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Faceless, hairless man becomes jobless man

Anthony Sharwood

by Anthony Sharwood

27 Feb 05:40pm

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Filed under: Mark Arbib, Politics, Work Life Balance

96 comments

Senator Mark Arbib, the Minister for Sport, has inexplicably resigned just months before he would have received free tickets to the London Olympics.

Do I know you? You're who? Ohhhh, you're my family. Yeah I remember you guys. Sort of. Pic: Ray Strange

Citing the need to spend more time with his family, the faceless, hairless Labor powerbroker is now a jobless, faceless, hairless former Labor powerbroker.

Given the Australian male life expectancy is now almost 80, Arbib statistically speaking would appear to be having some kind of midlife reassessment. But should we we call it a crisis?

That equation again. Free tickets to the greatest sporting show on earth vs more time with the wife and kids. Hmmm…

In all seriousness, Arbib is to be applauded for today’s unexpected decision. Nothing, and I really do mean NOTHING, could send a more positive message to workaholics everywhere than a man willing to sacrifice high office for domestic harmony.

As a balding fortyish suburban father who works rather long hours myself, I too face a constant battle between the demands of home life and work. This year I decided to devote Sunday nights to writing a Monday sports column each week, and I haven’t quite worked out where I’m getting those hours back.

On weekdays, I leave home at 9 and get home around 7. That’s early enough for a game of backyard cricket in summer, so I’m not really complaining.

But politicians like Arbib? Forget it. They do extra hours all over the place and they’re out of town half the time. As the Senator said today, it is a seven day a week gig.

Arbib made a poignant observation today, which is reported in full on the news.com.au rolling coverage. When he was promoted to assistant treasurer in December, he shared the news with his family over dinner.

“My daughter said to me, ‘Dad, is it going to mean more time away from home?,” he said.

“I told her it will, she started crying and said, ‘Don’t take the job Dad, don’t take the job’.

“For me that says everything about the life of a politician, it says everything about the stress on family.”

More than a few of us would do well to heed those words today. That extra half hour you’re putting in right now to get ahead? Stuff it. Go home. That’s what I’m doing right this very minute. Night, all.

Most commented

427Australia, you have nothing to fear but fear itself
375There's no one Thomson won't burn to save his skin
313Thomson didn't answer the question everyone is asking
304Animal experiments won't cure me from cancer
262Who murdered the Arts degree?
246A big day for Thomson, who thus far is guilty of nothing...
231South Australia. It's the middle bottom bit.
231Craig Thomson speaks. Meanwhile, in Australia...

96 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • Joel B1 says:

      04:46pm | 27/02/12

      The last 4 days in review.

      Julia got her mates to verbal and niggle Kevin at every opportunity. She didn’t have the guts to do it herself.

      Kevin finally saw that he couldn’t be an effective FM for Australia without the support of the back-stabbing and cowardly PM Julia.

      So Kevin resigns and Julia’s mates goad him into running for PM without the benefit of several months of sly, behind the scenes betrayal like Julia did to him.

      Kevin loses and Julia thinks, wrongly, that she’s snow-white.

      And Arbib tells that old porky “family time”. More like “sacrificial goat” mate.

      Reply

    • marley says:

      08:24pm | 27/02/12

      If Kevin is as dumb, as easily manipulated and as politically inept as you seem to think, then it’s probably just as well he is no longer on the front-bench.

    • Road Dogg says:

      08:25pm | 27/02/12

      “And Arbib tells that old porky “family time”. More like “sacrificial goat” mate.”

      Arbib was on the “winning side” today. More people should be encouraged to put family before career, but like most partisan conservatives you’re a class act.

    • Little Joe says:

      06:16am | 28/02/12

      Wow .... so more than 3-months after accepting the job he picks the day of the ‘Challenge’ to resign. If true ...... I take my hat off to you ...... unfortunately the honesty of this government and their members is far from believable. I just this that he has “more important things to do over the next 6-months

    • stevem says:

      09:55am | 28/02/12

      Rudd had been leading up to a challenge for months. Gillard out manoeuvred him by unleashing Swann and Crean while Rudd was overseas and backing him into a corner. I reflects very poorly on all concerned - nobody came out “snow-white”.

      Arbib was definitely a faceless man in the disgrace of NSW Labor. His reward was a face. Just like Pinocchio tried hard to be a real little boy, so Arbib tried to get a face. Those days in NSW, however left him permanently labelled faceless.

    • George says:

      10:14am | 28/02/12

      Same old “spend more time with the family” claptrap- then we see them jetting off as Agent General, Ambassador or High Commissioner et al to other parts of the world to spend more time with their family “doing” repetitive meaningless jobs at the poor taxpayers’ (who may be slogging it out at a freezing chicken factory,  or grimy workshop) expense- these politicians think that the voters can’t see through their transparent cliches!!!!!!

    • Monty says:

      04:47pm | 27/02/12

      Not even a blur over his face? Lazy work Punchers, lazy work.

      Reply

    • Ned Springstein says:

      04:53pm | 27/02/12

      Arbib gone. How much longer has the hopeless Tony Abbott got left?

      Reply

    • Keith Hammersmith says:

      05:02pm | 27/02/12

      I dont get the connection…

    • Tony H says:

      05:04pm | 27/02/12

      Oh, I’d guess about 16.5 years as an MP, 15 of those as PM.

    • elhombre says:

      05:10pm | 27/02/12

      Tony H, I was thinking more like 19 years or so given his age and fitness but let’s just wait and see! He’s going to need the first decade to repair the damage this corrupt pack of dogs has done.

    • Red says:

      06:08pm | 27/02/12

      Oh please no!After about 2 months I would see him heading down the same road with the same policies as those wingnut dropkicks in the US Santorum, Romney, Gingrich and Paul. And btw is he so unpopular because he is endlessly showing off his fitness?

    • rudy says:

      09:37pm | 27/02/12

      Abbott will be PM, but neither a great nor long-serving one. But this has nothing whatsoever to do with Ant’s article.

    • Aitch B says:

      07:42am | 28/02/12

      @Ned

      You’re acotrel’s brother-in-law, right? smile

    • H B Bear says:

      05:01pm | 27/02/12

      Arbib will still be at the Olympics - just in a Macquarie Bank or Westfield corporate box. 

      Australia still does not have meaningful legislation to prevent former politicians from obtaining benefits from their public office.  This is routinely abused on both sides of politics, particularly in defence and health.

      When you are on a sinking ship there’s no point being the last one overboard.

      Reply

    • Elias says:

      05:12pm | 27/02/12

      Its a real pity this happens bear, we need a strong leader for a few years to change the constitution and ensure the likes of Arbib do not get any perks if they do not perfrom. Who should decide their performance? Why their electorate everytime they end their ‘careers’.

    • St. Michael says:

      05:23pm | 27/02/12

      True enough.  Labor doesn’t quite realise that the pejorative “Labor rat” is actually a compliment: rats know a lot better than humans when it’s time to get off the sinking ship and do so as quick as they can.

    • murray says:

      12:27pm | 28/02/12

      I really enjoy seeing this rat Arbib leaving the sinking ship - enjoying it nearly as much as I enjoyed seeing Alexander Downer “cut and run” after the 2007 election because he was too gutless to stay and do the hard yards.
      These ALP and Liberal politicians are a disgrace to mankind.

    • Elias says:

      05:09pm | 27/02/12

      Oh no! Poor guy! I cringe at the idea that i as a tax payer will be paying the for the pensions and perks of him and the other horde of under-performing fools. And no he won’t be jobless, he along with other parasites in this now disgraced profession will get a six-figure salary workign as a ‘consultant’ somewhere.

      Reply

    • Blair says:

      08:41pm | 27/02/12

      Yep, he’ll be consulting for the Labor Party and back in the Secretariat in NSW listening behind doors and telling tales. He will also be advising his replacement.

    • Rushhour says:

      05:11pm | 27/02/12

      A lightweight holding a press conference… How ridiculous is this Labor Government. No wonder Bob Hawke is laying low. They can’t find Bob anywhere! Please don’t wheel me out again Julia!

      Reply

    • Helen says:

      05:12pm | 27/02/12

      You leave home at 9 and get home at 7???? And you’re complaining? Most office workers leave home at 7, and are lucky to get home at 7. I’m sure there are those who work longer hours.
      Not saying its right.

      Reply

    • Bertrand says:

      06:39pm | 27/02/12

      Or us really lucky ones work from home and only do that part time!

      /end gloating.

      In all seriousness though, plenty if full time workers, particularly those in double income families work full time by choice. They choose a larger house with the hefty mortgage, they choose the two luxury vehicles, they choose to spend thousands on unnecessary luxury items. That’s fine. It’s their life and they are free to live it how they want.

      But they can’t really turn around and complain about the cost if living and their lack of work life balance.

    • Johnno says:

      07:52pm | 27/02/12

      And goes on to say ‘so I’m not really complaining’.

      Can’t you read?

    • LJ Dots says:

      08:26pm | 27/02/12

      Helen. Ant was not complaining, he was comparing his hours with politicians and realising he had the better deal as far as family time goes, nothing more than that..

    • Helen says:

      08:29pm | 27/02/12

      Sure they can. Or are you saying everyone should get a job working from home?

    • taxpayer says:

      08:46pm | 27/02/12

      try 7am to 11pm most days and and not in an a/c office for less pay than that cowardly traitorous rat, my heart bleeds for him

    • Bertrand says:

      06:54am | 28/02/12

      @Helen : that’s not what I was saying at all. The second part of my comment was clearly referring to hours worked. I was arguing that many people in double income families where both partners work full tume have prioritised having extra money over extra time to themselves. That’s the priority they have made and that’s completely fine, but I do think if people have made that priority they can’t really try to blame their lack of work life balance on cost if living and long work hours.

      If it bothers people that much they can always choose to consume less, live in a smaller place and cut the costs from their lives that necessitate the long work hours.

    • Sizzle Chest says:

      05:13pm | 27/02/12

      Maybe he could star in a remake of Nosferatu ? No make-up required.

      Reply

    • Fiddler says:

      05:20pm | 27/02/12

      Has he been in long enough for a pension? Sorry, too lazy to look it up myself

      Reply

    • Chris says:

      07:34pm | 27/02/12

      A quick Bing search gave me the answer to that same question

    • Bruce says:

      10:27pm | 27/02/12

      A what ? “Bing it” doesn’t quite work, does it ?

    • HangtheTraitor says:

      05:21pm | 27/02/12

      Glad this traitor is gone.

      When did giving intel to foreign powers become ok??

      He should have been sacked a long time ago and I am guessing this is preemptive. Rudd please release what you know so we know why he quit.

      Our stupid media can’t see how sus this is.

      Reply

    • Kevin says:

      05:21pm | 27/02/12

      Should have been shot out of a cannon long ago,he was commonly known as Mudguard,shiny on top,shit underneath

      Reply

    • DuffyMum says:

      05:33pm | 27/02/12

      I was thinking his next job could be “Underbelly: The ALP”. He would obviously have one of the starring roles. Goodbye Arbib, good riddance.

      Reply

    • Denny Crane says:

      05:33pm | 27/02/12

      I want to know what is going to happen to the athletes? Gillard said that she wanted Abrib to stay on as sports minister because it was a Olympic year and changing ministers would have a huge impact on out competitors. How devestated will the athletes be that he is not sports minister to guide them to the games?

      Then again maybe what Gillard said was a complete load of BS. Kinda like everything else that comes out of that dishonest womans mouth. How much more of this crap can we take? Will the independents ever step up to the plate?

      Reply

    • Blair says:

      08:46pm | 27/02/12

      Well Joolya and Tim still get their tickets to London - so far, unless Shorten rolls her before the Olympics. What could Arbib possibly have told any athlete that was any good - except how to win by cheating?

    • William says:

      10:32pm | 27/02/12

      @Denny

      Never if the Coalition and their charming supporters are their only other option. Have you ever read any of the comments here about the Independents?

    • Ned Springstein says:

      05:33pm | 27/02/12

      Will Tony Abbott follow Mark Abibs example and resign given that Abbott has failed at all levels?

      Reply

    • jaki says:

      06:02pm | 27/02/12

      @ Ned

      I never realised that kicking the ALP’s arse in every way and “failing at all levels” were the same thing !  Silly me !!!

    • Shane From Melbourne says:

      09:11pm | 27/02/12

      @Ned- Tony Abbott will stuff up as PM and really stuff things up for Australia. Give him time to fail at all levels…....

    • Ryan says:

      10:34pm | 27/02/12

      @jak

      Every way except winning the election. Bwahahahaha

    • RyaN says:

      09:51am | 28/02/12

      @Shane From Melbourne: and yet you make a judgement on him before he even had a chance. Clearly Gillard is a complete and utter failure, a pathological liar and without a doubt the worst prime minister this country has ever had the misfortune of enduring, you should be happy to give Tony Abbott a chance if you believe any of what you say, at least it would take the accolades of absolute incompetence away from your beloved comrade Gillard?

    • John says:

      04:32pm | 28/02/12

      @Ryan

      John Howard is without a doubt the worst Prime Minister this country has ever had the misfortune of enduring.

    • Johnno says:

      05:35pm | 27/02/12

      We may see him visiting his local centreline office soon.

      Reply

    • Brian of Moorabbin says:

      05:39pm | 27/02/12

      ‘Resigned’ in much the same way that Tony Hodges did after his involvement in inciting the Australia Day Tent Embassy Fiasco was discovered….  Wonder what plum overseas posting (Like Hodges got) Arbib will end up getting?  Labor always takes care of those it needs to use as scapegoats…

      Reply

    • Pat says:

      07:44am | 28/02/12

      tell us more about the Hodges posting - haven’t seen it in the media…..

    • Joan says:

      05:40pm | 27/02/12

      Smart guy - he`s got no intention of staying with Gillard`s smashed up Labor wreck- a party destined for the wilderness after all he’ll never be a PM anyway

      Reply

    • Dave-o says:

      05:48pm | 27/02/12

      Heard he has a lucrative private industry job lined up.


      Stunt double for Ant Sharwood

      Reply

    • MMc says:

      06:05pm | 27/02/12

      Heard of possible allegations against him and the NSW Right - jumping ship ??? Smart to do it on a day that he receives relatively little press versus a slow news day ... I smell another rat ....

      Reply

    • sandra says:

      10:09pm | 27/02/12

      oh yeah—another rat alright and it will all blow up soon—lots of data out today about dodgy real estate deals ,and wiat for the connection with Thomson!!!!

    • Brian Taylor says:

      07:11am | 28/02/12

      ALL pollies should have their banking details (hidden accts too) looked into, wonder how many would be resigning then

    • Gratuitous Adviser says:

      09:59am | 28/02/12

      Well spotted.  I thought the same.  The pathetic soul even used the family as an excuse for his leaving.  There is an angle here for Arbib and it will all come out some time in the future, I am sure.

      Mark Arbib is typical of the NSW Right, AWU influenced, disease that had taken over the NSW Labor Party and lead to the hangers on and deadheads (there are exceptions, of course) that they put forward as advocates for the working person, currently lead by that great friend of Paul Keating, John Robertson.  It will take a generation for the rest of these “people” to move on and hopefully Arbib is not the first of his type to go.

    • Gratuitous Adviser says:

      09:59am | 28/02/12

      Well spotted.  I thought the same.  The pathetic soul even used the family as an excuse for his leaving.  There is an angle here for Arbib and it will all come out some time in the future, I am sure.

      Mark Arbib is typical of the NSW Right, AWU influenced, disease that had taken over the NSW Labor Party and lead to the hangers on and deadheads (there are exceptions, of course) that they put forward as advocates for the working person, currently lead by that great friend of Paul Keating, John Robertson.  It will take a generation for the rest of these “people” to move on and hopefully Arbib is not the first of his type to go.

    • Charles says:

      06:27pm | 27/02/12

      What do you mean jobless man, this guy will still get 100k a year for doing nothing like every other ex - politician.

      Reply

    • CCCC says:

      06:47pm | 27/02/12

      He has been there long enough (over 8 years) to get a cabinet ministers’ pension for the rest of his life.

      Reply

    • Leo says:

      07:42pm | 27/02/12

      This has all been a sham to buy some precious time. For what its worth, my pick is Rudd will return as deputy and foreign minister in a Shorten government later in the year, leading us into a September poll. That will right the perceived wrongs for us little folk and give them the sled ride of smiles and group hugs to the ballot box. I doubt it will be enough but they have to frame the next election with great care. The Gillard / Swann team is damaged beyond repair and Labor’s slim chance will all come down to how quietly they go when the bell tolls.

      Reply

    • Nick says:

      07:50pm | 27/02/12

      The rats are starting to jump the sinking ship.

      Reply

    • Robbie says:

      08:08pm | 27/02/12

      No doubt this talentless tool will score a cozy gig as a government advisor in our luxembourg office or somewhere similarly cushy within 3 months…I’ll have a lazy hundred on it. Any takers?

      Reply

    • Bazza says:

      08:18pm | 27/02/12

      I agree with Rushour. I would have thought that by now, Bob Hawke would have been brought in to arbritate and sort them out. But where is he?

      Reply

    • Need Sleep says:

      08:19pm | 27/02/12

      Long hours? Living in the burbs and working in downtown Sydney, I leave home at 6:00am to be at work by 7:30am and generally do not get home before 8:00pm on a good night. All without a chauffeur driven car or government sponsored flights. Some of these politicians need a dose of reality. maybe we might get some decent infrastructure if they spent a fragment of their time in the real world.

      Reply

    • Robert Morgan says:

      08:24pm | 27/02/12

      His explanation is self serving and spin. The real reason will come out soon enough and then I hope you will write a postscript..  Ex senator takes up role at MacBank/UN /US re-election campaign. 

      my bet is he will take a job at a bank/resorces giant and work longer hours but by then everyone will have forgotten about the alleged incident with the daughter crying.

      Reply

    • Pat McCann says:

      08:33pm | 27/02/12

      Arbib needs the time to work on his COOGEE MANSION!  He is interested in property developments!  He would have a fair idea of the future of ALP and Gillards leadership, so leave before the S**T hits the fan!

      Reply

    • Blair says:

      08:36pm | 27/02/12

      Arbib is not jobless he will be stirring and wriggling and manipulatiung as ever, He is straight out of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, he is Uriah Heep, grovelling, ingratiating, self seeking and self serving. It is not over by a long shot in Canberra. Two Cabinet seats to fill at Cabinet salaries. A new Senator to be appointed by NSW Labor, as a by-election does not happen for a Senate vacancy. Watch this one very very carefully. Nothing can save Labor at the polls, but the bloodletting will continue. Watch out - where is Shiorten?

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      08:42pm | 27/02/12

      But this chap should have disappeared immediately after Julia got the Job.
      He is not the right sort of person in Politics, because he does nothing for the electorate and he does nothing for his portfolio.
      Can anyone remember anything he has done for sport ?

      I can’t, and I think that he was only important because he was a minder - a sniffer, if you like - in that he was invested with the responsibility of looking for mistakes, or for slipups in Parliament or from the daily workings of the Party, and manipulating the outcome, or ramifications, (whichever comes first) to the best effect.

      But this is not the purpose of Government ... that they spend so much time looking at their tail that they do not see the future, like, our future, the voters.
      It is not the domain of government that they spend time, any time, in purposefully dictating policy or behaviours at the express purpose of winning elections.
      Elections will be won if governments are honest, if their Policies are effective and if they spend monies wisely.
      Arbib was a waste of hot air.
      He belongs in business, where all his hot and little tricks of ‘governance’ can be best used for the shareholder’s general meetings.

      Reply

    • youdy beaudy says:

      12:15am | 28/02/12

      The Liberals are so caught up in the Howard Mentality and can’t move beyond the the time he was PM, that i thought, that maybe they could rewind his spring get some party faithful to stand down for the cause and then run him in a really safe Liberal seat and then have him challenge Tony Abbott for Leader, which of course he would win, then he could run as Leader of NLP against Julia and win the day.

      A bit similar to K Rudd and Julia really. The question would be, would he win against Tony.?

      Well, i thought that this would be a good course of action to take to get the Liberal Party wound up again. They seem to sit on the benches waiting for John to re appear and save them from boredom, and they are really pretty boring in the job. I think maybe that only he could lead them.

      Well Labor underwent today their fire of purification and now can go forward, hopefully. Tony will still be there crapping on everything they put forward whether good or bad.

      Before the end of this Year the Liberals will have to front up with their own challenge re the Leadership and get rid of the dead wood. If i were them i wouldn’t be crowing too much or throwing too much mud around the place as when it happens to them we’ll see the dirt fly. But, how can that happen to them when they are so pure and good and caring for the community they disregard.

      Yes, Tony will have his Armageddon. Sooner the better. Let us find out what they get up to in the old party room. Test the water. He only won by one vote against Malcolm Turnbull. I think that Malcolm will return and challenge just like Kevin. Good on you Malcolm, have a go and see what happens. Time will come soon to move on that. Will Malcolm do it. Yes, No, Maybe. Well is suppose we’ll just have to keep reading the Punch to find out.

      Reply

    • Vic says:

      11:06am | 28/02/12

      Well Labor underwent today their fire of purification and now can go forward, hopefully. Tony will still be there crapping on everything they put forward whether good or bad.

      Sounds like the labor broken record “Moving forward”, problem is they never got into gear and now we are out of control backwards with no one at the wheel who can drive.

    • Brian Taylor says:

      03:09am | 28/02/12

      is there going to be a byelection or what?

      Reply

    • Max Redlands says:

      09:22am | 28/02/12

      As a Senator he will be replaced by one of his ilk.

    • onlooker says:

      03:52am | 28/02/12

      I am glad he is gone but there are others who need to go as well, I never saw the interview with Stephen Conroy but it sure has upset many I got a few phone calls about him last night. Wayne Swan has behaved in a disgraceful manner with his comments. Where do they get this idea that they can upset and shock a whole country and now we just forget it?  At the end of the day after having listened to much verbal abuse and slandering of someone many of us we respected, we are no better off than we were. Gillard is still PM. The only small satisfaction we got was Arbib resigning.

      Reply

    • colroe says:

      12:40pm | 28/02/12

      My thoughts exactly, but I am left dumbfounded that Rudd was so forgiving when he had been vilified and slandered so publicly.  All for the good of the Party!!  Yes, and pigs fly, he must hate their guts!!

    • Andrew says:

      04:14am | 28/02/12

      yeah right, these bastards work so hard, you are kidding right, a large percentage of people work longer hours, actually do physical work and get paid 25% of what he does.

      Reply

    • Hopeless Man says:

      10:55am | 28/02/12

      I agree, achieveing NOTHING and LIEING for a living must be hard work!!

    • antman says:

      12:55pm | 28/02/12

      Why do you consider physical work more worthy than other forms of work?

    • LH says:

      05:58am | 28/02/12

      Arbib will get a job with American Embassy as a super snoop; after all, he has some experience in this field.

      Reply

    • Greg says:

      02:14pm | 28/02/12

      Thats right on. Arbib ran US “regime change” in Australia. Bah bah, little sheep. He was a spy, and had to vapourise. lets not have any real questions.

    • P.O says:

      06:57am | 28/02/12

      He probably has received a better offer somewhere else just another porky

      Reply

    • John H says:

      07:28am | 28/02/12

      Jobless! Do you really believe that? He’ll pick up some sinecure where he can work his sleazy backstabbing magic on other unsuspecting souls. What with his Senate super and is post senator perks he ‘quite comfortably off thanks’.
      I’d like to know the REAL reason behind his sudden decision, cos it won’t be related to family.
      The sooner Labor removes this sort of rubbish from its membership the better.  Shorten should be next! Or is he the next “PM material” following Julia’s demise either electorally or via a Caucus controlled by the ‘faceless men’ that move Arbib on?

      Reply

    • Worried says:

      07:34am | 28/02/12

      If he works for Soccer Australia I am going to join the Liberal party - they get a lot of money from the Government! Does he get his payback now

      Reply

    • old fart says:

      07:35am | 28/02/12

      anthony I read the title and for a moment i thought you had been sacked

      Reply

    • Robert S McCormick says:

      07:59am | 28/02/12

      Arbib was, along with Gillard, one of the principal architects of the Rudd political assassination. He had to go.
      Gillard, having air-brushed Rudd out of history last year is now full of praise for him! She now wants to air-brush the entire sleazy, disloyal events she, Swan & Arbib put into effect out of history as well.
      She can’t do anything about Swan for she suspects that at the 2013 poll he will be gone &, at present, she can’t afford to upset him.
      With whom will Gillard replace Arbib? The one un-elected member of her junta which plotted Rudd’s downfall: Paul Howes.
      It’s logical for her to do so. As an ALP Senator he is subject to the loosely adhered to policy of Party Solidarity. The Three Minkeys Principle: “Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil”.
      At present, should he change his mind about Gillard, he can say exactly what he likes about her & her so-called leaderhip.
      Welcome to the federal parliament, Senator Howes.

      Reply

    • Marlowe says:

      08:26am | 28/02/12

      Hairless? We in the bald community take offence, if only you were aware of the suffering that goes with male pattern baldness then you wouldn’t… oh, just saw your picture; sorry brother.

      Reply

    • Smashmellows says:

      09:12am | 28/02/12

      Hair challenged more appropriate?

      Reply

    • Graeme says:

      02:20pm | 28/02/12

      Not really, the follicles just migrate to less appropriate sites, aesthetically speaking.  Years of constant grooming of nostrils, ears, backs and moister parts lay ahead of him.

    • Stuart says:

      09:40am | 28/02/12

      Good ridance to one of Labors faceless assasins,now for the rest of them.

      Reply

    • Audra Blue says:

      11:42am | 28/02/12

      ONE of Labor’s faceless assassins?  How many of them are there?

    • FWG says:

      09:50am | 28/02/12

      He will not be missed thats for sure he contributed nothing to anything,he will of course be looked after job wise by Labor some how or other. Let hope his replacement is somebody worthy of the position and not another time serving Labor member or worse some useless union official seeking to further line his pockets.

      Reply

    • OchreBunyip says:

      10:29am | 28/02/12

      Have we bagged a male politician’s appearance enough now so its okay to talk about female politicians appearances again? Or does a person’s appearance lend or remove credibility from their actions?

      Reply

    • Magnet says:

      11:58am | 28/02/12

      There are some strong facial similarities between Arbib and the author.

    • Dieter Moeckel says:

      10:47am | 28/02/12

      Vitriol and more vitriol - Maybe he just realised that politics isn’t for him after all. I wouldn’t be a politician for quids - I’d probably be in gaol after a week for snotting the repugnant supercilious journos.
      Two overrated para professional, opinionated, self obsessed would be people in the workforce are teachers and journalists. And unfortunately I was both before I retired - an ex-teacher and ex-journalist who saw the light and went fishing instead.

      Reply

    • Ashley says:

      11:28am | 28/02/12

      He probably came to the conclusion that he can bail with a nice super payout and not have to keep slogging it out in Canberra. I don’t blame him.

      Reply

    • Ronaldo says:

      12:02pm | 28/02/12

      “ALP’s arse"apparently is quite acceptable in the Cm so I read.
      Even the CM is in the gutter, or should that be the toilet ,like the Liberals..

    • Robert S McCormick says:

      12:07pm | 28/02/12

      Anthony,
      I imagine you would be one of the first to reject the nasty, irrelevant personal criticisms which have been so unfairly & despicably directed towards Julia Gillard (Not my words, but such criticism as ‘she’s a woman, unmarried, atheist, little dress sense even less hair sense - much of it directed at Julia by her own gender)
      So why, Anthony, are you maing snide remarks about Mark Arbib & he hair or lack of it? Has that got anything whatsoever to do with his politicis? Of course it hasn’t.
      Other than his illogical support for Australia’s Worst Ever PM, Mark appears to have done his job well & efficiently.
      Actually, Mark is not hairless! He just, like so many, shaves his head for there comes a time with pattern baldness that you have to make up your mind what you want.
      1)  A ridiculous comb-over from one side or the back
      2)  Just keep it short around the back & sides
      3)  Grow it so you look like a right plonker
      4)  Grow the back to create a sort of tail & look even more absurd.
      5) Shave the bloody lot off as Mark has done
      There must be something about the totally shaved, polished head style for all the women in our family - Young & old think Mark is extremely sexy!!
      One of my nephews (22) thinks so too!!!
      Anthony with your apparent baldness I am surprised you would make suck a stupid statement!

      Reply

    • PaxUs says:

      12:15pm | 28/02/12

      I’m sure as a ‘US protected agent’ that the CIA will find him a relevant position.

      Reply

    • Barry Petkovic says:

      12:51pm | 28/02/12

      Better to get out now than get wiped out next year!

      Reply
 
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