CML.

By: CML

CML — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 05:11:14 +0000

@ Julia - Thought you might be interested to know that I have just watch Thomson’s lawyer being interviewed on ABC News24. According to him, most of these 150 “fraud” charges are to do with amounts of $12 to $15 dollars, and one in particular was to do with Thomson “buying an ice-cream”!!! Chris MrArdle (lawyer) also said that the whole event this afternoon was a media circus, with FIVE NSW police attending the arrest, Chanel7 TV crew there (they had already been given details of the fraud charges, which McArdle doesn’t have), and the NSW police at their news conference accusing Thomson of refusing to front up in Melbourne on December 21st, 2012, to be arrested. McArdle said that Thomson was invited by the Victorian police to come to Melbourne for QUESTIONING ONLY on the date stated, and that Thomson was quite within the law to refuse said invitation.
McArdle also said none of this would be happening if it wasn’t for the federal hung parliament. The Coalition are determined to get rid of Thomson by fair means or foul. Perhaps someone needs to look into the activities of the Victorian police, now that they “take orders” from a state coalition government. Further, the NSW police said at their press conference that it would be months before they decided if charges would be laid against Thomson in NSW. McArdle says they are just waiting to see if any of these so-called fraud charges laid against his client in Victoria can be made to stick. So my above remarks about the Vic police? Ditto for NSW.
Talk about government/police gra+t and corrup+ion! Appalling behaviour.

By: Arty

Arty — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 05:10:55 +0000

Miss Gillard set the election date to prevent the Coalition replacing Mr Abbott.

They are stuck with him and so are we.

By: TheFamousEccles

TheFamousEccles — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 04:45:28 +0000

Thanks for the other 3500 words synopsis, BK.

By: mick j

mick j — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 04:36:01 +0000

Re: Abbott and Gillard Speeches

Gillard needs to PRINT MONEY to lower the dollar, not permit the sell-off of freehold Australian farmland to foreign state owned companies. This is stupid, stupid, stupid and future generations will rightly say that our current lot must have been imbeciles to permit it.

Abbott needs to promise that he will not line the pockets of wealthy Liberal Party fund donors and the rich. He won’t because this is what he will do.

All else is noise Bernard.

By: Julia

Julia — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 04:05:54 +0000

Agree drmick. It also seems Tony may have overstepped the mark again with claiming the PM has been ‘running a protection racket’ for Craig Thompson. The man just gets so over-exicted he forgets to engage his brain before putting his mouth into gear. He needs to get smacked down with a defamation suit. Oh yeh, that’s right he already has been several times.

By: drmick

drmick — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 03:39:19 +0000

He has been squealing like a spoilt child for two years. This has been the longest dummy spit in history.
If his effort today is his best game, then he is the best thing going for labour. Keep it up. As the leader of the highest taxing former government ever, and the government that aided and abetted the GFC and now denies it occurred, he has absolutely no credibility.
His rave about Thompson was a perfect example. Thompson has been charged but not convicted. Unlike assby; he is yet to have his day in court and be given the opportunity to prove his innocence. Abot not only has him doing hard time, but has the PM in the same cell.
Can you Imagine this bloke fixing anything? especially when he helped break it?

By: Holden Back

Holden Back — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 03:26:32 +0000

Watch the LOTO’s National Press Club Speech: if you can’t stomach it all, watch it with the sound down until his dodging Laura Tingle’s question. She has what I’d describe as an elephantine look - she’ll never forget his blithe dismissal of the need to answer questions at Canberra press conferences.