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Questioning her judgment over facing questions

Malcolm Farr

by Malcolm Farr

14 Feb 09:50am

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Filed under: 4 Corners, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Labor Leadership, Politics

266 comments

Julia Gillard today said she never dodges questioning but there are some, including Labor backers, who wish she had last night. However, many of these tut-tutting critics would also have been piling into the Prime Minister had she snubbed the Four Corners interrogation.

Cartoon: Warren Brown

Still, it looks strange she participated in a recounting of painful ancient history which further highlighted the bitterness brewed in June, 2010 when she knocked over Kevin Rudd.

And agreement to the interview exposed the Prime Minister to questions she had difficulty handling, such as whether she knew her staff were preparing a leadership speech two weeks before the ousting of Kevin Rudd, and what she knew of party polling at the time.

In part it wasn’t the interview she was expecting. In two emails Four Corners said the chat would be about the future of the Labor Party and progress in government since 2007, looking at carbon pricing and the mining profits tax.

It did look at those issues, but in the context of the Rudd/Gillard leadership.

The Prime Minster does not—and cannot—have any gripe with Four Corners. But rightly or wrongly it was not the focus she was expecting.

The Gillard government and its leader were in for a belting no matter the content of the program because of the pernicious and persistent nature of Rudd rumours.

She should, however, be given credit for fronting the interviewer’s microphone.

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266 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • onlooker says:

      08:59am | 14/02/12

      I watched it and was disgusted, America knew before we did that she was going to challenge..she lied lied lied to us right up until the last minute and took Rudd down the Garden path and us with him

      Reply

    • SimonFromLakemba says:

      09:06am | 14/02/12

      Same, I was pissed when I saw us bending over for the Americans.

    • wolf says:

      09:16am | 14/02/12

      Don’t forget the wikileaks cables showed the Americans had their ‘protected source’ - special agent 00arbib.

    • Blind Freddy says:

      09:26am | 14/02/12

      Wikileaks demonstrated that their are individuals in the Labor Party that are in effect “spies” for the US.

    • Dementer says:

      10:50am | 14/02/12

      Is it standard practise for foriegn powers to know abou the demise of a PM before the party does.

      The more I look at this the more it appears that Kevin Rudd was a trojan horse.

    • jay-ded says:

      11:45am | 14/02/12

      I’m so shocked.

    • disgusted observer says:

      12:38pm | 14/02/12

      My petty hatred is the same…why should The Labor party brief the Americans before we even knew any of this? The claim makes a mockery of yet another Gillard lie. That she didn’t know about it until the day of the knifing.

    • Bruce says:

      01:49pm | 14/02/12

      It seems that the Americans know more about our politics than Juliar, but Juliar does NOT know what her “staffers” are doing ! Amazing !

    • Steve says:

      02:11pm | 14/02/12

      Why was anyone really surprised at any point about the knifing of Rudd? As soon as Rudd was elected with Gillard appointed as deputy I figured that now they’d got in to power with the media darling Rudd, they were well positioned to dump him for Gillard who was more popular with the unions. As far as I was concerned it was only a question of when she’d replace Rudd. Not if.

    • RyaN says:

      04:38pm | 14/02/12

      @Bruce: Not only that, they seem to have been thoroughly briefed on the future and all decisions that are going to happen on those days at the spur of the moment.

      She is nothing but a low liar. She disgusts me entirely.

    • rockoyster says:

      05:38am | 15/02/12

      Weren’t you reading the papers or watching the telly at the time @onlooker?  The Yanks obviously were.

    • onlooker says:

      06:55am | 15/02/12

      I most certainly was rockoyster but this was leaked to the yanks that Gillard was going to challenge 2 weeks before she actually did by a Labor minister. The Americans were so interested in the issue that two weeks before the coup, Australia’s US ambassador Kim Beazley was called to a meeting with Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to explain what was happening.And the whole time she was denying it to us..right up until the last minute. We vote them in or out..not The Americans!!

    • thatmosis says:

      09:00am | 14/02/12

      The interview last night showed her for what she is, a woman with no personal integrity or morals.
        She lives on a diet of lies and spin and wouldnt know the real world if it slapped her in the face.
        She expects others to take the fall for her blunders and doesnt listen to the people, cant answer simple questions and gets flustered when asked again to answer the question she was asked time and time again.
        If the questioner asks the wrong question you can see her start to squirm in her seat as she is without her spin team to ward off those types of questions, her colour goes a nice shade of red and her demeanor gets worse and worse as the interview goes on.
        I was actually surprised she didnt throw a tissy fit and walk out.

      Reply

    • iansand says:

      09:13am | 14/02/12

      In short, she is a politician.

    • Steve says:

      11:08am | 14/02/12

      I agree with you,Thatmosis.What scares me is that 50% of Australians STILL voted for her !!! She is really living up to her nickname….

      JULIAR !!

    • Nick42 says:

      02:10pm | 14/02/12

      What scares me Steve is people like you that call Julia a liar, which she is multiple times but you cannot see Abbot has lied or if they ever voted for the Liberals during Howards years you have already voted for a confirmed liar. If you think Julia is useless fair enough there is plenty of ammunition out there to hammer with but the liar comment just shows you are on of the liberal hacks on this site, no better than any of the labor hacks here.
      Please get it through your head ALL POLITICIANS ARE LIARS - either deal with it or go into politics yourself to change.

    • Grant says:

      02:13pm | 14/02/12

      50% of Australians did not vote for her. I think it was closer to 35%, maybe less. She got in due to a deal with the greens and independents! The LNP received much more of the primary vote than labour.

    • Tator says:

      07:44pm | 14/02/12

      Grant,
      it was 37.99% from the AEC.  The Coalition parties received a combined vote of 43.62% and it was preferences from parties like the Greens that got them over the line.
      Speaking of the Greens, it is quite amusing that the informal vote in both the Port Adelaide and Ramsay by elections got a higher vote than what the Greens candidates got and their vote was well below their national vote in the 2010 Federal election

    • Erick says:

      09:00am | 14/02/12

      The ABC actually asked tough questions of a *Labor* Prime Minister?

      Poor Julia. She must be really unpopular in the Party..

      Reply

    • Shane says:

      09:23am | 14/02/12

      The ABC is obviously sexist…

    • JT says:

      09:39am | 14/02/12

      I think the ABC has just publicly staked its support on Rudd hence the tough questions of Gillard.

      On a different note, where is our favourite village idiot nossy? No doubt having a seizure from the latest poll:

      “Labor’s two-party-preferred vote has fallen and it now trails the Coalition 45-55 in today’s Newspoll. Mr Abbott has moved ahead of Ms Gillard and leads as better prime minister, 40-37. ”

    • james says:

      10:52am | 14/02/12

      abc is biased

    • SimonTigey says:

      11:37am | 14/02/12

      Gillard will be gone soon, her first mistake was to roll Rudd, her second mistake was the carbon tax. She is finished!!

    • Ken says:

      12:07pm | 14/02/12

      Yeah !  the ABC asking the labor party hard questions ,  The world really has gone crazy.

    • doug z says:

      01:05pm | 14/02/12

      no, not asking the Labor Party hard questions.  Asking Gillard hard questions.  It means they’ve written her off as not having a hope of being re-elected, and they think Rudd is the Party’s best chance.

    • Marty says:

      01:22pm | 14/02/12

      The ABC is the only media that provides any balance in respect of politics.  Remaining media is clearly biased against Labor.  Fairfax has been good to date but this will change now Gina R owns 15%.
      You’re all aware Abbott is a confessed liar who admits you can’t trust what he says?  Why aren’t you all as angry at him?
      Bring on the ‘Gillard haters’!

    • Richo says:

      01:39pm | 14/02/12

      Marty - Turn it up mate. ABC has always been biased towards Labor. Channel 10’s “The Project” is also biased towards Labor. Rupert Murdoch supported Kevin Rudd in the election against John Howard. Maybe the reason they’re now seen as being anti Labor is because Labor is largely terrible? A primary vote of 32% confirms this.

    • BarbaraT says:

      01:40pm | 14/02/12

      At least Abbott is honest that he doesn’t always tell the truth Marty.  Our problem is picking what’s truth and what is spin or outright lies.  Gillard on the other hand can’t admit any kind of wrong doing.

    • Pat says:

      05:06am | 15/02/12

      I am now waiting to see which media grouping, will finally produce ‘The Lobbygate Deep Throat figure ” (as coin- described by one reporter): to now come out of the cupboard and drive the final big stake through Julia’s P.M ship, over the Australia Day incident.. Able to scuttle all her evasive remarks , about the Labor Part backroom set -up affair,  I am sick of hearing her when questioned , state ” I did not know! ” and ” No!... that I do not recall”

    • RJB says:

      09:02am | 14/02/12

      Your comment:Waiting for Southport’s village idiot to tell us how sweet the preferred PM poll is.

      Reply

    • Against The Grain says:

      12:17pm | 14/02/12

      Sorry, AtM is the village idiot in residence at ThePunch.

      You’ll have to come up with another title.

    • Against the Man says:

      12:36pm | 14/02/12

      Poor Against The Grain…....is that the best response you got? smile

      Looks like Gillard is helping me carve you twits to bits!

    • SimonFromLakemba says:

      09:04am | 14/02/12

      I watched this last night and thought it was very well done.

      “She should, however, be given credit for fronting the interviewer’s microphone”

      Correct, BUT its got to the stage where politicians now are given credit just for answering questions which they should have to answer day in, day out.

      In the end she was part of the team that knifed Rudd, she should have to answer those questions as they displaced a sitting Prime Minister.

      Reply

    • AdamC says:

      09:20am | 14/02/12

      Personally, I don’t understand why she didn’t just tell the truth. Nobody believes she simply decided on the day to snatch the leadership from Rudd. That would be ridiculous. And, if she didn’t remember the particular polling report 4 Corners asked her about, why not just say something like:

      “I don’t recall that particular report, but there was a lot of polling at the time that showed Kevin’s leadership was in trouble with the voters. This may well have been one poll I noted at the time”

      Instead, she just seemed to be obfuscating for the sake of it.

    • Mahhrat says:

      09:28am | 14/02/12

      @Simon, great point.

    • SimonFromLakemba says:

      09:53am | 14/02/12

      @AdamC

      No matter what she said, she has the runs on board against her when it comes to being credible. No politician has a lot of credibility but the problem with Julia is that its all been thrown in the public sphere - Carbon Tax, Rudd etc etc.

      Just a shame at the moment Australia is lumped with political lightweights on both sides.

    • Blind Freddy says:

      10:00am | 14/02/12

      @AdamC

      I think it is because her reflexes are political and not “fair dinkum”. The bleeding obvious is hidden from her by all of the Machiavellian bullshit between her and it.

    • Ando says:

      10:14am | 14/02/12

      I with you Adam C. Did anyone ever believe she found out on the day?It was the act itself which was the issue. Pretending she found out on the day made it worse not better.

    • AdamC says:

      11:18am | 14/02/12

      Simon and Blind Freddy, it’s almost sad that Gillard can’t be honest and up-front, even when it is in her venal best interests to do so. It is like she is pathologically shifty and evasive.

      Ando, indeed. Picture it:

      FADE IN
      Gillard Bunker - Canberra - 23 June 2010

      Julia - picks up ringing phone: “Hey, Short Stuff [Bill Shorten]. What’s
      up?

      Bill Shorten (voice): “Jools, this is serious. We need you to roll Kevin and become PM for the good of the party and the nation.”

      Julia: “Well, this is a bit out of the blue, Billy old son. I’m shocked at this sudden turn of events in which I played no part.”

      Bill Shorten: “Yeah, well, desperate times and all that. Me and the Feenster {David Feeney] were just having a brew with that guy from South Australia when Karly [Karl Bitar] and Uncle Sam [Mark Arbib] got us on the blower saying that even the QLD set have decided the Ruddster’s too on the nose with everyone. We need to act now!”

      Julia: “I dunno, Short Stack, Kevin’s a mate of mine. We just had a nice chat over coffee in the kitchen cabinet. You know I’m not the ruthless, disloyal type, after all.”

      Bill Shorten: “But, Jools, only you can save the nation! If we don’t get rid of Rudd today, right now, all this bad stuff will happen. The economy will collapse, dogs will go crazy and, um, sparrows will start swallowing eagles. It will be, like, Shakespearean apocalypse sort of stuff. I’m fully serious!”

      Julia: “OK, you’ve talked me into it.”

      And that is how it really happened.

    • Dash says:

      12:01pm | 14/02/12

      @Simon, I agree with you, Gillard has a credibility issue. But then so does Rudd and the rest of the ALP. They have spent the last 4 years over promising and under delivering. The list of lies from the ALP is as long as your arm.  I can’t understand why there are people still willing to support and vote for them. Unless of course they have the same dodgy morality or are on the ALP gravy train.

    • Chris L says:

      12:41pm | 14/02/12

      I’d have to chuckle if they offered Rudd his old job back and he refused. I wouldn’t blame him in the slightest.

    • SimonFromLakemba says:

      01:12pm | 14/02/12

      @Dash

      Not sure why every post you place on the Punch always has to have a personal attack attached to it.

      Like saying everyone that votes for to Coalition is a god loving bible basher and racist.

      @Chris L

      That would be a good middle finger salute wouldn’t it!

    • Philip Burrows says:

      01:12pm | 14/02/12

      The reality is that there were rumours around for some time and if her staff were not aware of them and prepared contingencies then they wouldn’t have been doing their job.  Sure, people would have been “counting the numbers” etc but there is nothing to refute that she actually made up her mind on the day of the question. Is there no more important matters to be discussed in this country?  When did Abbott decide to challenge Turnbull?  That’s right: who cares!

    • stevem says:

      02:01pm | 14/02/12

      The PM was very careful not to lie. Instead she obfuscated and changed the topic. When she said she only made the decision on the day, I believe her - as far as what she said, but not the implications.
      I believe she prepared for the coup. I believe her office is run in many cases with hints and suggestions rather than orders in order to give her the excuse of “plausible deniability”.

      Another instance of this is the Australia Day fiasco. She didn’t know the details of what went on and so she could honestly deny all knowledge of the smear attempt on Abbott. Her office, however, knew her desire to present Abbott to the press in as bad a light as possible and acted accordingly.

      With Rudd she knew the coup was on, she knew it was coming and had prepared for it. The final timing, however, only presented itself on the day. Hence her statement that she only decided on the day. True in and of itself, but far from the whole truth.

    • Mouse says:

      02:31pm | 14/02/12

      ChrisL & SFL, wouldn’t it be hilarious! I can see it happening too as Krudd is such a happy little vegemite being Foreign Minister.  Give ‘em all the bird while smiling his cute little smile.  lol

      If he refused the job now, at least he wouldn’t be defeated in 18 months time. Unfortunately I think miss gillard has done a pretty good job of trashing her own, and ALPs,  credibility and integrity this time, the icing on the cake so to speak.  But then you never know, 18 months is a long time in politics! :o)

    • MDMConnell says:

      02:48pm | 14/02/12

      Problem for Gillard is:

      a) She can’t admit that she really was scheming behind Rudd’s back for weeks without looking like a liar.

      b) She can’t say that the Labor heavies were scheming for weeks but she only made up her mind on the day, without looking like the Faceless Men gifted/pressured her into the job.

      c) She can’t deny that everyone in her office knew about the coup but she knew nothing.

      So it’s lose-lose-lose whatever she tries to say. Hence she has to bluster and BS her way out of it with evasive non-answers

    • SimonFromLakemba says:

      02:59pm | 14/02/12

      @Mouse

      My thoughts as well as written in a piece below.

    • Martin says:

      04:07pm | 14/02/12

      @dash

      “I can’t understand why there are people still willing to support and vote for them.”

      They’re a better option than the Opposition. That wasn’t so hard to understand, was it?

    • Dash says:

      05:08pm | 14/02/12

      @Simon, saying I agree with you is a personal attack???

    • TChong says:

      09:05am | 14/02/12

      she cant run a chook raffle, and after being stupid enough to do the interview, deserves to go as leader - not for stating the obvios ( of course both sides are grubby, and ALL leaders of ALL: parties are quite prepared to do any and everything ), but for thinking that this explanation ( or lack of) would clear things up, and settle the punters.
      Maybe Rudd wont make a Lazarus, who would want to inherit this mess?

      Reply

    • Gratuitous Adviser says:

      09:09am | 14/02/12

      Julia Gillard was admirable in handling the questions but skills in this area can not mitigate last nights 4 Corners expose that it is yet more confirmation that the next federal election result will give Arbib, Feeney, Shorten, Farrell, Bitar, spokesman Howes and the main sponsor behind the action, the AWU’s Bill Ludwig the news that they deserve.  Through their and others actions during June 2010 the Gillard Government will go into Australian history as the Government that should not have been and the lowest period in modern ALP history, and it was all of their own making.  I still can not get over how the ALP smarties misread the great unwashed and the focus groups got it so wrong.

      As an observer of the 2010 ALP catastrophe I was aware of most of the happenings but was surprised by a number of revelations in the 4 Corners piece:
      1.  The American State Department and Hilary Clinton knew about the coup two weeks plus, before it happened.  Who leaked the information to them (that’s an easy one) and how stupid does Hilary Clinton think the Australian Labor Party is?  The ALP has to stop influential party officials and MP’s systematically leaking important party information and strategies to foreign governments, even the Americans.  It sounds amateurish, childish and cringing.
      2.  That Graham Richardson was asked to get involved (his very small role).  The NSW Right’s curse on the ALP will take a generation to overcome.
      3.  That Julia Gillard was aware of the coup some time before it happened.  In her book after politics she will admit that this was not her time and one of the few political mistakes she has made, as will Rudd admit that he should never have given in after Copenhagen (he has already done that Q&A last year, I think). 
      4.  That some of the Labor coup participants had access to BHP’s strategy to beat the mining tax.

      I was not surprised at the mining company’s actions.  They should be taxed into oblivion.

      “We should celebrate and honour the way that we conduct this great Australian democracy of ours” said Kevin Rudd in his victory speech after the 2007 win.  That ethic went out the door when the AWU apparatchiks gained control of the ALP during June 2010 and the federal Labor MP’s stupidly followed them. 

      The result is a government that is sterilised by side issues and will not be forgiven by the normally ALP supporting section of the electorate.  Kevin Rudd will not lead the ALP ever again, Julia Gillard will never win another election and no other ALP contender in his right mind (I forgot about Simon Crean) would take a shot, under the current circumstances.

      Well done boys and girls, you blew it.  You have doomed the great unwashed to a generation of conservative rule because of stupidity and selfishness and blind submission to the AWU and the NSW Right culture, just like what happend in NSW.

      Resulting from the decision by the ALP to remove Rudd in 2010, even considering all the good things that they have done and the disaster for the great unwashed of Australia that will be when Abbott is elected, I foresee a number of eventualities.
      1.  The ALP will be destined to opposition for a generation.
      2.  Julia Gillard has diminished the kudos that she rightfully would have received had she had waited for the right time.
      3.  A lot of very good federal ALP parliamentarians will have lost their seat and retire disenchanted, disgusted and never to be seen again, just like the demolished NSW parliamentarians did last year.  My only hope is that the good ones stay interested.
      4.  The career of Bill Shorten will be in opposition.  He will never be Prime Minister because of his actions in 2010, his support and belief in the faction system and the baggage that comes with it.  I can not think of one faction heavy that ever became Prime Minister

      Reply

    • Mack says:

      09:26am | 14/02/12

      Tha ALP has always been dominated by the Unions and we know from the Thomson affair that the Unions have been exposed as rotten to the core. The sooner the ALP is obliterated the better for ‘the great unwashed’.

    • JT says:

      09:57am | 14/02/12

      @Gratuitous Adviser

      You speak as though this is something new regarding Labor, as though a rotten apple has spoilt the whole barrel. This is patently not the case, the Labor party has always functioned like this, unfortunately for them and us (because of their incompetence) how they function became very public knowledge in 2010 when Kevin Rudd was knifed.

    • ZSRenn says:

      10:00am | 14/02/12

      Sounds like Australia needs some soap!

    • Faz says:

      11:38am | 14/02/12

      There was much in your analysis that I agreed with GA, but I’m not sure about your conclusions.

      Re #1: Very big call. It assumes many things not least that the Coalition will govern for that time.

      Re #2: Peter Costello demonstrated the value of ‘waiting for kudos’.

      Re #3: Fair point.

      Re #4: Paul Keating?

    • john says:

      11:52am | 14/02/12

      BOB HAWKE COMES TO MIND

    • NLS says:

      12:42pm | 14/02/12

      Why should mining companies be “taxed into oblivion” ??? Are they not holding this country up at the moment? Why do banks dodge the tax bullet then? And any other large corporation making billions? Why only mining companies hey???

    • Steve says:

      02:17pm | 14/02/12

      I wouldn’t write off the ALP. They stink at governing but the one thing they do well is PR and campaigning. Come election time, their PR machine will kick in to gear and out will come the vote buying promises. Doesn’t matter how well they’ve performed or how well they intend to perform. As long as they get elected. A large number of voters have short enough memories that a few weeks of shameless vote buying is all it takes to make them forget the bungles and broken promises from the last election. Especially when it comes to your average rusted on ALP voter.

    • Gratuitous Adviser says:

      02:36pm | 14/02/12

      JT- I know it (the faction system) is not new but it is destroying the ALP and I am especially concerned with the AWU’s (Ludwig Family) influence. 

      Faz and John - I stand corrected wrt faction heads becoming PM (Keating especially). I am not convinced that Hawke was a faction head but will stand corrected.  It has always appeared to me that the public prefer an unaligned ALP politician to be the leader. 

      NLS - How dare the mining companies and any other self interested organisation with unlimited funds use the tactics that they did.  We are heading into a period with he/she/it who has the most resources wins which is a deplorable situation for a democracy.  The mining companies only employ Australian because they have to and watch it.  They are currently using a strategy to get foreign workers (Polish in this case) in on a skills shortage justification.  Ask any British building tradesman how the importation of polish (fly in/out) tradesmen into the UK affected them

      By the by:  I just listened to question time and the opposition did not ask one serious question (the one from Julie Bishop was amateurish) during the whole period.  They are hopeless with very little class but the next election will be a drovers dog type election.  We are doomed.

    • Diamantina Dick says:

      02:59pm | 14/02/12

      “NLS - How dare the mining companies and any other self interested organisation with unlimited funds use the tactics that they did.  We are heading into a period with he/she/it who has the most resources wins which is a deplorable situation for a democracy.  “

      There for a minute I thought you were talking about the Unions ‘Your Rights at Work” campaign, the original vested interest scare campaign

    • Mark says:

      04:10pm | 14/02/12

      @steve

      Sure worked for John Howard.

    • TC says:

      10:35pm | 14/02/12

      yes lets tax the mining industry into oblivion… a very big part of Australia’s prosperity. Great idea Einstein!!

    • dovif says:

      09:10am | 14/02/12

      What did you guys expect from the Great Liar

      She said “there will be no Carbon tax under a government I led”
      She said there would be a citizen’s assembly for Australians to be asked whether they want a Carbon tax
      She said Australian will get a vote before a price on carbon
      She said she had no intention of challending Rudd, while her friend Simon Crean was whiteanting Rudd everyday
      She said she had no intention of challending Rudd, while her staff was writing her victory speach
      She said she will fix up border protection
      She said another boat is another policy failuer

      She has absolutely no integrity what so ever

      Reply

    • Peter says:

      11:43am | 14/02/12

      Replace Gillard with Howard, how we have moved nowhere.

    • Against the Man says:

      12:05pm | 14/02/12

      Peter congratulations! You have made a great fool of yourself with that classic ALP stooge statement! Hope real life isn’t too tough onyer smile

    • Robert says:

      04:12pm | 14/02/12

      @dovif

      If you’re going to call someone a liar, it helps not to base your namecalling on lies.

    • Craig says:

      05:17am | 15/02/12

      Dovif, if Julia gets rolled before July than her statement on the carbon tax will be true…

      Besides it may be true now - she doesn’t really appear to be leading the party.

    • Sizzle Chest says:

      09:10am | 14/02/12

      The interviewer must have been sexist.
      Leave Julia Alone !!!!!!!!!!!!
      smile

      Reply

    • Patricia Barton says:

      09:25am | 14/02/12

      Sizzle Chest ... the word SEXIST is almost as Mouldy as the word RACISM. They (words) always get used when one is trying to get an unbelievable point across to the public. Tells a lot about the character of the person using them.  Stabbing someone in the back and lying to the public has nothing to do with being SEXIST, it is just plain hypocrisy and (to use an ISM) ...meism!!!

    • PsychoHyena says:

      10:19am | 14/02/12

      @Patricia, the comments saying that it’s sexist are related to an earlier article claiming that the criticism of Julia Gillard is being considered sexist and that it wouldn’t be happening if it was a male.

      People are just running with it to show the idiocy of the article.

    • Robert says:

      09:11am | 14/02/12

      No fan of Jules but lets face it the media are the biggest trollers of all. 
      Forget the coup, there are more important reasons to not renew the PM’s contract

      (great cartoon Warren Brown, still giggling)

      Reply

    • Patricia Barton says:

      10:38am | 15/02/12

      Psychohyena, I’m no fan of Abbott, but he is MALE and he is copping as much flak as PM, so is that sexist too ... or does it only apply to women?
      Does being from an earlier article change the SEXISM.

    • nossy says:

      09:13am | 14/02/12

      NEWSFLASH: Tones Abbott wins his 1st Newspoll PPM! Strewth now lets see - he beat the most unpopular PM ever by how many points - 30 , no 20, no, THREE! hahahahahahaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9fs_6v20Cw

      Reply

    • luke09 says:

      09:50am | 14/02/12

      nossy, wake up! PM Julia is a lost cause.

    • thatmosis says:

      09:58am | 14/02/12

      Is that the best you can do, my god, you have gone from being almost an idiot to a full blown idiot in a short sentence, well done.

    • Geoff says:

      10:47am | 14/02/12

      Nossy is like the town drunk. Reread what he just said but picture an oldish man in rags who just woke up from the gutter and has a slur and after talking as he is laughing he staggers off to the nearest Pub.
      All of a sudden what you read makes perfect sense!

    • nossy says:

      10:53am | 14/02/12

      @thatmosis and luke9 nossy flushed out another two Liberal Party Members!  Ohhhh how sweet it is!

    • Jimbo75 says:

      10:54am | 14/02/12

      Nossy,

      The message in the video is important - people won’t and should not vote for parties that are (or are perceived to be) dishonest, triacky, mean and disrespectful to the truth (cheeky).

      In 2001 Liberal polling found that the party were viewed by the electorate as mean and tricky and had Tampa and Sept 11 not happened the Liberal Government of the time may well have been turfed.

      Simiarly following the 2004 rout where the Libs got control of both houses of Parliament and proceeded to implement Workchoices the electorate responded badly, particulalry some of the 2004 aspirationals (and logging workers in Tassie who hugged Howard)  who moved across to the Libs but felt betrayed by a loss in employment certainty and bargaining power.

      The same views of trickery, dishonesty and lack of respect for truth are now squarely, and in my view fairly, placed upon the current ALP Government.

      The current ALP group are cooked and the next 18 months is going to be painful to watch.

    • Ando says:

      11:17am | 14/02/12

      I think Nossy has a point. For this to still be a close race given how useless Gillard is a sad statement about whats on offer.

    • Mack says:

      11:27am | 14/02/12

      nossy, they are drawing straws as we speak to see who is the next dummy to take over the ‘leadership’ of the Labor party. You have to admit, there’s not much talent there! Hahahahahaha

    • Jason says:

      11:31am | 14/02/12

      Nossy if nothing else you are good for a laugh.
      One minute Labor are going to win hands down, and now it’s the worst PM is only being beaten by 3 points.
      To call you a villiage idiot is a bit harsh on villiage idiots, as even the villiage idiot would know when they are fighting a losing battle.

    • luke09 says:

      11:44am | 14/02/12

      nossy, nice attempt at trying to cover your inane nonsense by claiming to uneathed to Liberal Party members. It’s a pity PM Julia didn’t asked for your advice before self sabotaging her political career on four corners because your nonsense ramblings is far more believable than hers.

    • Confused Fuddy Duddy says:

      12:15pm | 14/02/12

      Nossy. If someone put all the village idiots into one village, you would have the honour of being that village’s Idiot.

    • Woodsy says:

      12:25pm | 14/02/12

      Nossy, it’s pure luck on Gillard’s part that the most unpopular PM in history is competing against the most unpopular opposition leader in history.

      Anyone else - except Peter Slipper - and she would’ve been out on her arse long ago.

    • thatmosis says:

      05:11pm | 14/02/12

      Sorry nossy wrong again but then thats what we expect from a Labor voter, same as we expect from the Labor Party. I am not a Liberal Party member, never have been and never will be. I make up my mind on the facts and the facts show that this Government is the worst since Federation bar none and its so called leader is just a liar. Cant be fairer than that can I.
      Your posts reek of someone who is mentally deficient so I’ll be kind and just add you to the Warning- do not read- idiot in full flight list.

    • Joan says:

      06:07pm | 14/02/12

      @thatmosis

      The facts show that the Howard Government was the worst since Federation bar none and its so called leader was just a liar.

    • RyaN says:

      10:11pm | 14/02/12

      There is more than one, there is also Joan!

    • Super D says:

      09:14am | 14/02/12

      The PM never hides from questions. She runs a mile from answers.

      Reply

    • Little Joe says:

      09:15am | 14/02/12

      She is gone!!!

      Leaks like this, from inside the ALP, have only one purpose ..... to destabilise her position as leader and undermine her authority. So who will now be leader ...... Bill Shorten??

      Her worthless leadership will soon be over. Hopefully Oakeshot and Windsor will see the error of their ways ...... the blowout in debt, the worthless budgets, the knee-jerk reactions, the backflips and lies ....... and terminate the length of this useless government.

      Reply

    • n_dude says:

      11:29am | 14/02/12

      Not sure about that. Windsor and Oakeshott are holding on to the 2013 election as they know they will be out on their ears if one was held now.

    • n_dude says:

      11:30am | 14/02/12

      Not sure about that. Windsor and Oakeshott are holding on to the 2013 election as they know they will be out on their ears if one was held now.

    • KimL says:

      12:58pm | 14/02/12

      Shorten is a back stabbing ahole.. hell has no chances and either does Shorten, he might get one vote from some soul who has been lost in the outback for years..but doubtful. He played the big man and downed a PM, now can pay the pipers tune with his own aspirations

    • Mack says:

      09:17am | 14/02/12

      I don’t know how anyone could still be defending this woman - she has proved time and time again that she is an outright LIAR.

      However, thanks ABC for the program - at least it is partial payback for stuffing our live export industry.

      Reply

    • Brian Taylor says:

      09:20am | 14/02/12

      bet Julia is thinking this morning, “bugger, why couldn’t I handle the spin and not the ABC
      all good or bad things come to an end Julia, better start your packing shortly I think
      won’t be long before the faceless men come knocking at your door with knifes hidden behind their backs lol, can’t wait myself
      wonder how the Labor die hards are going to spin this one

      Reply

    • jg says:

      09:23am | 14/02/12

      I’m not sure how anyone can believe a word that she says these days.

      She seems completely incapable of telling even the most minor of truths so one must wonder what else has she lied about, hiden, or has deliberately misled?

      Between her and Rudd the ALP is destined for another decade in the wilderness.

      Hawke and Keating must be beating their heads against brick walls.

      Reply

    • Bob of Perth says:

      09:28am | 14/02/12

      Lies,lies and more lies. This woman knows no bounds to how far she will go when lying to the Australian people. I dislike this woman intensely anyway but to watch that interview last night was disgusting - she simply has no respect for Australian people.
      Labor has to go NOW !!!!

      Reply

    • SimonTigey says:

      11:54am | 14/02/12

      The main thing from my perspective is stopping the carbon tax before it starts to destroy the economy. All courtesy of the biggest liar of them all Juliar!!!

      Bob Brown must be running around like a chook with his head chopped off hoping his precious economy destroying carbon tax makes it to reality.

      This whole saga is partly his fault too, he overplayed his hand on the carbon tax, although Gillard just caved in to his demands. This is the biggest mistake of her political career, she is not PM material at all!!!

    • Rose says:

      06:10pm | 14/02/12

      @Bob No it doesn’t, because we live in a democracy.

    • Gregg says:

      09:32am | 14/02/12

      If you study her eyes closely in that interview, is one very much blacker than the other and I’m not talking of having run into a door knob but just the look and they make fun of Julie Bishop’s stare down!

      If a look could kill and Julia must be even more stupid than we have ever thought if she thinks that we would believe she was not aware of staff preparing a speech for her coup.
      And then not to answer the question with a ” I’ve given you the only answer you’ll get “

      I reckon I know what you’ll be getting before too long Julia.

      Reply

    • Borderer says:

      01:10pm | 14/02/12

      Hey, she didn’t know her staff were attempting to publically embarrass Tony Abbott by whipping up a racially motivated mob on Australia day either.

    • Grant says:

      09:33am | 14/02/12

      Julia Gillard was absolutely CRINGE WORTHY.
      She acts, thinks and talks like a tricky Lawyer.
      Seriously, after watching her last night while trying to be tricky, sneaky and clever with her avoidance of answering questions shows she is not to be trusted on anything she says.
      Last night was the the final blow for me of her constant ducking, weaving and trying to reconstruct questions asked of her.
      Julia Gillard is a disgrace, and not fit to be Prime Minister.
      Was Gillard tellling the truth on National TV when she said she only knew about the coup on the day back when it happened?
      If so then why not answer the question asked of her last night?
      I hate to say this but she deserves all the “juliar” stuff that is out there.

      Reply

    • Mahhrat says:

      09:34am | 14/02/12

      @Malcolm, you’re wrong here:

      “She should, however, be given credit for fronting the interviewer’s microphone.”

      What, she should get credit now simply for doing her bloody job?!  I don’t get credit for turning up to work and saying “hi” to everyone;  the Prime Minister should not get credit for asking valid questions on her knowledge regarding an incredibly serious and wide-ranging event such as Rudd’s knifing.

      What utter crap.  When she effectively leads the country, acts with the openness and honesty she says she expects from everyone else, THEN she might get some credit.  She gets none for doing some of the core behaviours required of her job - answering questions in the public interest and being an accountable servant of the public.

      I’ve said it before and will again:  I wish she had a firmer support base and a proper government majority, because I’d love to see what she’d do without having to watch between her shoulders every minute of the day.  I think we’d have a devastatingly effective PM.

      Trouble is, she made the bed herself, she gets to lie in it and be judged on her choice of bedfellows.  It’s a pity, but it’s her own pity.  At best, it only demonstrates that she can keep a straight face when she SHOULDN’T, and is less affected by the plights of her “ordinary Australians” than she properly should be.

      Reply

    • Blind Freddy says:

      11:23am | 14/02/12

      Gillards problems started well before she signed up with the Greens and independents. in fact, they are the best thing she has going for her- and I am happy that she didn’t get a majority in her own right

    • Mark says:

      11:57am | 14/02/12

      Gillard has proven to be incompetent. No matter how strong her support base, she is still incompetent and has an uncanny knack of making a mess of things. Therefore, the concept of Gillard being devastatingly effective is truly fanciful.

    • glm says:

      12:48pm | 14/02/12

      Mahhrat , I cant agree with your statement

      I wish she had a firmer support base and a proper government majority, because I’d love to see what she’d do without having to watch between her shoulders every minute of the day.  I think we’d have a devastatingly effective PM.

      When she had a go at policy with Lathem she came up with the laughable Medicare Gold Policy. Not much has changed she still cant come up with sensible policy.

    • SimonFromLakemba says:

      01:21pm | 14/02/12

      @glm

      Not bad points. Gillard is a dud due in part to the alliance with the Greens to form Government.

      In Question Time she smacks Abbott around which does make me wonder how would she have been? Doesn’t discount the fact that you can’t trust her to tell the truth at this current point.

      Part of me wishes that Abbott wont the 2010 election so Labor could’ve had a stint back in opposition and won again in the next election.

    • Muggins says:

      09:42am | 14/02/12

      The FIRST half of the programme reminded us of how TERRIBLE Kevin was.
      Has Julia NOT appeared, she would have been the winner.

      Neither is worthy of PM!!

      Reply

    • luke09 says:

      09:43am | 14/02/12

      The rumour now is that PM Gillard is leaving politics to go to Hollywood to star in a new movie titled ‘Deny, Deny, Deny.’ a remake of the Jim Carrey movie, ‘Liar, Liar, Liar.’

      Reply

    • Tony of Poorakistan says:

      09:43am | 14/02/12

      I wish I’d seen this ... do you mean to tell me that Gillard actually gave a straight answer to a question?  And she didn’t lie?

      Reply

    • Betty says:

      09:46am | 14/02/12

      Poor Juliar, she seems to never know what’s going on in her offices or around her. (Hodges, Rudd Coup etc)
      Poor Juliar the Mushroom eh.
      Time for you to go Juliar the Mushroom, your a disgraceful liar.

      Reply

    • Murray says:

      09:50am | 14/02/12

      Fantastic to watch an interviewer demand that a politician actually answer the question posed.
      It would be wonderful if EVERY journalist followed suit rather than the usual acceptance of non answers from our deceitful ALP/Liberal party hacks.

      Reply

    • cynic says:

      09:50am | 14/02/12

      This 4 corners piece was clealry a sexist attack on a poor defencless woman as bob brown would have us believe. All jooles needs is to get that “getup” mob with 12 members to use the union donated funds to defend her integrity and show us the “real joooolia”.
      Can;t wait to see how malclom and david marr defend jooles on this stuff up.

      Reply

    • Eskimo says:

      10:03am | 14/02/12

      The biggest issue is the vehemence with which she proclaimed her loyalty to Rudd right up until the night of the long knives. It has now been shown that she, if not directly involved, at least knew about the plotting. It’s really a case of ‘the doth protest too much me thinks’. Consequently, she has further damaged her credibility. In fact, how can she expect any loyalty from her subordinates?

      Reply

    • Eskimo says:

      10:04am | 14/02/12

      The biggest issue is the vehemence with which she proclaimed her loyalty to Rudd right up until the night of the long knives. It has now been shown that she, if not directly involved, at least knew about the plotting. It’s really a case of ‘the doth protest too much me thinks’. Consequently, she has further damaged her credibility. In fact, how can she expect any loyalty from her subordinates?

      Reply

    • Against the Man says:

      11:23am | 14/02/12

      Julia loyal?

      HaHaHaHaHaHa

    • Anna C says:

      10:08am | 14/02/12

      I try never to believe anything that a politician has to say so I am never disappointed.

      This lot make sharks look more trustworthy.

      Reply

    • Anna C says:

      10:11am | 14/02/12

      I try never to believe anything that a politician has to say so I am never disappointed.

      This lot make sharks look more trustworthy.

      Reply

    • Anna C says:

      10:09am | 14/02/12

      I try never to believe anything that a politician has to say so I am never disappointed.

      This lot make sharks look more trustworthy.

      Reply

    • Anna C says:

      10:09am | 14/02/12

      I try never to believe anything that a politician has to say so I am never disappointed.

      This lot make sharks look more trustworthy.

      Reply

    • Gregg says:

      11:50am | 14/02/12

      I see you really trust sharks Anna, so much emphasis!
      You do however do a disservice to sharks for they do not plan on gobbling you up two weeks and likely more in advance.

    • Andrew7 says:

      10:15am | 14/02/12

      Gillard
      no, I knew nothing
      I’ll make my own question and answer my own question only
      following day (today)
      oh, maybe I did know something before? not sure
      Bloody Hell!
      Stop treating Australians as fools!
      It’s a tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive.
      Disgusting, from a Prime Minister.

      Reply

    • Debbie says:

      10:16am | 14/02/12

      One would have thought that Juliar would be more than familiar with the old adage, ” He/She who lives by the sword, dies by the sword”.

      The program last night was worth watching if only to see how stupid Gillard obviously thinks the entire population of Australia is, that she can lie and obfuscate through her teeth and think she would get away with it.

      Reply

    • St. Michael says:

      10:51am | 14/02/12

      “She should, however, be given credit for fronting the interviewer’s microphone.”

      Um, no.  That’s like saying you get a pass mark just for turning up to an exam and then not writing anything on the paper.

      The worst frauds in our history have fronted microphones;  everyone from Alan Bond to Robert Kiyosaki.  They have done it because they had an ego big enough to think they could get away with telling lies righ there in fron tof a million-strong audience.

      Nobody would have said, following Bond’s self-immolating performance on “Enough Rope”, that he should have credit for just turning up to the interview.

      Reply

    • Justin of Earlwood says:

      10:56am | 14/02/12

      The problem for Gillard is that the Canberra press pack aren’t the guardians of the narrative that comes out of Canberra any more. Malcolm, Mark Reilly, Laurie Oakes, Michelle Grattan have all consciously or sub-consciously had a continuing theme of give her a fair go, but the public has ignored that.

      Meanwhile Twitter, the need to fill 24 hr news channels, & the need to constantly publish online has lead to every individual topic receiving far greater scrutiny.

      Gillard probably isn’t the worst ever PM, it’s just that instead of overall snapshots of each day where she may have had a win on points, she gets a round by round critique where lost rounds are highlighted.

      That’s not to excuse her performance - the fact is that the ammunition is there, it’s just all being used. There’s no smoke without a pink batts fire.

      As Annabel Crabb said on Insiders on Sunday, the only way she will recover is with an extended period of quiet, stable government, & that simply isn’t going to happen. She’s done.

      Reply

    • Rob of Brisbane says:

      12:44pm | 14/02/12

      Yes, well said.  Although as a point of clarification, I would say that Gillard is the worst PM of the modern media age.  But I can not imagine any circumstance that will save the Govt at the next election.  Not Rudd, not Shorten…...nobody.  Labor are screwed and the electoral backlash will be significant, probably pushing them into opposition for 3 Parliamentary terms.

    • MDMConnell says:

      10:57am | 14/02/12

      What is going on with Gillard’s judgement?

      Nobody in the entire country believes anyone would just wake up one morning and say ‘Oh I think I’ll challenge for the leadership now’. Everyone knows there was some wheeling and dealing going on for weeks (at least) before the challenge, so what’s the harm in fessing up to it?

      Just say “Yes I did look at the polling and it was bad, so I began organising the numbers to take over”. Issue: resolved.

      Reply

    • jg says:

      11:29am | 14/02/12

      Exactly.

      Why did she lie about it?

      Is it so entrenched that these days she simply cannot tell the truth about anything?

    • GJP says:

      12:25pm | 14/02/12

      Exactly ... big IQ, but Uncle Arthur would beat her on street sense !

    • Terence of Sydney says:

      11:00am | 14/02/12

      Mal, its got nothing to do with the “rumors” about a Rudd takeover.  Its got everthing to do with how she came to power and the lies she has told about how she came to power.  One thing is certain, and I think the Labor Party know it, she can not stand up at the next election and assert anything and expect to be believed.  I think the Libs would be praying that she is still leader becuase they will have no trouble is saying “but can you believe anything she says” every time she opens her mouth.

      Reply

    • Mark says:

      04:21pm | 14/02/12

      @terence

      They don’t need to tell us that every time Abbott opens his mouth.

    • Randal says:

      11:00am | 14/02/12

      Only you Mal could see any “credit” in the PM’s performance last night. The interview was diabolical, she looked shifty and dishonest, and given that she already had credibility issues it is just another blow.

      She should have not gone anywhere near that interview, and for all of Rudd’s faults, and there are too many to list here, being clever enough to ‘contribute’ to the 4 Corners piece without giving a direct interview, whilst the PM fell into a pit, shows he at least some judgment in these matters.

      The same, sadly, cannot be said for our floundering Prime Minister or her media advisers, as we see time and time again.

      Reply

    • Sam says:

      11:03am | 14/02/12

      Is this really a news worthy item, Kevin is long gone, why drag this through the mud, if you are going to take over the top job you have to be routhless, and that is why Peter Costello did not be the PM he had no Ball to confront Howard.

      Please give me break on this matter and get on with reporting the real political situation as this is OLD NEWS PEOPLE…

      Reply

    • Marie says:

      11:59am | 14/02/12

      Sam, stop reading & go back to your cross-stitch then.  We should not be allowed to forget that this “government” was begotten in a sham and has governed in a sham way.  The ALP installed Rudd because he was popular with the public and could conveniently hoodwink the Australian voters into thinking he could make a difference.  Qld Labor did the same when Peter Beattie became “leader”.  Once Rudd had passed his use by date however, they uninstalled him & saddled this country with the factions’ own little puppet.  The ALP wouldn’t hesitate to assassinate Gillard, given her and her government’s abyssmal performance, but they’re not entirely inept when it comes to politics (just entirely inept when it comes to actually running the country).  So they will leave her there, until they can find calmer waters and then they will make their decision.  Heaven help us then.

    • Sam says:

      11:03am | 14/02/12

      Is this really a news worthy item, Kevin is long gone, why drag this through the mud, if you are going to take over the top job you have to be routhless, and that is why Peter Costello did not be the PM he had no Ball to confront Howard.

      Please give me break on this matter and get on with reporting the real political situation as this is OLD NEWS PEOPLE…

      Reply

    • Paula says:

      11:29am | 14/02/12

      True, we all know Gillard is a liar. OLD NEWS.

    • Mr Ed says:

      02:55pm | 14/02/12

      Yep, begone….under the carpet you go. Great, now…..mooooving forward…....

    • Brisbane Bryn says:

      11:03am | 14/02/12

      Its not like Kevin Rudd was a unknown factor with in the ALP he suddenly didnt become the control freak from know where. They all knew what Kevin Rudd was about.

      Was he just the front man for Gillard. Obviously he had no idea it was coming but someone some where must of wanted Rudd out long before. Do the unions hate him that much??? He was so popular external to the party it would of seemed almost political suicide.

      The ALP are on a knife egde, if Kevin decides to spill the beans he will take the whole party down with him. Not only down but if they have an internal war the ALP could be another 10 years in opposition.

      Kevin can get back if he hold the party to ransom.

      Take back control of the role as PM call an election stop the rot.

      Reply

    • Denny says:

      11:49am | 14/02/12

      They will spend another 10 years in opposition regardless. It doesn’t matter who is steering the ship - they are still headed for the rocks. Rudd is a two-faced nasty little man with no ethics and Gillard is a sour faced venomous viper who shares a lack of ethics with Rudd. I wouldn’t employ either of them as they would poison the office with their labor ‘hate’.

    • MDMConnell says:

      03:01pm | 14/02/12

      Rudd was never loved by Laobr, and nobody pretended he was.

      He was basically “The Man Labor Had To Grit Their Teeth And Put Up With To Beat Howard”.

      We all knew the instant he outlived his usefulness they would all gleefully turn on him, and that’s exactly what happened.

    • GB says:

      11:07am | 14/02/12

      Why is anybody surprised? Gillard has weaved such a tangled web of lies and deceit that she can’t give an honest answer to anything asked of her, just in case she digs herself into a bigger hole. It’s the whole telling a lie to cover up a lie scenario. It’s become pathological with her. And for you ALP hacks who so readily scoffed at the notion that she knew more about the Australia Day fiasco than she let on, would you care to reconsider your position? Nothing, and I mean nothing is beyond this woman.

      Reply

    • GB says:

      11:09am | 14/02/12

      Why is anybody surprised? Gillard has weaved such a tangled web of lies and deceit that she can’t give an honest answer to anything asked of her, just in case she digs herself into a bigger hole. It’s the whole telling a lie to cover up a lie scenario. It’s become pathological with her. And for you ALP hacks who so readily scoffed at the notion that she knew more about the Australia Day fiasco than she let on, would you care to reconsider your position? Nothing, and I mean nothing is beyond this woman.

      Reply

    • GB says:

      11:09am | 14/02/12

      Why is anybody surprised? Gillard has weaved such a tangled web of lies and deceit that she can’t give an honest answer to anything asked of her, just in case she digs herself into a bigger hole. It’s the whole telling a lie to cover up a lie scenario. It’s become pathological with her. And for you ALP hacks who so readily scoffed at the notion that she knew more about the Australia Day fiasco than she let on, would you care to reconsider your position? Nothing, and I mean nothing is beyond this woman.

      Reply

    • TimR says:

      11:14am | 14/02/12

      She deserves no credit at all for going on the program. The ABC is the nation’s public news organisation, and any elected official should really be obliged to give interviews to it when requested.
      The way she squirmed through the questions, then pretended her response was adequate was truly shameless.
      The one good thing about Gillard is that I never again have to hear my father say to me ‘you have no idea how painful life was under Whitlam’.

      Reply

    • Paul says:

      11:16am | 14/02/12

      Why doesn’t Malcolm Farr announce his new position as ALP apologist and get it over with. Fair Dinkum he is so far up the rear passage of the ALP it is a wonder that he doesn’t need a breathing apparatus. I hope he doesn’t need vision because the sun isn’t shining where he is residing.

      I have never read any article by this buffoon where he has the guts to tell it like it is….The truth….what journalism should actually be about!!!
      And the truth is that the Alp Government whether lead by Rudd or Gillard has been nothing less than a continuous DEBACLE since they were first elected in 2007…...

      They have been responsible for the greatest WASTE of taxpayers money by any Federal Government since Federation…Money wasted on failed policy after failed policy…and it didn’t matter who was leading them!!

      Reply

    • Trevor Bonnington-Smith says:

      11:18am | 14/02/12

      And doesn’t this also show up The Governor General’s son - in - law (Bill Shorten), the main backer of Gillard’s plot, as a person of no morals, truth or integrity as well??

      Reply

    • poa says:

      11:22am | 14/02/12

      Lied about the Carbon tax
      Lied about knifing Rudd.
      Lied about pokie reform
      Lied about old growth Tassie forests
      But surely you can’t believe she was involved in her Office organising a race riot on Australia Day!!!!!
      We need the Investigation now. !!!
      Possibly other crimes have been committed i the coverup, and even journalists may have been dragged into this by hiding their knowledge of a a crime.

      Reply

    • Mike Dickinson says:

      11:24am | 14/02/12

      The line that Julia is a “liar” and “Immoral” is not supported by the facts. Read her statements carefully and don’t make assumptions. In fact, this is a woman/politician with some vision about the future. Rare in a politician I know. Imagine Australia in 10 years time without a carbon price with the rest of the world pushing forward. Imagine Australia in 10 years time without the jobs that will flow from the introduction of associated new technology. Imagine Australia in 10 years time with the backward looking policies espoused by the opposition. For goodness sake, lets get onto the real stuff. Politics isn’t an episode of Ramsey Street. instead of all the tittle tattle about who said what the whom, lets talk about how we manage the transition that the whole world is facing. The economic shift to Asia. The need for alternative power to replace fossil fuels that will run out sometime in the next fifty years.
      The need to educate and provide health care to an ageing population etc etc.
      In ten years time it will hardly be important whether Julia new that a prankster in her office was writing a speech on the back of an envelope.

      Reply

    • C1 says:

      11:53am | 14/02/12

      You are right Mike,

      In ten years time it will hardly be important - as she will be relegated to the dustbin of history. In time years time it will be “Who is that red headed woman with all of the former PM’s at Bob Hawke’s funeral”

    • Rhubarb says:

      12:04pm | 14/02/12

      Oh dear dear Mike, sweet naive man, do you really think the carbon tax will make one lick of difference to pollution?
      With all the money this government is throwing/giving away, plus all the new staff/departments needed to police it, there won’t be much left over for alternate research, let alone, the funds to implement them .
      To have this lying, two faced chook at the helm is a beyond believable.
      I just read where Bob Brown says he’s staffers are scribbling away in case he is asked to be PM, he already is a clayton version. Do you want the Greens in charge too?

    • Jasmine says:

      12:08pm | 14/02/12

      Whoa, Mike Dickinson, way too sensible for this forum! wink

      The media is ALL about Target Audience Rating Points, and Julia is easy prey these days. Interviewers know they can step up the bullying tactics and the wolves will bay for more.

    • Mark says:

      12:16pm | 14/02/12

      @Mike. You need to pay closer attention to the facts. “There will be no carbon tax under a government I lead”. Tell me how this is not a lie given the carbon tax will be introduced later this year? That’s the top of the list, would you like any more examples? They way this government is borrowing and spending Australia will have a similar economy to Greece in 10 years time. Do you want that? Fair dinkum, you are living in la la land.

    • Anubis says:

      12:17pm | 14/02/12

      @ Mike Dickinson - Unbelievable, you are even more of an apologist than Mal Farr. You are one seriously deluded dude.

      The only vision Julia has for the future is being able to spend her generous Parliamentary pension, probably back in Wales because she is rapidly making herself a pariah to Australians. You have swallowed the AGW propaganda hook, line and sinker, even the IPCC are backing away from the warmist scare (gradually so as to save face).

      Jobs from the “associated new technology” - hahahahahahah. The worlds largest manufacturer of wind technology is rapidly scaling back their capability and laying off staff, where are the new jobs there - Solar power - the anels are made in China. About the only new jobs there will be involved in replacing panels every ten years as they stop working.

      “The need for alternative power..” any one who is serious about sustainable power in the future would be considering nuclear, neither solar, wind nor wave generation has base load capability.

      @ Mike - get your head out of Labor/Greens rear end, open your eyes and have a look at the real world - you wont find unicorns farting rainbows at the bottom of your garden.

    • Justin of Earlwood says:

      12:28pm | 14/02/12

      Great satire Mike!

    • Trevor Bonnington - Smith says:

      01:51pm | 14/02/12

      ok Mike, time for your tablets and afternoon kip. Maybe after that you will regain some reality.

    • Woodsy says:

      11:24am | 14/02/12

      This article basically contradicts itself.

      In one part it states that “it wasn’t the interview she was expecting” because she no doubt anticipated that it was going to be a puff-piece on the progress made by the party since the last election - which is what she said she thought it was about.
      But, somehow, the article finishes by saying that she should be given credit for fronting up for it.

      Had she known it was going to be focused on the leadership coup, I’d bet my arse that we would not have seen Gillard interviewed.

      Reply

    • Karen from Qld says:

      11:28am | 14/02/12

      I wonder who she is going to blame this time - can’t balme the “hate” media - can’t blame Kevin - and she can’t even blame Tony Abbott. Oh dear she is in a pickle.

      Reply

    • Karen from Qld says:

      11:29am | 14/02/12

      I wonder who she is going to blame this time - can’t balme the “hate” media - can’t blame Kevin - and she can’t even blame Tony Abbott. Oh dear she is in a pickle.

      Reply

    • Mark says:

      12:19pm | 14/02/12

      It will definitely be Tony Abbots fault. Don’t worry about that, it always Abbotts fault

    • Karl says:

      11:29am | 14/02/12

      One thing is for sure Gillard may not be the greatest liar in Australian polical history but she is certainly shaping up as being the most unconvincing and inept at it.

      Reply

    • Vivian says:

      11:32am | 14/02/12

      So in the parallel universe that the gallery inhabits a Prime Minister should never be asked a question that they are not briefed for by a journalist beforehand and if you decide to turn up to answer questions that is of great credit – the actual performance you give, the lies your tell, the evasion you practice or the complete contempt with which you hold the Australian people by your action are not worthy of mention?

      Credit for turning up? Talk about jumping the shark. I am appalled.

      Reply

    • Rob says:

      11:34am | 14/02/12

      Election? For goodness’ sake - don’t say the E-word!  Can’t imagine even the most jaded, disenchanted Julia-haters of the ALP Caucus would support an election at the moment.  The independents and Greens certainly wouldn’t.  Why write yourself a ticket to early oblivion? Nope, we’re stuck with this lot for the full term.

      Reply

    • Against the Man says:

      11:54am | 14/02/12

      don’t worry, Craig Thompson to the rescue!

    • mcl says:

      11:36am | 14/02/12

      I feel sorry for Julia as a person. She must be waking up every morning thinking “what lies should I tell the Australia people today?” I think its time for her to take a good look at the man(woman) in the mirror.

      Reply

    • Against the Man says:

      11:41am | 14/02/12

      OK will try this again!

      At last the focus is on Julia and we see the ‘real’ Julia is not doing too good. The ALP is screwed. If they switch leaders they will look like they can’t manage their own party let alone the country. If they stick with her and her now almost daily screw ups they will be destroyed beyond recognition. With Rudd at least the damage will be slightly less and the ALP will lose with some dignity.

      Reply

    • jay-ded says:

      11:48am | 14/02/12

      I’d like to see a caricature where Julia’s pants are on fire…  wink

      Reply

    • Realist says:

      11:49am | 14/02/12

      Poor bumbling stumbling JuLiar, caught between a lie and a hard place with Kevin O’Lemon always in the background waiting for a chance to be boss once again. The unions and even the ABC are biting the hand that feeds them. The Labor party has become a parody of what it once was,the reality is a bunch of not so competent self interested ex union hacks that make a mess of everything they touch. The next election will be telling.

      Reply

    • Ben says:

      11:49am | 14/02/12

      After watching 4 Corners I really didnt learn anything new if anything it confirms what we all thought. Juila like all politicians have ambitions and massive egos, Julia and her mates have stuffed it right up. And when politicians stuff things up its we the people who pay for it. I hope the Labour back bench grow a pair and do the right thing and remove this cancer from the ALP (Gillard and her power hungry Mates)

      When Abbott becomes PM if 1 of his policies doesnt pass through the senate, or if Abbott “Tells a Lie” in office, will Abbott “do the right thing”  and quit as PM? If any of his Ministers tells a Lie will Abbott sack them on the spot? I highly doubt it.  Funny how the Libs take the Moral High Ground and judges   everyone else on their values,yet their own High Moral Values dont apply to their own because they are good people!!! unlike the rest of us!!!!!

      Reply

    • Ben says:

      11:49am | 14/02/12

      After watching 4 Corners I really didnt learn anything new if anything it confirms what we all thought. Juila like all politicians have ambitions and massive egos, Julia and her mates have stuffed it right up. And when politicians stuff things up its we the people who pay for it. I hope the Labour back bench grow a pair and do the right thing and remove this cancer from the ALP (Gillard and her power hungry Mates)

      When Abbott becomes PM if 1 of his policies doesnt pass through the senate, or if Abbott “Tells a Lie” in office, will Abbott “do the right thing”  and quit as PM? If any of his Ministers tells a Lie will Abbott sack them on the spot? I highly doubt it.  Funny how the Libs take the Moral High Ground and judges   everyone else on their values,yet their own High Moral Values dont apply to their own because they are good people!!! unlike the rest of us!!!!!

      Reply

    • ZaSaMa says:

      12:00pm | 14/02/12

      Ah yes….....the old “But Abbott….......” defence. Seriously Ben, try something original. That’s been done to death and people aren’t listening any more.

    • Mark says:

      12:23pm | 14/02/12

      Get over it Ben, The great Labor experiment has failed dismally. You must be so disappointed that so much was promised and so little delivered. Typical Labor, all the ideas in the world and none of the competence required to implement any of them.

    • Martin says:

      04:30pm | 14/02/12

      @Mark

      After 4 years of Labor Government Australia is in great shape. There’s no way you can get over that fact, so just keep sooking.

    • Chris L says:

      06:25pm | 14/02/12

      Just wait a little longer Martin. If they close their eyes and hope really, really hard the economy might come crashing down and they can rejoice in the chance to say “I told you so”.

    • Anubis says:

      11:51am | 14/02/12

      Gillard demonstrates on TV just what a waste of space she really is and Malcolm (Labor fanboy) Farr still can’t criticise her. Farr, journalists are supposed to be detached from the sunject they are writing about - something to do with independence of thought - but you should maybe consider another career, because as a journalist you are way too biased.

      Reply

    • Dash says:

      11:52am | 14/02/12

      Highlighted that when she said “I fully support PM Rudd”, she knew it was a lie! Once again the ALP are a pack of deceitful cowards. Gillard is no different. Yet another example in a long line of lies.

      Reply

    • Peter says:

      11:53am | 14/02/12

      As usual, Julia supporters BLAME the MESSENGER when they cannot face the bleeding obvious message.  4 corners cops it this time, as they cannot blame Abbott or other media.

      Those DUMMIES who bury their head in the sand still whine and complain when they get their arse kicked!

      Reply

    • James O says:

      11:59am | 14/02/12

      The secret about lying is to have the ability to convince yourself that you are telling the truth, it’s not an intellectual process in fact it is usually developed when you are a child so that you can avoid the inevitable consequence of doing wrong. The irony for Julia Gillard is that she is publicly exposing herself to all types of ridicule as if she is a contestant in a reality TV show, it is not the way to be a Prime Minister, the conclusion would appear to be that she is being left to wallow in problems of her own and others making. Rudd may still be on the fringe biding his time but there is no doubt that Gillard is losing the authority to control her destiny as others wait patiently for the tide to turn or for Abbott to make that fatal mistake, then that would make it favourable to depose her. The timing would need to be before the end of this year, dependent on the state of the economy, to reduce the damage from any fallout from the independents and the Greens. Keep an eye on Bill Shorten in the weeks and months ahead.

      Reply

    • Gloria says:

      11:59am | 14/02/12

      “She should, however, be given credit for fronting the interviewer’s microphone.”

      Please can Malcolm Farr think of us for a change and give us some credit for having to put up with a PM that until she and the thugs that put her there eat humble pie and apologize to the people that what they did was stupid and so wrong. Have her replaced and demote her to the back bench. If the thugs cannot stomach Rudd as PM for the second time at least have the guts to demote him as well to join Julia. Start afresh for the sake of the Labor brand, the people and our beloved nation.

      Otherwise, everyday until Gillard is no longer our PM we will have to bear the burden of a selfish deluded PM always lying to keep her job. Nothing good will come if Gillard remains.

      Reply

    • Gregg says:

      12:00pm | 14/02/12

      I’ll have a go at writing the next PM’s speech

      He he he!, bet you that a week ago you lot did not expect to see me here talking to you as PM?
      Sometimes reality dawns and just like a fox with the hounds and riders out for blood and plenty of onlookers, a fox needs to rely on instinct.

      My instinct told me that the Australian public wanted more of the Labor Party and wanted to see good leadership, a leadership that was not to be confronted with personal character issues.
      I have possibly given you cause for a review of the Lazarus definition and that’s fine for I now have the privilege to serve this country and its people from a higher office.

      Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard have done their utmost to serve well too and much legislation that is looming because of their efforts also needs continued effort and focus of the entire Labor team and it is to lead that focus I will strive to also do my best.

      Thankyou,

      Simon

      Reply

    • Terrence says:

      12:04pm | 14/02/12

      Are you kidding Farr?
      The PM shouldn’t have to face questions?
      And your giving her marks for turning up and avoiding answering questions and looking like a liar?
      Sounds like it hurt you Mal.
      Her integrity as PM is in the toilet as of last night. We saw the REAL Juliar in action, cornered like a scared rabbit in lights.
      Yep the interview was a disgrace on her part. Why?
      Because she looked like she was covering up another of her lies, and you Malcolm Farr would rather the REAL Juliar not be seen by Australians on National TV.
      TOO BAD! TOO LATE!

      Reply

    • Little Joe says:

      12:06pm | 14/02/12

      Is Acotrel on holidays???

      Reply

    • Anubis says:

      12:20pm | 14/02/12

      I think even Acotrel is having problems coming up with ways to defend the indefensible now.

    • TM says:

      02:11pm | 14/02/12

      In the corner, in the foetal position complete with thumb in mouth. Prevents the foot entering!

    • Against the Man says:

      02:38pm | 14/02/12

      All the ALPers from Seano to TChong to acotrel in a nice pile labelled ‘DFEATED’!

      Wonder what persephone has to say?

    • Against the Man says:

      03:59pm | 14/02/12

      Sorry….I meant DEFEATED.

    • jg says:

      05:47pm | 14/02/12

      In Chongie’s defence he too thinks Gillard is a useless and failed experiment.

    • Margaret Gray says:

      12:07pm | 14/02/12

      Farr is tilting at windows levelling at 4C an alleged conspiracy involving PM Gillard.

      Gillard’s demise is of her own making.

      Her office sanctioned her participation in the interview;

      the same office that wrote the ‘acceptance’ speech two weeks before it was needed;

      the same office that misrepresented Tony Abbott’s comments on Australia Day in a feeble attempt to score political points;

      and the same office that has been talking ‘independently’ with Fair Work Australia.

      To suggest entrapment is disingenuous, yet unsurprising.

      The bumbling incompetence and appalling lack of political judgement and leadership is plain for all to see.

      So too is the inscrutable lust for power that has precipitated all this.

      That those in the Canberra press gallery continue their blind subservience to the incumbent only further erodes the disdain in which the general population perceives them.

      And the vapid phoenix delusions they hold only make the irony even more delicious.

      “Ancient history” indeed.

      Reply

    • Tracker says:

      12:08pm | 14/02/12

      How friggen stupid is the Australian media ?

      Timeline:
      March 2010 - Kevin Rudd faces continued problems with pink batts fiasco. Gillard and Co happy to sit and wait because any move on Rudd now would place insulation flack on incoming PM. Obama cancels Australia and Indonesia visit citing problems at home over healthcare.. but still manages a trip to Afghanistan.

      June 2010 - Obama cancels second trip citing gulf oil spill but still manages a trip to Canada (fair enough, Canada is local), Julia stabs Kevin in the back and becomes PM.

      November, 2010 - Obama finally gets here and says hello to Julia PM because the CIA says all is clear to visit now.

      December, 2010 - ALP power broker Arbib outed as key source of intelligence and internal party machinations by Wikileaks leaked cables. (explains why it would not have been unwise for Obama to visit Kevin and give him a much needed PR boost when he was about to be shafted.. and not good politically for Obama with the CIA knowing there was an impending change of Government)

      February, 2012 - Julia’s staff found to have prepared leadership speech 2 weeks before ousting Kevin… (only 2 weeks ?.. and how long did discussions go on prior to the actual work on the speech or did they magically wake up one morning and say “we are going to write a leadership speech for Julia” ? wink )

      This current Government thinks we are fools. This was planned a long time ago.

      Reply

    • Anubis says:

      01:36pm | 14/02/12

      Just like the Australia Day “race baiting”. It is interesting that a lot of the protesters banging on the “Lobby” restaurant windows were Occupy protesters who had travelled to Canberra, from Sydney, for this event. (interview in the press a few days after the event - can’t remember the link now) No premeditation there.  Definitely a spur of the moment thing that.

    • MDMConnell says:

      03:05pm | 14/02/12

      Why would Obama give a toss about internal Labor machinations? He’d meet-n-greet whoever the PM was at the time.

    • John says:

      12:08pm | 14/02/12

      No doubt there are still 30 - 40 percent that think she is the preferred prime minister. It is sad that you can be that bad and still poll these figures. She should be 5 - 10 percent.

      Reply

    • William says:

      04:36pm | 14/02/12

      @John

      You’ll discover why if you look at who the other option is.

    • John says:

      05:13am | 15/02/12

      Why is Tony Abbott so hated? Are people that shallow they believe JuLiar and her spin machine whose only defence is to attack him personally. I used to dislike Abbott when he was a minister in the Howard government, but they were fiscally responsible and at least laid their cards on the table before an election and allowed you to vote on it. No one believes anything Gillard says any more, she is poison.

    • William says:

      09:22am | 15/02/12

      @John   Nobody has ever believed anything Abbott says. That’s why.

    • Who believes Julia Gillard? says:

      12:09pm | 14/02/12

      Is a lie not a lie when Julia Gillard tells it?

      Reply

    • year of the dragon says:

      12:11pm | 14/02/12

      “She should, however, be given credit for fronting the interviewer’s microphone.”

      She should also be given credit for evading the question this time rather than lying as usual.

      Reply

    • Dogs says:

      12:12pm | 14/02/12

      Who cares for gods sake so what if she shafted Rudd ,all you do gooders and Liberal stooges never set anyone up or told a lie ,why isnt the media get stuck into the Banks ,with there bosses be given multi million dollar wages and then killing of jobs so we can speak to some Indian call centre I would believe Gillard before Gail Kelly the boss of Westpac.

      Reply

    • Franky says:

      12:33pm | 14/02/12

      The Prime Minister of this country goes on TV and is caught trying to cover up lies and you say who cares?
      It wouldn’t matter whether it was about shafting Rudd or anything else.
      It was there for everyone to see, her covering up lies!
      Did you see her performance on 4 corners?
      She’s supposed to be the PM FFS!
      She clearly would not tell the truth!
      It was embarrassing, cringe worthy and disgusting coming from a Prime Minister!

    • Esteban says:

      01:17pm | 14/02/12

      I would rather have Gail Kelly as PM than Gillard or Rudd.

    • CeeJayBee69 says:

      12:16pm | 14/02/12

      You idiot knockers have no idea of the misfortune that will hit you,should you elect either abbott or turnbull to the prime ministership.
      A lot of you must be like the emu with its head in the sand. This whole charade has been a media beatup all along. People need to listen to scientists and economists to realise a carbon tax is the way to go. At the very least it will clean up some of the air around Australian towns and cities and that will be of benefit to thousands of suffers with medical problems.At the same time it will save the economy millions of dollars with the increase of healthy people.On the mining tax, these miners are digging up a resource that is owned by all the people of Australia. The resource is not owned by the mining companies, they are merely given the authority to dig it up provided they pay the taxes levied at any given time. If the government decides to increase the tax,it is the governments right to do so.

      Reply

    • Tracker says:

      01:10pm | 14/02/12

      They said the same thing about Johnny Howard’s Government and now poor little old me is probably considered wealthy by ALP voter standards..lol

    • Esteban says:

      01:14pm | 14/02/12

      Have you ever seen an emu with it’s head in the sand?

      There are as many emus with their heads in the sand as people who have health issues caused by a CO2 level of 380 parts per million.

      Smog causes health problems not CO2

    • jaki says:

      02:03pm | 14/02/12

      And here, ladies and gentlemen, is a prime example of the type of person that the Labor/Green government relies on for votes.
      Pat yourself on the back CeeJayBee69 !!!!!!

      The scary thing is - there’s more of them out there…........

    • Graeme says:

      12:18pm | 14/02/12

      The media just cannot get over it, going to get a lot worse when 100% media of media is against Government, a bit like a bloodless revoulotion, then be ruled by one kind of government .  there will be no need for elections as there will only be one policitcal party,  bit like China

      Reply

    • robert walkley says:

      12:21pm | 14/02/12

      Cmon, Malcolm…for pete’s sake…call a spade a spade.  Take a long hard look at yourself and see her for what we all see her to be - a liar and a deceiver -  and call for her head.  Stop making little lovey-dovey excuses or backdoors for her like the last line of your fluff piece

      Reply

    • Esteban says:

      12:38pm | 14/02/12

      What i find ironic is that the ALP and their get up lackeys portrayed Howard as being under undue influence from the USA.

      Yet we have learnt from the stolen cables and reminded last night that multiple members of the ALP keep the USA informed beyond what I think the relationship deserves. At what level does this feed of information become illegal or at least a breach of confidence.

      For the left wing a close relationship with the USA is only a problem if the coalition is in power.

      Reply

    • SimonFromLakemba says:

      01:30pm | 14/02/12

      He was, even sent us to war on false information to keep his buddy GWB happy.

      America has their fingers in every country, whether Lib or Labor I don’t expect that to change.

    • Esteban says:

      05:12pm | 14/02/12

      The point is Simon , if they are as bad as each other how come the left only had problems with the libs cosy relationship with the USA.

      Where are the accusations from the dreadlock brigade that the ALP are too close to the USA.

      Can we expect Bob browne to turn his back to Obama?

      What is worse , an open and close relationship or secret close relationship?

      The war on terror had and still has bi partisan support. Hawke sent us to the first gulf war. The left never had a problem with that.

    • Chris L says:

      06:32pm | 14/02/12

      @Estaban - Probably for the same reason the right wing only have problems with lies and broken promises if they come from the left.

    • Lachlan says:

      12:42pm | 14/02/12

      I thought the most outrageous thing that came out of the program was the fact that the Mining Industry deliberately leaked their own polling to figures in the ALP who were conspiring against Rudd.

      This was a deliberate attempt by business to destabilise our elected government in an attempt to get the mining tax dropped. What a disgrace.

      Reply

    • MDMConnell says:

      03:42pm | 14/02/12

      The mining industry, like anyone else, will do all it can to look after its own interests.

      And if they knew that Labor were weak and lily-livered enough to cave in at the first sign of bad polling, well….they’re going to exploit that.

    • Bruno Watt says:

      12:49pm | 14/02/12

      Sorry what interview were you watching Malclm? She avoided virtually every question. I wouldn’t even say she did it expertly she just said ‘thats the answer I’m giving” while simply avoiding the questions.

      Reply

    • Karen from Qld says:

      01:28pm | 14/02/12

      You have to feel sorry for Malcolm and his Labor loving journo mates. They have been put in a position where they have to try and defend the indefensible as there is really not too many options left. Recycled Rudd is always going to be difficult to sell to voters(imagine the Liberal party youtube clips on that) and also to his own caucus. There is still much lingering resentment over his leadership “style” otherwise he would be leader now. Malcolm and his mates are now between a rock and a hard place. Very sadly however is that they don’t realise just how biased and irrelevant they are being viewed in voterland.

    • Mark says:

      12:54pm | 14/02/12

      Gillard could have just spat it out. She was firing on all eight in parliament yesterday, but then it looks like she dropped a cylinder on the ABC. She was definitely running a bit rough, to say the least. But that’s all just window dressing. Until the opposition discovers what a policy is, it’s all just minutia in the spotlight.

      Let’s just wait and see what happens when Easter arrives. At some point, a bishop or cardinal will make some sort of appeal to community ‘values’ which will put half the populations nose out of joint, and there’s no long odds on Abbott chiming in on the subject.

      Reply

    • Karen from Qld says:

      12:57pm | 14/02/12

      And what’s the bet that Anna will be paying Gillard to stay away during the run up to the election here in Qld. Well done Julia you have just given Qlders even more reason not to vote for Labor.

      Reply

    • RCheck says:

      01:01pm | 14/02/12

      Julia will seriously say and do ANYTHING to be Prime Minister - absolutely ANYTHING. It doesnt need to be in our nation’s interest. It doesnt need to be in the Australian Citizen’s interest - i just has to be in HER interest. And the next best alternative is Kevin Rudd?? There’s a reason Julia got in - he was despised by the Australian public just 12 months after being elected, and he was despised by his own party in the same time frame! Surely the Labor Party, and the voting public, have longer memories than this? I’m putting it out there that this is one of the worst Federal Government this country has ever had!!

      Reply

    • kc says:

      01:05pm | 14/02/12

      She really is a new level of scum isn’t she. Easily the most vile PM in my 30 years… eclipsing even Keating by a country mile. I can’t comprehend what has happened to the world that elected representatives of our generally great society saw it fit to put her anywhere near the position of leading us. Stinks of corruption. The day we see the back of her will be the day Australia can finally move on. Absolute black mark on our history, and hopefully one that is never regurgitated again. Please get out of here Julia… for our sake.

      Reply

    • Joan says:

      04:42pm | 14/02/12

      @kc

      Sorry. John Howard has the most vile PM title sewn up.

    • Roland says:

      01:08pm | 14/02/12

      All these plans were going on behind Julia Gillard’s back. Contingency speeches etc would have been prepared at the first hint of a leadership change. They knew she would not mount a challenge and would not accept the position unless everything was absolutely certain.
      Only when she was confronted with that position did she agree.

      Reply

    • Tracker says:

      03:50pm | 14/02/12

      So her personal staff are not really her own and prepare speeches for and on behalf of the ALP power brokers without her knowledge ? Nice try grin

    • John says:

      01:15pm | 14/02/12

      I find it ironic that the media are concerned that Julia’s victory speech was prepared 2 weeks in advance.  Do people think that the media didn’t have a story already written (years in advance) about the death of Whitney Houston with only the minor details of where, when and how left out?  Hypocrisy.

      Reply

    • Jimbo75 says:

      02:07pm | 14/02/12

      Good point John. Do we know if Whitney knew these article were being written? and since dying has she since lied about when she made the decision to die?

    • Lucky says:

      01:21pm | 14/02/12

      Let’s bring in someone smart. Malcolm Turnbull!

      Reply

    • Space Ghost says:

      01:38pm | 14/02/12

      Amen to that.

      Both current leaders are about as popular and useful as a fart in an elevator.

      Gillard is a poor communicator and tainted by the way she got the job. Abbott is completely clueless when it comes to ideas and good policy because his only interest is getting the top job.

      At least with Mal you know he’s going to look at both sides of every issue and then make a determination on the best thing to do for everyone. Rather than the best thing to do for the current opinion polls.

    • BelieverNoLonger says:

      01:37pm | 14/02/12

      Lowlife called senator Mark Arbib… the scumbag spy!
      Lowlife called Combet…
      Lowlife called social climber Shorten…
      Lowlife dingbat called Swan
      Mistake to think the public is stupid !
      Krudd will get Labor back just on sympathy vote !
      Bring back Costello and Libs will win for a decade at least…..
      Turnbull maybe two termss
      Keep Abbott and one term…why…cuz he’s a xenophobic homophobic economic ignoramus white picket fence budgie strangler ! He’s got that same sneer as Crean !

      Reply

    • NLG-QLD says:

      01:42pm | 14/02/12

      Did anyone else notice Rudds response when they went up to him outside church with his wife - the gleam came back in his eye, he licked those lips again and I am so sure his head started to swell right on camera.

      Deluded ego driven man that he is.  He really thinks he is in with a chance. It was hillarious.

      Reply

    • Gloria says:

      01:44pm | 14/02/12

      Oh well it seems the media will once again let Julia Gillard off the hook and forget about the people she represents. The sight of Gillard as our PM makes my blood boil. I am sure I can say the same with the vast majority and yet the media will let her off for thinking she has the right to make a fool of us every time she opens her mouth to defend her stupidity and power hungry ambition to become Australia’s first female PM.

      Why isn’t the media fighting to get rid of her like they did when scrutinizing Rudd to the hilt for his demise? Isn’t it much better to replace Gillard so the people she represents do not have to put up with her dishonesty on daily basis. We the people deserve better! The polls told them to get rid of Rudd and now the polls tell us that Gillard should be replaced.

      Reply

    • Adrian T says:

      01:44pm | 14/02/12

      Give the woman credit for nothing, She lied about her role, someone mentioned Abbott at least we know he lies which makes him marginally honest.  America knowing about it before the public well why wouldnt they its in their interests to know this and have ” a safe pair of hands on the wheel” they have been involved in our politics previously and well we are almost a state of theirs anyway seems like we cant make a decision about anything from life to poltics without the good ol US of A being in there and most of the 17 million in this country seem to want to emulate them.

      She must really be on the nose as “Aunty” is usually left leaning and likes to stick it to the right and the conservatives.

      Reply

    • Martin says:

      01:52pm | 14/02/12

      Where are all the Labor bogans today? Just a touch embarrassed are we? LMFAO

      Reply

    • Joan says:

      04:47pm | 14/02/12

      @Martin

      Still celebrating the last 2 election victories. You loser bogans can whinge about it amongst yourselves.

    • Chris L says:

      06:35pm | 14/02/12

      I smell burned troll.

    • Martin says:

      10:57am | 15/02/12

      Hahahahahahaha. Haven’t much to say about the present state of affairs Joan? Just dwell in the past and ignore the present. LMAO Anyway Labor didn’t “win” the last election, it was a draw 72 all. What you’ve ended up with is a farce and will relegate Labor to the wilderness for a decade. So good luck with your celebrations.

    • Joan says:

      11:28am | 15/02/12

      @Martin

      Still in denial? No wonder you lost again.

    • Brad says:

      02:01pm | 14/02/12

      Malcolm, why don’t you marry her. It’ obvious you have a little power crush on Ms Gillard. Your eyes light up everytime you mention her name (insiders program last week). I can’t wait till August 2013 to vote this crazy woman out. She has no political timing. That was dumb! Plain and simple. Watch Labor’s primary numbers go back under 30 over this blunder… Abbott must be looking around for the candid camera’s ... He just keeps getting these gifts from Gillard.

      Reply

    • morph says:

      02:06pm | 14/02/12

      ancient history? I think it is still fresh in Kevins mind

      Reply

    • Frank says:

      02:12pm | 14/02/12

      At least she can string more than two words together unlike Abbot, Hockey and the other baboons in the Liberal Party. Let her economic record speak for itself post GFC. The media is quick to jump on the PM bashing bandwagon because it earns a them a buck. At least she turns up for the interviews and says it as it is. The underlying fact is that the mining moguls are worried that if she gets a mandate in parliament, then a real mining tax is inevitable; why shouldn’t the miners pay a super tax on Australian resources that are gone forever as they line their pockets? People like the “Witch of the West”  think they can buy influence by controlling the media and creating a fuss just to dislodge a PM that dosen’t suit.

      Reply

    • Against the Man says:

      02:40pm | 14/02/12

      She can string more than 2 lies together….........

    • Brad says:

      03:07pm | 14/02/12

      I’m pretty sure they would have Ms Gillards ‘departing’ speech ready now! Frank, Mr Abbott graduated with a Bachelor of Economics (BEc) and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB).. I’m certain he can string more than two words together. The GFC lasted eight weeks… 95% of Australians would of hardly noticed.

    • stevem says:

      03:23pm | 14/02/12

      Yes she is perfectly able to string lots of words together. What was graphically demonstrated last night, however, is that the string of words do not necessarily answer the question they respond to.

    • Hame says:

      02:15pm | 14/02/12

      Mark Arbib is an Australian traitor and spy for America. This guy needs to go!!

      Reply

    • Thunderbird1 says:

      02:37pm | 14/02/12

      Frank,electricity has been invented,computers,indoor toilets and medicine,Your post is so far out I believe it is from Uranus

      Reply

    • Time For An Election says:

      02:39pm | 14/02/12

      You must be on her payroll to form the conclusion that you have in this story. I find it extremely difficult to imagine Gillard was misled as to the nature of the interview. She got scared that 4Corners would be pro-Rudd and that is why she appeared on the program. She thought he would - and he outsmarted her. In almost every viewers eyes, last night she confirmed what we all already know. You cannot trust a word the PM utters.

      Reply

    • nossy says:

      02:57pm | 14/02/12

      Champagne corks will be popping tonight in Tones office - “Ohh look at moi” he will say “I am a whopping 3 points ahead of Australias most disliked PM” - “Australia loves moi”!  hahahhaha   poor old delusional Tones - 1 or 2 polls from now and hes back where he normally is - NOT the Preferred PM!  Ohhh how sweet it is!
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9fs_6v20Cw&feature=fvst

      Reply

    • Lisa says:

      03:15pm | 14/02/12

      It was probably all Tony Abbott’s fault.

      Reply

    • jean says:

      03:16pm | 14/02/12

      Will Gillard order another enquiry into Four Corners like she did the print media after she got some bad press?????    Where’s Bob Brown with his stupid comments….is the programme racist, sexist part of the hate media or what, this time??????  Election Please…..save us from this mess.

      Reply

    • Against the Man says:

      04:04pm | 14/02/12

      Brown
      Oakshott
      Windsor
      Wilkie
      All current ALP politicians

      A list of casualties from Gillard’s selfish and power hungry ways.

    • Robert S McCormick says:

      03:24pm | 14/02/12

      She came on & made an ass of herself.
      He didn’t and did the same thing.
      Isn’t it time everyone, particularly the ALP, simply closed the book on both of them & moved on to new pastures?
      Oh! silly old me! They can’t replace them simply because they have no-one even remotely competent enough
      Why replace one pair of inceompetents with two even more so?

      Reply

    • Michelle says:

      03:29pm | 14/02/12

      Is Gillard telling us she and her government cannot outfox a couple of ABC reporters when it comes to negotiating an interview?

      I had hoped the PM of Australia and her ministers had more smarts than ABC reporters! After all. Rudd won the 2007 election. Gillard helped get rid of him and put herself in the PMship, winning the 2010 election by negotiation. You don’t need to be the sharpest lawyer in the room to see where they were going.

      What made her think that an interview asking questions about the progress of the ALP since 2007 wouldn’t ask her questions about the Rudd PMship, her part in disposing of Rudd as PM,  how it came about, and leadership tensions today?

      And since when hasn’t Gillard been planing to make a run for PM?

      Gillard tells Beazley to be a bold leader
      By Michelle Grattan
      Canberra
      January 27, 2005

      ...As Julia Gillard pulls out of the Labor leadership race, she urges leader-in-waiting Kim Beazley not to be timid on policy. But he has already rejected her plea to abandon factional ties…

      What a joke. Gillard told Bomber to ditch right-wing factional allies, and that he is conservative on policy. lol

      ... Ms Gillard was picking up on the two main reservations that critics have had of Mr Beazley: that in the past he has relied too much on right-wing factional allies, and that he is conservative on policy…

      Reply

    • Joel B1 says:

      03:32pm | 14/02/12

      So says the eternal ALP optimist “She should, however, be given credit for fronting the interviewer’s microphone. “

      Rubbish.

      Time to move on Farr. Your support for this liar of a PM is belittling for both you and your profession.

      Reply

    • 9th commandment says:

      03:36pm | 14/02/12

      I see why Julia has not gotten married - because then she would have to keep a promise

      Reply

    • RyaN says:

      05:18pm | 14/02/12

      +20 Internets!

    • RobbieB says:

      03:57pm | 14/02/12

      I understand that she has now also corrected an earlier statement in that what she actually meant to say was that “there will be no government under a carbon tax that I lead”.

      Reply

    • Peter Lougheed says:

      04:26pm | 14/02/12

      “But Ms Gillard told ABC radio this morning that she had been invited on the television program to speak about the government’s achievements since the 2007 election”.
      A Four Corners episode runs for 45 minutes.  After they had finished talking about the “government’s achievements”, what did Ms Gillard think they’d spend the remaining 44 ½ minutes talking about?

      Reply

    • Question says:

      05:20pm | 14/02/12

      I have a question that might derail this a little bit:

      Obviously Kevin Rudd is champing at the bit to get back in the top job. He seems to have a thorough enjoyment in trolling the media every time he is asked if he will contest the leadership (“Oh, im not going to answer that, trololol”). Why oh why has he not been relegated to the back bench of parliment by now for constantly exacerbating this problem that is obviously killing the Labor party? Anyone elese who pulled this stunt would have been beaten into submission by now, but it just looks like the Labor ministers are letting him get away with not supporting the current leader? His very presence is like a cancer - simply being in the media associates him with the prospect of a leadership challenge, and its just not a good look for the party as a whole. Why doesnt the Labor party turf him somewhere obscure (minister for sandwiches?) to stop all this speculation so that they can try and repair their shattered image?

      Reply

    • Esteban says:

      06:04pm | 14/02/12

      Question. They are in a minority Govt. If Rudd was relegated to the back bench there is a risk he would retire and the ALP might lose the bi election.

      Also without Rudd the Queensland ALP vote would crumble. In 2007 there was a huge swing to ALP on the back of a Queenslaaander running for PM. Contrast that to the other working state WA where there was a swing away from ALP in 2007. In 2010 the ALP lost ground in Qld but not as much as they gained in 2007.

      If Queensland had swung to Liberal to the same extent as WA in 2007 the coalition would have been returned.

      If Kevy quit ,the ALP are is in serious trouble in Qld.

      The ALP needs Kevin more than he needs them and he is loving every minute of it.

    • nihonin says:

      06:50pm | 14/02/12

      ‘minister for sandwiches’, shhhh don’t give Labor any ideas, they’d probably do it, if there was a vote in it.

    • Maggie says:

      06:35pm | 14/02/12

      and of course Howard didn’t ever lie? Just who was it he challenged for the Liberal leadership. An Abbott? Who was it he ousted? And what ever happened to Brendan Nelson? For heaven’s sake, all aspiring political leaders plot and count numbers. Poor old Costello never quite got the numbers but he tried for a long time. That’s politics and always will be

      Reply

    • Bertrand says:

      07:46pm | 14/02/12

      It is politics.

      However, too knife a first term popular first term PM at the first sign of a dip in the polls says a lot about the internal machinations of the ALP. Keating knifed Hawke while he was PM, but Hawkey had already had a good run. Howard replaced Abbott, but it was in opposition. Nelson got booted by Turnbull and Turnbull by Abbott… again, all in opposition. It is to be expected that an opposition party will play around with leaders as they try to sort out exactly what direction they want to take.

      But, changing leaders (particularly leaders who are popular with the public) mid way through the first term (after over decade in the wilderness) is a pretty big derailment from the usual way of doing things.

      I understand that we don’t *really* elect a PM, we elect a local representative and then whoever can control the floor of parliament gets the leadership; however, the fact is, our elections have become increasingly presidential in nature, and the public rightly felt like Gillard came to power in the wrong way.

    • Andy1 says:

      06:25am | 15/02/12

      Your probably correct Maggie.
      Gillard is accumulating a pile of deceit, lies, broken promises and cover ups.
      Her character and integrity are the issue.
      We seem to be getting a better picture of the “real Julia” and it ain’t looking good, it just keeps getting worse.
      Sorry to point out some important facts about Julia Gillard Maggie.

    • KimL says:

      07:02am | 15/02/12

      She looked and sounded shifty, her judgement to even appear on the program was flawed. This woman is supposed to be running our country, if she can’t make a smart decision to avoid a tv program..heaven help Australia. I did take note that Kevin Rudd refused the interview, no bets on who is the most intelligent out of the 2 of them!!

      Reply

    • John H says:

      08:26am | 15/02/12

      Julia’s appearance on the 4 Corners program was a political disaster and from my perspective as a long term Labor supporter firmed my view on several aspects of the current Labor government;
      1. Gillard is being given atrocious advice by her minders.
      2. If she doesn’t know/is not informed by her media people what they are doing/going to do she’s not managing her people and/or she shouldn’t have loose cannon around her. Both aspects suggests poor judgment. Or have they been given to her by the unionistas and the factionalist to maintain control over the PMs office.
      3. The painting of Rudd as a nasty little monster may very well have more to do with the esconced union influence and the factionalism in the right wing wanting to maintain their dominance over the party rather than Rudds performance. I’m beginning to suspect that Rudd may have been a serious threat to their continued dominance and they acted to maintain the status quo. The canning of all the recommended improvements to Labor’s involvement with its members at the recent gabfest tends to add weight to that view.
      4. Union dominance of the activities of the Labor party is preventing it being a relevant party to the electorate. Union membership is only about 13% of the working population and union influence of the labor part should reflect this. There is just a desire to maintain the status quo (nb. all the bitching about jobs disappearing) and no delivery of strategies to adapt to the changing face of employment in this country. The change is happening now—and you won’t stop it, you will only delay it and make the end result a complete disaster.
      5. I suspect Labor lost the next election on Monday night and whatever Julia’s attributes she is doomed to lead Labor to a massacre. I wouldn’t like to make a call on whether a change of PM is warranted, replacing her with Rudd, or someone else. But I can be sure of this. If she is replaced by a union hack (aka Shorten) the massacre will be a complete rout. People are fed up with the current state of Labor and the influence of the Right faction and the Unions.
      Like the world, Labor needs to change, and change NOW! I don’t wish to see the party that I consider once represented the aspirations of everyday Australians end up as a nonentity.
      Give me and, I suspect, a lot of voters a reason to believe that Labor is the best choice.

      Reply

    • Christian says:

      04:36pm | 15/02/12

      Julia Gillards integrity is the issue here. Any other issue is a side issue.
      The who said and who knew what and why she did the interview rah rah rah
      are just people trying to distract the electorate or a rusted on Gillard supporters. Julia Gillard and her integrity as Prime MInister are the real issue here and they know it.
      She’s not to be trusted and 4 Corners I think was the last straw for her as PM.
      On national tv she avoided questions, looked shifty, tried to be clever with her answers and appeared angry, very angry at being out gunned by the interviewer and that put the nail in her coffin.
      The look of “how dare you” on her face because he insisted she had not answwed the quesition, which she had’nt was the killer for me.
      Australia deserves better.

      Reply

    • Barge says:

      08:31am | 16/02/12

      I assume that you have read this Malcolm - you were wrong AGAIN.

      Our story looks at the progress of ‘Labor in power’ by focusing on the progress of the government since 2007. It will be examining the handling of the mining tax, the climate change issue and the leadership question.”

      Reply

    • Barry in Caloundra says:

      04:59pm | 19/02/12

      Explains why she couldn’t give two hoots about Assange. Further she’s not as smart as she thinks. We’re not all fools like she thinks we are. She’s obviously under “orders”.

      Reply

    • Barry in Caloundra says:

      04:59pm | 19/02/12

      Explains why she couldn’t give two hoots about Assange. Further she’s not as smart as she thinks. We’re not all fools like she thinks we are. She’s obviously under “orders”.

      Reply
 
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