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Liberal diary: “Foolya Joolia” not all she seems

Sophie Mirabella

by Sophie Mirabella

20 Aug 05:42am

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Filed under: Election 2010, Julia Gillard, Liberal Diary

34 comments

Note: Labor MP Richard Marles and Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella are among our favourite contributors to The Punch, and we have asked them to write a piece every Friday during this five-week election campaign giving their take on events.

What's that on the lectern, Jules? Photo: Herald Sun

There was one aspect of this final week of campaigning that really summed up Labor. Labor’s launch on Monday was cynically late for a start. But it was Julia Gillard’s address to the party faithful that really symbolised the depths to which Labor’s spin machine will go.
Her minders briefed assembled journalists that Julia would be speaking “off the cuff and from the heart”. They talked up the spontaneous nature of the address as evidence of their leaders drive and passion as well as her leadership ability. Julia raised her palms as she walked out – no notes in hand – and embraced Bob Hawke.

Many journalists happily lapped it up.
Labor minders even tried to point to Tony Abbott’s use of an auto-cue at his launch as some kind of deficiency, in a negative comparison with “off the cuff Julia”.
But it was all a lie.
It was later revealed that a staffer had slipped notes onto the lectern while the Bob-embrace took place.  And a picture of the lectern taken afterwards showed those pages opened to the very last page, containing the words Julia had used to sum up her address.
It’s no big deal if Gillard uses notes for such an important address.  So why try to deceive journalists and the public?  Why affect some strange sleight of hand to create an image that just wasn’t true?
Why display such contempt for honesty and why take the Australian public for mugs?
What other false images have we been sold?
How can we now trust that the image we have of the Prime Minister is in any way authentic?
Julia herself already muddied the waters early in the campaign with her admission that we hadn’t seen the “real Julia” for the first 5 weeks of her Prime Ministership.
Australians are starting to get the sense that “Foolya Joolia” is what we have been getting all along – a very carefully confected image.
“Foolya Joolia” decries negative campaigning while personally attacking Tony Abbott at every opportunity.
“Foolya Joolia” declares Rudd had lost his way to justify knifing him, but then sings his praises and asks for his help.
“Foolya Joolia” finds time for fashion shoots and guest editing women’s magazines, but couldn’t be bothered attending meetings of the National Security Committee.
“Foolya Joolia” justifies her Government’s flagrant waste and overspending with the hollow argument that our economy isn’t a basket-case (yet), even as she racks up $100 million every day.
“Foolya Joolia” prays while at the same time declaring herself an atheist.
“Foolya Joolia” cries “Yes we will” when her Labor Government did so very little (and what they did do was badly botched) during their first term.
There’s a lot about Labor’s campaign that has been smokescreen and subterfuge. It may get them across the line and further entrench the ‘detested caste of ruthless robotic machine men’ who installed “Foolya Joolia”.
But the question is, if Labor is determined to lie on such a trifling detail as whether Julia used notes for a speech, how can we trust their big promises?
In contrast, with Tony Abbott - what you see is what you get.  He has been setting out a clear plan, speaking freely like a normal human being instead of a wind up doll.
He doesn’t need to rely on tedious repetition of bland slogans. Tony has detailed clear priorities and has released significant, fully-costed policies (for a full details go to: www.liberal.org.au ).
The “risk” in this election is not Tony Abbott – an experienced Minister with an enviable track record, a clear direction, and a united competent team.
The very real risk in this election is that “Foolya Joolia” is not at all that she seems. Her image is as false as those air-brushed photos that smile at you from the magazine rack.
It’s an image created to help Labor desperately hold on to power – just as they’ve done at a State level.  And if Labor is re-elected on Saturday we’ll be stuck with the same incompetent Government that brought us pink batts and BER rip-offs and now promises us laughable policies like the “cash for clunkers” scheme and the “people’s assembly”.
The real risk this Saturday is that the worst government in Australia’s history will get the second chance it does not deserve and we cannot afford. 
Although we’ll be stuck with the “Foolya Joolia” sideshow, courtesy of Labor’s spin machine, for another 3 years, the damage caused will reverberate for years.

Most commented

34 comments

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    • Trajan says:

      05:52am | 20/08/10

      Can Australia really elect Ms Gillard an unreconstructed Socialist with the ruthless streak,  that would make old Joe (Stalin) blush?
      Dither and the even more rabid Greens will slither in by default, to hold the balance of power, Australians need strong clear government and less burdensome taxes.
      It must be ABBOT.
      Skeptocats.

      Reply

    • Steely Dan says:

      12:19pm | 20/08/10

      What’s the Godwin’s Law equivalent for Stalin mentions?

    • Tony of Poorakistan says:

      07:10am | 20/08/10

      Sophie

      I feel that when Labor degenerated into name-calling and muck-raking, the Liberal tacticians should have raised the ante. Remind the viewers that she spent more time bonking people she worked with than working, including breaking up one marriage.

      Trouble is, when one side does it (such as having a go at Abbott’s religious background and past), people being people will remember the salacious bits before they remember policy statements. Joolya’s lack of morals is at least as relevant as Abbott’s Catholocism.

      Certainly, the Coalition should have hammered the fact that she’s never had a real job, being a union agitator, then a lawyer for union agitators until they parachuted her into Lalor.

      And they should definitely have stressed that she was a member of the Socialist Alliance until quite recently and subsequently denied it.

      Reply

    • Phil says:

      10:21am | 20/08/10

      Your first paragraph shows why she is unfit to hold down the office of Prime Minister of Australia. She has no morals, nor scruples.
      Wonder if the former Mrs Emerson will vote for her.
      She was rooting for the AWU and Forestry Unions well before she entered parliment.

    • acotrel says:

      05:46pm | 20/08/10

      ‘“Foolya Joolia” not all she seems’
      You lot have just got to be joking.  Tony Abbott is the most obvious liar, yet you want to create a prime minister out of him!  Think about what you might be doing to Australia!  The minimum damage would be us becoming a laughing stock.  The maximum is that he collapses the house of cards because of his lack of aptitude in managing the economy and we have a revolution - then we’re all stuffed!

    • Phil says:

      07:14am | 20/08/10

      Spot on Sophie, but the true deceivers will not be stopped on their quest for domination. There is so much hate and vile in the labor ranks. Tony Abbott has rightly critisized a hopeless wastful government, but never personally attacked Julia for her hair/makeup/airbrushing in WW. She and her hacks have had a go at surf lifesavers, referring to the budgie smugglers and fit people that compete in triathlons, and endurance events. They would much rather we were fat lazy and cost the taxpayer plenty dumbing down rather than helping up.Its in their DNA, take from the rich, give to the poor.
      Good luck to you Sophie and to the rest of the team, Australia cannot afford another term of these incompetents.

      Reply

    • Nicole says:

      08:13am | 20/08/10

      Phil, you forgot to mention how Jooolya refers to Abbott as ‘Mr Rabbit’. Her campaign has been all about smear and personal insults. Once again Abbott shows he’s way above that gutter level and not directed personal attacks on her. He’s a man of substance and a leader. I really do think the Libs will win, not by much, but they’ll scrape it over the line.

    • Against the Man says:

      07:19am | 20/08/10

      Australia deserves a good person as PM. Gillard isn’t a good person, just ask Ruddy the guy you voted for last time.

      Reply

    • Phil says:

      08:06am | 20/08/10

      ATM I think that sums it up nicely. As much as I did not vote for nor like Rudd’s policies, nor Keating and Hawke, at least when they represented all Australians on the world stage they held their heads high and didnt cause that much embarrassment. (Cept for Keating trying to feel up the queen)

      Julia and Tim would do a woeful job, you can see the snarls already, Hi Im Joolya and this is my boyfriend Tim, hes a ruully good hairdresser you know. She is a bogan with a slogan, nothing more nothing less.

      Yes Julia was a good education minister, and looked competent as long as one is not looking for value for money, and allowing any and everybody to bend them over.

      As many would say, Australian Labor has been involved in the worlds largest g@ng b@ng. They have succeded in f@cking 21000000 Aussies in less than 3 years.

    • Joan says:

      08:49am | 20/08/10

      Foolya Joolya. tells Australians to ignore Labors `lost its way`  track record and the knifing of Rudd and to move forward, the future is what counts,yet in same breath says the scariest thing that could happen to Australia is to wakeup with Abbott as PM ... to just look at his track record and past.  Abbotts track record counts, Joolya`s track record doesn’t count- according to Joolya. Joolya the hypocrite. Laurie Oakes on Sunday show was right to call her a hypocrite-and we then sure saw the real ugly exposed face of a hypocrite, the Joolya Rudd faced before being knifed.  Joolya the hypocrite that says anything ,does anything for sake of power… not the type of person Australian needs as PM.

      Reply

    • Adam DIver says:

      09:06am | 20/08/10

      Nice piece Sophie. Short, concise and highlighting some of the worse flaws of the Labor party. I think next time for the punch to not have a right bias will choose a more competent person to write the labor pieces, although to be fair there is a distinct lack of material for poor Richard.

      Also I am disgusted by this “notes” affair. Why would any sane person go to the lengths to make a lie on something that is mainly trivial. Its sick, that is what it is.

      Reply

    • MarK says:

      09:15am | 20/08/10

      Agree Sophie.

      It really is as simple as what you say. The lies, not spin lets be serious, that Labor have been telling us in NSW have been mirrored in this election.

      They even couldn’t be bothered to make up new ones and just trotted out the good old Epping to Parra rail link.

      If they are willing to lie about something so trivial as giving an “off the cuff” speech what else are they willing to do for political advantage.

      NSW Labor has really passed down some tricks to these clowns.

      Reply

    • Andrew says:

      09:42am | 20/08/10

      If this would have been Tony’s deception it would have been headlines for days. Caught in the act!

      Reply

    • Anjuli says:

      10:05am | 20/08/10

      @Tony of Poorakistan, maybe if they went down that route they would have opened a Pandora’s Box.

      Reply

    • Majority says:

      11:52am | 20/08/10

      Julia Unplugged !! what a joke. Why hasn’t she been asked about this?? Julia went along with this deception and (to my knowledge) didn’t attempt to set the record straight.  Go Tony !!!

      Reply

    • Rosie says:

      12:09pm | 20/08/10

      I have tried to post these comments on Richard Marles article but not sure whether it will be allowed in.

      After watching Julia Gillard last night and this morning I think that you guys should be deeply concerned with what will happen to her if she loses. Her negativity seen yesterday and today towards Tony Abbott only tells us of a very desperate and calculating human being. I feel very sorry for her and her supporters as I know what it is like to be a staunch supporter of a political party.

      This morning it was absolutely refreshing to see on Channel 9 “Abbott’s Girls” being interviewed by Karl. It oozed so much family values and support. How wonderful it was to watch and hear Tony Abbott’s wife and daughter chat in a pleasant manner to Karl.

      It made me think if Tony Abbott loses this election life goes on normally in the Abbott family. Julia Gillard on the other hand has to win to save face from the brutal act she had to do to achieve her ambition as PM of this nation. It would not be anything I am certain any of us would like to put ourselves through. I think about who is going to be there for her if she doesn’t make it tomorrow? You may say well Tim will be there! I wouldn’t be that sure because he also was asked to appear this morning on Channel 9 but declined.

      The Abbott family would have shown Tim the tool man boyfriend up big big time.

      Reply

    • Holly says:

      12:41pm | 20/08/10

      I love it all you coalition luvvies talk to each other endlessly like being at a Liberal “Bitch and Stitch”.

      Reply

    • Nicole says:

      01:09pm | 20/08/10

      Oh Holly lighten up will ya? Don’t take everything so seriously. Smile smile  It’s good for you

    • MarK says:

      02:29pm | 20/08/10

      Oh hai Nicole.

      How are you honey? I got my blue suit all pressed and ready for tomorrow. Going to be a fun day!!

      Hows the weather? Enjoy the smoke? Must toddle off and vote right wing.

      Back soon.

    • Rosie says:

      02:38pm | 20/08/10

      Oh yes Holly how could we stop ourselves when there is so much to gossip about. Remember this is a first, first female PM and the first bloke, to be living in the Lodge. Might be the only smart thing our first female PM has done was to keep the first bloke from living in the Lodge.

    • Nicole says:

      02:42pm | 20/08/10

      Hey MarK,

      I’m fine luv. Really enjoyed that fag, but my lungs won’t agree with that.

      Weather here is overcast but rather warm. What about down there?

      I think I’ll frock up in my black number tomorrow night. Black goes with every occasion, right? Besides that, it doesn’t need to be ironed.

      Anyway, talk when you get back.

      smile

    • hottupoliticalmachine says:

      12:55pm | 20/08/10

      So we shouldn’t vote for someone because they used notes in a speech? I reckon you would have been better of beig Pro-Abbot than anti Julia if that was all the mateiral you had

      Reply

    • poa says:

      01:51pm | 20/08/10

      Bollocks mate. It was the whole “No Notes” bit to the media which was yet another ALP lie.
      Not a biggie…but typical ALP spin.
      As for Sophie…You got my vote…and I’m in Indi.
      Best of luck for Saturday.
      Hope you can start the national fixup on Monday.

    • hot tub political machine says:

      03:00pm | 20/08/10

      Well sir if someone having notes is a vote changer for you go your hardest. While I don’t respect the reasons for your vote I respect your right to cast it.

    • Mal says:

      07:08pm | 20/08/10

      it’s the lie hot tub

    • steven says:

      02:06pm | 20/08/10

      how will labour even try to run the economy when guru Foolie failed dismally with the pink bats and the huge waste of money in her BER project.My grand children will never stop paying for this huge labour debt of all tax payers money spent so quickly and recklessly .This is the worst political party ever voted in from the inception of politics

      Reply

    • Rosie says:

      02:11pm | 20/08/10

      Julia Gillard is sooooooo desperate that she has to repeat her same old speech to the already converted. It is soooooooo pathetic when she is preaching to the old faithfuls because of the repetition of Mr Abbott, Mr Abbott, Mr Abbott and at one stage called Mr Abbott the PM. I am not surprised the supposedly old Labor faithfuls in the room were the “rent a crowd mob” organised by the Labor Robotic Machine.

      Labor has gone back to the old “Work Choices” theme they started the campaign with and had to toss it out because it backfired on them. What stupidity? It didn’t work then so how the hell is it going to work at the end of the campaign? I did say before that these amateurs had “Work Choices” etched on their foreheads as their weapon to put pressure on Tony Abbott to implode. Labor is frustrated and stressed out big time because nothing of the kind happened, not even close after Tony’s deprivation of any sleep.

      Kudos to Tracy last night on Channel ACA. For once ballsy Julia Gillard felt intimidated when Tracy fired questions at her. I think she was intimidated because for once another female who was the best in her job wasn’t in awe of the fact she was interviewing the nation’s first female PM. It didn’t get any better because Tracy never gave her a chance for her to repeat the Labor message she is always trying to promote. There sure weren’t any giggles or Julia Gillard trying to charm her way through the interview.

      Reply

    • Richard says:

      02:49pm | 20/08/10

      This excerpt here is the crux of the economic debate: Gillard “justifies her Government’s flagrant waste and overspending with the hollow argument that our economy isn’t a basket-case (yet), even as she racks up $100 million every day.”

      That’s the case, stiched up tight. How can Labor say “we are such a good government because avoided a recession and have only 6% debt to GDP”,  when we were not going to have an extremely serious recession as long as our major export partner kept growing at~ 10% per year and our banks and financial institutions remained solvent and profitable? Sure, we don’t have as much debt as Britain and Greece, but that is due to the coalition’s tenure under Costello, not Swan’s antics as the treasurer who delivered the surplus that wasn’t a surplus; but how do you think those countries managed to get into that situation? Here’s a hint, borrowing $100,000,000 is a good way to start following in their footsteps.

      Swan is going to look like a right goose if China does slow down and if the Aussie housing bubble pops affecting the solvency of our banks… If that scenario comes he will look back and regret wasting all his ammunition shooting at shadows instead of preserving it until he could see the “whites of their eyes”.

      Reply

    • Peter Simmons says:

      02:58pm | 20/08/10

      Brilliant article,  Sophie.  A small thing like the notes farce shows more about dishonesty than all the words Gillard has uttered.
      My vote for you went off in the mail this morning.

      Thanks again for all the personal help and for being an outstanding Member.

      Reply

    • Holly says:

      03:34pm | 20/08/10

      Sorry Rosie - the Workchoices theme is well and truly back.  Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey running for cover today when questioned about “tweaking” the regulations in the current Fair Work Act.  Neither of them will commit to not changing the regulations.  They have been misleading all of us.  Massive changes can be made through regulations without changing the act.  Julia Gillard is quite right to point this out to voters as Abbott and Hockey have been guilty of gross deception. Caught out at last.  Hope it is not too late for the message to get out otherwise Workchoices will be back no doubt of it.

      Reply

    • Barbara says:

      05:08pm | 20/08/10

      If that were true Holly then why did they even bother going through the senate in the first place when they could achieve the same result by ‘tweaking’ the regulations.  Regulations or Law can only be changed by an act of Parliament, so they wouldn’t be able to ‘tweak’ it enough to bring back Workchoices by stealth.  As for being being guilty of gross deception, isn’t that what Labor are guilty of since the 2007 election win.  They have misled the Australian public for 3 years, after all the promises and raising everyones expectations.  I won’t be fooled twice.

    • acotrel says:

      05:55pm | 20/08/10

      Those two idiots are playing a very dangerous game! The result of the 2007 election should have been sufficient warning for the coalition to stay away from workchoices.

    • Baraboy says:

      05:51pm | 20/08/10

      I am a 52 year old voter, and up until the last election I have always voted Coalition. Last time I was so sick of John Howard’s lies, scare campaigns and negativity that I actually voted against Liberal. I live in Sophie’s electorate of Indi, and I am only too aware that this type of article is typical of her response to her electorate. Very negative and condemnatory, with very little constructive input. Just another continuation of the role she played as Howard’s sycophant. I will be doing my bit to make my electorate marginal.

      Reply

    • Felix says:

      11:50pm | 20/08/10

      Well if it’s a case of what you see is what you get where Tony Abbott is concerned, I don’t like what I see. Sophie also says “He has been setting out a clear plan, speaking freely like a normal human being…..”. However she fails to mention that he himself has clearly stated that not everything he says is the gospel truth and many recall his “rock solid, iron-clad guarantees” on Medicare prior to the 2004 election which he revoked only a few short months later. Sophie refers to Julia Gillard as a “wind-up doll”, but of course (being clearly biased being a Liberal herself) does not refer to Tony Abbott as a “wind-up Ken doll”. Well at least no one would ever refer to Sophie as a “doll” although some may refer to her as “droll”.

      Reply
 
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