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Campaign countdown: the 2-day border protection plan

Tory Maguire

by Tory Maguire

09 Jul 05:50am

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Filed under: Asylum Seekers, Boat People, Campaign Countdown, Election 2010, Immigration, Julia Gillard, Politics, Refugees

148 comments

When Julia Gillard stepped to the microphone at the Lowy Institute on Tuesday morning she was hoping to neutralise border protection as an election issue. Instead she had the opposite effect.

Do you reckon there might be an election campaign on? Picture: Nathan Richter.

East Timor’s President Jose Ramos-Horta was on Lateline last night showing how it’s done. His performance in sensible diplomacy and measured thinking made Gillard’s 24 hours of backdowns, rewrites and plan B’s look terribly amateur.

And instead of taking heat out of the issue, Gillard has handed Tony Abbott the ammunition he’s been desperately looking for since her elevation at the end of last month. Here’s how it’s played out so far.

On Tuesday morning in her speech Gillard said:

Building on the work already underway in the Bali Process, today I announce that we will begin a new initiative. In recent days I have discussed with President Ramos Horta of East Timor the possibility of establishing a regional processing centre for the purpose of receiving and processing irregular entrants to the region.

The purpose would be to ensure that people smugglers have no product to sell. A boat ride to Australia would just be a ticket back to the regional processing centre.

President Ramos Horta told me that he welcomed the conversation about this possibility and I look forward to further consultation and dialogue on developing this initiative into a proposal that would advance the proper and consistent treatment of people arriving without authorisation in our region.

While technically she didn’t say the centre would be in East Timor, for about 52 hours, including a gruelling interview on Lateline, Gillard disabused no-one of the notion of the “Dili solution.”

Indeed, when Tony Jones asked her on Wednesday night what plan B was if East Timor said no, Gillard sidestepped the question.

Throughout these two days trouble was brewing for Gillard in Dili. There was controversy over the fact she’d only spoken to President Ramos-Horta, and not the Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, who actually holds the power to agree.

The deputy Prime Minister Jose Luis Guterres also said it was “very unlikely” it would go ahead.

And yesterday Gusmao authorised Ramos-Horta to deal with the matter, basically saying to Gillard, don’t bother calling me until you have something real to discuss.

It appeared Gillard had totally underestimated the East Timor leadership, and treated two men who between them have decades of experience on the world stage (Ramos-Horta even has a Nobel Peace Prize and some bullet wounds to show for it) like they’d just roll over at her command.

So by yesterday afternoon things were looking grim and the PM went on 4BC in Brisbane and said: “I am not going to leave undisturbed the impression I made an announcement about a specific location.” You can hear the interview here.

Ok, maybe when she said she’d been discussing a regional processing centre with Ramos-Horta they were mulling over putting it on Hamilton Island. Or, as everything they East Timorese have said in the past two days have indicated - Dili was the plan all along.

By last night on Perth’s 6PR she was refusing to rule out PNG as an option.

All this leaves Tony Abbott, who spent yesterday lugging and eating bananas at a Brisbane market, with lines such as this: “For all of Kevin Rudd’s faults, at least he knew something about foreign policy, which plainly the new prime minister doesn’t.”

So with border protection a mess, Gillard will be hoping her efforts on climate change will go a bit smoother. According to this morning’s Daily Telegraph, the PM is preparing to take a new climate policy to Cabinet within days, hoping to release it next week.

It’s no ETS. Instead “It is believed it will include tighter restrictions on energy-sapping household appliances such as clothes dryers, with some even being phased out, as part of a new policy to make Australia a world leader in energy efficiency… She is preparing to outline major new initiatives on energy efficiency and to boost renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and tidal in what will be her final pre-election policy statement.”

Until that announcement’s made, however, border protection will continue to be the hot topic - just the thing the Prime Minister was trying to prevent.

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148 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • Sherlock says:

      07:03am | 09/07/10

      Why is everybody surprised? Gillard is incompetent. All you have to do is have a look at her record. Medicare Gold, the ALP’s 2007 election industrial relations policy, the BER it just goes on and on.

      Here’s part of what I wrote more than a month ago http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/campaign-countdown-julia-to-survive-7.30-reportland/

      “As much as I should vote for the best government the thought of watching the magnificent trail of destruction that Gillard as PM would leave behind may be a spectacle not to be missed.”

      Two weeks as PM and she’s her incompetence in economic matters and now she’s shown that she has no idea about foreign affairs. If the predictions about her climate change policy in today’s papers are even close to correct then watching that unfold should be another absolute hoot.

      The appointment of Gillard as PM only displayed how bereft of any political talent the ALP is. It’s frightening to think that Australia’s worst ever Treasurer is only a heartbeat away from the lodge. If not Swan than who’s next” That’s even scarier.

      Reply

    • Wayne Fehlhaber says:

      08:27am | 09/07/10

      Make no mistake , Kevin Rudd , if you thought him amateurish , was a polished performer compared to Gillard. That the P.M. thought she was pulling one over the Australian electorate on the border protection issue is beyond doubt. Right from day one , when she made her announcement , Gillard made it clear she was referencing Timor as the site for a detention and processing centre. As these embarrassing events unfolded , it became clear that Gillard is totally lost when it comes to international consultation. Labor’s leader , is   disorganised , inept and totally incapable of the sometimes delicate task of dealing on the world stage.
      The E.T.S. policy is another pandora’s box for Gillard , the community is gradually awakening to the fact that there will be a huge cost placed on every day living at a time when people have begun to feel the tightening economic belt on their disposable household dollars.
      There has been no explanation at all to the electorate of the sting in the E.T.S. tail . Already spiralling power costs will surge to even greater heights , food , fuel , rates , freight , housing , rent cars , transport , the list goes on and on , will increase in cost and the community has to bear the brunt .
      Labor’s campaign for another three years has taken a battering over the last three days and if Gillard is consistent in her tendency to bungle , we can count on the advent of the E.T.S. to provide further evidence of a Prime Minister struggling with the reins of government

    • Phil says:

      08:55am | 09/07/10

      Sherlock you are spot on.

      Gillard will bring out her socialist policies after the election. Currently she is in caretaker mode, making RIcho proud with his whatever it takes slogan. After she is elected what for the super profits tax on banks, large companies possibly even small. If she is to finish her socialist agenda she needs money, and the rest of the cupboard is bare. That is the biggest problem for socialists, what happens when other peoples money runs out. I know in labor they just think they can print it without consequences, but that is just a lie, like most of their policies.

      The mining tax backdown which as GS pointed out yesterday will be missing 35 Billion over 10 years puts massive holes in her economic credability and budget, plus many smaller miners who still have deep pockets are about to start an advertising campaign again heading into the election. Further the estimates are using recently inflated prices for comodities without consideration to what could happen in PIGS or the USA should any of the bond markets collapse, which many think could happen in 2012/2013.

      She obviously has more talent than Rudd, its just that it is being harnassed in a rush to fool the sheeply voters into thinking she is the Messiah Mk2, who can fix any and everything in a heartbeat.

      As Piers Ackerman said, Gillard is just lipstick on the same old pig.

      As scary as it is that Gillard could lead the nation later this year, the thought of Duck/Goose in the lodge is worse.

    • watchingwithinterest says:

      10:09am | 09/07/10

      Don’t you know that Timor has a asylum-seeker problem and are desperately in need of a ‘regional processing centre’ that’s why the Prime Minister spoke to the President, I mean what other explanation could there be

    • Wayne Fehlhaber says:

      12:06pm | 09/07/10

      Watchingwithinterest :  Timor also has internal problems , it is an unstable third world standard country and an Australian troop presence is maintained to help keep the peace. Of all places to chose for a detention and processing centre for illegal entrants most of whom are Muslims , this was the worst possible site. Timorese are predominately
      Catholic and to direct Muslim illegals to their country would be idiocy.
      You ask what other reason could there be for Gillard to speak with President Jose Ramos-Horta , clearly P.M. Gillard spoke with the wrong person as the President has no parliamentary powers . She should have been told by her advisers to speak with the Prime Minister ,  Xanana Gusmao .
      Gillard faces a major gaffe on this matter and looks very embarrassed on the international stage . Rudd by contrast looked rather polished.

    • watchingwithinterest says:

      03:24pm | 09/07/10

      I was speaking tongue in cheek smile

    • Eye4anEye says:

      04:27pm | 09/07/10

      Going to have to disagree with you there Sherlock - the Labor party does have talent (well did) unfortunatly for them it just left in the form of the 2 competent ministers that resigned this week.

    • James says:

      09:46pm | 09/07/10

      The “Peter Principle” in action.

    • Darryl Price says:

      07:22am | 09/07/10

      Ban the clothes dryer. I’d vote for that. Outstanding.

      Reply

    • CynicalGoat WA says:

      08:37am | 09/07/10

      Gold Darryl…...pure gold!

    • Tedd says:

      09:06am | 09/07/10

      Banana Republic, Labour Style carried over from the 20th C.

    • Mike says:

      07:49am | 09/07/10

      This Government is a disgrace. Now we have the Green Loan scheme dumped and re-named because of mismangement and Penny Wong won’t take questions regarding this bungle or talk about the report of maladministration of the scheme. And the Prime Minister lying about mentioning East Timor in her asylum seeker policy plan. She is spinning so hard she can’t even keep up with her own spin! She looks totally out of her depth as a Prime Minister, she looks confused, appears caught out and sounds lost. What a mess Labor are. No wonder Tanner and Faulkner are packing their bags. Queen Ju-liar you and your Government are a disgrace and an embarrassment.

      Reply

    • Joe says:

      12:17am | 10/07/10

      Does Wong really think that any of the small business people who have been shafted with her green loans scheme will want to have anything to do with any similar scheme under ANY name? NO Way

    • Andrew says:

      08:10am | 09/07/10

      I thought Rudd was the worst PM Australia has ever had, but in just 2 weeks we have another new contender for the title with Prime MInister Gillard spinning past Rudd on the outside. Well done Jules. Funny how Labor keep telling us be warned Abbott could be PM, well I say after your offerings of PM’s in the last 2 and half years I’ll take Abbott thanks.

      Reply

    • Sherekahn says:

      09:02am | 09/07/10

      Abbot?  Take him?  Take him to Rome and dump him.
      Julia Gillard ‘referencing’ East Timor was letting our public know her intention to ask them, if they would be interested in assisting with this curse.
      From the West newspaper this morning:
      “This form of skimming is predominantly perpetrated globally by persons of Tamil ethnic origin,” Mr Anticich said yesterday. “Of the 20 persons arrested for offences regarding this crime type in Australia, 19 are confirmed to be of Tamil origin.”

      As for the Australian ETS, it would not benefit the world by any more than one 1/100th%.
      Whereas, capping our population first would steady our Carbon Footprint and enable us to benefit OUR country first!

    • Dash says:

      09:29am | 09/07/10

      Sherekahn, you have got to be kidding me! How can you justify Gillard and or Labor over anyone given the huge list of failures, spin, lies and rorting that has occured under her watch as either deputy PM or PM? “Referencing”? What? Is that a bit like referencing that the profit tax was not negotiable, or referencing 200+ childcare facilities not delivered, or referencing the plan to deliver more affordable housing, or referencing the grocery choice program, or fuelwatch or laptops in schools. What a load of tripe! We cannot afford another term of this nonsense. Wake up!

    • CSallen says:

      02:25pm | 09/07/10

      No prejudices there at all Sherekhan?

    • Joan says:

      08:17am | 09/07/10

      This incident showsGillards total lack of diplomatic skills and lack of understanding of international relations. She demonstrates she is not a leader, and her past history indicates she is a manager- she is given a task by a leader then implements it. She wasn’t even smart enough to ask Ian Smith or other foreign affairs advisors if her loose talk of East Timor and NZ was appropriate for public announcement. She has involved ET and NZ in the Australia refugee debate without appropriate consultation and now back peddles on it. Meanwhile we have Horta after consulting Gusmao saying ET could be interested. Gillard shows herself to be a total amateur, novice, and no leader. Australia needs a leader not an amateur, Australia does not need manager that does not understand what it is to be a leader. The phoney elected PM Gillard show that she hasn’t got what it takes to be the peoples PM.

      Reply

    • Enkl says:

      09:47am | 09/07/10

      @Joan: “... she is a manager ...”

      Pull the other one Joan. My dictionary defines manager as “Someone who controls resources and expenditures”.

    • Joan says:

      10:35am | 09/07/10

      Enkl- in that case - Gillard didn’t even perform her management skills successfully - all the building rorts as proof- now as a leader she demonstrates even less skill ie poor communicatiion and negotiation with international leaders and showing no respect by making announcements prior to serious meaningful discussion. Poor manager, poor leader, - she doesn’t deserve to be PM of Australia

    • Timmo says:

      06:07am | 10/07/10

      Joan, What about giving her a go. Why don’t you step up to the mark if you think you can do better. Plenty to say but no substance and that goes for all of you downers out there. It’s obvious that you are all firmly wedged up Tony Abbotts backside.

    • RM Williams says:

      11:50am | 10/07/10

      @Timmo,  probably a lot of people would step up but the unions have decided who our prime minister is,not australian voters

    • Joan says:

      08:24am | 09/07/10

      Gillard selected a few, ousted Rudd in the fashion of a banana republic - we go to bed one night and wake-up to another leader the next morning. Gillard now shows she has all the diplomatic skills of a banana-republic leader.

      Reply

    • Anthony of WA says:

      08:34am | 09/07/10

      A very slow learner I would say, is this not exactly the same mistake they made with the mining tax? announce something without even talking to the people concerned.

      Reply

    • AdamC says:

      09:06am | 09/07/10

      Totally agree, Anthony. Ruddard/Gillrudd, it looks like Jools is making all the same mistake as the man she knifed. Who’s next on the snakemen’s list?

    • Hamish says:

      01:20pm | 09/07/10

      It would be great if Labor could just be up-front with the people and make Mark Arbib prime minister. After all, he’s clearly the one who’s actually in charge. They could also do us a favour and make their new name official - ‘The NSW Right.’ I guess it doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, though…

    • Rosie says:

      08:52am | 09/07/10

      I hailed from a Pacific Island and Australia is my adopted country. It has been for the last 41 years. These days Australia is my only home as I am not happy and totally disagree with the military regime that is governing my birth country, once a democractic jewel of the Pacific and now a dictatorship.

      Since the coup in Dec 2006, the illegal Fiji Military Regime and its supporters have declared that Australia & NZ are bullies and should not interfere in the governance of their country. They should be respecting the wishes of their nation. I have disagreed and said; “all very well but will accept any financial aid from Australia & NZ” I was taught by Aust & NZ teachers and when leaving Fiji was geared up and had the confidence to face the world. Aust & NZ have played a big part in the development of the small island nation. In all my years, never once have I experienced Aust & NZ play the big brother bully tacties, undermine or underestimate the leaders of Fiji. Julia Gillard can add another first to her credentials in trying to bully East Timor in her rushed “asylum seekers” plan. She has not only tried to bully the 2 leaders of East Timor, President Ramos Horta and PM Xanana Gusmao but undermine and underestimate their leadership!

      Gillard has not only shamed Australia’s international reputation but has made us out to be incompetent dills on the world stage.

      What do you expect from a back stabber appointee of the Union Powers and finger prints of the very person the Labour Party stabbed because as a Govt they had lost their way!

      Reply

    • Charles says:

      08:59am | 09/07/10

      Gillard is a failure, she is way off the mark on illegal immigrants and still has not put the mining fiasco to bed either.  Australians don’t deserve this amateur hour government.

      P.S. Please make sure Penbo gets a copy of this, he has a few stars in his eyes about Gillard that probably need dispelling.

      Reply

    • Bazza says:

      09:01am | 09/07/10

      Gee can’t wait for the next installment from Julia’s sitcom, now that she has her revamped asylum seeker policy all done and dusted, the amount of revenue from the miners resource tax all cleared up, Climate Change policy should be a goody, just don’t blink or ask for details or you’ll miss it no doubt. They’re only short episodes, but I feel the Opposition maybe able to remind the voters if they’ve missed anything.

      Reply

    • Fed Up High Achiever says:

      09:03am | 09/07/10

      Why is the main topic of political debate now determined by the lowest common denominator in our society, the white trash of the western suburbs of sydney? Leadership is not about kowtowing to those who complain the loudest.  I support humane policies on asylum seekers, I pay more tax than an entire housing estate of these western suburbs losers put together ... so how come they get heard and genuine contributors to society like me dont?

      Reply

    • Hamish says:

      09:24am | 09/07/10

      Yeah, Fed Up, democracy sucks doesn’t it? It would be so much better if we were run by autocratic oligarchs who decided what was best for everyone.

    • Bazza says:

      09:27am | 09/07/10

      People don’t listen to you because you don’t have any manners. Out here in the West, we may not have the fancy schools, universities, cool little bars and restaurants but we treat people with respect. We love our families, church and community and we don’t go around calling people rude names like our enlightened, inner-city cousins seem to enjoy doing so much.

    • Phil says:

      09:29am | 09/07/10

      Fed Up

      Rather than complain, why not offer your thoughts on how to fix the issue?

      We all pay tax, well most of us, I just got a tax bill well into 6 figures that I cant jump over let alone write the cheque for today, so get over yourself, but where are your alternatives. Rather than complain that some westy trogs are getting heard, and your not, what would you do?

      I have said I dont want people smuggling to be an option. I would go so far as to ban anyone who tries this type of hijack of our country. Thats what it is hijack. Last year we had Sri Lankan’s taking unwilling to leave a patrol boat. Would you agree to them entering your home under the same pretence. No you would not.

      But I would increase our intake of genuine refugees by 50% so long as they had or were able to obtain certain skills and be settled to where we need population growth Like country areas. This is fare and humane. It removes the risk to lives, and sets our agenda. It also increases our refugee per head of population beyond anywhere in the world by a large margin.

      You may not agree with my suggestions, and I care little of that fact. I am however prepared to put my hand up and offer a suggestion rather than complain.

    • Gandhi says:

      09:31am | 09/07/10

      “... the lowest common denominator in our society, the white trash of the western suburbs of sydney ...”

      Racism and classism in one sentence. Why should bigots like you be allowed to be heard?

    • Joan says:

      09:43am | 09/07/10

      Hey High Achiever: get something clear -  there is power in the masses especially those not sitting on the high and mighty pinacle where you dwell. One thing the masses can do is pull down an uppity like you just look at the French Republic. - `let them eat cake`  will get you nowhere.

    • Battered Sav says:

      09:54am | 09/07/10

      Maybe you could comfort yourself with the fact that you aren’t poor, that’s how I cope.

    • Andy D says:

      09:56am | 09/07/10

      Fed Up High Achiever, get down off your high horse and pull the stick out of your butt you sanctimonious prig. You sound like a big talking bigot to me.

      Just because you pay more tax does not mean you have any extra rights. You don’t get two votes just because your fair share is bigger than someone else’s.

      Your comment is one of the worst, most ignorant and bigoted, I have seen on this website an a long time. You should be ashamed of yourself.

    • Doh says:

      09:58am | 09/07/10

      @Fed Up High Achiever

      Don’t complain to us, complain to our dear PM.

      Being a high achiever you must be fairly intelligent, therefore it must be clear to you that Gillard’s mishandling of this issue has move beyond asylum seekers to our credibility in the region.

      “I support humane policies on asylum seekers, I pay more tax than an entire housing estate of these western suburbs losers put together”

      Good for you, you must be fairly successful.  You should therefore be very interested to know that under Abbott’s refugee policy you can use your cash to assist in privately sponsoring asylum seekers.  That way you can truly act in a humane fashion and satisfy your values in the process.

      It is however disturbing to hear you speak about your fellow Australians in such a derogatory fashion.  This is a democracy, how dare you presume that others opinions should not be heard.

    • Nicole says:

      10:29am | 09/07/10

      ” I pay more tax than an entire housing estate of these western suburbs losers put together ”  Hahaha. I would suggest you swap hands sunshine. You’ll get RSI

    • Sven Gali says:

      10:49am | 09/07/10

      Twiggy ? Is that you ? Nice trolling, FUHA, which we don’t see much of these days.

    • Phil says:

      11:35am | 09/07/10

      Nicole

      Awesome comment.

      Fed up should change hands at 100

    • Rob G says:

      12:51pm | 09/07/10

      It’s OK , Gillrudd has back-flipped back again later this morning! Apparently East Timor is still on! (Or it was at 12.00am). It was only a double back-flip without any twists, but quite spectacular!
      I’m waiting for a back-back-flip to negate the forward back-flip from yesterday, but might be a while. The whisper is she is looking at a single back-flip with twist for the ETS.
      Amy Dale from the Australian says she dressed very well throughout the whole ordeal is still very well groomed. Dale said nothing about running the country! Sigh!

    • Stephanie says:

      02:36pm | 09/07/10

      Hey FUHA, you sounds like one of those people that would not buy a Toyota but would buy a Lexus because you think it suits your status better smile how funny are you?

    • Fed Up High Achiever says:

      03:05pm | 09/07/10

      No Stephanie, I bought my Lexus because it is fuel efficient, cost effective and because I care about carbon emmisions.  Also,  if I am totally honest, because it attracts sexy, succesful, stylish women.  You got a problem with that?

    • Nicole says:

      04:01pm | 09/07/10

      Awww that’s really cute Fed Up. Do you have the whole Matchbox car collection, or a few bits and pieces?

    • Fed Up High Achiever says:

      05:46pm | 09/07/10

      Showing a bit of class envy are we,  Nicole?  Just keep stressing out about bogan BS like the great Boat People invader threat and stop trying to make funny jokes.  You dont have the wit for it, girl.

    • Hamish says:

      09:10am | 09/07/10

      It’s truly amazing how inept and arrogant this government is. Gillard has managed to completely copy a Coalition policy which in opposition she branded as cruel and ineffective and still botched the announcement (not the policy, the announcement!). I don’t know what’s worse - that Gillard has lied about being against the Pacific solution/has forsaken her beliefs for popularity or that she can manage to stuff up a policy before it’s even announced. Say what you will about the Kruddster, at least he waited until after he’d announced the policy before stuffing it up.

      It’s also amazing that Abbott is essentially running the country from opposition. Labor’s me-too-ism is quite remarkable.

      Reply

    • AdamC says:

      04:13pm | 09/07/10

      I think there are two valid differences between the ALP’s policy and the Coalition’s. The first is that the Labor policy still offers permanent residency as a carrot to boat arrivals, which basically means it has no credibility.

      The second difference is that the Coalition’s policy is based on a conviction that Australia should control its immigration programme, while the ALP’s policy is based on a conviction that the ALP must win the next election.

      We get the ‘leaders’ we vote for. Or, rather, the leaders that can carry the numbers in the ALP caucus.

    • Daryl says:

      09:16am | 09/07/10

      OK here we go again. We’ve had Labor’s tax plan Mk2, their border protection plan (if you can call it that) Mk2, and now we’re set to get their climate change plan Mk2. They haven’t even finished a single term and yet they’re backflipping all over the place trying to cover up failure after failure! Take a look at all the promises from their last election campaign and ask yourself what they have delivered. Fuelwatch - nup, grocery choices - nup, more affordable housing - nup, “I’ll turn the boats around” - nup, 200+ childcare facilities - nup, “who do you trust on interest rates” - nup they’re up, “I’m an economic conservative” - nup (you’ve spent more than any other PM in history), Education revolution - nup (rorting yes, revolution? I don’t think so), “root and branch” overhaul of the tax system - nup, Lap tops in schools - nup. Then look at what they’ve tried to deliver. Insulation scheme - oops, profit tax - oops, 2020 summit - oops, border protection - oops, the ETS - oops, blah blah blah. Who believes these morons anymore? Who are you? And how can you justify the incompetence, waste and rorting that’s gone on under this Labor government? Tanner and Faulkner have now left in a huge vote of no confidence in their own party. Seems they don’t want to be tarnished by this mess. If Labor is returned get ready for your utilities to go up and for the boats to keep coming! Yet we seem to still have opinion polls that give Gillard the upper hand! I don’t understand? It must be me!

      Reply

    • acotrel says:

      09:21am | 09/07/10

      The most famous person who used xenophobia as a political tool shot himself in 1945!

      Reply

    • bihl says:

      09:22am | 09/07/10

      Ohh great now the great global warming scam rears its ugly head.
      Carbon trading will benefit the banksters who will trade thin air and push the cost of living up for every Australian.

      The ETS, if implemented, would be the biggest change in taxation in Australian history. Considering Labor couldn’t run grocery-watch, fuel-watch, the insulation revolution, the health revolution, the tax revolution, the school revolution ... all the other socialist revolutions and reform programs ... do we really want Labor in charge of anything anymore?

      The worst thing about this is that Penny WRong will come out of hiding along with her co-conspirator Peter ‘once had respect’ Garrett. Ohhhh please I couldn’t stand it.

      Reply

    • Rob G says:

      12:56pm | 09/07/10

      After this latest fiasco with the Green Loans, I heard Peter Garrett has been banished to the Simpson Desert where he cant hurt anyone!

      Dont know where Wong has gone!

    • RRo says:

      09:26am | 09/07/10

      Interesting how the media including this site do everything in there power to find awkward or unattractive photos of Abbott, yet Foooolya Joooolya has had the women’s weekly 5 star photo-shopping treatment. Experts have retouched her within an inch of her actual image. To the point where she doesn’t look like the same person.

      Reply
    • Tory Maguire

      Tory Maguire says:

      10:29am | 09/07/10

      RRo, could you please provide examples of where this site has given Julia Gillard the “women’s weekly 5 star photo-shopping treatment”?

    • Rosie says:

      10:49am | 09/07/10

      It is refreshing to see a photo of the Opposition leader looking natural, very down to earth and acknowledging those that work very hard like some of us to sustain a living.

      Like one of the men said at the market; “You’re the man! We need you!”

    • Ryan says:

      11:40am | 09/07/10

      @RRo: you wouldn’t be accusing the media of being Labor slanted? I mean its not like three quarters of the media wasn’t sitting in Kevs camp during the last election and look at what we got.

    • Joan says:

      12:49pm | 09/07/10

      I would agree with you on this RRo, only some media dare to be different-  Andrew Bolt on his site showed Gillard using a Zig Heil style salute on the naval destroyer as she looked over to ET - this site displayed her as looking passively in the distance- same place same time . Every picture tells a story. If Abbott had made a Zig Heil style salute the picture would have been wall to wall media release.Sort of like celebreties the media drag out some old down in the mouth photograph or happy go lucky shots to suit how they want to depict the person. Womens Weekly wanted a cutesy benign airbrushed pic to suit their opinion - nothing about reality - the ousting of a peoples PM by redheaded blazing GIllard. No mention of Gillard comment ~ ``Games on` to Abbott in parliament. Had Abbott uttered those words the media would have gone into an anti-Abbott frenzy.  Abbott posing with bananas is less dangerous for Australia,  less dangerous than the banana republic style course taken by Gillard over past two weeks.

    • Pinocchio says:

      12:58pm | 09/07/10

      I’m waiting for her nose to start growing longer, with all the lies.

    • MickG says:

      09:34am | 09/07/10

      Poor old Julia, clearly she didn’t read the label on her latest “policy” properly -

      Spin cycle only.  Do not subject to scrutiny.  Keep away from Lateline.

      Reply

    • Chris M says:

      02:08pm | 09/07/10

      Haha, good call.

    • Trey says:

      09:36am | 09/07/10

      My family genuinely cannot afford higher utility costs. The cost of rent has almost doubled for us in the last three years. The ETS at it’s core is a transfer of wealth offshore into the hands of those who are unaccountable and who least need it.  I feel utterly betrayed by politicians who are riding waves of popularity instead of putting their heads down and improving the lives of all Australians.

      Australians are over taxed, over governed, over regulated, over fined and soon to be over monitored. And now are we headed toward an eco-fascist, carbon regulated society also? When is enough enough?

      Reply

    • Nicole says:

      10:08am | 09/07/10

      Doh, I just read that too and I’m floored. No one will put a foot in my house either. So I’ll second that !

    • Ryan says:

      11:02am | 09/07/10

      @Doh : this is because comrade Gillard obviously has plans to introduce more and more communist laws where the power companies will have the RIGHT to come into your home and ruffle through everything you own to make a report back to the government of what electrical items you own and what must be purchased by you (probably through a garnishing of your salary) to upgrade.

      This won’t be a nanny/police state if comrade Gillard is re-elected, this will be a communist state.

    • A Bob says:

      11:29am | 09/07/10

      You can have my clothes dryer when you prise it from my cold, dead hands.

    • ABC says:

      04:06pm | 09/07/10

      If is wasn’t for my clothes dryer, I’d be wandering around in damp clothes.  This would in turn give cause to give me a cold (perhaps bronchitis), this would in turn (in order to prevent colleagues contracting my germs) necessitate my staying home from work.  My lack of attendance at work would impact on mine and my organisation’s productivity.  If I did elect to soldier on and present me and my sniffles and phlegm to work, this would increase the chance of me passing my germs onto my staff.  This would therefore have further productivity impact when they stayed home honking their own snodge into their Kleenex.  Therefore, either way, if you bugger off with my clothes dryer you may be reducing some form of carbon output, but this would need to be offset against the vast increase in landfill that would result from all those snodgy tissues being turfed and the reduction in organisational productivity.

    • KD says:

      09:43am | 09/07/10

      I think we should all calm down and wait and see what she actually DOES in the next month or so, rather than pouncing on her for being too eager to TELL us what she’s GOING to do, then wanting to throw the baby out with the bathwater when it all goes pear shaped.  (Note to Julia - perhaps keep mouth shut until you’ve actually chalked up a win.)  And on a hot topic other than boat people, a lot of people have shouted very loudly and clearly that they DON’T want the ETS, so why attack Rudd et al for abandoning it (one of his only good decisions in my opinion).  So many hypocrites out there you people!  Just settle down, listen instead of prematurely venting your spleens, think about what both parties stand for, and vote with your heads at the next election, not what Julia and Tony wear either at the beach on in Parliament, or whose ears have the biggest lobes or other trivialities that keep cropping up.  Maybe then we’ll get a well considered result and a government we both want and deserve (or the best that’s on offer anyway).

      Reply

    • Northern Steve says:

      10:32am | 09/07/10

      Yes, people didn’t want the ETS.  Yes people are attacking Labor for attacking it.  People are not happy that Labor could stand up at the election and tell us how important something is, and then back off when the poll numbers look bad.  It is the hypocrisy more than anything else, not the actual policy itself.  Labor has no credibility.  If the ETS was important, they should have explained what they were doing and why better, rather than assuming everyone was with them.  Dropping it makes it look like a poll stunt more than a real policy.

    • Daryl says:

      11:42am | 09/07/10

      KD, As I keep saying, this Labor party should be judged on it’s actions not on it’s words. Last election they promised the world and they either haven’t delivered or made a mess. There is enough history to judge this government as the worst we’ve ever had. As I said above: Take a look at all the promises from their last election campaign and ask yourself what they have delivered. Fuelwatch - nup, grocery choices - nup, more affordable housing - nup, “I’ll turn the boats around” - nup, 200+ childcare facilities - nup, “who do you trust on interest rates” - nup they’re up, “I’m an economic conservative” - nup (you’ve spent more than any other PM in history), Education revolution - nup (rorting yes, revolution? I don’t think so), “root and branch” overhaul of the tax system - nup, Lap tops in schools - nup. Then look at what they’ve tried to deliver. Insulation scheme - oops, profit tax - oops, 2020 summit - oops, border protection - oops, the ETS - oops. Hypocritical would be the notion that the “profits tax is not-negotiable” or Gillards “we’re not going to go back to the Pacific solution”. I agree with you vote with your head and don’t get blinded by more of the same spin Labor has thrown at us and failed to deliver on time and time again!

    • Gregg says:

      12:41pm | 09/07/10

      Don’t worry KD, I reckon the back room brawlers will have her gaged before too much longer and whisper on the street is that more than a few in Caucus are wondering where Kev went for his holidays and if he’ll want to adopt Lazarus as his new middle name in being brought back.
      They reckon Kevin will still have a better ring to it than Wayne.

    • KD says:

      01:52pm | 09/07/10

      Hi Daryl, and I agree with you too - don’t get me wrong.  This government has been a joke from the start - bringing in the Head Clown Peter Garrett, Minister for The Crap That Penny Wong’s Too Busy To Deal With, and the unashamed schmoozing of Cate Blanchett et al at the ridiculous 2020 “Summit”  are just two highly embarrassing early ideas that come to my mind.  I was so pleased and relieved to see the door hitting Rudd on his way out that I actually relished watching his cringe-worthy, unbelievably arrogant and long winded departure speech.  I also haven’t forgotten the former love affair many had with the “Mighty Kevin 07” in the beginning, and then how quickly we grew to loathe him.  But at least that lasted a bit longer than the elation so many expressed only 2 weeks ago over Julia’s victory, which now seems to be in tatters already.  I’m pretty sure I’ll be voting for Tony Abbott (never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined myself saying THAT a couple of years ago!), but I would nevertheless like to see what, if anything, she can achieve.  It’s only been 2 weeks - let’s be generous and give her another 4 ....

    • acotrel says:

      09:49am | 09/07/10

      All this backchat is irrelevant! The simple fact is, it was the Liberal Party which made asylum seekers an issue! They had nothing else to hang their hat on - NOTHING CONSTRUCTIVE!

      Reply

    • Jim says:

      10:00am | 09/07/10

      Oh it’s all Tony’s fault again. Keep up the good work Tone’s.

    • Hamish says:

      10:12am | 09/07/10

      And what constructive, pray tell, does Julia have to hang her hat on? The Labor Party could have ignored asylum seekers as an issue, but they didn’t. They copied a Coalition and policy and still managed to stuff it up at announcement stage (not even implementation stage, which was previously their big problem). I mean, Labor can’t even plagiarise well.

    • Rosie says:

      10:39am | 09/07/10

      acotrel
      Utter nonsense! “Liberal Party made asylum seekers an issue because they had nothing else to hang their hat on.” It is the likes of you that have not only made asylum seekers an inhumane issue but have given our international reputation a bad name. Well before Gillard’s unplaned, ambitious and non practical policy on asylum seekers learned Australians knew how the Liberals were going to deal with it. They had chosen a path that had a proven record it worked with a couple of additions like adopting a refugee at the expense of those doing the adopting and not the taxpayers. It is a well known fact that the Labour Party have adopted the “me to” attitude and have tried to convince the public that theirs was different.

      Go do your homework and please come up with something more constructive to back what you are trying to say! You sound desperate like Julia Gillard!

    • Daryl says:

      01:42pm | 09/07/10

      Oh I don’t know about that Acotrel, more likely that they don’t have enough hats! What about:

      The taxpayer waste on the 2020 summit,
      Grocery choice - promise not delivered,
      Fuelwatch - fail,
      Profit tax - backflip
      $4.5billion dollar budget evenue hole - $1.5b lie
      Root and branch tax reform - not delivered
      200+ chilcare facilities - election promise not delivered
      “We wont touch the private health rebate” - lie
      Insulation scheme - fiasco
      School scheme - parliamentary inquiry into rorting and coruption
      N Broadband N - from $4b, to $7b to $43 billion
      The Greatest Moral Chalenge of our Time - Backflip
      The ETS - backflip
      $450K a year job for Kevies mate Mike Kaiser - job not advertised
      Laptops in schools - not delivered
      “More affordable housing” - prices set to rise, interest rates up
      “economic conservative” - suplus blown, spending out of control
      consecutive budget defecits - record foreign debt
      The GreenPower scheme has failed. The renewable energy trading certificates scheme is in disarray.
      No compulsory University Union Fees – an outright lie voted down
      Federal takeover of hospitals by mid 2009 if no improvement. – not delivered
      Homes /renovations for indigenous – not one shovel lifted to date
      Cheaper Books for Australians – back flip
      Copenhagen conference - Fail
      War on Homelessness - but increased Homeless numbers for 2010
      Fight Inflation Genie – Oops GFC
      Save the whales – Fail

      How many more do you need Acotrel?? WAKE UP AUSTRALIA!!

    • ibast says:

      10:17am | 09/07/10

      Something about this stinks.  Prime Minister Jose Luis Guterres is now saying it is possible.  I do wonder if the initial refusal was a favor called in.

      Reply

    • Phil says:

      12:15pm | 09/07/10

      It is dangerous when you hand the cheque book to those who have never built anything in their lives of any great worth. MOst have never held a real job that they had to work hard for. Sure Joolya was a union/ambulance chaser lawyer, Peter Garrett was a successful rock star, who sold his soul to the ALP, but has been gelded from serious comment since, but seriously they could not organise a R_ _t in a brother with a platinum amex this lot.

      Labor have no real value of money, and will throw it around the region in order to look good, then tax us to cover their ineptude and poor thought processes.

      Labor cannot afford for JOOLYA to look bad over this issue. They will do whatever it takes, include wasting Hundreds of Millions of Dollars. After all they have solid form in this area.

    • DD Ball says:

      10:18am | 09/07/10

      Gillard has been desperate since before she knifed Rudd. She has not made a cool calculated move for a long time. Her IR laws were not thought out when she took on the ministry, but was the work of others. Ditto her Education reforms, which never benefited Australia but ALP creditors. She has never handled organization well, partly, I suspect because she wants to be served, not to serve. She wants the top job, thinking she will be Queen, when instead she is merely top dog. Mr Abbott has been superb as leader. He calmly took the reigns and graciously worked with others to set an agenda that is pretty powerful, so that Gillard has to dance to his tune. She can’t even copy his policies well ..

      Reply

    • watchingwithinterest says:

      10:27am | 09/07/10

      I fear that the incumbancy will be the Labor Party’s biggest liability in the election campaign.  As the government with all the resources at its disposal it should be able to put fully costed and developed policies on the table.  As the opposition in 2007 it was acceptable for it to put up thought bubbles as it did not have the resources of goverment available to it to develop its policies.  The Prime Minister in putting up a thought bubble asylum-seeker policy fell way short of what the public expects of those in government.  I hope that she learns from her mistake and when she announces her revised climate change policy that the policy is fully developed and ready for implementation.  Not just another thought bubble.

      Reply

    • dobbo says:

      10:38am | 09/07/10

      All of this demonstrates why the hot house atmosphere leading up to an election is the worst time for the new PM to be attempting to solve all the world’s problems.

      Basically it’s time for Gillard to get to the Australian people as soon as possible and ratify the decision the ALP made to put her in the hot seat.

      We’ve had plenty of opportunity to see her working effectively in caretaker PM mode during Rudd’s many overseas trips.

      Also there’s enough there to judge her effectiveness in actual power with the big mining company run on the board immediately she took the field. And the employment figures are bright.

      The best favour she can now do Australia is to get the election over and behind her so that the country can move on and get back to fully effective and sane operation.

      Incidentally speaking comparatively re Abbott: we have absolutely no idea what he’d be like as a leader of government other than a few indicators - hot headed flashes such as leaping in to claim paternity of a child that wasn’t his, various motor-mouth performances under pressure and the sloppy oversight of the $700,000 loan.

      So ... let the judging begin…we’ve got more than enough to go on here.

      PS Love the Abbott and bananas image. He’s a smart man

      Reply

    • Mark says:

      10:44am | 09/07/10

      These guys explain this in jest better than most journo can seriously.

      KERRY O’BRIEN, PRESENTER: Time for John Clarke and Bryan Dawe on politics and asylum seekers.

      BRYAN DAWE: Now your name is Laurent?

      JOHN CLARKE: Yes, that’s right yes.

      BRYAN DAWE: Do you have a first name?

      JOHN CLARKE: Yes, Ignacious.

      BRYAN DAWE: Ah Ig Ignorant.

      JOHN CLARKE: That’s right, yes.

      BRYAN DAWE: And what do you do Iggy?

      JOHN CLARKE: I’m consultant.

      BRYAN DAWE: Right and who do you consult with?

      JOHN CLARKE: Well, you know, you at the moment.

      BRYAN DAWE: Right. Now your special subject tonight is Australia’s immigration policy Iggy. Your questions start now best of luck. What is Australia’s policy on asylum seekers?

      JOHN CLARKE: Well seek a view from the electorate, see what….

      BRYAN DAWE: No, no, no, no Iggy, I’ll ask you that one again. What is the policy on refugees from other countries seeking asylum in Australia?

      JOHN CLARKE: Well get a sense of what the electorate thinks and then say things that seem to address those anxieties in such a…

      BRYAN DAWE: No, no, no, no, no,no. Listen to the question Iggy. What is the actual policy?

      JOHN CLARKE: What today?

      BRYAN DAWE: Well we might leave that one and move on I think. What percentage of the world’s asylum seekers applications were made last year to Australia?

      JOHN CLARKE: 98 per cent.

      BRYAN DAWE: No that is incorrect.

      JOHN CLARKE: 87 per cent?

      BRYAN DAWE: No it was 0.5 of one per cent, Iggy.

      JOHN CLARKE: Gee

      BRYAN DAWE: Where did this rank Australia amongst the world’s nations taking in refugees?

      JOHN CLARKE: First!

      BRYAN DAWE: No, think about this Iggy, half of one per cent of the applications made in the world were made in applications to come Australia. So where did that rank us amongst world nations?

      JOHN CLARKE: Yeah, Second!

      BRYAN DAWE: No, 33rd

      JOHN CLARKE: Oh well a lot of countries are richer, you know, the rich countries can take lots of migrants.

      BRYAN DAWE: No, no, Iggy if you take the GDP into account we’re actually 70th. OK, what percentage of Australia’s immigrants come by boat?


      JOHN CLARKE: Oh about 98 per cent

      BRYAN DAWE: No, down a bit

      JOHN CLARKE: 83 per cent

      BRYAN DAWE: Down a fair bit.

      JOHN CLARKE: 66 per cent.

      BRYAN DAWE: No down from 2 per cent

      JOHN CLARKE: About 50 per cent.

      BRYAN DAWE: No. I think this next question could help you Iggy. How do most people who emigrate to Australia arrive?

      JOHN CLARKE: Oh they come in boats, sort of really small boats with a quite a high front.

      BRYAN DAWE: No, the vast majority arrive by plane.

      JOHN CLARKE: No they don’t they come in boats I’ve seen them on television they’re in little boats with quite a high front, they’re sort of low in the water.

      BRYAN DAWE: Hey Iggy have you ever seen an aeroplane on television?

      JOHN CLARKE: Well, yeah I’ve been on an aeroplane.

      BRYAN DAWE: And when was that Iggy?

      JOHN CLARKE: When I came to Australia.

      BRYAN DAWE: Correct!

      JOHN CLARKE: Oh good I’ve got one right.

      BRYAN DAWE: Which group has the highest rate of success in establishing that they are genuine immigrants: the ones who come on planes or the ones who come in boats?

      JOHN CLARKE: The ones who come in planes.

      BRYAN DAWE: No the ones who come here on boats.

      JOHN CLARKE: Oh do they? I did well then.

      BRYAN DAWE: You did very well. Final question Iggy. What’s the point of moving the big processing centre for the boatpeople from Christmas Island to East Timor?

      JOHN CLARKE: I’ve got no idea.

      BRYAN DAWE: Correct and after that round you are still living in a country which was invaded in the first place and in which you’ve overstayed your visa.

      JOHN CLARKE: Yeah well we won’t be having any more of that will we?

      BRYAN DAWE: No.

      JOHN CLARKE: Not now I’m here.

      http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/clarkedawe.htm

      Reply

    • Eskimo says:

      10:46am | 09/07/10

      Triathletes live on bananas.

      Reply

    • Craigles says:

      02:26pm | 09/07/10

      mmm, seems so do try-politicians, and try-hard ones at that

    • thatmosis says:

      10:50am | 09/07/10

      Cant wait for her “new” policy on Climate Change and hope that this time I can get on the gravy Train that accompanies all the Labor Government implementations of these policies. How many billions is this going the cost Australians whilst doing diddly squat for the world and the environment. More policy on the run from a completely useless Government run by a Union Puppet. People are going to write songs about this Prime Spin-ster, oh sorry, they already have-“Fool on the Hill” comes to mind as does “Jubilation T Cornpone” and “Send in the Clowns”

      Reply

    • TC says:

      02:58pm | 09/07/10

      I think the plan will be to change the climate after the election

    • dobbo says:

      11:52am | 09/07/10

      Eskimo…so do chimps, don’t they?

      Reply

    • Nicole says:

      12:14pm | 09/07/10

      Has anyone noticed that Wayne Swan has been very quiet, or is it just me?

      Reply

    • Margaret says:

      12:27pm | 09/07/10

      He’s still trying to make sence out of Julia’s new revamped resources tax.

    • Phil says:

      12:36pm | 09/07/10

      Nicole Duck/Goose/Swan is thinking up for socialist taxes if they get elected once more.

      They know is is useless, watch for plenty of Joolya, more of Joolya and then some more Joolya in the media.

      If Penny Wong was Kevin Rudd with Black Hair, being a red head maybe Joolya is Kerry O’Brien in a skirt.

    • Nicole says:

      01:13pm | 09/07/10

      Phil, that’s one hideous picture I have in my head. Ha ha ha
      Margaret, well that should keep him busy for a long, long time.

    • Varuni says:

      02:59pm | 09/07/10

      What about Penny Wong? She’s still a minister right?

    • MarK says:

      12:40pm | 09/07/10

      At least you have the real power person in Australia pictured up the the top.

      Said it yesterday will say it again.

      Rudd was actually the brains in this Labor operation.

      We have a pale imitation in his place.

      It would be hilarious if it was not so serious.

      The 48 hour “vision” is over. The honeymoon is in the past. How embarrassing.

      Can they change leader again or would 2 changes in a first term be considered too tardy and careless to spin?

      Reply

    • Rob G says:

      01:09pm | 09/07/10

      Well they have run out of genders, so unless the Factions can come up with a transvestite who can spin without baring the essentials…..... I guess they are lost!

    • Lucy says:

      02:15pm | 09/07/10

      They could always try the Penny Wong experiment.

    • Titch101 says:

      12:50pm | 09/07/10

      We are sending our men and women to Afganistan, Iraq. East Timore, etc to bring peace to these countries and hopefully the world. They are risking their lives to do this. Why don’t we say to the boat people that they can have residency in our country as long as they join our armed forces and after training, do 3 terms in their previous country training their own countrymen to defend themselves. This will save the lives of our people and hopefully bring the conflict to an early end. This would be for people 18years and over. I have lived in Afganistan and other Middle Eastern countries and have some understanding of the living conditions they live under. They should be fighting for their own country’s freedom. I have also served in the Middle East conflict.

      Reply

    • Nolleen says:

      01:14pm | 09/07/10

      Isn’t it amazing how all these Liberal supporters eg. Darryl….forget how Labor saved Australia from recession.  Take a visit overseas an see how most other countries are doing….Doom and Gloom ...very subdued populations looking at us with envy. “Go fast and go early” was the Govt plan…and it worked…we have 5% unemployment, which basically is FULL employment. Yes, there have been a few mistakes, but do you honestly think phoney Tony can do any better? The Libs spent nothing on infrastructure in 11 years, so of course it is up to Labor to try and rectify this.  It is always the same…Labor have to cope with the rough times and just as things are getting better the Libs get into power and take credit for all the groundwork by Labor.  Check your history..it was and is always thus.

      Reply

    • julia says:

      01:22pm | 09/07/10

      Ah, Geeze Nolleen. There are state governments who have sat on their hands for years and not spent anything on rail, hospitals or public housing. And it’s their job to do it.

    • Tails says:

      01:38pm | 09/07/10

      Nolleen, you are delusional beyond words. In fact, the extent of your delusion scares me senseless. If it wasn’t so serious, it’d be funny.

    • Phil says:

      01:44pm | 09/07/10

      Nolleen

      Hard work and various factors helped Australia through the recession the rest of the world had to have. This government assisted, but if you look at the blatant wastage, ask yourself whether it was value for money.

      Further, what did you personally do during the GFC? Did you assist with hiring people, did you maufacture anything, or simply spent the money that Kevin gave you, along with spending your weekly government cheque.

      Funny with a lot of labor voters, many of whom are on permanent social security, they dont add anything, but claim to be an economic genius.

    • Ben81 says:

      01:51pm | 09/07/10

      Yes Nolleen, who’d have thought shovelling around as much money as possible as fast as possible would stimulate the economy?  Gee I wonder if the massive waste and mismanagement is the problem here?

      “but do you honestly think phoney Tony can do any better?”
      Do you honestly think parroting Labor catchphrases strengthens your arguments?

      “The Libs spent nothing on infrastructure in 11 years”
      Ridiculous lie.

      “so of course it is up to Labor to try and rectify this”
      ...but I thought it was an emergency stimulus?  Was there a dire school hall shortage?  Not enough $600,000 transportable buildings being delivered?  Too many people sitting around waiting and wondering why the government hadn’t yet insulated their homes for them?

    • WayneT says:

      03:48pm | 09/07/10

      My God Nolleen.  Now I know why Rudd got over the line if you’re an example of a Labor voter.  As for how the Libs would have managed it; What about lowering interest rates to put dollars back in people’s pockets, and devaluing the Aussie dollar to make our exports more competitive so as to bring money in, while at the same time keeping imports expensive and thus under control.  And guaranteeing deposits for all banking institutions not just the big boys.  The low unemployment rate isn’t from anything Labor has done.  It would be the same under any government, with the way the resources boom is going.  The money in the future fund that this government has blown was meant to fund our aging populations’ retirement costs for the government into the future.  Where do you think the money for that is going to come from eventually – think Higher Taxes Colleen!  Now there’s also no war chest for when the real GFC hits.  Your tax payer funded lifestyle isn’t looking so good now, is it?  You won’t be retiring on that taxpayer sponsored pension like you thought after all

    • TC says:

      06:28pm | 09/07/10

      Wayne: “Sh!t Kev we’re in trouble!”

      Kev: “Take it easy Wayne. Steady bro steady. What this country needs is retail therapy. Let’s go shopping!”

      Wayne: “Kev mate! We’re saved!’

      Labor Party: “Excellent job Kev. Youre a bloody genius mate but….You’re sacked”

    • Trevor says:

      01:30pm | 09/07/10

      A larger, MORE CONTEXTUAL quote from Gillard’s speech would have shown she also mentioned discussing a regional processing centre with the Prime Minister of New Zealand.  So why did the media at large not conclude there might be a centre IN New Zealand?

      It was about having regional discussions and a regional solution.

      I am sick of living in a world of 15-second soundbites. This debate has not shown that Gillard has ‘backflipped’. Her position has been quite consistent.  All that this has shown is that the media is incapable of paying enough attention to what was said to grasp content that flowed over several pages.

      Reply

    • Tails says:

      01:47pm | 09/07/10

      Usually, um, “Trevor”, when someone quotes you out of context or incorrectly, you would do your best to correct them and set the record straight. Our venerable leader had a full day to correct the people calling this the “Timor solution” etc and she never said a peep.
      Julia Gillard has made a career by dodging questions, sidestepping issues and appearing like she’s saying something when she’s actually said nothing at all. She threw out a big fishing line in that speech and waited for the East Timorese to bite. When they failed to take the bait, she tried to reel the line back in and recast it.
      In other words, you can’t expect the freedom to go fishing and then deny it when people accuse you of playing with your rod.

    • Trevor says:

      02:09pm | 09/07/10

      What do you mean ‘she never said a peep’?  I can find several instances where she has pointed out that she didn’t say anything about a processing centre in East Timor.  Even the media’s managed to report it.

      And I might point out the interesting logic you’re using here.  The media quotes you out of context, and what means do you have of correcting them and setting the record straight?  That’s right - go back to the people who got it wrong in the first place.

    • Ben81 says:

      02:49pm | 09/07/10

      Trevor, obviously Tails is referring to the few days before the plan fell over, and not the damage control afterwards.

      Got to love this part
      “Her position has been quite consistent.”
      Proposing to do exactly what she condemned the Howard government for countless times in parliament and in public, offshore processing so people smugglers can’t guarantee they’ll be able to get people all the way to Australia, isn’t very consistent is it? 
      It would be ok if she just admitted she was always wrong before, but just look at her excuse -
      “The difference here is we are not acting unilaterally, and we are not doing something quickly for political effect the way the Pacific Solution was done.”
      I can’t help but laugh every time I read that.  What incredibly hypocrisy!

    • Trevor says:

      03:10pm | 09/07/10

      @Ben81, read the actual speech to the Lowy Institute. I did, and that’s what changed my mind.

      She has been talking to other countries that have signed the Refugee Convention. That is clearly what the speech says.  These include East Timor and New Zealand.  These do not include Nauru or Indonesia.

      That is what she said in the speech.  The media then latched onto 1 sentence out of a passage that discusses this issue for over a page and a half.  I will post the whole thing in a separate quote, in case The Punch finds it too long.

    • Trevor says:

      03:15pm | 09/07/10

      For those WITH ATTENTION SPANS, the larger text of what was said.  All of it about regional solutions and discussions with Refugee Convention parties.

      “That means building a regional approach to the processing of asylum
      seekers, with the involvement of the UNHCR, which effectively eliminates the on shore processing of unauthorised arrivals and ensures that anyone seeking asylum is subject to a consistent process of assessment in the same place.

      A regional processing centre removing the incentive once and for all for the people smugglers to send boats to Australia. Why risk a dangerous journey if you will simply be returned to the regional processing centre?

      To this end I can report today that I have already taken steps to achieve this goal.

      Irregular migration is a global challenge, and like all global challenges it can only be tackled by nations working together. That’s why we have put so much effort into regional cooperation in recent years. We co-chair the Bali Process with Indonesia, and through this process,
      we are working with our regional neighbours and key organizations like the UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration, to manage irregular migration and stop people smuggling, and can I say how much we appreciate and value our cooperation with Indonesia as co-chair.

      We do these things because we believe that building a sustainable regional protection framework is the most effective way to address irregular migration, including to Australia.
      Building on the work already underway through the Bali Process, today I
      announce that we will begin a new initiative. In recent days I have discussed with President Ramos Horta of East Timor the possibility of establishing a regional processing centre for the purpose of receiving and processing of the irregular entrants to the region.
      The purpose would be to ensure that people smugglers have no product to sell. Arriving by boat would just be a ticket back to the regional processing centre.
      It would be to ensure that everyone is subject to a consistent, fair,
      assessment processes.
      It would be to ensure that arriving by boat does not give anybody an
      advantage in the likelihood that they would end up settling in Australia or other countries of the region.
      It would, of course, have to be a properly run, properly auspiced, properly structured centre.
      President Ramos Horta told me that he welcomed the conversation about this possibility and I look forward to further consultation and dialogue on developing this initiative into a proposal that would advance the proper and consistent treatment of people arriving without authorisation in our region.

      I have also spoken to New Zealand’s Prime Minister, John Key, about this possibility, and he has said to me that he would be open to considering this initiative constructively.

      East Timor and New Zealand are vital countries in this initiative as they are already signatories to the Refugee Convention, and New Zealand – like Australia – is a key resettlement country.

      I have also already discussed this initiative with the United Nations High
      Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres.
      Australia maintains its strong support for the capacity of the UN to ensure appropriate forms of refugee assessment.
      I told the High Commissioner that my Government is not interested in
      pursuing a new Pacific Solution - instead Australia was committed to the development of a sustainable, effective regional protection framework. Again, I look forward to a constructive and concrete dialogue with the UNHCR on this initiative.

      This problem is not Australia’s alone.
      I want to reassure Australians that this is not about a quick fix – there is no quick fix. It is about stopping people getting in boats, but it is also about improving the protection outcomes for refugees by establishing a framework for orderly migration within the region. It will take time. I believe it will be worth the effort.
      Only this sort of long-term approach will deliver what we need. I ask for the patience and support of the Australian people as we work with the countries of our region on this shared challenge;
      A regional solution with the participation of the UNHCR could prevent the piling up of authorised arrivals in detention in Australia;
      A solution that I will pursue relentlessly.”

    • Peter says:

      04:12pm | 09/07/10

      Trevor - Today we now have her saying she has started constructive dialogue with East Timor on Tuesday in regards to a regional processing centre. She obviously realises now that she had been caught out telling lies yesterday when she “denied” she mentioned East Timor. This is called a backflip.

    • Tails says:

      04:22pm | 09/07/10

      Trevor - she was fishing. Fishing without a license. She got caught and now she’s in trouble. Deal with it.

      This is my favourite bit:

      “President Ramos Horta told me that he welcomed the conversation about this possibility and I look forward to further consultation and dialogue on developing this initiative into a proposal”

      I’ll translate shall I.

      “President Ramos Horta told me that I should feel free to call him back once I get my #### together.”

    • watchingwithinterest says:

      04:50pm | 09/07/10

      Trevor the problem is that Julia’s speech writers are too smart by half.  If she wanted to spell out her solution then she should have written it so that people wouldn’t jump to conclusions.  I mean seriously.  One must ask the question for what other reason would the Prime Minister be speaking to East Timor.  I am sure that they don’t have asylum-seekers lining up knocking on their door.  The only conclusion one can reach is that it is the place to put the regional processing centre.

      Julia needs to stop spinning Labor’s problems away and start, spelling out clearly her vision for the nation.  What is the rush.  Oh that’s right she is clearing the decks for an election

    • Ben81 says:

      12:48am | 10/07/10

      Trevor, I wasn’t quoting anything from that speech and it has nothing to do with what I was talking about.  You said her position has been consistent.  I pointed out that she spent years condemning the Howard government for doing *exactly* what she is now proposing to do herself, which doesn’t seem very consistent to me.

      This governing gig must be a bit harder than it looked back when she only had to shout from the sidelines, we had barely a trickle of boats arriving, and she said the few boats that did rarely arrive were a result of policy failure.

    • julia says:

      01:34pm | 09/07/10

      Gillard, Australia’s first female PM.

      Australia’s first PM to be snubbed by East Timor since it was liberated (by Australia and other UN nations) in 1999/2000.

      Oh, please! Stop! Stopit! It’s too much! Oh, it hurts to laugh so hard.

      Reply

    • TIMFROMTHETOPEND says:

      01:54pm | 09/07/10

      Julia Gillard’s first interview………..

      TV: “Congratulations Prime Minister. Before we start, as we stand here on Thursday afternoon, do you accept that tomorrow will be Friday?”
      PM: “We have always supported the standard structure of the calendar and acknowledge that the public expect a regular system that provides the rhythm necessary for everyday planning and life structures. We feel very strongly about this.”

      TV: “So you do agree that tomorrow is Friday?”

      PM: “It isn’t important whether it is Friday or Monday. What is important is that unexpected changes don’t interfere with the normal expectations of the public - and this government has a solid record in supporting those expectations.”

      TV: “But as today is Thursday, surely you can confirm that tomorrow is Friday?”

      PM: “Everything is relative and whether the next day is Wednesday or Sunday is dependent on where you stand at the time. We have never challenged the current system and have the full support of the unions on this. Most intelligent people agree that changes are not required.”

      TV: “Well then, what day is tomorrow?”

      PM: “Tomorrow is the next day in our plan to further develop our marvellous country in many areas. We plan to continue providing better health care, reduced debt, reduced unemployment, controlled immigration and to be a world leader in controlling global warming.”

      TV: “Returning to the question, can you not confirm that Friday is tomorrow?”

      PM: “Friday is always around. It has been around many times before and will be around again many more times. Which is why we need - as a responsible government - to plan and organise for the future. Not just for tomorrow, but for our children and their children.

      TV: “Prime Minister, the viewers are waiting for your answer on what day you think tomorrow is?”

      PM: “We are dealing with bigger issues here. The Friday, Saturday, Sunday thing is not important or relevant to the scheme of things. They need to understand the critical issues and focus on the matters of concern, such as the condition of our nation and how we can continue to develop it so that all may reap the benefit.”

      TV: “I’m sorry, we seem to have lost the point here again. Are you saying that it isn’t Friday tomorrow?”

      PM: “The reality is that it is not important what day it is. What is important is how we handle the situation - and my government is handling it with solid policies evolved from the mandate the people gave us.”

      TV: “But we just want to know if you agree that it will be Friday tomorrow?”

      PM: “Let’s remain focused here. It is the nation that is important and we stand fast and rock steady in our dedication to the job in hand. In closing, let me say this one more time – we are fully committed to the task and have commissioned a report that will enable us to develop the plans for the future. Thank you.”

      Reply

    • Mayday says:

      02:32pm | 09/07/10

      Thanks Tim from the bottom of my heart, best laugh all day and by the way Who is on first?

    • Jason R says:

      03:24pm | 09/07/10

      GOLD

    • Chris says:

      07:14pm | 09/07/10

      Tim,

      Great post - you did however omit the obligatory sledging of the Opposition. Perhaps it could go along the lines of…. “

      Of course this government would not have to consider the issue if we did not have twelve years of skipping days under the former government/the inhumane policy of sending Fridays to another part of the week/refusal to pass the time of day in the Senate (choose topic relevant to whatever argument is in vogue).”

      A poor attempt compared to your work, but it is after all Friday!!!

    • Lin says:

      07:43pm | 09/07/10

      This really is GOLD!!! Tim, I hope you make a career out of this. Gillard’s first interview with Kerry O’Brien at 7:30 Report sounded EXACTLY like that. His question was if she told KRudd what she thought of his policies before the ‘deed’ (i.e. if the backstab was the last resort…)

    • Saskia says:

      02:02pm | 09/07/10

      Who is else is really enjoying the “Juliar Show”? 

      I love to sit back each night and watch the daily episode of her slapstick rendition of an incompetent PM in a Govt still stuck in a PC timewarp.

      I actually find it funnier than the ‘Kevin07” series which was a high mark in Australian comedy.  Its finale was side splitting!

      A bottle of red, a curry, put the fire on and feet up - my nights are set!

      Reply

    • Nicole says:

      03:57pm | 09/07/10

      Saskia, oh yeah I’m loving it. It’s keeping me on the edge of my seat. I just love how she does something utterly stupid one day, only to do something even more utterly stupid the next. She’s not really the sharpest knife in the draw hey? Excellent entertainment.

    • PHowell says:

      02:16pm | 09/07/10

      This fiasco shows that Labor do not have the humility to accept that someone else’s policies can work.They would rather go on a negative attack, when commonsense should prevail.Labor are far from the font the font of all knowledge,in fact I think they are a different continent.
      Wake up Australia, after all its your BILLIONS they are wasting.

      Reply

    • Craigles says:

      02:23pm | 09/07/10

      Good call PHowell.  They could have left the Howard Govt policy as policy for their govt and tweaked it a little or set up another preliminary process (or centre somewhere more west of Nauru).

      Why do they lurch procedure from one extreme to another??!!

    • CSallen says:

      02:27pm | 09/07/10

      “Gillard had totally underestimated the East Timor leadership, and treated two men who between them have decades of experience on the world stage like they’d just roll over at her command.” Listening to AM this morning it sounded like that is exactly what she expected them to do.

      Reply

    • terence says:

      02:46pm | 09/07/10

      its pretty simple really, anyone but abbott to lead this country. He didn’t even take care of his own first born, why would he be trusted to look after anyone but himself

      Reply

    • Ben81 says:

      02:52pm | 09/07/10

      You’re right about one thing Terence, that sure is a simple argument you have there. That would be the nicest way of putting it.

    • Michelle says:

      02:57pm | 09/07/10

      Gillard is a textbook customer service officer for a government call centre. You know, the type that listens to your complaint and then echoes your concerns back to you with tilted head and feigned empathy: “I hear your concern, I understand your problem, I see your perspective”. And then, infuriatingly, does bugger all to fix the problem.

      And worse, in this instance, Gillard is dumping our boat-people problem on poor East Timor who has more than enough of its own problems. Gillard, like Rudd, is dumping our problems on the region instead of solving the problem ourselves. She, like Rudd, is trashing our reputation in the region. The region can’t fathom why we don’t take responsibility ourselves. They now think we are weak and stupid. They, like everyone else, are sick of wasting endless time and money and resources on this problem which Howard fixed and Labor couldn’t leave well enough alone.

      Reply

    • terence says:

      03:23pm | 09/07/10

      why just a government call centre, is this a prejudice or are you saying call centres of banks,airlines,telcos etc are somehow different.
      At least with a government call centre there is recourse if you are not looked after properly.
      I have worked in a government call centre and i know that most (not all) people who work there do the right thing.

    • terence says:

      03:03pm | 09/07/10

      well Ben81, call it what you like. There is no denying the truth

      Reply

    • Anjuli says:

      03:05pm | 09/07/10

      Why should East Timor do what is asked for them simply because we say too,Julia Gillard put the leaders in an embarrassing situation . If these camps are set up in East Timor the citizens will see that the so called asylum seeks are living better than they ,so what is the betting that the East Timorese will want to be in the camps themselves.

      Reply

    • Stephanie says:

      03:28pm | 09/07/10

      Two words…

      Election Please!

      Reply

    • darryl says:

      03:30pm | 09/07/10

      I must be missing something, I just can’t see what this Federal government has achieved in the last three years. We have lot of debt and half finished or never delivered programs. I don’t think there is a policy left that they can stand proudly by as a success. Now rudd is off to the USA to be part of the Australia- America dialogue. Who is running the shop is he off stalking Obama again.

      Reply

    • terence says:

      04:30pm | 09/07/10

      check the unemployment rate, mortgage default rate etc in us,uk or europe following gfc. There’s your answer

    • TC says:

      06:34pm | 09/07/10

      Spot on terrance. They didnt do anything in the US, Uk or Europe either but Im not sure how it’s an answer or relevant

    • Robert S McCormick says:

      04:12pm | 09/07/10

      Will St. Julia of the ALP be the shortest lasting PM Australia has ever had? Much more of her deceptions and silly gaffes and those knives & daggers, having already been honed to perfection by one of the nameless, faceless ALP Factions, will be lifted from the side-table and be used to perform a much-deserved gutting on the sacrificial table.
      “Oh Joy!”, cried she, “I’m a martyr” as they dumped her remains in the rubbish bin of history.

      Reply

    • DaveinPerth says:

      05:13pm | 09/07/10

      He just can’t get away from the Budgies can he ?

      Reply

    • mazanbic says:

      06:38pm | 09/07/10

      Why wait until Abbott is elected? Close all the air and sea ports of Australia now , No one, except white folks IN and specially no one OUT white or black and/or reformed migrants. However, to make the country even better, I would advocate a week’s grace for those who would like to leave Australia. I would propose a compensation scheme for those who want to leave, 10 years worth of old age pension, access to their super and their savings. But the applicants must prove that they are genuine cultural refugees who competely disagree with the majority of the population of rednecks they are leaving behind.

      Reply

    • BobM says:

      01:36pm | 11/07/10

      This will permanently shut down the ABC…...

    • Fed Up High Achiever says:

      12:48pm | 10/07/10

      “Howard’s battlers”, Rudd’s “Australian working families”, Gillard’s “the People of Western Sydney” - call them what you want, they are the most dangerous and destructive social group in this country.  Their xenophobia, fear and resentment is driving this inane debate about boatpeople and is resulting in politicians coming up with “solutions”  that will eventually cost the taxpayers billions.  Since these dumb bogans are the cause of the “problem”, when the bills start coming in, they should pay them.  Put a special tax on the people of Western Sydney to cover the costs.

      Reply

    • MarK says:

      04:02pm | 10/07/10

      Now even PNG has told them to go jump.

      Once again we have a Labor leader trying to project themselves into the “region” without consulting the region.

      It is wise not to trifle with those well known superpowers of East Timor and PNG. She is fighting above her weight.

      At least we now know we have a really little new tax at the cost of this governments business relations that was justified on lies.

      And we know have an embarrassing international reputation of telling other countries what we want to do without actually asking them and being told in diplospeak to bugger off. We don’t have a border protection plan. We have a vision that is in tatters and will provide more embarrassment as she flails away to try and rescue any part of her credibility that remains.

      it is obvious she is out of her depth. She was part of the mess from the beginning and her reputation as being competent is perceived rather than earned. She is a clone of Rudd. With less brains. It took 2 weeks for this to be apparent. The longer it goes the worse she will be.

      Reply

    • Richard Ure says:

      04:40pm | 10/07/10

      Is the purpose of the policy to save asylum seekers from the dangers of a sea voyage? What is their pathway to arriving at the processing centre? A sea voyage? Or do they fly to Dili on the local airline?

      Reply

    • Muzz says:

      04:53pm | 10/07/10

      What I like about Julia is that she does not sit alongside the driver in her Commonwealth car.

      Reply

    • Press says:

      01:39pm | 11/07/10

      So there it is. The great Australian Media Ungliness.

      The PMs words in back and white, but mangled out of recognition by the media and lazy bloggers into a manufactured conclusion.

      Then pillory the woman
      a) when she politely points out what she actually said
      and then pillory her again for
      b) failing to achieve something when she’d only undertaken to discuss the idea.

      Here it is again, then:

      “In recent days I have discussed with President Ramos Horta of East Timor the possibility of establishing a regional processing centre for the purpose of receiving and processing of the irregular entrants to the region.
      [...]
      President Ramos Horta told me that he welcomed the conversation about this possibility and I look forward to further consultation and dialogue on developing this initiative into a proposal that would advance the proper and consistent treatment of people arriving without authorisation in our region.

      I have also spoken to New Zealand’s Prime Minister, John Key, about this possibility, and he has said to me that he would be open to considering this initiative constructively.”

      So what part of possibility and proposal are you folk having difficulty grasping?

      Reply

    • Shane From Melbourne says:

      08:14pm | 11/07/10

      @Press- You don’t get it. The rabid Liberal fanboys don’t care what Julia actually said. Rational thought and Liberal Party are words that don’t usually go together…..

    • Press says:

      08:25am | 12/07/10

      I get it alright. I just don’t see why they should get away with it.

    • Against the Man says:

      09:41pm | 11/07/10

      Rudd (remember him?)/Gillard/Roxon/Swan/Wong/Garrett/ Tanner etc. I look with what they have done in the last few years and am not impressed. Realistically their performance if in the private sector would have led them getting the sack before you could count to three. Australians need to pull the breaks on the ALP chaos. What this party has done to their own former PM speaks volumes of what is to come for this country and it does not look pretty.

      Reply

    • Sus Pect says:

      08:42am | 12/07/10

      Julia did muff it and Tony lies and the Greens wear rose coloured glasses.  Shock, horror!  Where do I turn next?  I think the Sustainable Population Party is the only way to go now.

      Reply
 
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