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Arsegate and other Upper House shenanigans

Mark Kenny

by Mark Kenny

26 Nov 06:00am

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Filed under: Etiquette, Politics, Sarah Hanson Young, Upper House

82 comments

Australian senators accused of leering at each other’s posteriors? Of failing to show respect? Of not “bowing and scraping” sufficiently in deference to the chair?

Formal proceedings are often enhanced by a posterior showing. Pic: AP

Welcome to just another day on the plush red carpet of the nation’s more civilised Upper House.

But then, the final sitting Thursday was never just any old day was it?

Especially after the Machiavellian skulduggery “downstairs” in the Reps where Labor’s Speaker up and quit to be replaced by a party-shopping turncoat from the other side.

Morale in conservative ranks promptly went the way of credulity - which is to say, decidedly south.

As Coalition MPs licked their wounds and wondered aloud if they had just been check-mated by a political operator more cunning and ruthless even than their own punchy warrior-king, tempers frayed, and the tone turned nasty.

A not so `S.H.Y’ Sarah Hanson-Young touched off a `cheeky’ exchange with a `crack’ at Nationals senator, John “Wacka” Williams.

The latter had complained by point of order that Greens’ leader Bob Brown routinely failed to “bow” to the Senate President when coming and going from the chamber.

He directed a jibe at the South Australian as he sat down telling her, “you’re just as bad as Bob”.

“I don’t bow because I don’t want you looking at my arse,” retorted Senator SHY allegedly to the gravelly New South Welshman.

“I don’t want to look at your arse,” responded “Wacka” who later admitted to being “gobsmacked”.

“Mr President, I ask Senator Williams to withdraw that offensive statement,” intervened a suddenly indignant Bob Brown before noting that Barnaby Joyce had traversed the chamber without the requisite “bowing and scraping”.

It was edifying stuff proving once again that politics is generally more arse than science.

It had been a long day so perhaps it was only a matter of time before the bottom fell out of things.

Most commented

82 comments

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    • Bill says:

      05:40am | 26/11/11

      So Sarah Hanson-Young says “I don’t bow because I don’t want you looking at my arse” and Bob Brown doesn’t bat an eyelid, but a Nationals senator says “I don’t want to look at your arse” to SHY and suddenly Bob is offended at the language used? Typical left wing hypocrite.

      Reply

    • mel says:

      08:02am | 26/11/11

      The other reading is that this is not about the language, per se, but intent. SHY may be sensitive about her behind, as is her right, but it is not appropriate for anyone else to comment on it in the nation’s parliament.

      Or don’t right wing fools understand that, Bill?

    • Erick says:

      08:46am | 26/11/11

      @mel - What a load of hypocritical garbage.

      SHY made a nasty personal remark, and she got one back in return. Bob Brown is an arse.

    • jf says:

      09:26am | 26/11/11

      mel says: 09:02am | 26/11/11

      “SHY may be sensitive about her behind, as is her right, but it is not”

      I’m sure she is. But she raised it in a smart-arsed jibe at Wacka.

      “appropriate for anyone else to comment on it in the nation’s parliament”

      No-one commented on her arse other than her. Wacka only responded to her stupid, smart-arsed comment in the negative: understandably.

      Brown’s comment was not only hypocritical: it was passive, aggressive. He really is a horrible human being.

    • Observer says:

      12:14pm | 26/11/11

      @mel

      Interesting you can begin to defend the woman who raised it as a topic herself and would never have been mentioned if she didn’t.  I imagine Mr Williams deserves the apology, but of course he won’t get one, since women can’t be sexual harrassers.

    • mel says:

      12:51pm | 26/11/11

      Obviously lots of right wing fools don’t understand that, it seems!

    • Dave says:

      05:04pm | 26/11/11

      Jesus, Bill, what side of the bed did you fall out of today? This is a typical bit of parliamentary silliness , and you read some sort of moral story into it? Whats next? Analysing who took the most biscuits from the parliamnetary tea room to determine which pollies are more mendacious? Seriously, some of the commenters on these pages need to get a bit of perspective. Youre all starting to sound like a bunch of 16 year old Young Liberals Some of you seriously need to start getting a life..

    • James Hunter says:

      02:12pm | 28/11/11

      Typical right wing stooge

    • nossy says:

      05:51am | 26/11/11

      Yes Mark poor bloody Abbott is starting to unravel, as we knew he would, and I see today yet ANOTHER article outlining how Coalition members have finally twigged to the constant negativity of ther dear leader Dr NO. Gillards toying with this guy playing him like a cheap violin - hes opposed nearly every one of 300 pieces of legislation passed by parliament , has lost 19 straight Censure motions and has managed to turn Question Time into a mess leading his so called “team” in a noisy unparliamentary way. With just under 2 years to go - a long time, and now with Gillard having a slender but workable majority its all down hill for Tony “The Repealer” Abbott - just a matter of time before someone taps him on the shoulder and tells him” its time to go”. For Abbott to go on and lose the 2013 election would look very bad for the judgement of the Liberal powers that be - it would me that they were so inep, so incompetant,  they did not see what others are now seeing daily and reporting - Dr NO is a DUD!
      http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/abbotts-positively-negative-20111125-1nz5j.html

      Reply

    • zippo says:

      07:11am | 26/11/11

      nossy the article you refer to is Peter Hartcher’s opinion and not much else. It’s light on evidence and big on inference.
      As for your claim that Abbott has opposed nearly every one of 300 pieces of legislation that have been passed -  you factually wrong by a whopping 90 per cent. What’s more , if you think the government would function in the face of opposition to 300 bills in a year, you know stuff all about the system mate. Believe what you like ( which is what you do ) but you forsake your ability to be real.

    • Nick says:

      07:21am | 26/11/11

      Nossy,a link to P Hartcher a member of the Labor fan club means jack s**t.I wouldn’t be crowing too loud with a support base of 30%..

    • ZSRenn says:

      07:25am | 26/11/11

      Nothing positive to say about Gillards government, I take it nossy. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black, when you are the Mr negativity of The Punch. 2007 is gone mate and this anti- Abbott stance by you and your cohorts is seen for what it is. A hollow attempt to prop up the worst government in Australian history.

    • Aitch B says:

      07:45am | 26/11/11

      @nosthow

      Answering questions would be a good way for Gillard and Co. to improve the ‘unparliamentiary way’. It’s no wonder the opposition gets cranky and carry on when all they can get from the government is ducking and weaving, vitriol and mud slinging in response to their questions.

      Next time you watch QT, open both eyes and listen with two ears!

    • TChong says:

      08:25am | 26/11/11

      Yeah nossy , me and the Zedders is awake up to you, me boy.
      We know you by the company you keep.
      You, and your whole tribe of cohorts..
      An application of the ( unfairly maligned) science of phrenology will , one day, only confirm our suspicions, right Zedders ?

    • ZSRenn says:

      08:56am | 26/11/11

      Chongy, get that tongue out of your cheek before you poke a hole in it!

    • Super D says:

      09:26am | 26/11/11

      It is somewhat ironic that the herald who is at the vanguard of attacks on Abbott’s negativity has recently released an ad campaign detailing all the things that they say no to.  Clearly the marketing department is better at reading the polls than the commentators!  In fact perhaps if they were a little more balanced in their coverage they might sell some more newspapers.

    • nossy says:

      09:28am | 26/11/11

      @TChong Chongy whatever do you mean hahaha

    • WayneT says:

      01:15pm | 26/11/11

      I think Abbott is right where he wants to be.  Labor is talking about him all the time, the press are talking about him, we’re talking about him.  Isn’t the strategy suppose to be to marginalize him and keep him out of the public eye.  Any coverage is good coverage in politics.  It all only really counts come election time.  Keeping him in the minds of the electorate only legitimizes him in their minds.  The fact that legislation has passed and Government functions as it always has does little to reinforce Labors criticism of him as Mr NO.  As an opposition leader he rightly holds their legislation up to the light of day.  The electorate can then form their own opinions about it by the way each side reacts to it being scrutinized.  Would you rather have a system where an elected government has free reign for three years to do what it likes - I hardly think so.

    • nossy says:

      01:48pm | 26/11/11

      @Aitch B you poor bugger H - honestly the day I listen to you fella/gurlie all will be lost!  hahahaha Try blogging at Womans Weekly!  hahahha

    • No More Labor Please says:

      07:51pm | 26/11/11

      I see. So nossy you thing Gillard is toying with this guy? Yes, interesting. The average ALP voter’s (well the few that are left anyway) IQ has reached an all time low. Gillard is on track to lose the next election. If you haven’t figured that out you are in that sad basket that I feel so sorry for.

    • Andrew says:

      06:02am | 26/11/11

      I have sometimes wondered whether some pollies would be less up themselves if they were required to perform their office entirely naked.

      Reply

    • onlooker says:

      06:51am | 26/11/11

      way too funny, some take things way to seriously, its a good change to see some humor from that bunch in Canberra, thanks for the laugh..like the pic too double thanks

      Reply

    • skepdad says:

      06:57am | 26/11/11

      Imagine the shenanigans from Tankard Reist if you’d shown a woman’s bum in the picture.

      Reply

    • Chris L says:

      09:21pm | 26/11/11

      Good point skepdad! Every woman and gay man that looked at that picture is guilty of objectifying and mentally violating men this will lead those people to act on their desire to do something or other, according to MTR, unless men aren’t equal to women in her view.

    • ZSRenn says:

      07:03am | 26/11/11

      Funny article Mark but you just couldn’t help yourself could you. I disagree Yes there is a case for morale to fall, because now Julia has 1 more vote, but really how long is that going to last before Craig Thompson finds himself bowing and scraping in front of a judge and the subsequent by election takes place or the pokie reforms get a kick in the ass and Wilkie crosses the floor. The coalition should not face any morale loss as their jobs, in the future, will be secure for a long time after the Australian Voter gets rid of this female Brutus on steroids.

      We still have two years left of this government and if they run the country as comically in that time as they have been doing it may not just be the bottom that falls out but the sides will collapse as well. I mean how do you lose $6 Billion in 6 months? It’s mind numbing!

      The double dissolution, that follows the next election, will have a few new senate faces learning these archaic rules earlier than expected.

      Reply

    • persephone says:

      10:05am | 26/11/11

      How long? You’ve answered it yourself…two years.

      Thompson hasn’t been charged with anything, despite a couple of police investigations. Even if he is going to be charged, that won’t happen for a long time - investigations into accusations of fraud tend to be long drawn out affairs.

      Then - assuming that the police press charges, which no one seems to think is very likely - it’ll take several months before he’s tried, the case is likely to drag on for a while, and it would be well and truly time for the next election before he was found guilty of anything.

      But, as I said to begin with, there doesn’t seem to be a case to answer anyway.

      The government has assured Wilkie the reforms will go ahead, so he has no reason to cross the floor. And even if he does, the parliamentary numbers now means he can cross the floor until the cows come home; the government will still have the numbers.

      He’d be cutting off his nose to spite his face.

      So yes, we still have two years left of this government.

      And a double dissolution - even supposing that Abbott can win the next election, which has always been doubtful and is now even more so - wouldn’t happen until about 2015.

    • JE says:

      11:26am | 26/11/11

      @ perse, sorry but how in your crazy little mind does it mean TA is less likely to win an election. most commentators are of the belief that this will further tarnish the public’s already tattered image of her! based on any polling conducted since she broke her major promise about the carbon tax,  the government would be turfed out easily. fisher will easily be returned to the coalition come the next election. in my electorate wayne swan was elected solely on green preferences which just got him over the line….. methinks this might be his last term ... awwww

    • stevem says:

      12:44pm | 28/11/11

      persephone, You’re saying that Labor should and will stand by Thomson, even if he were to face charges in both NSW and Vic? Much of Labor’s electoral woes come from the perceived lack of integrity displayed by the current government. You don’t think that that the complete lack of integrity show in supporting Thomson under these circumstances might lower Labor’s primary vote below that of the Greens?

      I took last week’s shenanigans with the role of Speaker as a pre-recess positioning of votes on the floor to cover the potential loss of Dobell in a by-election.

    • Gravelly says:

      07:14am | 26/11/11

      Nossy, for someone who has GillRudd & co in the polls just where he wants them, absolutely rattled, and prone to opportunistic actions, aka Slippery Pete I would say Abbott is doing remarkably well!!

      Reply

    • Marilyn Shepherd says:

      01:54pm | 26/11/11

      Yeah remarkably well.  He has not halted one piece of major reform.

    • zippo says:

      07:38am | 26/11/11

      The photo…is that Bob Brown on the left? Nice ar..
      Serouslly though, has this article unwittingly revealed the REAL reason why BB won’t bow?

      Reply

    • Sam Chowder says:

      11:35am | 26/11/11

      The photo is from a cut scene of “Carry on up the khyber”  too rude to use at the time.  At the ceremony Kenneth Williams eyeing a lavish buffet sees the soldiers buttocks and remarks “I wondered where the donuts were”

    • The Galah from Hervey Bay says:

      08:01am | 26/11/11

      In among all the intrigue and political pong , an act of political murder was perpetrated on Speaker Harry Jenkins . The dagger work was carried out by the Government Whip as executioner , on the orders of the Prime Minister.

      This sickening act has been virtually ignored , while the political chess game was lauded by the parliamentary media ” rat pack ”  as ” brilliant. “

      As Speaker , Jenkins was respected by both sides in the House . He conducted parliament to the very best of his ability , with full attention to the machinations of government , whilst operating under difficult numeric circumstances on the floor.

      The Speaker’s reward for his role in Gillard’s survival on the floor of the House , was being cast as the unwilling political sacrifice to counter the inevitable conviction of Labor M.P. Craig Thompson.

      There is no reward for loyalty in the Australian Labor Party - there will be little , if any , mercy shown by the electorate at the ballot box.

      Labor’s motivation for the Speaker’s political death was the looming loss of it’s majority - and clinging to power is motivation enough for Labor to slit any political throat on the government benches.

      God Save the Speaker -  ultimately , nothing will save the Gillard Labor government from the Australian electorate.

      Reply

    • Groucho says:

      09:35am | 26/11/11

      Ah bullshit.

      “As Victorian Liberal Russell Broadbent noted in Parliament on Thursday, Jenkins had two priorities that transcended his attachment to the job that delivered the big salary, the best office in the Parliament and the chance to hobnob with presidents and queens.

      The first was his family and the people of Melbourne’s outer north-east who elected him.

      The second was to what Broadbent called his ‘‘other family’‘, the Australian Labor Party. It was always, opined Broadbent, bigger than his love of being Speaker.

      When Jenkins told Parliament he wanted to renew his Labor connections it wasn’t, as one Liberal noted, because he missed having a beer with the caucus colleagues. It was, those close to him insist, because he could see the bigger picture.”
      http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/harrys-back-in-the-party-hat-he-loves-20111124-1nwxv.html

    • The Cocatoo from Howard says:

      11:00am | 26/11/11

      Sickening, murder, daggars, blood, executioner, slitting throats. Sounds like Agatha Christie’s plot in Murder on The Orient Express. So Galah, I take it you’re not in favour of the ALP?  Is that what you’re saying? Just sayin’.

    • The Galah from Hervey Bay says:

      11:37am | 26/11/11

      Groucho….yeah sure ,  -  you could see the emotional stress on the face of the Speaker as he relayed his resignation to the House - the hand motion across his throat as he left the Speaker’s chair , indicating he had been sacked.

      But you go right ahead and lap up your own bullshit and spin , at the end of the day , it amounted to political betrayal of the first order.

    • Groucho says:

      11:59am | 26/11/11

      Ah bullshit. The words I quoted were from a bloody Liberal, you dolt. In the House. Fact.

      And Jenkins himself already explained the throat thing.

      He’d spotted a journo in the Gallery, using a camera. A real big no-no in the House. His gesture was the typical Jenkins style - cut it out!

      Emotional? Sure he was. You tools just don’t get it, do you.

      The big bear loves that joint, warts and all. Good on him.

      He walked. You trolls will just have to suck it up.

    • Jane says:

      01:17pm | 26/11/11

      Why do Fiberals keep making things up.

    • Kurisu Sonsaku says:

      02:04pm | 26/11/11

      @ Jane;

      Why does the liebor party under juliars stewardship consistently lie?

    • Alf says:

      02:12pm | 26/11/11

      @Jane. “No carbon tax under a government I lead”. Who made that one up?

    • Marilyn Shepherd says:

      04:17pm | 26/11/11

      What utter crap.  He looked to be alive and well to me.

      If Rabbott had done the same thing you would have loved it.

    • Marilyn Shepherd says:

      04:18pm | 26/11/11

      What utter crap.  He looked to be alive and well to me.

      If Rabbott had done the same thing you would have loved it.

    • John says:

      08:29am | 26/11/11

      The picture is inappropriate, remove it.

      Reply

    • jf says:

      09:28am | 26/11/11

      Why? The story is, in part, about accidental glimpses of arses.

    • Observer says:

      10:10am | 26/11/11

      Issues John?

    • Phil McCaverty says:

      12:26pm | 26/11/11

      @John
      How dare you suggest such a thing.
      The photo displays the noble stoicism of a true scotsman.
      And a handsome pair of cheeks, I might add.

    • Matt says:

      08:49am | 26/11/11

      Ah yes, it’s all a rich tapestry of arsery.. Arsenine comments are par for the course, at least someone can provide some arsethetic entertainment to lighten the mood.. Nice bum too..

      Reply

    • Alf says:

      12:01pm | 26/11/11

      @nossy. “...bugger I just cant seem to find ANYONE with a kind word for Tonys stewardship”

      You are just mixing with the wrong people nossy. 48% of voters think Abbott is great.

      Reply

    • Groucho says:

      12:29pm | 26/11/11

      Nup. Not true.  Typical Lieberal spin.

      On the latest poll results for Better PM, Abbott tumbled 5 points to a nine-month low of 35 per cent.

      See?

      You’re quoting Party primary vote as if it were personal approval, you dolt.

      Newspoll found Gillard and Abbott with identical approval and disapproval ratings: 34 per cent of voters approve and 55 per cent disapprove of the job they are doing.

      Asked who would make the better Prime Minister, the electorate rates the two a dead heat in the Nielsen poll and gives Gillard the lead in Newspoll. The numbers in recent weeks are moving against the Opposition Leader.

      Abbott personally is a very unpopular leader. Suck it up, bozo.

    • Aussie battler says:

      12:50pm | 26/11/11

      I think Abbott’s great. He couldn’t convince conservative Independents to let him form minority Government, and has done nothing but vindicate their decision ever since, as they’ve now stated on many occasions. Then he reneged on the agreement he’d signed on the pairing of the Speaker, which has now resulted in his loss of a Liberal MP. Keep up the good work, Tony!

    • Alf says:

      02:50pm | 26/11/11

      @Groucho. “You’re quoting Party primary vote as if it were personal approval”

      Sorry, I didn’t realise that this was a beauty contest. Let me put this another way - Gillard will be the most popular ex-Prime Minster.

    • Groucho says:

      08:19pm | 26/11/11

      Nuh. They were your own words, dolt. 

      The first fricken lie that seemed convenient. Typical Lieberal. 

      Easily sussed out.

      Be a man. Admit it. You’ve been caught out.

    • The Galah from Hervey Bay says:

      01:09pm | 27/11/11

      The popularity of the leader means nothing , it’s the party vote that counts and Tony Abbott has the Coalition vote at excellent levels .
      Labor hacks tene to dress up bullshit and try to make it sell as a rose , eg. Groucho’s garbage .

      Labor would be anihilated in any election at the present time.  Gillard’s lies , blunders and deceit follow her like the smell of a rotting prawn. The Queensland electorate will demonstrate quite clearly just what voters think of the Labor label. Labor’s federal President is destined for oblivion.  Yippee !!

    • bloo says:

      12:53pm | 28/11/11

      78% of all statistics are made up.

    • Alf says:

      12:17pm | 26/11/11

      My comments keep getting censored. WTF? Hey… I didn’t start this conversation about Hanson-Young’s arse….you did.

      Reply

    • Gordon Shumway says:

      12:23pm | 26/11/11

      I think what you meant to say is 48% of voters I call friends think Abbott is great.

      How any friends do you have Alf?

      Reply

    • Alf says:

      03:00pm | 26/11/11

      @Gordon. You ever heard of a thing called ‘the polls’? Unlike Julia Gillard, the scoreboard doesn’t actually lie.

    • GS says:

      03:22pm | 26/11/11

      Polls
      Yeh sure,
      didn’t the Nazi’s kick their ass.

    • Marilyn Shepherd says:

      04:20pm | 26/11/11

      Polls aren’t real you know?  They are not sent down from the mountains with Moses to spread the frigging gospels.

      they are the opinion of 1400 people on one night.

    • Reader says:

      10:08pm | 26/11/11

      Howard was the biggest liar in Aus PM history Alf, what planet are you from, Melmac???

    • rachel laurel says:

      01:29pm | 26/11/11

      2012 follows 2011

      Reply

    • Rachel Laurel says:

      02:09pm | 26/11/11

      Tony Abbott will be replaced by Peter Slipper as Liberal Leader before the next federal election Sept 22 2013.

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      04:25pm | 26/11/11

      I think Bob B. should gobsmack sarah’s bottom, and go tell Mr. W. , (because ‘the arse fell out of things’) to include Barnaby B. in the next round of drinks at the Pink Pussycat.

      ps if only Labor was so interesting.

      Reply

    • Michael R says:

      09:11pm | 26/11/11

      Why does The Punch have to periodically post rude, crude, or quasi-porns photos? You mostly give the appearance of a civilised website and then, bam, out comes the high school humour. I don’t get it. But it is giving me a reason to think twice about continuing to visit here.

      Reply

    • Brian B says:

      04:28pm | 27/11/11

      Quasi-porn Michael? Are you serious?

      Good grief man, where is your sense of humour?

    • James O says:

      07:03pm | 28/11/11

      The world is becoming more homocentric every day.

    • S Lugainis says:

      09:30pm | 26/11/11

      It’s funny how if you don’t vote Liberal it’s because you’re stupid, according to them anyway. I thought we were the over-educated chattering classes! it seems there’s a difference between ‘political stupidity’ and IQ, despite the barbs of the fascist right that ‘you need an IQ test to vote’! yea whatever, what would that prove!? I have a masters and a mate has a Phd and we vote Labor!! I think there should be a test for evil. That would knock out at least 40-50% of Liberal voters. The nasty, malicious, hateful, spiteful, mouth-foamer types tend to come from the right. The other half of righties are the smirking-smart arses who think they’re better than everyone. They’d do better in the evil test but fail the ‘how much of a dickhead are you’ test! You should sit that one too.

      Reply

    • Solly Finklestein says:

      10:03pm | 26/11/11

      Marilyn Shepherd I have been following your blogs with interest now for some years.and it seem to me that you have quite a prickly nature. Some would say outright hostile. Do you not feel comfortable with yourself,or maybe something within that is not being fed?Seek help Marilyn before it is too late.

      Reply

    • palone says:

      11:34pm | 26/11/11

      I just don’t believe that an Australian could possibly support Abbott and call himself/herself an Australian.  That’s all.

      Reply

    • TimB says:

      09:38am | 27/11/11

      Well allow me to clear up your confusion Palone.

      I have a birth certificate proving I was born here. So to do most of my forebears going back to at least the turn of the 20th century, and some cases beyond.

      That’s how I can call myself an Australian.

      PS. Where your big Coalition destroying revelation you promised? Where’s your proof that the former *Labor* Tasmanian MP recently charged with sex offenses was actualy part of the Young Liberals?

      I’m still waiting on these things to prove you’re not just another filthy liar Palone.

    • Brian B says:

      09:59am | 27/11/11

      Believe what you like palone old son…........I’m an Australian and I call myself an Australian and I support Tony Abbott. That’s all.

    • Alf says:

      04:35pm | 27/11/11

      @palone. I just don’t believe that 30% of Australians would still vote for these Labor halfwits and call himself/herself sane. That’s all.

    • Against the Man says:

      06:41am | 28/11/11

      Labor knows they are out, I believe they are nasty enough to create as much problems for the incoming coalition just out of spite. Care about Australians? Yeah right! And Gillard actually has moral values!

    • palone says:

      12:24pm | 28/11/11

      Tim B. You don’t call Slippergate a coalition wrecker? I predicted it at the end of August and then asked you and the rest of the Rabbiteers to be patient. Then, BINGO!
      Or perhaps you think I rang Gillard and asked her to finalise something that was put in train, (by Jenkins),about four months ago, so that you and your impatient rabble would get off my back?
      You must learn to be patient, Tim. You’ve got to learn to wait. And for an Abbott devotee that is really an imperative.
      To wait, and wait, and wait.
      And I’m not a “filthy” liar. I’m not sure why any reasonable person would tie ‘filthy’ and ‘liar’ together, but hey, I shower each day, and I try to be truthful. And I did apologise a few days after confusing the Independent Tassie M.P. with another with the same surname, but you must have missed that one.
      You however have still not explained why Abbott went to London to tell the Poms that everything here is rosy, but kept whining to Australia that we were on the edge of doom. You will explain that, wont you Tim.

    • TimB says:

      03:16pm | 28/11/11

      Palone, Nice try, but I think we both know ‘Slippergate’ isn’t what you were referring to.

      It hasn’t ruined Howard’s reputation as you predicted. It hasn’t destroyed Abbott. It hasn’t killed the Coalition. It hasn’t resulted in ‘less criticisim of the ALP’. Those were all the things you promised.

      More to the point, how could you know all this so far in advance? For starters you would have to be a member of the ALP inner circle (are you in Gillard’s office?).

      Secondly, that would also mean that contrary to the ALP’s assertions, this was planned far in advance and Jenkins was forced by the ALP to quit for their own political ends. He did not do it for personal reasons as claimed.

      Is Labor that grubby? Is this what you would have me believe?

      As for Abbott’s comment’s I would think that a request for an explanation would be better directed at Abbott himself rather than at me, but I’ll take a crack anyway:

      It’s all relative. Over in Britain, we’re doing much better than they are. It all looks rosy from their point of view. But over here, we compare things as they are to what they could, nae *should* be. If not for Swannie’s financial incompetence, Australia could be travelling even better than it is.

      RE. the Tassie MP, let that be a lesson to you to check your facts before tossing around slurs. It’s less embarrasing for you that way.

    • Sony B Goode says:

      10:21am | 27/11/11

      Newsflash labor headed for minority status, democratic socialism has been shown to be a ponzi scheme and a fraud globally.

      Reply

    • Against the Man says:

      11:17am | 27/11/11

      It is fun watching Gillard get her way as she slowly puts Labor through the shredder. And the best part is their moronic ALP minority supporters still don’t get it. HaHaHaHAHAHA!

    • Robert S McCormick says:

      01:47pm | 27/11/11

      No-one, despite all the spin possible, will believe that the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Harry Jenkins, had after almost 15 uears, suddenly had that sudden moment in the wee, small hours at which he decided to resign as Speaker & that he felt it imperative to ring Gillard at 7.30am to tell her he was quitting.
      This whole arrangement had been planned weeks, if not months, before!.
      Only a fool would believe otherwise.On the surface a clever move by Gillard.
      The Liberals/Nationals have done no different. They are every bit as dishonest, disingeneous, dissembling as those on the other side.
      Oh! I don’t doubt for one second that Jenkins did not ring Gillard at 7.30am. Of course he did it was all pre-arranged.
      It beggars belief that any man or woman, no matter how decent, trustworthy they are purported to be, willingly & voluntarilly takes a $77,500 Pay Cut & the redcution of Parliamentary Pension which results.
      It beggars belief that any man or woman who is offered an immediate Pay Rise of $77,500 & the massive increase in Parliamentary Pension which results would refuse such an offer.
      That Christopher Pyne went through with his childish nominating of almost, if not all, ALP MP for the Speaker’s job is laughable. He as did everyone else, knew that all those ALP MPs would refuse.
      The whole thing had been set up weeks or months in advance.
      The ALP had their patsy; Peter Slipper. He knew he was, & had been, on the nose with whichever Party he was currently a member of, Liberal, National, LNP. He has known for a very long time that the Lib.Nat/LNP Branch in his electorate of Fisher on the Sunshine Coast were not going to re-endorse him as their candidate. He also knew that even if he stood as an , alleged, Independent he was unelectable - particularly in Queensland.
      He had absolutely nothing to lose & everything, including all those lovely dollars - all 75,000 of them, to gain
      When he does actually take the Chair in the New Year we will very quickly find out what sort of Speaker he is.
      Will he be the Unbiased, Fair ” Policeman of the House” as Jenkins was before him or will he, because he is now so beholden to Gillard & the ALP, be totally biased & unfair?
      The deed has been done. Only time will tell if this back-fires on Gillard or not.
      Only time will tell if Gillard keeps her, alleged, word to Andrew Wilkie about his Pokies legislation.
      Mind you, we have only got Wilkie’s word for it that Gillard has said she will continue to support his legislation. She has not actually said so, has she?
      Wilkie is putting a brave face on it. He knows that, just as he reportedly got elected because he got Liberal Preferences, that there is no way in hell that he will get them next time & that he is just a One Term Wonder.
      Wilkie himself has said that this Hung Parliament is bad for Australia. I don’t agree with him for if all the Independents had been just that Independent we would still have a Minority Government - either ALP or Coalition & it would not have made much difference which - then with the Independents actually being Independent we would really have a truly Democratic Parliament in which debate, discussion, amendments, compromises would have been made which were for the good of All of us.
      It is said that away from politics both Abbott & Gillard are very pleasant, decent people. It is also said that they are, away from politics, quite good friends.
      That, of course, is just scuttlebutt!
      The not-so-Independents may not like Abbott because of his past record as a head-kicking, bully-boy tactics in Parliament
      Nor may they not like Gillard because of her proven disloyalty, her unfettered ambition, her lack of political honesty.
      So they chose the better of two evils.

      Reply

    • Robert S McCormick says:

      05:37pm | 27/11/11

      Persephone, as usual you persist in your Rose-tinted spectacles where the ALP & Gillard, in particular, are concerned. We can guarantee that just as Gillard so unnecessarily interfered in that case of the spoilt, uncontrolled 14 year old brat who was caught buying drugs in Bal, she will if Craig does get charged ask for the issue tobe dealt with as soon as possible.No Double Dissolution Election until 2015? How can you, in all seriousness, make such a ridiculous claim? There is absolutely no guarantee that Gillard will bring on Wilkie’s Nanny State Legislation with regard to the Pokies. Given Gillard’s record to date the chances are enormous that she will simply shelve the entire issue. There are far too many ALP votes to be lost in all those once-secure Federal ALP seats. Like’em or loathe’em those clubs are very influential & will offer all sorts of incentives to their members to oppose Nanny’s legislation. There is absolutely no guarantee that the other Independents will remain in the ALP camp. Then there is the little issue of your & the rest of the ALP’s erratic bed-fellows: The Australian Greens in the Senate. Here, again there is even less guarantee that the Greens will support Gillard. They will only do so if she does exactly as they tell her to.
      Wilkie is now dead in the water. I will give her this. Gillard is nothing if not slimily clever. She will read already be having her spies out in all those electorate with large numbers of ALP voters. She will already have her spies out in all those very marginal seats held by the ALP & the Greens. If she thinks for one second that Wilkie’s NannyLlegislation will harm her she will dump Wilkie & his unworkable, unpopular Nanny legislation faster than an attack of diarrhoea.
      Typically ALP you are assuming that the ALP will win the 2013 federal Election for you say there will be no Double Dissolution until 2015. That, just as Gillard’s support for Wilkie, is not guaranteed & if the polls, (Yes, I know you ALP people pay absolutely no attention to them & they were not the reason you knifed Kevin Rudd in the back were they?) are any indication the ALP will be, as your bete noir Kevin Rudd has said, become irrelevant & the even worse, more socialist Greens will become the second major party in Australia.

      Reply

    • stevem says:

      09:55am | 28/11/11

      My guess is that Gillard will support the Pokies Bill wholeheartedly; right up to the point where both the NSW and Victorian police release the result of their investigations into Craig Thomson.

      If there is no case to answer Labor will dump the legislation and create a committee to decide upon the best way to protect problem gamblers - stopping the legislation while pretending to support it. If Craig Thomson is charged I can’t believe even Labor will trot out the old “innocent until proven guilty” line. They’ll have to cut him loose. In this case they’ll be slaughtered in the by-election and continue to support the Pokies Bill as if nothing had ever happened.

 
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