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So the UN Security Council bid is going well then

Tory Maguire

by Tory Maguire

25 Sep 10:10am

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Filed under: Bob Carr, Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Politics, Un Security Council, United Nations

76 comments

Julia Gillard once said she would rather be at home watching children learning in a classroom than roaming the international diplomatic stage. This week she’d probably rather be anywhere than the bathroom of her suite at the Waldorf Astoria.

It's a long way to the UN from here…

The PM has been struck down with a stomach bug right when she really didn’t need one. She’s just had to cancel dinner with Barack Obama.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr was sent in her place overnight to deliver a speech Gillard was too sick to give. Did you hear the introduction he got at the business lunch where Gillard was supposed to give a glowing report on our economy? The fellow doing the welcome didn’t even know how to say her name.

Carr then went off notes and started talking about “galahs in the pet shops”.

To be fair this was only a few hours after Gillard herself gave a press conference where she linked her lobbying efforts in New York this week to coaching a team in this weekend’s AFL and NRL Grand Finals.

A couple of years ago I found myself in a gaggle of Washington journos whose full-time beat was the State Department. They seemed to find our bid for one of the rotating spots on the UN Security Council quaintly hilarious. That and the fact our former PM had been booted from his job by his own deputy.

I wonder what they would make of the galahs in a pet shop?

This whole thing is Kevin Rudd’s baby, but he doesn’t get to look after it any more. Yesterday he was preoccupied with a baby of a different kind, Tweeting the above picture of his granddaughter Josephine.

Do you think he might have been making a point?

Most commented

76 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • Mahhrat says:

      10:22am | 25/09/12

      Oh, that’s a fantastic bit of trolling.  Well played, Kevin, well played.

      Reply

    • Who keeps the bastards honest? and who keeps the b says:

      10:24am | 25/09/12

      Who knows anymore?

      The problem with politics in Australia, is that it is filled with politicians.

      Reply

    • Babylon says:

      12:46pm | 25/09/12

      Listen   there will never be a lie in a Government I lead

    • Paleoflatus says:

      10:38am | 25/09/12

      It probably doesn’t matter much, which of those two amateur diplomats represents us at the U.N. Either of them is quite capable of making us look a bit silly and incompetent.

      Reply

    • JoniM says:

      10:40am | 25/09/12

      A few days of photo ops with some famous OS people !
      Next best thing to taking a week off for Julia !
      The polls should improve again !
      And it only cost $40m !
      But what about the Security Council ?
      Who cares ! That’s just one of Rudd’s silly ego trips !
      $40m to buy a bronze medal at the table ! As if the 5 permanent members are going to give Australia any influence in any important decision making !

      Reply

    • Angry person says:

      04:08pm | 25/09/12

      !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • didgeridon't says:

      05:02pm | 25/09/12

      12th largest economy in the world, yeah irrelevant for us to be involved in such things. Small mind, small vision.

    • Steve says:

      05:12pm | 25/09/12

      Labor has already blown $142 Billion dollars, whats another $40 million here or there. Australians who rely on government money should feel very, very worried.

    • Alfie says:

      10:44am | 25/09/12

      “Gillard was supposed to give a glowing report on our economy.”

      Can’t blame her for hiding in the crapper then. Either that or “the dog ate my report”.

      Reply

    • James says:

      10:45am | 25/09/12

      The Labor Party’s Grand Final metaphor really tells us how stupid the think the general public is. Look, over here, we’re fighting our Grand Final tooo, just like yooo!!!  FFS Give us a break. These pollies are the real morons.

      A complete waste of money in a typically outrageous Labor Party way. Kiss a few more million dollars of tax money way for nothing.

      Bob Carr is like an out of date cyborg muttering lines form the 1970’s.  Julia has worked out that being on the world stage makes here more popular at home. And we have attempted to buy off wonderful democracies like Iran in order to get a seat.

      Reply

    • JoniM says:

      11:26am | 25/09/12

      Spot on James !

      Like Virgil and Lady Penelope off the Thunderbirds !
      International Rescue ! Thunderbirds are go !

    • Tell It Like It Is says:

      10:47am | 25/09/12

      Perhaps she should travel with a ‘beefeater’ on such excursions. Maybe Kevin has his vaysss…........

      Reply

    • John says:

      10:48am | 25/09/12

      “They [Washington journos] seemed to find our bid for one of the rotating spots on the UN Security Council quaintly hilarious.”

      Why? The rotating spots are filled by countries that don’t have permanent spots. Australia has far more credentials than other countries that have been on it.

      “That and the fact our former PM had been booted from his job by his own deputy.”

      Then they know nothing about the Westminster system, where this of thing happens quite often, and not just in Australia.

      American journalists know about America and nothing else.

      Reply

    • Thumbs down says:

      01:15pm | 25/09/12

      Anyone who thinks Australia is getting a UN Security Council seat is on crack. Our credentials are bloody awful.

      The African nations frigging hate us based on the treatment of our own black people.

      Christ, The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights was in Australia last year calling Australia racist - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxoRgFFH7MU

      Only two nations in history have had the dishonour of being called out as racist by a senior UN official - South Africa and Australia.

      It’s not a good look.

      It would be pointless giving us a seat, we always do what we are told by the US/UK anyway.

    • Markus says:

      02:31pm | 25/09/12

      “Only two nations in history have had the dishonour of being called out as racist by a senior UN official - South Africa and Australia”
      All that shows is the complete lack of credibility the UN has when it comes to human rights.

      As if electing Iran to the UN Commission on the Status of Women wasn’t enough to prove that.

    • Shane says:

      05:15pm | 25/09/12

      @ Markus,
      Spot on. And don’t forget the UN appointing Libya as the chair on the Human Rights council…

    • Murray says:

      05:52pm | 25/09/12

      ....and don’t forget that the only country to use Atomic weapons in anger, and on defenceless civilians, is a Permanent Member of the Security Council.

    • TChong says:

      10:56am | 25/09/12

      we ( Ozzies)  dont need a seat at the UN, as Oz , historically has been a very willing foot soldier ( often literally ) for Britian , and the US.
      What Whitehall and the State Dept decides, is whats best for us.
      Both sides of our politics are happy with our foreign policy being enmeshed and subserviant to the US.

      Reply

    • Jokular says:

      11:17am | 25/09/12

      Subservient, just how Labor like their voters.  wink

    • TChong says:

      02:34pm | 25/09/12

      could be, jokular
      “consume, be silent , and die “
      used to be a well known piece of sydney ( train) track side graffiti, way way way back .
      not much changes except some fashions , and the date.

    • nihonin says:

      10:58am | 25/09/12

      Labor motto: Probalis Incompetentus.

      Reply

    • Kathy says:

      11:10am | 25/09/12

      Heres poor old Liberal Party operative nihonin giving us his 2 cents worth. All over the blogs to try and prop up the failing Tony Abbott. Wont work girlfriend. Abbotts gone.

    • Bart and Lisa says:

      11:41am | 25/09/12

      You are a “dorkus Malorkus”!
      “that’s not Latin!”

    • nihonin says:

      12:47pm | 25/09/12

      Liberal operative?  Let’s cue the Mission Impossible theme ‘Kathy’,  if you can prove I’m some sort of Liberal Operative or a member of the party, I’ll never speak out again about your precious Labor, however I will continue to drop the odd critique on the Liberals when I believe it is required for which I’ll cop the Labor luvvie tag off thatmosis and few others, damn I love you party hacks.

      As I stated yesterday, people only bite when they are panicked an you ‘Kathy’ bite extremely well.  Bart and Lisa you sum up my point precisely as well.  wink

    • vox says:

      05:12pm | 25/09/12

      nihonin, would you agree that this trip by Carr and the P.M. has more merit than the Abbott-supported journey of doom that Howard took in abject deference to the dopiest and most untrustworthy President in Americas history to back him in his world deception about Weapons of Mass destruction>
      And Gillard and Carr have done it much more cheaply in both financial terms, and in the cost of our young soldier’s lives.
      Perhaps you, and those other habitual belittlers of all things non-Liberal might just dwell on that for a moment. Gillard is bringing our kids home.
      A seat on the U.N. temporary bench? Important, but not earth shattering. War for no benefit?  Bloody mind-blowing!

    • Mouse says:

      11:12am | 25/09/12

      I suppose a lot of Australians wish that she was at home watching children learning in a classroom than roaming the international diplomatic stage too.
      Congrats to Kevvie on the birth of Josephine. That’s going to be one spoilt little grand daughter I would imagine!! lol :o)

      Reply

    • tazed citizen says:

      01:26pm | 25/09/12

      hopefully she will never learn to pick her ears !!!

    • Mouse says:

      07:08pm | 25/09/12

      rather that tazed citizen, than her nose!!  :o/

    • Dick Head says:

      11:20am | 25/09/12

      Everything is partisan now because the born to rule are not in government and damn should be, always!

      Reply

    • Shane says:

      06:14pm | 25/09/12

      The Libs used to be the born to rule party, but not any more. The ALP goons spend their whole lives in a protected self contained world, from student politics at uni, through sheltered positions in unions or union related jobs and finally into the party. They spend their entire lives scabbing off working people, and have you noticed they always target the less educated because they’re way easier to scam?

    • Greg says:

      11:25am | 25/09/12

      The UN will always be a joke when the 5 permanent members can just veto whatever they like without the support of anyone else.

      The only way to make them take notice would be to stop exporting our uranium and start making bombs that way we could fit in with the big boys.

      Reply

    • sunny says:

      07:05pm | 25/09/12

      “The UN will always be a joke when the 5 permanent members can just veto whatever they like without the support of anyone else.”

      I reckon this feature has been pretty useful, particularly in the cold war years when there was the very real chance of localised conflicts escalating into an exchange of ICBMs (via the sky). Heck we probably went close to mushroom cloud mania a few times even with the veto powers in place.

    • Gregg says:

      11:26am | 25/09/12

      Seems as though it is doing swimmingly well indeed or more like paddling upstream in that barb wire canoe.
      Maybe they need Kevins fair shake of the sauce bottle, could be a real humdinger if they put on a sausage sizzle in the forecourt and stay long enough with a big screen for the footy GFs and have a few eskies of cold ones handy.

      Reply

    • C says:

      11:28am | 25/09/12

      I sincerely hope our bid fails. It should fail. It needs to fail. It would be a disaster for Australian foreign policy if it succeeded. We have already been pussy-footing around too frightened to say what should be said and do what should be done for fear of not getting the seat. If we got it we would then be having to abstain from voting in order not to upset one major power of another.
      We have been handing out expensive bribes and lining the pockets of corrupt officials. We have been interfering where we should not - all in the name of lobbying for this seat.
      Kevin Rudd wanted it ( and to be Secretary-General) and our grossly over-inflated view of our importance in world affairs has caused continued lobbying for it.
      The Security Council is a powerless committee where decisions are, more often than not, vetoed by the US, China or Russia. We would be well out of it.

      Reply

    • Joan says:

      11:30am | 25/09/12

      As I wrote before: `the ockers from down under visiting UN -  the PM who knifed her way to the top and the unelected foreign minster what a team- Gillard on gender equality reckons more truck driver jobs for women and Carr yacking on about galahs in pet shops - sounded like the original galahs let loose in the UN. ` What a waste of tax payer money sending this act to UN

      Reply

    • The Right to Choice says:

      04:18pm | 25/09/12

      Bob was actually referring to you Joan. They tend to have big chips on their shoulders too just like you Joan.

    • Hardworker says:

      11:30am | 25/09/12

      Labor and other left wing political types in Australia have a major inferiority complex and seem to think Australia is bigger than we really are. When Howard was in he focused on regional alliances and bilateral agreements, realising that the UN is a joke and incapable of achieving anything substantial.

      Instead of spending millions on bidding for a 1 year security council seat, Gillard should be working on strengthening ties with India and other emerging economies that will help us to forge a balance to our China centric economic policies and that will help Strengthen our strategic position in the Asia Pacific.

      Less time pretending to be a superpower and more time acting to protect Australia’s interests is what’s needed.

      Reply

    • Markus says:

      02:33pm | 25/09/12

      Exactly. Leave pretending to be a superpower to the real superpowers.
      Like Luxembourg.

    • Bear says:

      02:43pm | 25/09/12

      “hard worker” yea right. That’s why your here. In the mean time while your waiting for your serfs to tho our dirty work, have a medal!

    • Joel says:

      05:22pm | 25/09/12

      Bear
      Judging by your spelling and grammar you are indeed one of these ‘serfs’ you refer to.

    • marley says:

      06:54pm | 25/09/12

      Well, Markus and Bear, neither of you have actually addressed the point.  When it comes to international relations, we should be spending our limited financial and human resources on negotiations, deals, treaties, agreements, whatever, that are in the collective interest of Australians.  Getting a seat on the Security Council gives us photo ops, but not much more.  Do we really want to be the Paris Hilton of nations?

      Anyway, Luxembourg is a natural fit.

    • Babylon says:

      11:39am | 25/09/12

      Carr just introduced the ‘Gillard Government way’ into the International community, saying that the Mining boom was nothing and hinting that Australia does not need it, because it only ever contributed 2 percent of our jobs. Too bad if your jobs in that 2 percent eh?

      Well we know these Mining Projects involved Billions of dollars coming into Australia. Typically projects were $50 Million to $30 Billion dollars and as a result the indirect benefit to Australia was estimated as 10 fold. This means the Mining boom contributes about 20 percent of the jobs that were in Australia.

      Mining feeds multiple Australian economic sectors: Banking, Finance, Transport, Manufacturing, Fabrication, Administration, media, Construction, Housing, Rental, Retail, the list goes on. Many of these sectors themselves contributing up to 25 percent of our GDP.

      So why did he lie? Well he needs You to believe the mining boom was nothing after all, so You do not hold the Gillard Government accountable for destroying the Mining boom through Carbon and MRRT taxes and a stupid war of words with key figures.

      While Carr is saying the mining boom is insignificant, Swan is pulling a fastie saying ‘commodity prices’ are killing Australia’s mining boom. But Swan does not realise that we are not that thick, we know Africa is picking up our mining boom and ‘commodity prices’ are not affecting their start up. If it was a commodity price issue, both countries would be in strife right?

      Reuters reported that Africa’s biggest economy grew 3.2 percent quarter on quarter. Our Mining boom is now over in Africa, pulling African mining from a minus -16.8 percent downfall in Q1 to plus +32 percent growth by Q2!!!

      Wounds the heart does it not Aussie? You should be outraged, not just for Australia and it’s people, but for the children and childrens’ children, who will now be deprived of this magnificent inheritance.

      Carr tried to cover this up by saying our mining boom had ‘overspilt’ into Africa and that many Australian investors were now in Africa. BHP is now over there big time. But Our boom shrinks while Africa’s grows, it’s not an overspill but a transfer away from a country with loads of high taxes and a hostile attitude to big business.

      Nice spin Mr Carr, but because our mining boom is shrinking, Swan has now been forced to admit a $44 Billion budget deficit and confess he has to ‘re-do’ the Budget entirely, when he only did it 4 months ago!!! whats gone wrong in 4 months?

      Where has Swan’s predicted profits gone? See Q2 Mining results for Africa ,  - 16.8 to +31.2 percent!!!  From minus 16.8 to plus 31.2 percent in one quarter coinciding with Swan’s confession on the budget.

      The Gillard Government has driven our Mining boom ,  the ‘envy of the world’, hailed as a ‘once in a generation phenomenon’, over to Africa.

      The Gillard Government are spinning tops trying to stop you realising it.

      Reply

    • Babylon says:

      12:29pm | 25/09/12

      No wonder poor Julia is sick in her room.

      Imagine going down in history as the Leader of the Government that smashed one of the best booms the world has ever seen!

    • Gopher says:

      01:03pm | 25/09/12

      “going down in history”

      And imagine you going down in history as some nameless cranky old codger of a sheila who once made stuff up and babbled on about it on the punch.
      Wouldn’t even be a footnote

    • Blind Freddy says:

      01:17pm | 25/09/12

      At least Babylon agrees with Babylon.

    • bailey says:

      02:01pm | 25/09/12

      Blind Freddy
      Stay tuned,
      babble-on is about to release a new set of figures that contradict these.

      It is a very strange psychosis this one has.
      credibility is not a strong point.

    • nihonin says:

      02:06pm | 25/09/12

      You picked that as well Blind Freddy, not as funny as if they’d disagreed, but still a good laugh.

    • Thumbs down says:

      02:11pm | 25/09/12

      @Babylon

      Australia was only ever a setting stone on the journey to Africa. We were the fill-in GF. The cost of doing business in Australia with or without the Carbon & MRRT taxes meant it was only every going to be a temporary gig while processes and infrastructure were set up in Africa.

      Also Africa is cheaper, faster, better located for the rest of the world, 1000% less red tape and you can have your own people on ground.

      There was absolutely nothing anyone could have done to keep the boom here. I was told by an analyst mate that the cost of mining in Africa is on average 80% cheaper than Australia.

      Game over.

    • Babylon says:

      02:11pm | 25/09/12

      Whats the Gillard Government done with the Mining Boom fellas?

      I’ll give you a clue:

      See Q2 Mining results for Africa ,  - 16.8 to +31.2 percent.
      From Reuters

      no more to be said really, thats game set and match

    • BruceS says:

      11:39am | 25/09/12

      Thank you Tory. The UN has proven itself to be a corrupt and extremely expensive and ineffective farce. We should be pulling out, not trying to buy our way in.

      Reply

    • Bris Jack says:

      11:45am | 25/09/12

      Rudd the draft stop,  just in case Tony thinks he will slide in under the back door.

      ‘Rudd says he is working hard to prevent him [Mr Abbott] from sliding into office through the back door,’’ he said”.

      Reply

    • Mack says:

      12:05pm | 25/09/12

      By the time Labor get back in after the next election, that kid just might be around voting age…..

    • Zeta says:

      11:47am | 25/09/12

      I think Australia is the perfect candidate for the Security Council. After all, we have a proud national tradition of flacidly condemning things and then having our concerns over ruled by the interests of China. Now we can flacidly condemn things, and have our concerns over ruled by China AND Russia.

      Reply

    • AdamC says:

      12:52pm | 25/09/12

      This was the best comment by far.

      Why on earth are we pursuing this nonsense?

    • vox says:

      05:00pm | 25/09/12

      Zeta, I’ll bite. AdamC says that your comment is the best so far. Can one of you please tell me what “flacidly condemns” means?
      What things were “flacidly condemned” and overruled by China or Russia?
      If you were being understandably sarcastic AdamC, I can relate because the sarcasm stakes is always an open event, but I would have thought that this years “best comment” would have gone to the Leader of the Oppos, one Anthony Abbott, for his unforgettable abuse of Ms Gillard for “ignoring” Indonesia’s El Presidente and going to New York.
      Does this bumbling fool still have support amongst the Libs? Probably!
      And, pray tell, where is the red-faced support group for the soon-to-be-dumped Abbott? Off with the lemmings, you say? Sounds about right.

    • Borderer says:

      11:51am | 25/09/12

      Here’s the thing, we are spending 40mil campaigning for a seat on the UN security council which will mean a New York posting for somebody. We are cutting our defense budget at the same time. The two moves contradict each other unless there is a motive other than that which is stated.
      How about we fix our issues rather than borrowing the world’s woe?
      If they don’t get the seat, it’s 40mil on literally nothing, if they do get the seat, then we have to pay for someone to live in New York and have zero influence on UN decisions as the permenant seat holders aren’t about to change the way they act because some bloke is doing his best Croc Dundee impersonation. It’s the old “Hey, look over there, shiny thing!!”

      Reply

    • Dry Liberal says:

      12:00pm | 25/09/12

      Well, all I can say is that if Gillard wants to be on the UN Security Council (yes, SECURITY!), then she better stop bloody well cutting back the Military Budget and start right now to re-fund the Defence Force of this country.

      If Australia wants other countries in the world to perceive her as a middle power of consequence, then we need a powerful and capable Defence Force able to project our influence into world affairs.

      The Defence White Paper 2009 laid out the appropriate way to acquire such capability, and what did the Government do? Absolutely squibbed it.

      If we want to be on the UN Security Council, then we must IMMEDIATELY restore Defence Spending in the Federal Government to Howard-era levels of 2% of GDP AT LEAST!

      Yes we also need to have a surplus, but we’re just going to have to cut back on bloated welfare spending and excessive Public Service jobs numbers to achieve it.

      Reply

    • sunny says:

      12:07pm | 25/09/12

      New Zealand wouldn’t dare beat us in the rugby while ever we have a seat on the Security Council. I say go for it.

      Reply

    • Mouse says:

      05:24pm | 25/09/12

      yep, ‘cause if they do, by gawd, we’ll hit them over the head with it!!!!!!!!  lol :o)

    • sunny says:

      06:42pm | 25/09/12

      haha good idea, then banish them to a seat in the UN’s Naughty Corner ..make them sit with Iran, North Korea and the other delinquents and attention seekers.

    • Mouse says:

      07:34pm | 25/09/12

      ...then, in the Naughty Corner with hands on heads, they can discuss the goodness of aligning all religions to make one beautiful one that encompasses all and will finally negate the need for the Security Council forever…....
      Do you think it will catch on?  LOL :o)

    • Johnny atheos says:

      12:12pm | 25/09/12

      Is this the same UN that won’t ratify The Universal Declaration of Human Rights because many countries in Africa and Middle East see as it as Western cultural imperialism? 

      Is this the same UN that wants to propose a resolution criminalising the defamation of religion especially the Islamic one and that will make it crime in all countries of world to offend or criticise any religion.

      Is this the same UN that has no concept of Freedom from Religion?

      ‘‘Human rights are not about protecting religions; human rights are to protect humans,’’ Courtney Radsch from the non-profit group Freedom House.

      Someone maybe should remind Bob Carr, Julia Gillard and the serial apologist for all things UN, Kevin Rudd that Freedom of Speech is more important then, them, the UN, religion and a spot on the Security Council.

      If these Islamic blasphemy laws are ratified, this should be a catalyst for like-minded countries that respect the values of Reason and Secular Democracy to leave the UN. If they don’t they will be helping enslaving their own people.

      Reply

    • Economist says:

      12:30pm | 25/09/12

      This photo should be for the caption comp. according to Bob Carr, “Galah enters baby shop, talks Mandarin”

      Reply

    • Babylon says:

      12:44pm | 25/09/12

      Can we afford to pay the $40 Million dollar bribe to stay on the Security Council?

      What do we know about security? I thinking Captain Emad making a joke of our Border Security. Are we planning to fight global wars like we promised we would not do after WW2 and Vietnam? I’m sick of Afghanistan and hope we’re out soon, last thing I want is our boys marking off to another foreign war.

      We are rapidly approaching $300 Billion dollar debt.

      We have a $120 Billion dollar budget deficit Black hole.

      On top of that the Gillard Government has announced it intends to spend:

      $1.3 Billion per year on Asst Child Care
      $10.5 Billion per year on NDIS
      $6.5 Billion per year on Gronski Reforms
      $1.3 Billion per year on Asylum seekers
      $35 Billion on subs
      $2.1 Billion on Nauru
      $4.o Billion on dental

      All these projects, the Gillard Government will not answer the direct question on how they are to be funded? Where is the money to come from?

      Surely no more taxes? Australians already work 6 months of the year just to pay all the direct and indirect taxation we suffer currently!

      I am serious when I say, how are we going to pay?

      Swan has had 4 budget blow outs, this last one has forced him to admit he has to re-do a Budget he only did 4 months ago!

      NBN project will now be $30.4 billion, not $27.5 billion.
      NBN operating expenditure $26.4 billion not $23.2 billion.

      With all these budget blow outs on existing projects as well… geeeez, enough is enough Mate

      Reply

    • P. Walker says:

      04:12pm | 25/09/12

      Yes Babylon, it makes me throw up to see the immense Government waste, mostly grand standing overseas for some bloody Security Council.  Security of what??

      Did every one see Four Corners last night?  This is Australia FFS, and we have poor kids aged from 8 - 12 intellectualising their plight within families at Claymore that they have no control over.  Such maturity from these tykes that it made me ashamed to have a Government like we have now.  No doubt there are other Government ignored communities like this around the country.

      We read today that Nauru has a $2M kitchen to serve up food flown in from Australia.  Remember these are people who have NEVER paid a damn cent towards Australia and when the time comes bag the hell out of us. 

      Like I stated I fear for the children in these localities that are beyond their control.

    • Achmed says:

      06:58pm | 25/09/12

      When will Abbott give us his costings??

      Repeal the Carbon"tax”.  Introduce his own taxpayer funded Direct Action Carbon Plan.
      How much will it cost taxpayers to give the polluters money out of the budget?
      How much will it cost taxpayers to police the spending of our money by the polluters? So we can be sure it is not just going to CEO bomuses or profit line.
      How will Abbott differntiate between prices rises due to the carbon “tax” and normal business cost increases?
      Will he ensure those price increases are removed?
      Will he also repeal the tax cuts and compensation currently in place because of the Carbon “tax”?
      How will he compensate companies that purchase carbon credits?
      How much will it cost taxpayers to buy back those carbon credits?
      How much will Abbotts replacement of the NBn cost? Suppose it will depend on the price of copper.
      Abbott has already said he supports the NDIS.  Has he stated how he will fund it?
      He plans to sell Medicare, shows how much he really cares about us having affordable health care
      Liberals cant whine about the cost of Narau.  They have campaigned for its re-opening since 2007.  And now it is open they whing about the cost.  Hypocritical.  It would be costing the same if Abbott was re-opening it.

    • Bris Jack says:

      02:09pm | 25/09/12

      Poor Julia, puts a damper on her swanning around NY or swooning around, the latter I fear.

      Reply

    • CJ says:

      02:13pm | 25/09/12

      “A couple of years ago I found myself in a gaggle of Washington journos whose full-time beat was the State Department. They seemed to find our bid for one of the rotating spots on the UN Security Council quaintly hilarious. That and the fact our former PM had been booted from his job by his own deputy.”

      I wonder what they made of the Bush Jr years?

      Reply

    • KimL says:

      02:25pm | 25/09/12

      People can’t help being sick, she has just lost her father, she is probably run down

      Reply

    • Karen from Qld says:

      02:39pm | 25/09/12

      Oh well another day another 40 million plus down the crapper. It’s only play money after all isn;t it???

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      04:16pm | 25/09/12

      The CEO of The Lowy Institute says that a successful bid - and he even said that an unsuccessful bid, but a worthy one - will give this country respect from other nations, and they will sit up and notice us because of our attempt at international responsibility.
      Initially, yes, I would agree that we have a nerve, but a further point is that there is nothing at stake if countries in fact ignore our bid, and for this reason, our $40 million is a waste of money.
      We are not known, internationally, for anything in particular, and that our PM gets a bellyache right when, probably, Hilary Clinton gets one in the head when Julia leans over and says ... ‘can I’ve a word, Ms. Secretary Of State ?’ was most likely the UN’s only reason for a grateful response to us.

      Reply

    • Al says:

      04:19pm | 25/09/12

      If we actualy got a member on the security council what would be their title?
      I have a few options:
      The UN security council member of Australia.
      The UN Australian security council member.
      (Reading as if written un-......... which I am sure the media would love)

      Reply

    • Alfie says:

      05:06pm | 25/09/12

      Kevin O’Lemon

    • cheap white trash says:

      04:45pm | 25/09/12

      So the UN Security Council bid is going well then….

      As one Famous Polly said “Unrepresentative swill”and that sums up th UN.

      Waste of Time,Space and Money.

      Reply

    • Jim says:

      04:57pm | 25/09/12

      Australias potential role at the table has already been tarnished. Mr Carr has already said that Australia has made deals with several current members to vote in their favor no matter what is presented. Why bother then? They are not planning on servicing the worlds interest. Every member on the Council has been targeted in a terrorist attack - why open ourselves up to that?

      Thoughts?

      Reply

    • Bear says:

      05:13pm | 25/09/12

      I don’t know why they would do it. Surely they realized it would be a HUGE deal for righty maniacs!? The UN after all is in on the tzarist-saucer people - reverse vampire-climate change-tax conspiracy!

      Reply
 
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