New paradigm, new rules, same old politics

farkurnell says:

07:11pm | 29/09/10

Don’t forget it was Joolz birthday and she had her folks in the gallery..no doubt a bit of restraint was reqired.Give it time I think the claws will emerge in due course. There has only been a couple of jabs from the Shandy-man my guess is he’s waiting on the first poll results to see íf he needs to come out swinging .

Steve says:

10:35pm | 29/09/10

How true he was about that mountebank Johnny and he (like Abbott nearly did the same) get in on a lie!!! But that’s the story from today’s parliament when you have nothing to offer like Tony had prior to the election just muddy the waters as much as you can throw up some dodgy figures because they will never come out no matter which way things go… if we loose like they did then they will not be brought to task because it is past… and if they had have won… well it is self answered by the first part! Wonder what world we would have had but for a lie!!!

iansand says:

07:58am | 30/09/10

He won a vote on the floor of the House.  Something of which he seems very proud.  How did he do that?  Tanya Plibersek was absent.  Why?  I don’t know, but she is quite obviously in the late stages of pregnancy.  I don’t know if you have ever been around a heavily pregnant woman, but it seems to me that there are a myriad of reasons, completely outside her control, that would make it necessary to leave the chamber.

You think Abbott hasn’t “wrecked” anything.  I think he has.  In his remorseless quest for power he has broken one of the few remaining inter-party courtesies left.  That level of “whatever it takes” out-Richardsons Richardson.

Dash says:

08:51am | 30/09/10

iansand what planet are you living on? It was the ALP who had a remorseless quest for power and what ever it takes attitude! They lied their way into office like they did in ‘07 (“there will be no carbon tax”) and paid $11b in taxpayer funded bribes to get the independent support they needed. Now the ALP propaganda machine is churning out the Wrecker term but perhaps they would be more accurate to direct that at Gillard the homewrecker!

TimB says:

09:06am | 30/09/10

How did he do that Iansand?

He did it because the voters gave Labor a sound beating at the recent election.

Situation of Julia’s own making, sorry.

iansand says:

10:13am | 30/09/10

Dash & TimB - Did you read my first paragraph?  Do you disagree with the facts stated there?

In the last Parliament, and in every other Parliament since Federation, that would not have happened.  Can you justify this change?  Do you think that it could be a permanent shift for the worse?  Does power at any cost justify that?

Dash says:

10:50am | 30/09/10

iansand, what is the point you are trying to make? It’s not Abbott’s fault that this is a minority government without the numbers to block every opposition vote on the floor of the lower house! What are you trying to say, that the opposition should just let the ALP do whatever it wants? As I’ve already said, it’s the ALP that prostituted itself before the greens and the independents to buy power at any cost! They used $11b of our money to do so. And they told blatant lies during the election campaign. For you to expect the LNP to roll over for the ALP doesn’t make sense. There is no way Labor would do anything different if they were in the same position. The ALP is in a position of it’s own making. Quit blamming others for the fact that they were so cr@p they lost their majority! They’ve wrecked themselves through lies, deceit ,rorts, waste and incompetence. Blaming their faults on the opposition is not going to fix what’s wrong with the ALP.

iansand says:

12:07pm | 30/09/10

I am saying that Abbott should respect the long established traditions of our Parliament.  Tearing those traditions down in his quest for power is ... unwise.

Richard says:

12:44pm | 30/09/10

iansand, you should read Sun Tzu some time.

Liam says:

12:47pm | 30/09/10

Dash, what a ridiculous comment. $11b in bribes?
If Mr Abbott had gained power, would you consider the promises he made to the Independents bribes? Or would he be ‘Securing the future of Regional Australia’, or some other weasel phrase?

Dash says:

01:05pm | 30/09/10

iansand, I don’t understand. What traditions have been torn down? Apart from some minor changes to question time, isn’t the lower house operating as it always has? One member one vote. What traditions of Parliament have not been honoured? Being a yes man to the government is hardly a tradition! As I have said before, yes it will be hard for the ALP to get policy through the lower house, but that’s because they failed to win a majority and had to rely on deal making with other minorities. That’s not the fault of the LNP, it’s not because of spoiling tactics, it’s completely of the ALPs own doing. If the ALP didn’t have all of it’s members in the chamber, why is that the LNPs fault? If the ALP are not happy, call another election!

TimB says:

01:25pm | 30/09/10

Iansand, is he doing it on a “quest for power” or is he doing it because he disagrees with the legislation?

If he disagrees with the legislation, then he’s well within his rights to use every (legal) means at his disposal to defeat the legislation.

If he’s doing it just to be contrary, then yes it’s wrong, but I don’t think that is the case. And thats the big issue here. All the Labor supporters are jumping up and down in a frenzy claiming Tony is going to “oppose everything”.
Now correct me if I am wrong, but does the opposition usually vote against the government on EVERY single piece of legislation regardless? I didn’t think they did. I thought they tended to vote with the government on the day-to day common sense stuff that everyone can agree on. And as far as I know, that’s still going to happen.

It’s the contentious legislation that is the issue. Stuff like the Carbon tax/ETS/Green levy. That’s what he’s going to block. And quite frankly, if the government can’t organize itself to make sure it has all its votes in place when these pieces of legislation come up, then it’s the governments own fault if they lose the vote.

And again, this wouldn’t be an issue if the Governement had been competent enough to get a proper majority. To insist that the Coalition should simply let legislation it disagrees with through purely for the sake of tradition is silly.

iansand says:

02:03pm | 30/09/10

TinmB - It was some crappy procedural thing.  He did it because he could.  The act of an 8 year old bully.

GreekSnake says:

02:33pm | 30/09/10

iansand: Abbott’s narrowing of the ALP margin is what caused the ALP ministers to not have any slack in parliament. If Tanya Pilbersek wants a baby then she has to go through the entire process. Surely this is not news to her or her employer.

Paid maternity leave doesn’t get you a vote on the parliament floor. Abbott is doing his job. It’s that one seat majority that is hurting you lefties.

TimB says:

03:04pm | 30/09/10

There you go Iansand. Looks like me and Dash were right.

Entire blame goes to Labor’s crap 1st term and their subsequent loss of seats.

iansand says:

03:25pm | 30/09/10

Leo -  - OK, but the fundamental point that he is prepared to disrupt the pairs system - a system that has served all parties tolerably well over the decades - for no other reason than seizing power at an opportune time.

TimB says:

04:13pm | 30/09/10

@ Iansand

“iansand says:02:03pm | 30/09/10

“It was some crappy procedural thing.  He did it because he could.  The act of an 8 year old bully. “

Does this still apply now iansand? If so, how do you explain the support of the independents? Are they bullies too?

Time to you and the rest of the Left to suck it up and accept the reality that minority government brings. No point having a cry about Big Bad Tony every time a vote goes against you.

Randal says:

04:17pm | 30/09/10

That’s not like you to let the truth get in the way of a good story iansand, then again what choice do you have when you are just peddling the ALP tripe. By the way Abbott also granted a “pair” to Crean yesterday so he could attend the press club, yep that sounds like a fundamental attack upon the pairs system does it not… Well I think not.

In the Parliament there has never been a guarantee of a pair, and to say so would seem you live in the ‘fairy land’ of Oakshott, pairs are arranged between parties by the whips on a case by case basis and anyone with a working knowledge of the Senate would be more than aware of the number of times a missing senator has seen legislation pass and fail as no pair was pre-arranged.

Dash says:

04:37pm | 30/09/10

Liam, not rediculous at all! That’s what happened. The ALP bought government for $11b and they used our money to do so. I can understand as an ALP supporter you may not recognise the truth since Gillard doesn’t seem to be able to tell it. “There will be no Carbon tax”, “I fully support the PM”, “I have more chance of playing full forward for the dogs”, “I was only a member of the Socialist Forum in my 20s”, She’s using the same approach old Kevie used before everything became his fault! “Root and branch tax reform”, “200+ childcare facilities”, “More affordable housing”, “Cheaper better childcare”, “No child shall live without a laptop”, “The profits tax is not negotiable”, “grocery choice”, “fuelwatch”, “we wont touch the private health tax rebate”. Lie lie lie lie lie lie LIE! Are we moving forward yet Liam? Have we finished paying for the insulation fiasco yet? You wouldn’t build school halls in your spare time would you mate?

Andrew says:

12:20am | 30/09/10

The Leader of the Opposition doesn’t answer any questions during question time so your concerns about Harry Jenkins being too tough on your beloved Tony is completely irrelevant. Besides I think Jenkins showed leniency to both sides as they get used to the new standing orders in QT today.

Wayne Fehlhaber says:

08:10am | 30/09/10

Andrew :  The new rules apply in more areas that Q.T. and i’m certain Abbott will be speaking at some point governed under those rules.
Slow down Andrew , your rush to the keyboard could cause brain strain.

jeffb says:

01:57am | 30/09/10

Best description of Abbott yet.

bobw says:

05:26am | 30/09/10

Evidently you are.

Frank says:

01:31pm | 30/09/10

If Abbott is the fake PM he is doing a great job compared with the ‘real’ Gillard PM. Waiting for the collapse of the ALP.

Dash says:

09:30am | 30/09/10

Absolutely correct Geof! The ALP’s socialist propaganda machine is in full swing comrade. Every time they don’t get their way, it will be because of wrecker Tony. Inflation is on the rise - wrecker Tony’s fault, interest rates continuing to rise - wrecker Tony’s fault, Carbon tax unable to get through Parliament - wrecker Tony’s fault, failure to keep any of their election promises AGAIN - Wrecker Tony’s fault. The ALP would have a majority government if they weren’t so cr@p and over 62% of the voting population doesn’t want them!

MarK says:

08:20am | 30/09/10

So wrong and full of idealism it is scary.

Oakeshott is a nice guy. I can confirm that Windsor is one of the nicest blokes i have ever met. Truly a warm and personable human being.

Back on planet earth however “paradigm” is overused and oakeshott will be booted at the first opportunity.

The rest of Australia apart from us nerds and a few journo’s that write about politics and think people care about the trials and tribulations of picking a speaker couldn’t give a toss. What they will notice is a government abandoning its promises and the realisation that the Greens might get a death duty up.

After day 1 it looked like the old parliament except the PM had no real power and she knew it.

TimB says:

08:23am | 30/09/10

And neither of them will be in their seats next election.

Granted Tony Windsor is pulling the plug on his own, but Oakeshott is going to face the wrath of an angry electorate.

Dash says:

09:22am | 30/09/10

Ha, Acotrel, Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor have both gone against the wishes of their electorates and sided with the ALP. Both of them will lose their seats at the next election. In Lyne only 13% voted Labor, in New England 8% and yet both of them took the briefcase full of banknotes and effectively became ALP members. Disgraceful! They’ll get what’s coming! And hopefully sooner rather than later.