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The festival of insults and policy inaction

David Penberthy

by David Penberthy

17 Jul 01:43pm

Filed under: Election 2010, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott

207 comments

The 2010 election campaign is off to an inauspicious start with the first press conferences by both leaders being light on policy and strong on personal ridicule.

Head to head: Abbott and Gillard today.

Julia Gillard effectively called Tony Abbott a liar who can’t be trusted on Workchoices, or for that matter pretty much anything; Tony Abbott called Julia Gillard a political assassin who had the blood of Kevin Rudd on her hands and was now trying to hold onto power with the meaningless slogan of “Going Forward”.

Tony Abbott had started the day by trying to neutralise the negative issue of industrial relations, saying that if elected he would impose a three-year moratorium on making any changes to the existing industrial laws. His attempt to take the issue off the table and deny Labor a chance to repeat the success of its devastating negative campaign against Workchoices in 2007 was dismissed by Gillard at her press conference, who is trying to run the campaign along the theme of trust.

Using the slogan “going forward” an impressive 22 times in a half-hour press conference, Julia Gillard insisted that Tony Abbott would return Australia to the Howard era.

“Their gaze is fixed in the rear view mirror rather than on the road ahead,” she said.

“This election is about the choice as to whether we move Australia forward or go back.”

At is press conference Tony Abbott also tried to bludgeon Julia Gillard over the trust question, and to give her ownership of the mistakes Labor made while Kevin Rudd was still PM.

Predicting a “filthy campaign” Abbott then said that Gillard could not be taken on her word on anything.

“Why should people trust Labor’s 2010 promises when you couldn’t trust their 2007 promises?” he asked.

“Why should people trust Julia Gillard, when even Kevin Rudd couldn’t,” he said.

“Why should people trust a Prime Minister who can’t guarantee a full term because she can’t be sure that the factions would let her?”

So at 2.30pm on the first day of the campaign we’ve had a fair bit of name-calling and a major policy promise from the Coalition to not do anything about a major policy. As an opener, the effort from both leaders confirmed the cynical assessment of Canberra observers such as the SMH’s Phil Coorey who wrote a couple of weeks ago that the campaign would be the political version of Seinfeld, a show about nothing.

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207 comments

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    • Alex White says:

      03:20pm | 17/07/10

      Help Australia decide who should become next Prime Minister by contributing to a wiki about Tony Abbott. Australia deserves to see the real Tony Abbott: http://tonyabbottrevealed.org.au/

      Reply

    • Dave C says:

      03:53pm | 17/07/10

      So your telling us to go to a Hate Tony Abbott site, its a labour run site that pretends to be impartial. If you want to see the real Tony Abbott dont go to a partisan hate site about him run either by the Labour Party of people sympathetic to it.

    • Jane says:

      04:05pm | 17/07/10

      ...and so it begins. Dirty Labor falling over themselves to litter the web with juvenile insult and sabotage.

      “Whatever it takes” eh Alex?...in true Labor style.

      I think people have had enough of desperate, deceiving, grubby Labor stooges and footsoldiers. None can match you for filth and bottom feeding.

    • Daniel White says:

      04:09pm | 17/07/10

      As you have no desire to actually publish any truth on your pathetic website with the statement “publishers accept no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any material ” One would say that you are a pathetic smear mercant who is just one of those gutless lying trolls that use the internet for their pathetic power trips saving them from actually accomplishing anything..

      Help Australia decide, you and Conroy want to stiffle free speech by placing a filter that would only let your programme be broadcast. Decide to support the censorship and the stiffling of free speech by supporting Gillard.  You are a pathetic enabler of the most corrupt regime in Australia. I hope you are severely disappointed on the 22nd of August, because you want to censor the net and make Australia a Socialist country that controls its net and the freedoms of its population.

      I hope you fail, because when you fail Alex, Australia will be a better place.

    • Fog Badger says:

      05:07pm | 17/07/10

      Ah, yes, Alex White. The old play-the-man tactic plus say-it-again-until-it-becomes-fact… What utter rubbish.

    • Super D says:

      05:23pm | 17/07/10

      Hey Alex did you use to call yourself Persephone?

    • Aitch B says:

      05:29pm | 17/07/10

      The ‘real Tony Abbott’, Alex?

      Hardly. It’s just a hate filled blog full of rubbish posed by rusted on ALP supporters.

      So when are the people posting there going to do the same on Gillard?

      Never, I suspect…........

    • MarK says:

      05:30pm | 17/07/10

      Nice party site for the Laborites.

      Have fun there.

    • Super D says:

      05:30pm | 17/07/10

      Hey Alex, maybe you should link to this website too.

      http://alexwhite.org/

      I’m assuming you are the same Alex White that describes himself as “a campaigns and communications professional working in the trade union movement”

    • Ben81 says:

      06:14pm | 17/07/10

      Typical, I only had to look at that for 3 seconds before I saw a reference to “working families” and a lie before closing the tab.
      Yes i’m sure that site won’t make people stupider at all…

    • Alex White says:

      06:42pm | 17/07/10

      The site is not affiliated to Labor at all, and I encourage you to leave comments or contribute.

    • Janine says:

      06:51pm | 17/07/10

      Would you perhaps be the A White that runs and manages the pile of excrement that is the Tony Abbott Revealed site? 
      Even though the aforementioned pile of excriment states that it is not affiliated with a political party, your rantings on your personal blog tend to be very much orientated towards Labor worship.

      ” All official content authorised by A White, Fairfield VIC 3078.”

    • Cassie says:

      06:52pm | 17/07/10

      Ah yes Alex White, the overweight(ironically) union member that supports Labor’s filter policy, hate to break it to you but it’s guys like you deserve to be banned from using the internet

    • Jane says:

      06:55pm | 17/07/10

      Bwahahhaa Super D - busted

      GOLD smile

      What a stooge

    • Aikon says:

      07:57pm | 17/07/10

      And Mr White, how is that garbage ‘Moving Forward’?  Labor and its faceless union puppets are treating the voting population as fools. Do you really think people will forget the waste, lies and gross incompetence your mob have delivered over the last three years? Get a grip Mr White, Labor and it’s union puppets do not deserve another term, despite thier obvious sense of entitlement, enough damage has been done stooge.

    • jb says:

      09:09pm | 17/07/10

      You are really pathetic, is this the example you wish to portray to our children on how behave as adults?
      All I have seen from any of your school yard bullying campaigns has been pure unadulterated lies!
      As the old slogan goes, never trust a lawyer!
      Well lets add to that, Never trust a smiling assassin lawyer…

    • Brad of Bentleigh says:

      08:20am | 18/07/10

      I didn’t imagine that in your ca[pacity as “Communications and Campaigns Coordinator at NTEU”, Alexander, that you were required to campaign on behalf of the ALP.
      No wonder Julia Gillard refused to rule out running a dirty campaign.

      This sort of thing will back fire on you.

      Does it break AEC rules for an ALP member to run a political disinformation site in an election campaign?

    • A Classic Western says:

      08:28am | 18/07/10

      Mmm,never heard of alex white,,Western Australia,,Alex,,you and I both know this is the Sword of Damocles and regardles how you spin it Labor are despised in the west,the mining tax is purely a bonus and the fact that the Puppet has red hair and a token gender based cynical placement shows you to be a spinner of bull…t. Post here what you think will resonate with voters in the west,voters who reject unions,voters used to taking their future in their own hands,making decisions themselves without needing to be told how to think or vote,you see alex, what you cant change is the culture,WA voters cant be intimidated,which has always worried the little union bosses and it is apparent you have not considered the eclectic nature of western voters and it will be the end of Labor this term and there is absolutely you can do to change it,Spin away alex, no ones listening

    • shane says:

      09:04am | 18/07/10

      Agreed. The weighting if liberal comments is substantial. They’re all lying hypocrites anyway. Both the politicians and the party hacks on this site.

    • brenton says:

      09:43am | 18/07/10

      I’d rather vote for someone who does what he says, and with conviction, versus an incompetent non-achiever like Gillard who will say/do anything to be elected.  She has already proven herself many times over to be a failure.

    • Mayday says:

      09:59am | 18/07/10

      How the Left love to Hate!

    • lee says:

      10:07am | 18/07/10

      I’m a swinging voter and all this site has reinforced is how low the Labor party supporters will go to have their party stay in power.  It is about serving themselves and not serve the country.  This disgusting site will now push me to vote Liberal.

    • macca says:

      10:52am | 18/07/10

      hahah, Alex White, the internet is a wonderful thing, and you’ve been completely found out. such a hack

    • Joan says:

      12:17pm | 18/07/10

      Jools can’t do any better than get a rent a thug crowd -  I hate Tony Abbott rally visible on TV news yesterday. While a Mums and Dads crowd with home made signs were out in for force for Rudd, Jools had her ugly-faced anti Abbott thugs and bullies out in force toting Labor party anti- Abbott placards - no muns and dads to be seen.

    • Richie says:

      02:39pm | 18/07/10

      Well I followed the link and what’s the first thing I see - Working Families. Alex White, I am on a “working families” diet. Everytime I read the phrase I vomit. Lost ten kilo’s in the last week! Oops here I go again - excuse me.

    • Chris L says:

      04:44pm | 18/07/10

      I only went to the front page of this link, and while the comments about Abbott’s “achievements” in his portfolio were correct, this is a rather juevenile way to campaign. Labor should be telling us what they intend to do, and how they intend to do it. It would be good if Liberal did this as well. At the moment I’m looking for alternatives (such as LDP).

    • Alex White says:

      05:59pm | 18/07/10

      Hmmm… my comment didn’t get published yesterday.

      Thanks to everyone who’s replied to my comment.

      Given that I’ve written about my involvement with TonyAbbottRevealed.org.au on my blog: http://alexwhite.org/2010/07/election-diary-day-1/ I hardly think it’s a secret.

      The union I work for is not affiliated to any political party, and certainly is not affiliated to the ALP. The site is not paid for by any political party, but from my own pocket.

      All the site does it put Tony Abbott’s own words on the internet. Visitors such as your good selves are free to make up your own mind.

      Cheers
      Alex

    • Scot says:

      09:34pm | 18/07/10

      Alex what a sick puppy you are. I am not voting for Labor because the voters do not control who is PM when they are in power now it is the NSW, Vic and SA fraction, juts like they have done in NSW for the past 15 years and turned us into a third world state. The gang of four stabbed Rudd in the back and threw him out after he had been put their by us voters. I am fed up with these dirty politics from the Labor party.

    • Dallas Beaufort says:

      10:59pm | 18/07/10

      ” Future Proof ” is a misleading bait labor and the Greens would be proud of, Alex White! Lets see if these switches fool the electors this time or we wake up to the contempt being dished out.

    • Scot says:

      11:34am | 19/07/10

      I am not voting for a caretaker Labor Prime Minister that stabbed in the back the PM that we voted for. The Gang of Four and the faceless men of Labor NSW, Vic and SA. What guarantee do we have that these men will not do the same thing again when they if they do not like any Labor PM. Just like they have done in NSW over 15 years and destroyed NSW into a third world country.

    • DC says:

      02:01pm | 19/07/10

      @Dave C and Jane:  The Liberals have run websites like this for quite a few years.  In particular, I tracked one such site - an anti-Anna Bligh website from a few years ago - to a Web Designer who had links to the South Australian Liberal Party.

      There was also a website about Kevin Rudd from someone who I presume to be a Liberal supporter (or politician).

      Fact is, both sides do it.

      The reality is that as long as the information contained on the website- if it’s the truth featured on the website, why should it matter?

      Is it any different whether a website says that a politician claims such and such or whether those words come directly from a politician?

      Or a comment on a blog stating “Dirty Labor falling over themselves to litter the web with juvenile insult and sabotage.”

      No.

    • DC says:

      02:17pm | 19/07/10

      Plenty of people are bagging the website and accusing it of being all lies.

      Perhaps they could state exactly what the lies are on the site?

      I’ve only had a look at one of the links on the site (Working Families), but it seems to be accurate with what Tony Abbott himself has said.

      In regards to the Work Choices comment, Tony Abbott has himself stated (along with Bishop, Hockey, Abetz and Billson) that they wanted to bring back individual work place agreements, and also to rid the “unfair dismissal monkey” of the backs of small business.

      As even the brain dead know, they were two key components of Work Choices.

      Looking at the three articles on the Working Families page, they all contain quotes from Tony Abbott that are true, and there are also links to the original quotes, either on websites, or references to the book Battlelines (which I own a copy of).

      If you have information that proves that they are false, I’d certainly like to see it.

      If not, why are you complaining?

    • Mikeymike says:

      03:27pm | 19/07/10

      “The site is not affiliated to Labor at all, and I encourage you to leave comments or contribute.”
      Sure.
      See, you would like us to think that you’re just an ordinary citizen, doing your thing for freedom of speech.  But no, you’re a union hack.  And of course, unions are the place to go to get impartial political commentary.  Tell you what.  Give us a link of the last time you posted a favourable comment regarding the Liberal party.

      And later:
      “Given that I’ve written about my involvement with TonyAbbottRevealed.org.au on my blog: http://alexwhite.org/2010/07/election-diary-day-1/ I hardly think it’s a secret.”

      Gee whiz Alex, I guess you really did cover yourself there!  Stupid us for not searching first! 

      I wrote it down on a piece of paper and stuck it under a rock.  There you go!  Full disclosure!

      “All the site does it put Tony Abbott’s own words on the internet. Visitors such as your good selves are free to make up your own mind.”

      Are you suggesting for one second that your site is impartial and balanced?!?  You’ll present one side and tell us to “Make up your own mind.” 

      Thanks Alex.  This is why I don’t trust Labor.  Or unions.

    • Ryan says:

      06:22pm | 19/07/10

      @Alex White: I opened the front page, only to be confronted by a hate website that promotes hate towards surf lifesavers in Australia.
      I guess its funny to make fun of surf lifesavers for your own political needs hey Alex, hell lets make fun of our police men and women, our firefighters also.
      I personally think its sick that someone can think its acceptable in Australia to have a go at those who dedicate their free time for nothing to save your life.

    • PeterD says:

      03:21pm | 17/07/10

      Julia Gillards speech was the best laugh I’ve had in a long time…...Surely I’m not the only one who thought she sounded and looked like a complete idiot parroting “moving forward”. When questioned about what her 3 main priorities were for her Government, the 3rd one was lone behold “moving forward!” I almost spat my teeth out laughing, after the amount of times she used it in her speech I thought surely we’re done now with “moving forward” nup!

      Reply

    • Dawson says:

      05:01pm | 17/07/10

      I disagree. What you’re translating has her being a “complete idiot parroting”, I saw more as Ms Gillard reinforcing her campaign slogan, making sure that people remembered it. Think about it - if she hadn’t used the term twenty-two times throughout the speech and instead used it just once, would anybody really remember it? Honestly, no. It’s advertising, that’s all it is. She used the term numerous times in the same way that TV ads are used several times throughout the show. I think that her repetition of the phrase shows her high level of intelligence and, most of all, her devotion to her campaign and to her beliefs.

    • Andy D says:

      05:11pm | 17/07/10

      One of the best questions from the press conference today was “If you lose the election will you be moving forward to the back bench”? Pure comedy gold. I’m guessing the journalist who asked that won’t be getting a Christmas card from Gillard this year.

    • Jane says:

      07:00pm | 17/07/10

      Dawson..”.reinforcing her campaign slogan”......yeah, like 29 times!!!

      OMG it was cringeworthy….and so amateur.
      Most agreed, it was a lost opportunity and a pretty poor performance from Gillard.
      When she mentioned ‘trust’ I almost PMSL…...I’m sure she means the same ‘trust’ that poor ol’ Kev copped a decent serving of.

      ‘Moooving forward’....hahha yeah…because looking back is pretty scary eh?

    • Jane the elder says:

      12:35am | 18/07/10

      We had one counting the “Forwards” and the other doing countdowns on the number of seconds it would take for the robotic head swing to stare directly into the camera in reply to a question.

      Perhaps the journos could be prevailed upon to put their questions on an auto cue, it would be easier on Joolyas neck and she wouldn’t have to acknowledge the people at all.

    • Jane says:

      09:28am | 18/07/10

      Elder Jane…it really was a joke..so scripted and FAKE. The robotic head turn complete with shark eyes.

      Maybe Labor have really just resurrected the mechanical ‘Jaws’ prop bought cheap from the ‘77 movie set….a white pointer (complete with stringed attachment and manipulation from the union backroom boys) with a wig!......

      ...Anyone see desperate Swan on Today this morning with Oakes?...pleading and desperately trying to adher to “make it between Gillard and Abbott”....and other simplistic, cliched and jingoistic scripted ‘must says’....hahaha
      If Rudd was a ‘b’ grade actor, Swan must be an ‘f’ and should never have been given a speaking part.
      The comedy aspect was promising however.

      This is going to be good..it’s Labor’s to lose.

    • brenton says:

      09:52am | 18/07/10

      I had the fun of listening to everyone’s commentary yesterday on the radio as I was traveling for 10 hours in the car.  Julia’s speech was terrible, or disappointing at best.  Abbott’s was better, but not great either.  Julia’s endless “I believes” and “moving forwards” was extremely empty, not inspirational and not statesmanlike, as I think a leader should be.  I hope voters are using their ears as well as their eyes in this campaign.

    • CynicalGoat WA says:

      10:56am | 18/07/10

      Patricia Karvalis from the Oz I’m pretty sure was the purveyor of that piece of journo gold Andy.  She should have actually directed the question at Government House where I’m sure Bill Shorten was having a cuppa with the mother-in-law when Kath and Kims voice coach popped in for the “Unelected Women’s” love in.
      Shorten, Arbib and Howes will be the one’s who decide who occupies the opposition front benches from August 23 onwards. Mind you it guarantees that Kev won’t be the shadow minister for Jack 5hit with those clowns running the show.

    • matilda says:

      01:01pm | 18/07/10

      The slogans have started. “Moving forward” will be the oft-used slogan by the Gillard govt during this very short election campaign. Moving forward to what? Moving forward to a world where shopkeepers cannot employ school students after school for anything less than 3 hours per shift due to the governments ideologically blinkered modern awards? Many schools finish at 3 or 3.30pm – most shops close at 5.30pm. Moving forward to increased industrial disputation? The numbers don’t lie – 11,300 working days were lost to industrial disputation in the September quarter 2007 – moving forward to the September quarter 2009 we find 29,300 working days were lost due to industrial disputation. Moving forward indeed!

    • DC says:

      02:51pm | 19/07/10

      Tony Abbott has been reinforcing his own slogans, despite his claim that he wouldn’t have any slogans.

      “Work Choices is dead”, “Work Choices is buried”, “Work Choices is cremated”.

      If only it was true.

      Abbott has been harping on for the past 9 months that he would go to the election with a clear policy on work place reform, and now he says that he won’t?  And that we should trust him?  That there will be no changes - only tweaks?

      What a load of BS - watch his body language in any interview - he doesn’t even believe it.

      Abbott can’t even read from the script properly - he gets flustered, refuses to answer questions and says one thing in one interview and something completely different.  Lie after lie after lie after lie.

      Tony Abbott is a renowned liar - the only people who believe him are the Liberal Party supporters because they *have* to believe him.

      Talk about blind faith.

    • Peter Oataway, Hay, NSW says:

      03:54pm | 17/07/10

      Biggest insult is that the voters of 2007 watched their favorite much loved Channell 7 “Sunrise” politicians (Rudd & Hockey) pulled down by the now better resourced Channel 9 “Today Show” politicians (Gillard & Abbott)..this is more of a TV ratings battle than an election.

      Reply

    • Professor Ceril Hardpipes says:

      03:55pm | 17/07/10

      Moving forward

      Reply

    • Polywatcher says:

      08:34am | 18/07/10

      If I hear those two words, “Moving Forward” again I will be turning off the TV and radio and will ignore any printed matter that mentions the words.  “Moving Forward”  literally has a turn off factor, but dont tell Labor. There are certain funeral advertisments running on TV at the moment. I cant grab the remote control quick enough to hit the mute button. This is what will happen with “Moving Forward”.

    • Jane says:

      02:18pm | 18/07/10

      She’s deliberately cut the ‘slogan’ out now by the sounds…again, proving that anything Labor does is populist and poll driven…...embarrassed by the whole farce of it.

      I note she’s happy to put the ‘moving forwards’ sentiment on the backburner at whim though….when she chooses to hark ‘back’ to certain Coalition ‘doings’ that suit…...but anything negative re Labor in the past…OFF LIMITS..hahhaa
      No such luck Hoolia…...there’s a plethora of damning ‘looking backwards’ stuff that are extremely relevant and that you will not bully into hiding.

      I love the regional cities suck job…..admitting that STATE Labor governments have failed in their duty of care for infrastructure and housing…...by by-passing then in favour of councils…..hahahaa
      ...also note she ignored the question that the funds were already available and this announcement was just a repackaging of that same thing. Deceitful, lying Labor…led dutifully by Judas Gillard.

    • WayneT says:

      09:19pm | 18/07/10

      Such irony in that ‘Moving Forward’.  Labor have put this country so far back that there is only one way it can go now - forward.

    • DC says:

      03:31pm | 19/07/10

      @WayneT:  And Abbott will move it even further back.

      @Jane:  And you think Abbott is any different about being driven by Polls?  How do you explain his backflips on work place reform?

      For the past 9 months, Tony Abbott and the Liberals have promised to go to an election based on work place reform - specifically, bringing back individual contracts and getting rid of the unfair dismissal “monkey”.

      This was a message repeated by Joe Hockey, Julie Bishop, Bruce Billson and Eric Abetz.

      Suddenly, on Saturday, Abbott through all those promises out the window.

      He’s either been lying to small business for the past 9 months, or he’s lying to the Australian electorate right now.

      Which is it?  And can he be trusted?  No chance.

      Tony Abbott is as trustworthy as a used car salesman who’d sell his own mother to the highest bidder.

    • Gregg says:

      08:51pm | 18/07/10

      I’d reckon it’s beyond their technological understanding Dan or at least that of Julia’s for Tony I suppose does have some seeing as he rides a bike and that’s a good start for the zero emissions report is full of holes.
      It probably suits Labor and the Greens for they have had and continue to have policies and promises full of holes.
      When we have to resort to solar base loading, we’ll be making do with a lot less power than we have now and bike riding and budgie smugglers will be more the way forward than we can appreciate.

    • Moving Forward While Bogged says:

      03:58pm | 17/07/10

      Hmmmm so Labor strategists are concerned that had Julia waited any longer to call an election, her popularity may slip further.

      If they are worried about a few more months, then I’m sure voters should be extremely worried about the next three years!!

      What other surprises are just around the corner Jools??  Why the rush?  Your former boss in Victoria (Brumby) wasn’t elected by voters either yet he’s had 3 years in power!!  Not to forget NSW either.  Don’t treat us like fools.

      Reply

    • iansand says:

      03:59pm | 17/07/10

      I am now sure of one thing.  Ms Gillard can say “going forward”.

      Reply

    • Dave C says:

      03:59pm | 17/07/10

      Honestly this is going to be the biggest load of crap of an election for a long time. Lets look at at labour for a start,

      People are not voting for Labour for a number of reasons, maybe because of the Mining tax or the 1/2 arsed backdown on maybe the fudged treasury numbers as a result. Or maybe the ETS backdown? or the way Rudd was deposed? especially by the lovely NSW Right power brokers or is it the fact that Gillard is operating on 100% spin using the expression “moving Forward” 217,000 times during the campaign because the focus groups like the message as well doing backflips and backdowns saying anything to hose down any controversial issues. Even though thats exactly what Rudd was doing and was critised for before he was deposed by Gillard.

      Not that the Libs are much better, they are playing spin politics and trying to out stunt Labour when they can. I genuinely liked Abbott because I thought he actually stood for something and didnt speak without asking a focus group what he should say. Or at least I thought that of Abbott, the fact is the Libs are now just as bad at this focus group driven slogan spin bullshit that Rudd governed by and now Gillard has governed by. Whoever wins at least I hope they can govern with some actual vision and slow down the process, tell the focus groups to piss off and actually use what they believe in a basis for policy and not what the opinion poll focus groups tell them. You may have hated Howard for the pacific solution but at least you knew it was his policy and he believed in it, not the half arsed East Timor policy where the East Timor Govt wasnt even consulted.

      My prediction is Labour will win by about 4-6 seats. They will smear Abbott from start to finish (based on what the focus groups tell them what they dont like about Abbott) and allege that Abbott cant be trusted and the media and voters will buy it. Abbott will F#&K up and say something totally correct but Non PC like a child is better off with a married hetrosexual couple as parents and this will cause Labour to say hes stuck in the 50’s and again the media and voters will like it.

      Reply

    • Evan Findlay says:

      06:56pm | 17/07/10

      Dave,
      It’s going to be a long election campaign without having to continually correct the spelling of people like yourself. It’s LABOR not Labour! At least get the spelling right, if nothing else.

    • Rob r Charteris says:

      09:23pm | 17/07/10

      Have you seen the latest liberal originality…. like the new english PM he got a contract for the Australian people… actually an Action contract. This guy Abbott is a boofhead, he is so original he has to pull out old howard policies… Julia is going to wipe the floor with this inbred git

    • MarK says:

      12:47am | 18/07/10

      inbred?

      Wow you really need to calm down mate. You are going to bust a boiler before this over because it will look messy for you trust me.

    • Rob r Charteris says:

      08:09am | 18/07/10

      MarK says:12:47am; If I was an inbred git I would be offended too, sorry to offend you by putting you in the same basket son

    • Dave C says:

      10:39am | 18/07/10

      Thank you for the corrections of spelling and grammar. You are correct.

    • macca says:

      10:56am | 18/07/10

      @Rob, and Gillard is so original she copied Howard’s Boat People policy? and Rudd copied Howard’s ETS and Tax policies at the previous election?

      The most original thing the Labor government has produced in the past 3 years has been the RSPT, and look how that finished. Other nominations for most orignal Labor policies include the roof insulation scheme and Gillard’s million dollar BBQ sheds

    • tim says:

      11:09am | 18/07/10

      I have been reading these blogs for a while and I can say that Rob R Charteris, Persephone and T Chong are completely biased and no one in their right mind should listen to anything they say.

    • bf says:

      11:19am | 18/07/10

      I disagree.  I think the Libs will close the gap as the election draws nearer, but not enough for a majority.  Gillard is yet to be fully interrogated by the media and/or public, but her time has come.  The Libs will fall short of a majority, but it will come down to a few seats that matter - the marginals.  Who knows, we may get a hung parliament?  It will only take 250,000 - 300,000 voters to shift their votes nationally, based on the latest poll of 800!! - to have a 50:50 two party preferred split.

    • elhombre says:

      06:15pm | 18/07/10

      Evan, dropping a single vowel doesn’t stop making the federal labour party the political arm of the ALP. 70% of the front bench of this appalling government are ex union slugs, so I for one will always spell it “Labour”

    • Evan Findlay says:

      08:25pm | 18/07/10

      Elhombre,
      That says more about your intellect than anything else. How do you expect people to take you seriously when you are too lazy to bother to correct your spelling. It seems to be a common trait among the conservative voter…..laziness.

    • Against the Man says:

      04:22pm | 17/07/10

      Her speech was all BS; she is the real liar. Noticed how she answered around the hard questions instead of actually answering them, This Labor government has failed and the next one if elected will fail as well. Think about how much this Labor government has cost you the average Australian. Time for change!!!!!!

      Reply

    • Rob r Charteris says:

      10:00pm | 17/07/10

      Against the Man says:04:22pm “Think about how much this Labor government has cost you the average Australian” so how much has this government cost you? got and average dollar count??? I bet not full of BS as usual

    • Against the Man says:

      08:03am | 18/07/10

      Well Rob taken into account national debt, increase utility costs and private health insurance (which should never have risen if kev o7 invested in them as advised) alone would have cost an increase in five grand in the last 3 years. Now in the near future the extra layer added to health care plus the states having to pick up any additional costs over their 40% in health, I’d say there is going to be a tax hike in some form. I feel sorry for the labor supporters who blindly support their party that is costing them money. Health care is a failure and a money machine because the minister for health doesn’t know what she is doing. And by the way Rob do you have a job? The reason I ask is because any working Australian who pays bills must know we are in hard times. Sunday Telegraph last week shows people are spending less, even eating 2 basic meals a day to pay the mortgage. Wake up dude!

    • Rob r Charteris says:

      01:38pm | 18/07/10

      Against the Man says:08:03am; Like I thought all BS, maybe you should wake up!!! Health Care or private health care was rising long before Kev arrived at the lodge. You and every other sniveling lib are dyed from the same cast as Bush’s middle america. You obviously cant answer an honest question you must have a bit of the Baloney from Tony eh’ lol

    • Jason CR says:

      03:01pm | 18/07/10

      Rob
      What happened to Labor’s 2007 election policy on keeping a lid on rising house prices and rental affordability? 

      Your housing spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek said the coalition had no policy to solve the housing affordability crisis.

      A Labor government would deliver real solutions on the issue, she said, centred around a $603 million rental affordability scheme. She continued on with.

      We won’t increase the first home buyers grant at any stage as it tends to only raise prices.  Your mob duly doubled the grant and a spike occurred overnight.  Then a relaxation on foreign investment allowed a splurge of overseas investors bumping up housing prices again!!!

      Melbourne median house price has risen by 28% in the last year alone, yet wages haven’t grown and we’ve had a GFC apparently!

      That’s where the increase is.  Rents have gone through the roof to a stage where real estate agents are having mini auctions for rental properties.

      I have no idea how young couples can possibly save for their first home.  Oh maybe that’s what Julia means with population sustainability….push the house prices up further and our young couples wont be able to have a family. 

      You did ask Rob.

    • Against the Man says:

      09:24pm | 18/07/10

      Nice angry answer Rob with the classic Gillard avoidance of the main issue which was the promise for the Commonwealth to take over health. What is this 60/40 spilt nonsense? Adding another layer and sure Labor can boast about spending more money but is it getting results or paying more people to do paperwork? Where in the budget is there an allocation of $300 million for training of the 200% increase in medical graduates And the MyHospital issue, has it been fine tuned or is this another rush Labor release to point fingers rather then offer solutions? Oh what about all those Superclinics that were supposed to open?

      And have you forgotten Mr Rudd? Where is he Rob? Where is he?

    • Rob r Charteris says:

      04:25pm | 17/07/10

      A least Julia puts in a effort to promote australia into the future. Out of both speeches Julia has a plan and she pointed out what Abbott was and was right on the money, Most of if not all Abbott speech was about himself, denial and negativity and mocking. He looked like a rabbit stuck in headlights. Abbott offered nothing new, repeats crap from a by gone error. The problem for Abbott will is that he wont be able to change from attack dog to election campaign dog, and like the old saying goes You Cant Teach An Old Dog New Tricks…. that’s because the Abbott is an old dog.

      Reply

    • Ben81 says:

      06:38pm | 17/07/10

      Generic, empty and predictable post as always, Rob.

    • Super D says:

      06:39pm | 17/07/10

      Moving Forward sure sounded like a good plan to me.

    • Gorgonzola says:

      07:25pm | 17/07/10

      Please,spare us your spin rob,all the topline bloggers have read this mob like a book,and have assessed accurately the fate of this crowd,defeat is hard,but you will be allright,even though you will be smashed,its not the policies that will decide this election,it is a comprehensive disgust the libs and the greens,independents and the disenfranchised feel towards these poor salesmen selling poor policies, and taking no responsibility,,,say one thing and do nothing,truly a dud govt,and here is a sting,I am a Master builder,,,Building BER,and coping it sweet,thanks Labor,but no vote,

    • Rob r Charteris says:

      09:51pm | 17/07/10

      Good to see the usual snivelling lib’s Ben81 says:06:38pm and Gorgonzola says:07:25pm feeling sorry for themselves, even if they’re more than slightly delusional. Poor didums…. Gorgonzola I’m very much looking forward to election day ; )

    • Philip Crowley says:

      11:52pm | 17/07/10

      Charteris, you are a particularly bitter and twisted piece of work. I abhor ad hominem attacks, however in your case I’d make an exception. I base that decision on the fact you are incapable of anything but such attacks.

    • MarK says:

      12:45am | 18/07/10

      Moving forward….hope and change…..yeh awesome stuff.

      Oh Rob let us remember what we are moving forward from. Three years of Gillard as deputy PM, of her in the gang of 4, of her in a government that in her own words had lost its way.

      Now let us see what has changed in three weeks.

      She backdowns and backflips to the “evil” miners. You know those foreigners stealing our stuff. She then gets the treasurer to lie about it. True cost 7.5 billion not 1.5 as claimed and all to get an “election issue” off the table. Gutless and inept. She leaves small business out of the discussions angering them. Awesome stuff.

      Moving right along in her tick and flick we hear we are going to build off shore processing centers in East Timor in a “lurch to the right”. But wait….. East Timor was not asked. Nor was PNG as the OMFG fix this quick place. In fact we have no place to send them except Nauru. HAHAHAHAHA.

      So that is it. The sum of moving forward.

      Let go of the hate Rob. You can justify voting for Tony by having the comforting thought he could not be worse anyway.

      Moving forward from Rudd incompetence to Gillard incompetence doesn’t seem that smart does it?

      Same horse different jockey.

      She is gone.

    • TimB says:

      03:29am | 18/07/10

      What effort? What plan? Telling us we’re “moving forward” is just empty rubbish. A plan needs something called “details” for it to work.  And judging by Labor’s track record they arent too good with details. Whenever they reveal them they end up being wrong.

      As for a bygone Era…I’d LOVE for Abbott to take us back to the last Coalition period. Policies worked. Things got done. Money was saved, not wasted. People wern’t KILLED by poorly thought out government programs.

      Going backwards seems like a great idea to me. Why is backwards such a bad direction?  Sometimes moving forward just sends you over the cliff.

      BTW Rob I’ll take a “snivelling Lib” who actually is capable of logical thought over a “snivelling Labor drone” such as yourself who’s posts consist of nothing more than empty one-eyed spin and lazy insults.

      You never answered my challenge from a few weeks ago either. What will you do if Labor lose the election? Will you man up here and admit how wrong you were? Will you whine and invent a conspiracy theory? Or will you do a Persephone and disappear without a trace?

    • Rob r Charteris says:

      08:02am | 18/07/10

      Philip Crowley says:11:52pm like your buddy MarKette your are a giggle

    • Rob r Charteris says:

      08:19am | 18/07/10

      MarK says:12:45am; and you reckon I’m going to burst my boiler lololol your a giggle, better be careful there those knicker bockers they’ll get twisted and you’ll start sounding like Nana Mouskouri

    • Joan says:

      01:40pm | 18/07/10

      How about focusing on Julia saying that Labor has lost its way, how about Julia wandering around Australia for past 2 weeks looking for a way out of the stew she helped to make and how about focusing on the big L plate hanging from her neck as she assures Australians she is learning from her mistakes. Julia Gillard is the big mistake, no matter how much botox or red hair colour she uses to dolly up and no matter how much bleach she uses to clean up after ousting Rudd, Gillard is the big mistake. Thugs and bullies carrying antiAbbot placards are her supporter base for all to see yesterday TV news- not one mum and dad in sight.

    • Rob r Charteris says:

      01:43pm | 18/07/10

      TimB says:03:29am; LOL is that the best you can do??? whinge whinge and more whinge…. btw challenge, boy to got me scared now lol. Your obviously a bit thin skinned poor didums.

    • jpk says:

      02:27pm | 18/07/10

      Which Labor Faction are you paid by?

    • Jane says:

      02:36pm | 18/07/10

      You can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ Rob? Really?...Labor might disagree with you there..seems they’ve got an old red b*tch who has performed extraordinary ( if ill executed) backflips to try and prove the tricks of old never even existed, let alone the new ones they are attempting!!! :o

    • Jason CR says:

      05:55pm | 18/07/10

      Rob, what does lololol mean?  You use it quite a bit.
      Oh don’t worry I just googled it…it’s used by teenagers on MSN and in texts.  Cheers.

    • TrueOz says:

      07:20pm | 18/07/10

      Joolya has one plan only - getting elected.

    • TimB says:

      08:52pm | 18/07/10

      @Rob
      The only thing I’m worried about is if the majority of the voting population is as moronic as you. No wonder the country is going down the toilet.
      Any chance you might learn to communicate properly sometime soon? Most of us intelligent people here are having trouble deciphering the unintelligible babble that infests your posts.
      It’s called vocabulary and grammar. Please do not post on the Punch again until you have something of substance to share with us.

    • Another con job says:

      04:37pm | 17/07/10

      If we can all move forward from moving forward we can make some progress in moving forward,Working families are working,they know this because they move forward by working,, they are working families,,for the families not working,thus not being a working family,, there is hope,they can move forward by working and becoming a working family moving forward

      Reply

    • Alice says:

      10:23pm | 17/07/10

      Can I say this to this great nation, this very great nation.  Can I say that all my life, my life as the daughter of immigrant parents, I have always moved forward, as moving forward is where I wish to see all Australians move. 

      Can I also say (Bill, are you there Bill Shorten, can I say this?) that there is only one occasion in my entire life when I believed it to be necessary that anything should ever, ever move backwards. 

      This was just three short(en)  weeks ago, when I and my union heavy advisors moved backwards my senior colleague and the elected Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. Kevin Rudd MP. 

      Yes, can I also say that if I had not moved Kevin backwards I would never have gone so far forward myself.

    • jb says:

      04:41pm | 17/07/10

      Thats too funny, I was just watching some Labor pundit on sky saying Tony A can’t be disassociated from the Howard Govt… sorry just have to get back of the ground just laughed myself of the chair.
      You are kidding right, how about your smiling Assassin being dissociated from Rudd, she came up with half the policies and never once advised him to the contrary, oh except to dump the ETS!
      All the troubles of the current labor govt have her ink all over them and yeah Australia, lets take a leaf from Gillard and move forward because if we go back to a Labor govt we are in all sorts of trouble, the only industry not in recession in the country is the mining sector so if they go we all go!
      Great slogan by labor too by the way, move forward well all they talk about is perceived problems from a govt in power a decade ago, how is THAT moving forward.
      Oh and a govt that left them with a bucket load of cash to spend on the GFC bailout! Wheres the thanks for that Gillard???
      Time to move forward alright, its time for the coalition to get us back on track!

      Reply

    • Rob r Charteris says:

      09:06pm | 17/07/10

      jb says:04:41pm; well you know it’s always easy to make the simpletons laugh and snivelling libs too, they’re very simple. All they along with abbott can do is look to the past, He sure is Howard’s love child, that’s about the only thing he has got right. I love the fact he is opposition leader, it’s Labor best asset!!!!

    • iansand says:

      09:35pm | 17/07/10

      Rob r Charteris - That is unfair.  Bronny was also in the parenting mix.

    • Louisa says:

      11:18pm | 17/07/10

      Rob r Charteris - I guess that you have to purchase a fairly large shoulder pad?  Who sells them Big W, Target ??

    • BobM says:

      02:39pm | 18/07/10

      How’s the sit down money going Rob?  You seem to have plenty of time to write your rubbish.

    • Peter from rural NSW says:

      05:28pm | 17/07/10

      Do you lot want a Opposition leader who cant tell the trusth,who stuffed up our hospital system when he was Minister for Health,stuffed up the Education portfolio,states thatWork Choices is dead…Mr Howard said that the GST was gone to,BUT what happened…...
      You people want a man who hasnt a clue what he wants to do and tells lies all the time,you also want a bloke who will take us back tothe dark ages…...blimey you people are idiots..pure and simple.
      Why not let a woman run the countrty.A woman ran New Zealand qyuite successfully for many years as did a woman in UK for many years,so I recon that you have all got rocks in your head to vote for Mr.Abbott..No policies,nowhere to go and just marking time

      Reply

    • Jason CR says:

      06:51pm | 17/07/10

      Lets have someone who has stuffed up our hosital systems even more and has totally stuffed up education.  You’re right I’ll take the opposition thanks.
      Kirner ran Victoria, Nixon ran the police force….need I say more?

      GST was taken to an election and the voters decided you twit. 

      If we’re bringing up past leaders, lets talk about the recession we HAD to have.  If we have to have them, why are Labor now bragging that they saved us from one recently???  Confused hmmm   No child will live in poverty by 1996 *yawn*
      I have no ambition to knife Rudd…..

    • Just Sayin' says:

      06:59pm | 17/07/10

      If you still haven’t worked out that people look like idiots when they parrot that line about the GST, you’ll probably never work it out, so I’m not going to bother explaining it.  You can just keep on looking stupid while the people around you give each other a knowing glance or nod and continue discussing things that are probably far too difficult for you to understand.  Make yourself useful and get me a beer.

    • V says:

      08:16pm | 17/07/10

      “A woman ran New Zealand qyuite successfully for many years”
      - You should probably check on the details on that one.
      i.e massive increases in government spending with little to show for it in terms of results. Sound familiar?

    • Jane the elder says:

      12:45am | 18/07/10

      What planet are you from?

      “A woman ran New Zealand qyuite successfully for many years” - almost into the ground!

      We were in NZ the day after the election.  The euphoria and sense of relief that she was gone were palpable.  Don’t even think about trying to spout that sort of pfaff in NZ…..

      In terms of no policies - ahem, policies that lead us into borrowing $100 million per day? Start counting precious - it ALL has to be paid back and the government doesn’t generate money, it’s us producers and working families moving forward into huge financial strife.

    • Jane the elder says:

      12:50am | 18/07/10

      Oops, I forgot to mention.

      Helen Clarke - Labor PM, ran NZ into the ground

      Maggie Thatcher - conservative PM - drageed the UK out of the Labor/Union inspired muck.

      Wrong analogy precious.

    • Super D says:

      05:28pm | 17/07/10

      While the ALP and the unions may be able to mount an effective scare campaign on workchoices there is absolutely no chance it can be reintroduced.  Well maybe not no chance, the Greens may well let it through the senate if a Coalition government agreed to eliminate all economic activity within our borders, so lets call it a longshot.  The fact is workchoices only came into being because of the senate majority of which there is no chance in the next parliament.

      Reply

    • Jason says:

      06:45pm | 17/07/10

      Rubbish,
                Should Abbott win he will have the same senate until their term expires next year.

    • Super D says:

      07:54am | 18/07/10

      I hadn’t considered that.  I suppose they could in fact get re-elected and reintroduce workchoices before the new senate takes its place.  This would however be self defeating.  The libs would be voted out at the next election and never trusted again.  As such there is no chance that the libs will backflip on their promise not to change the fair work legislation in their next term.

      I think we can expect that they will change the regulations to allow schoolkids to work for 2 hours after school rather than the currently mandated 3.

    • Jason says:

      01:07pm | 18/07/10

      Super D,
                I wasn’t saying it would happen, I would agree with you that it wont but the tweaking Abetz was talking about could happen unhindered

    • Nemesis12 says:

      05:35pm | 17/07/10

      Alex I saw your site. If you want people’s opinions, then maybe you should make a site that isnt a rampant hatchet job.

      BTW the photo you have of him is in his gear as a lifesaver. That says more for him than it does for you…he helps others and puts his life on the line to save lives. He is also a firefighter, a man who risks his life to save the homes of those threatened by fire.

      That to me says he has courage and character…which is more than I can say for you. I’d post comments but I am 100% certain they will be met with the delete key.

      Less bias and more facts would be a good way to start. P.S He was asked what he would say TO HIS DAUGHTERS as any father would. You blew that one..then again I’d guess that facts are something you dont want to know about.

      You’d make a good journalist.

      Reply

    • Alex White says:

      06:50pm | 17/07/10

      Hi Nemesis12,

      Unless your comment was filled with profanity or offensive content (e.g. racism, links to p-rnography), it would be unlikely to be deleted.

      Abbott may be a life saver or fire fighter, but that does not qualify him to be Prime Minister. Peter Costello (the Liberal’s greatest Treasurer) didn’t even want him as deputy leader, and slammed his economic credentials, saying he had a “Crocodile Dundee” approach. Doesn’t sound like PM material to me.

    • Louisa says:

      11:23pm | 17/07/10

      Alex White

      Mr Abbott has a Bachelor of Economics. Do either Gillard or Swan?

    • MarK says:

      12:51am | 18/07/10

      Alex I will post on your site. See if mine gets through.

      Should be a hoot testing out your free speech moderation. You must be a sad little man in real life. By the way how much do you get paid by either the unions or labor to spread the misinformation?

      Oh one other question. Do you really think the Australian people are so intellectual dim as to be swayed by a blatant popaganda site such as you are running? Does labor think it really does work?

    • John says:

      02:39pm | 18/07/10

      Its ok Alex, you don’t have to disguise the word “pornography”. The filter won’t be imposed until after the election.

    • Jackie says:

      05:38pm | 17/07/10

      I physically cringed with embarrassment during Miss Gillard’s repetitive, no-content, droning election announcement speech. How anyone in that position could blather on with a load of total rot and actually have convinced herself that Australians would be dimwitted enough to vote her and her proven incompetent party back in, well I’m stunned. 

      Today’s effort was as humiliating a political moment as when we saw Kevin Rudd reduced to a blubbering mess after Miss Gillard and her friends publicly destroyed him.

      Moving forward, moving forward, moving forward.  Is that another of her slogans, or what. 

      Is this a repeat of the Building the Education Revolution, Working Families, working families, working families - moving forward, moving forward, moving forward?

      How on earth did this woman get this far.  Then the picture of her today in the blue coat, fists clenched, and the drastic, unguarded facial expression…

      Reply

    • rudy says:

      07:11pm | 17/07/10

      You ‘physically cringed’? What, like cowered in the corner, or went catatonic or something?  Admit it - you’re a Lib HQ troll. Want to talk about how Abbott gained his party’s leadership by one vote after betraying Turnbull? You’re sure Abbott will win, why not take the long odds on offer and bet on it?

    • Freeman says:

      12:55pm | 18/07/10

      how was abbott’s challenge a betrayal of turnbull, rudy?
      the Libs were devided over the ETS, Turnbull was pig headed in trying to support the ETS when the libs were against it by majority.

    • Gregg says:

      09:10pm | 18/07/10

      Rudy,
      Tony Abbott did not betray Turnbull for unlike the Labor party where everyone is expected to toe the party line, the Liberals are a far greater democracy in that the parliamentary representatives are free to air different views and in this case the issue was strong enough to have the parliamentarians want to vote on it which they did.
      What transpired with Kev was not a vote but just an ousting.
      Any thinking person cringes about Gillard and her moving forward for moving where and with what! other than her smirk on having the popularity with the numbers boys.

    • More Julia less rightwing nsw please says:

      05:45pm | 17/07/10

      If I wasn’t busy installing flooring…..the first suggestion would be to ditch “moving forward”.Small things like this can really grate,and us fickle b*st*rd’s vote can turn on such.

      Reply

    • andrew says:

      05:53pm | 17/07/10

      i would vote for the party that had both, good policies AND a postive campaign.  unfortunately both of the major parties are incapable of doing the positive campaign aspect.  It is only, what 8 hours old, and is already mud slinging on both sides.  time to read a book or books for the next 5 weeks and not watch TV, read the newspapers or use the internet and do a donkey vote.

      Reply

    • Evan Findlay says:

      06:13pm | 17/07/10

      One minute the name Workchoices is dead but the policy will live on and now that people don’t trust him on industrial relations matters he states that he is for the Fair Work policy and will keep it should the coalition get elected. After his previous “Rock solid, ironclad guarantees” and his admission to lying in the heat of argument to push his point, his support for core and non core promises, we’ll need this promise in writing Tony!

      Reply

    • Jason CR says:

      10:35pm | 17/07/10

      Workchoices didn’t cause 4 deaths or 150 housefires - or bring 150+ boats our way. 

      I suppose you can’t really talk about Labor’s achievements though.  Scare campaigns are better.

      Who can forget back in 2007 - Labor’s scare campaign declaring that Howard wouldn’t see out his term if re-elected - and Costello would be in charge.  Hypocrites again Evan.

    • Evan Findlay says:

      12:05pm | 18/07/10

      Jason CR,
      You have a short memory. John Howard admitted that he would hand over the reigns to Costello during the next term should they be re-elected. There was no need to run a fear campaign, Howard did that by announcing Costello would be Prime Minister.

      By announcing his backdown on Workchoices, his putting it off until the following term, Abbott has just demonstrated that he stands for nothing. His backdown is no different to Rudd’s backdown on the ETS. No policies and no principles.

    • Paul says:

      09:37am | 19/07/10

      Evan,
      Abbott didnt declare that workplace reforms were the ‘greatest moral challenge of our time…’.
      The agenda of a government (or alternative government) always changes, as things are made more or less of a priority. However, to make a statement like this, and THEN shelf it, made Rudd & Co (and yes, ‘Co’ very much includes Gillard) look very very silly.

    • Ben81 says:

      06:15pm | 17/07/10

      We must move forward, not backward, upward not forward, and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom!

      Reply

    • chris says:

      07:46pm | 17/07/10

      Ben,

      Brilliant!!! - And who says art does not imitate life!!!

      I was thinking of another Simpsons moment when Sideshow Bob was running for mayor. If Julia could perform some of the gymnastics that he did then she has my vote. It worked for the kiddies.

    • Steve says:

      08:29am | 18/07/10

      (Sideshow Bob’s Mayoral Campain Commercial) Voice: Mayor Quimby supports revolving door prisons. Mayor Quimby even released Sideshow Bob. A man twice convicted of attempted murder. Can you trust a man like mayor Quimby? Vote Sideshow Bob for Mayor.

       
      Barlow: Sideshow Bob, councilman Les Whinein says that you’re not experianced enough to be mayor. Sir, what do you have to say about that?
      Bob: I’d say that ‘Les Whinein’ ought to do more thinkin and less whinin. (laughter)
      Lisa: There’s no councilman Les Whinein!
      Bart: Heh heh, good line though.

    • DD Ball says:

      06:59pm | 17/07/10

      So far Mr Abbott has been right. He has put forward policies and he has accurately stated what Gillard is doing. Gillard is spinning wildly and obfuscating. She claims Mr Abbott will not reveal the policies he has, and that seems to be her policy. Some in the media are going along with Gillard out of form. Gillard has lied in the past about her achievements and ambitions, so she wants us to accept her slogan about moving forward. It is important we accept her claims about a budget surplus, because she hasn’t ever looked like endorsing such in the past. We don’t know when she decided they were worthwhile, or what happened to change her mind, but she said she has always felt that way, so there probably is no need to ask her. Gillard claims Mr Abbott will re introduce work choices. He has said he won’t, and I trust him on that, but I don’t need to. Mr Abbott has said why he will not reintroduce work choices. Mr Abbott has said that work choices broke faith with the Australians who turned on the Liberal Party last election and voted in the dogs breakfast we have today. It is possible for Gillard’s dog breakfast to be administered better than it is now, without changing the legislation. Some in the media claim that that is a backflip of Mr Abbott’s, but in reality it is an indictment on Gillard, who failed to manage her portfolio of IR.
      On the health front, we have the ALP policy of taking GST money and doing not much different. Or we have the Liberal policy which provides for systemic improvement and a bolstering of the private health supports. On the education front we have Gillard’s wild spending, or Mr Abbott’s policy of spending wisely .. the media are making it sound as if it is even stevens between the pair.

      Reply

    • P.M.G says:

      07:02pm | 17/07/10

      Don’t you all remember the disgraceful way Bernie Banton was treated by Tony Abbott a few years ago?(it was in October 2007…..look it up on Wikipedia)

      Well,......I will never forget it!

      Tony Abbott, in my opinion,has lost all credibility as a caring, compassionate person.

      His lack of “people skills” surely would mean that he would Not make a good Prime Minister for Australia.

      Reply

    • BobM says:

      08:05am | 18/07/10

      Bernie’s dead so he can’t vote. Neither can the four young men who died because of Labor’s insulation batt fiasco.
      And Julia Gillard is a caring, compasionate person? Ask Kevin Rudd.

    • Marilyn says:

      03:40pm | 18/07/10

      Bob, the bloody insulation program did not cause the men’s deaths, shocking stupidity by ignorant employers and householders greed did.

      Get your hand off it.

      Another 10 people died in mines in the same period, another in the SA desal plant this week.

      How many ministers have lost their heads over those deaths?

      Zero.

      So grow up.

    • Chris L says:

      05:08pm | 18/07/10

      To be fair, BobM, the blame for those deaths go to the insulation businesses that did not follow the two upgrades in regulations Garrett put in place after being warned about the potential risks. Liberal may be able to organise such things as the Insulation scheme and BER better than Labor if they tried, but education and environment just don’t seem to be very important to them.

    • Gregg says:

      09:02pm | 18/07/10

      Marilyn, the government had warnings about the inadequate controls in place for the insulation program just like with Julia’s BER that she needs to be held accountable.
      The government chose to ignore warnings because the Gang wanted a merry spending spree.
      Spend, spend and the deaths and fires you cannot defend.
      Typical of Labor spending like there’s no tomorrow and in this case there wasn’t.

    • steve says:

      07:28pm | 17/07/10

      In my opinion Julia Gillard did brilliantly today. She spoke from the heart, looking down at her notes just a few times. Tony Abbott read a prepared speech almost word for word, lest he botch up from the first day. He told us that Julia Gillard had assassinated, back-stabbed and replaced Kevin Rudd as if it was breaking news. However, if Gillard’s repetition of “Moving Forward” 22 times in her half-hour opening was ridiculed by Laurie Oakes as a poor performance, that was nothing of what awaited Abbott. When asked about Workchoices he said he would not tamper with current legislation until his second term in government… unless there was a window of opportunity through the “independent umpire”. So, Workchoices is not dead and cremated. It’s actually resurrected and alive. I feel sorry for ordinary workers whose jobs were saved by Labor. I feel sorry for businesses because Labor saved Australia with decisiveness from the Global Financial Crisis. I am concerned for Labor, because in saving Australia in the brief time-span it had, many people have forgotten that we are only one of just a few nations that avoided disaster. Heaven help us if the Liberals get in. It’s a very close election. Labor must remind Australians of its most enormous achievements. Despite the blow-outs in some programmes, there is still much to be proud of, not the least of which is the apology to the Stolen Generations. In difficult times Labor has always been more humane.

      Reply

    • Jason CR says:

      10:48pm | 17/07/10

      I probably wouldn’t refer to my notes either if I said Moving Forward every second word.
      So throwing cash around like confetti saved us from financial doom and gloom did it?  I actually spent mine on an overseas trip with 8 mates who used their handout the same way.  All of it spent overseas steve.  How did that help Australia at the time?

    • Louisa says:

      11:26pm | 17/07/10

      STeve

      Gillasrd didn’t have to look at her notes very often for two reasons. !. Every sercond word was “going forward” and 2. she had weeks to write it and was aware when she was going to visit the GG.  Mr Abbott had no notice and he was, in part, responding to her address.

    • Jason CR says:

      11:58pm | 17/07/10

      Louisa,
              To be fair to Julia I’m not sure she even knew when the election would be called. 

      I’m tipping she’s been sitting beside the phone waiting for the call from NSW.

    • Swing Voter says:

      08:42am | 18/07/10

      He had to read from his notes. If it’s not written, it doesn’t count!

    • Barbara Collins says:

      09:53am | 18/07/10

      Steve she did have the benefit of knowing when she was going to call the election and therefore had plenty of time to prepare her speech.

    • Evan Findlay says:

      03:18pm | 18/07/10

      Jason CR,
      Did you book through an overseas travel agent? No…... then you helped a local business. You helped to keep check in people, security, baggage handlers, caterers, cleaners and the like in work. Did you take a cab to and from the airport? You see, your stimulus payment helped the economy.

    • Timmy says:

      05:03am | 19/07/10

      Steve,
      It’s a load of crap that the ALP saved us from Recession. As it turns out the 900 cheques added a tiny amount to our GDP and made squat difference. We avoided recession because Chinese demand for our resources didn’t collapse and our banks kept lending, indirectly due to prudent regulation from APRA.

      If the ALP was serious about Stimulus it would have invested the 900 buck cheques on productive assets and not pissed it up the wall.

      To suggest that the Aussie economy has done relatively well because of the ALP stimulus and not the structural differences between the US, European and Aussie economies is just a load of horse crap.

    • p says:

      07:50pm | 17/07/10

      Such a shame to see politicians more concerned about attacking the person then the issues. Take Naru for example, it’s ready to go, why not save the money and use it. As for Julia I really had high hopes for her, but then I think the puppet masters got control. First clue was the Timor BS. I think it’s time we went Presidential style government. I want the person I voted for not the behind the scenes swindlers.

      Reply

    • Marilyn Shepherd says:

      03:17am | 18/07/10

      Because it is illegal to turn away anyone who simply asks for help.

      You lot seem to think some great and mysterious process happens when people seek asylum.

      All they do is file an application form for a visa to stay.

      That hardly warrants chucking them in prison now does it?

    • Ripa says:

      07:51pm | 17/07/10

      *sigh* another election about moving forward? do we need change too? and just how much change do i need to buy a pack of smarties? Is Julia on a diet? i swear she looks like she lost weight. I think our politicians should have a swim suit segment of the election campaign. I know im talking sh*t , then again so was Jooles.

      Reply

    • Johnh says:

      08:18pm | 17/07/10

      Will julia have time to conduct an election campaign?
      With all of her medical appointments to cure her almost broken back, from back flipping on policies so often, I doubt she will have time.

      Reply

    • Laugh at the young libs says:

      08:46am | 18/07/10

      Well Tony trains 5 hours a day, will he have time to run a country. Make sense you Goose, comments like this deserve to be laughed at

    • Black haired assasin says:

      12:11pm | 18/07/10

      So when are e getting the next Laurie Oakes installment…...

    • should she stay or should she go says:

      08:50pm | 17/07/10

      I find it amazing that some people actually believe Gillard tells the truth. The labor party won the last election and as far as I can tell the only election promises they kept were saying sorry (but doing nothing) and signing up for Kyoto (which has also made no difference). So if Abbott tells you to believe him only when he speaks policy then I guess he is one step ahead. I know it’s not a big step but at least his deals are done in the open not in backroom secret sessions

      Reply

    • Laugh at the young libs says:

      08:43am | 18/07/10

      No, only when it written can you believe it, not when he says it.

    • Bob says:

      09:00pm | 17/07/10

      The main issue for us voters credibility. At least Abbott told the truth when he said pollies tell porky pies. Gillard will look at you with a straight face and lie through here teeth. The fact that she reneged on her deal with Rudd not 1 hour after the deal tells us that she can’t be trusted to honour her promises to the electorate. It’s like her deception of the mining tax revenue which to this today hasn’t been fully answered given the new assumptions of double the expected price for iron ore when the spot price has dropped by 30%. Then we have the Asylum seeker debacle where Julia is still pretending to negotiate with East Timor when the parliament has rejected our request. Just a show for us. Gillard takes us for mugs. Are we that naive or dumb? I don’t think so. Gillard wants to focus on the future because of their shocking management of every program and new policy. Gillard will destroy this country if she is elected.

      Reply

    • Swing Voter says:

      08:24am | 18/07/10

      He also said nothing is policy unless it’s in writing, that makes it harder for voters to know what’s on the table and what isn’t.

    • Evan Findlay says:

      04:06pm | 18/07/10

      Bob, So what do you call a man that gives “Rock solid, ironclad guarantees” and then goes back on his word. What do you call someone who says ” Paid maternity leave, over my dead body” and then proposes a tax to fund paid parental leave? What do you call a man that say’s “Under a coaltion government there will be no new taxes” and then less than a month later proposes a new tax on big business?I know what you call him, the RH member for Warringah and leader of the Liberal party, Mr Tony Abbott.
      Is that the sort of credibility you talk of?
      You state that at least Tony is telling the truth about his lying, but how do you know? This is a man that has stated he lies. Could he be lying when he says he lies? A man that openly admits to telling mis-truths to the Australian electorate and you somehow see this trait as some sort of admirable quality. Maybe teachers should teach our children how to lie, at least better than Tony as he always seems to get caught out.

    • Brian Taylor says:

      09:11pm | 17/07/10

      Why “move forward” Gillard?. what about fixing up labor’s stuff ups? the patch work you’ve done in the last three weeks fools no one, ahhh, sorry, yes they did, your foolish supporters are easy to fool aren’t they Gillard?
      hope you get whats due to you Gillard and then you can join your “Best Mate” Rudd on the has-been trail

      Reply

    • oskar says:

      10:16pm | 17/07/10

      The pensiones got 100$ increase from labor in 2 yeas from there libs we got , lousy 70$ in 12 years there is a lot of as with a long memory not to vote for there libs ever.

      Reply

    • MarK says:

      12:52am | 18/07/10

      Easily bought there old son. Oh I would check your facts too.

      Just saying.

    • Jane the elder says:

      12:56am | 18/07/10

      The pensioners are also copping the 60% price rise in electricity, the 15% price rise in food, increased pharmaceutical costs, less dental care and the nurses in the retirement homes have copped a $200pw decrease in their pay.

      Perhaps you need work on your short term memory?

    • Mayday says:

      10:08am | 18/07/10

      The NSW Dept of Housing (Labor) made sure they took a piece of that pension increase, remember that?

    • Evan Findlay says:

      03:50pm | 18/07/10

      Jane the Elder,
      The decrease in Assistant in Nursing, EEN and RN pay was reversed and subsequently there was no loss in wages. Just for your memory!

    • Shane From Melbourne says:

      10:26pm | 17/07/10

      Tweedledum and Tweedledee looking for a vote
      Some middle class welfare here and there
      No differences worth a note
      Inept, they are all the same
      It is only later you feel the pain

      Reply

    • craige says:

      11:18pm | 17/07/10

      So….. this is politics in Australia the atheist Julia Vs Tony the Jesuit wona be…..please count me out

      Reply

    • Passing Wind says:

      11:38pm | 17/07/10

      ‘Julia Gillard effectively called Tony Abbott a liar who can’t be trusted’....

      Definately a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
      When asked if she lied, Gillard said, “I do not do that..” Which of course, is a lie in itself. At least Abbott had thr good grace to confess.
      Everyone talks about Rudd and Gillard’s spin. Why not call it for what it is - lying?

      Reply

    • Jason Smith says:

      01:11am | 18/07/10

      Is this a Liberal fan site?

      Reply

    • Gregg says:

      02:17am | 18/07/10

      UYep Jason, we need to keep the fans going to blow all the Labor crud away.
      Julia’s mantra may be moving forward but some who post on here seem to have snivelling high in their vocabulary.
      A great pity they’re unable to discuss anything too rationally but I suppose with the standards of the last three years that are now having the chickens come home to roost, what can we expect but lies to cover up.

    • Your name:Tony of Poorakistan SA 5095 says:

      08:11am | 18/07/10

      It just comes across that way because *they* can read and write . .

    • Young Libs Forum says:

      08:19am | 18/07/10

      What you didn’t know? The young libs come in here and try to sway anyone they can. It’s a good tactic, except that the same people come here, so they’re not getting any new points. Though to be fair, labor stalwarts do the same thing, it’s just more blatant at the Oz. I always come and read for a laugh

    • Rob r Charteris says:

      09:02am | 18/07/10

      Your right there Jason, fortunately it is the only one. Which give you an idea of how small Tony Baloney who is not just Phoney but also Dodgy (claims to be able to fix his QLD mate’s legal problems) support based really is. Can someone wipe Tony’s nose for him he needs all the support he can get.

    • Henry says:

      10:21am | 18/07/10

      You got that right!!

    • Andy D says:

      10:35am | 18/07/10

      Perfect Labor response to widespread criticism by the community. It’s not that something is wrong, it’s just that the Liberal fans are the only ones commenting.

      Jason Smith, your remark says so much more about you than it does about the “liberal fans”.

    • iansand says:

      10:58am | 18/07/10

      Pretty much.  The sad thing is that they think their love fest is what the rest of the world thinks.

    • macca says:

      11:06am | 18/07/10

      No, just a site where those who actively sit a computer on a regular basis vent. Current polling is 52 - 48, and considering many unionised employees (who are likely to vote Labor) would not have regular access to a computer they are less likely to voice their opinions in this forum. The site is unlikely to be biased, rather a reflection of the demographic that regularly visits it.

    • john says:

      11:39am | 18/07/10

      It definitely seems that way at times Jason, I like to think of them as the “vocal minority”.

    • Gman says:

      12:38pm | 18/07/10

      haha Jason it seems so… why i don’t understand where these people have been living for the last ten years. Abbott calling Julia ‘a political assassin haha hilarious! how did he become leader of the opposition again? Ex- Pm Howard was far more interested in being an US’s lap dog than running the country. Oh yes, they delivered a surplus (thanks to the miners), and where’s all the investment in hospitals, roads, and better services, yep they forgot about that too. So what’s the point on having money in the bank when you are starving? I don’t really care who’s running the country as long as they are doing a good job. And what’s the story with the Unions? If it wasn’t for them, you still would be slaving away with no rights whatsoever, Oh I forgot liberals like to be scr*** by the big companies.

    • brenton says:

      02:38pm | 18/07/10

      What a simplistic, almost childish, and pointless comment.  People tend to forget is that currently, based on current polling, 48% of Australians support the Coalition on a two-party preferred basis… so as you’d expect, around 50% of comments will be pro-Coalition and 50% Labor/Greens.  So what’s your point?  And no, I’m not a young Liberal, nor and I a member of any party, and not ‘old school’ Liberal.

    • Bob says:

      06:17am | 18/07/10

      Never read this blog before. It’s hilarious! Alex White and Rob r Charteris at times appear to have their sphincter’s where their adams apples should be. 1st day of this election and the topics are Rudd’s removal and economic competence. Just wait for some roof fires and a dozen boats of asylum seekers and gillards lead will start to shrink.

      Reply

    • Rob r Charteris says:

      01:48pm | 18/07/10

      Bob says:06:17am; aaaaawe Gee Bob you really have hurt my feelings now lolololol silly billy, here I’ll poke my chin out and you can have another shot.  ; )

    • geoffm says:

      08:39am | 18/07/10

      Under Labor we have another huge cost increase in electricity,with a lot more en route;  major increases in the cost of petrol;  food prices have gone up a lot too as well as the general cost of living.
      Honestly, the frst hundred folk you come across in a Supermarket would do better for us than any of the Labor governments, State and/or Federal.
      Bring on the change to Coalition so we can at least get back into the black for mour national budget -  they have had to do it so many times already.

      Reply

    • Rob r Charteris says:

      01:56pm | 18/07/10

      geoffm says:08:39am; So you’re saying prices never rose under the previous government? man I want whatever you have been smoking. Haven’t seen petrol prices reach $1.50+ per litre under Labor as it did under Howard. Government debt is not a bad thing. Hoarding money while infrastructure falls apart is anohter thing entirely. Oh yeah! bring on the election!!!!

    • Will says:

      08:33pm | 20/07/10

      Sure we have infrastructure here in NSW. The infrastructure that works well is called the Federal Highways and they went from a poor quality potholed shambles to pretty good over the course of the Howard era. It is however a shame that infrastructure that should be maintained by the NSW State government is actually literally falling apart whilst the State’s debt is ballooning.

      My brother works as a Town Planner at a development company and he could tell you some stories. Mainly about how they have to implement and pay for all the infrastructure in their new land developments themselves. This because they can not get the government to live up to it’s responsibility of handling the infrastructure. So explain to me how my government that spends so much money that they continue to rack up more debt is doing such a wonderful job. All this without doing the job that they are meant to be doing in the process.

      Prices will always rise in the long term. There is a term for that, inflation. You have singled out the price of petrol, which is generally irrelevant when talking about governments, due to the control OPEC has over oil prices. Smoking on the other hand.

      Debt is not good. It is bad, interest is attached and it always costs more to pay back than if the money was available to begin with. Having a surplus that is earning interest and paying for services outright is good. The money the government has at all levels is supplied by taxes (or variants of tax called by another name). More debt results in requiring more money from taxes. Revenue from taxes comes from businesses, that employ people, and people during the course of working or spending the money they have earnt. More debt can only mean that one way or another people are going to have to supply the government with more money.

      I don’t need anyone to point out that this is a Federal election and I am speaking a lot about a State level. However any point I would have to make about the Federal government has already been made and I don’t like reiteration. But I have a method I use to vote and that means that unless I can get an intelligent and cogent argument as to why a government can be trusted at the State level, specifically in NSW where I live, they will never have a chance of receiving my vote at the Federal level. Failing that argument, I will instead sum up the policies of all the other parties, barring the Green party because of the preference deal and my obvious cultivated current lack of faith in the Labor party, and cast my vote that way.

      At the moment I feel betrayed by both my current State and Federal government. The sentiment I have right now is that Liberal supporters in this state don’t need a slogan to follow, they could sum it all up with the words “Don’t blame me, I voted Liberal”.

      I am open to vote for a party that addresses the concerns I have, but the small parties and independents never seem to have enough political clout to implement and address the policies they believe in anyway.

    • Up the Creek says:

      08:49am | 18/07/10

      Trust no one - politician or journalists.  Read all sides and think for your self.  Only this time, our chioces are scrambled.  Not one party or person has all my ideals so it will be vote for the best of a bad lot.  I’m hope for more Independants like Nick Xenaphon or Ted Mack to pop up if we are indeed the lucky country.

      Reply

    • Sarah Jones says:

      09:44am | 18/07/10

      Your comment:What women want is people to be transparent and to communicate and listen.  This is something difficult to find in many politicians.

      Reply

    • BobM says:

      02:19pm | 18/07/10

      Women don’t know what they want. They think it’s red hair and ‘moving forward’. Expect to be dissapointed. Is Gillard transparent, communicating and listening? Ask Kevin.

    • Press says:

      09:45am | 18/07/10

      Yup. Pretty much the grubbier end, at that.  They’re not big on fact. Peronal sneer and smear is the go.

      Reply

    • Polwatcher says:

      10:06am | 18/07/10

      How many times have you heard the expression “I will vote for her because she is a woman”. God forbid, just how many idiots do we have with voting rights in this Nation.  Where would we be is we all voted on a gender basis?Havent they heard of BER, ETS, Pink Batts, Grocery watch, Fuel Watch,  & Illegals to mention a few?, All of which the hand of Gillard was at the tiller. Dah!!!

      Reply

    • Bruce says:

      11:29am | 18/07/10

      The political party that gives me cheaper electricity, petrol and power gets my vote or the political party that triples my pay packet gets my vote.

      Reply

    • fehowarth says:

      05:02pm | 18/07/10

      Remember that Mr Howard promised lower interest rates.  That did not happen.  We also had large surpluses at the time. Our interest rates are still lower than when Mr. Howard left office.

    • Shane From Melbourne says:

      10:29pm | 18/07/10

      So you won’t be voting then?

    • Do I Have To Vote? says:

      11:41am | 18/07/10

      Although I voted for the coalition at the last election, I was open minded & hopeful about Kevin Rudd as I knew he was a highly intelligent man.  During the past 12 months I became totally fed up with his total incompetence coupled with sanctimonious preaching from the moral high ground.  I was overjoyed when Julia assassinated him & thought, here is a strong intelligent woman, can’t wait to see how she fixes up all the mess…how gullible am I?  First the mining tax capitulation disguised by Her Rubberiness as a success, then the East Timor plan where she embarrassed Australia & herself.  No wonder she wants to Move Forward…and by the way, we can pick up on an election theme by hearing the slogan a couple of times, just shows how stupid she thinks we all are!!!

      Reply

    • BobM says:

      02:21pm | 18/07/10

      Apparently 58% of the population are still pretty stupid (on a two party preferred basis, that is).

    • Shelley says:

      12:55pm | 18/07/10

      Wasn’t Labors 2007 IR campaign ‘moving forward with fairness’?

      And the kids sacked from their after school jobs thank them for their efforts!

      Not a lot of forward momentum to be gained using bogan slogans from 2007!

      Reply

    • Tracker says:

      02:13pm | 18/07/10

      Before moving forward one should look back and learn from their mistakes. Something Julia Gillard and her ALP error makers are incapable of hence the urgency of Gillard to move forward.  @Alex White.. union parasites spreading lies and misinformation in order to grasp power to further their corrupt ideology make me sick and have no place in modern society. I won’t even bother clicking on your link, i shall treat is as SPAM.

      Reply

    • Badger says:

      02:23pm | 18/07/10

      Has anyone noticed that the ALP are so ashamed of their logo on the pamphlets they send you in the mail it is so tiny down in the corner and it really is not their real logo

      Reply

    • Tim says:

      02:25pm | 18/07/10

      moving forward…..

      sorry just wanted to make sure this was said, just in case it wasn’t referred to earlier…in case you’re deaf !  Julia, you can move forward…do it by just moving on….somewhere else

      Reply

    • Correllio says:

      02:49pm | 18/07/10

      Someone should tell Ms Gillard that when you fail to check your rear view mirror, you flunk your driving test

      Reply

    • Likes Joining Dots says:

      03:43pm | 18/07/10

      Oh how I wish I could draw cartoons, I would call it Going Forward.

      Julia skipping and frolicking, enraptured, blissful towards a distant horizon speckled with boats.  Handfuls of money, cascades of money showers from her hands.

      In the background a long and ruined road, smokes and smudges into the distance.  Dollars blow across it like autumn leaves. 

      Along that road.  A blonde bespectacled body, slumped and defeated, knife prominently projecting from its back, Beyond that,  a roof blazing house, 4 crows perched on the fence, looming over freshly turned earth.  Back further again, a clutch of children, hungry, surrounding a three storey tuckshop searcing for a door.

      It’s getting hard to see down the road now, but you can just make the details. In the distance, two shops, side by side.  Closed. Derelict. Boarded over.  The signage Fuel Watch and Grocery Watch lie abandoned in the dust.

      There are other people abandoned by the side of the road.  They’re clutching papers.  They look confused.  Lost.  Through the smoke and the haze of time the writing is barely legible.  Kyoto. Copenhagen.  Sorry.

      Somewhere behind, amongst the ruins, a diminished creature, bag over shoulder, tears in his eyes crawls painfully up the road snatching at random, rumpled windblown dollars. The distance is now deceiving, it’s too far back.  The creature looks something like Costello.  Then again, from this distance, it could look like anyone, maybe even you.

      Oh I wish I could draw cartoons.

      Reply

    • Gregg says:

      09:24pm | 18/07/10

      No Cartoon needed LJD, it’s been a reality everyday lifestyle show for near on three years that hopefully we’ll not get a rerun of.

    • Marilyn Shepherd says:

      03:45pm | 18/07/10

      I move on every time I put one foot in front of the other and every day I wake up I move onwards towards 58.

      Little John was called little because of his small ideas and vision.

      Gillard is his love child.

      Reply

    • jb says:

      03:47pm | 18/07/10

      yeah i liked how Swan kept butting in on her answers at the Brissy conference, who’s the PM here?
      If I were JG I would have him reigned in but I suspect his plan is to try and get her across the line, wait till she goes on the nose and thrust the knife like they did to PM Rudd.
      What despicable people, what sort of message does this send to out children?
      The dirty tricks and lies that have come from these mouths in the first couple of days resemble nothing more than school yard bully techniques, a
      pre requisite for union movements I suspect.
      I hope I can set a better example for my son than our supposed head of state.
      What a disgrace she is.
      But then again she is a lawyer so what would you expect…

      Reply

    • Outburst says:

      03:52pm | 18/07/10

      ALP burst out of the blocks yeah so what
      how many more outburts from this immature not fit to govern ALP mob do we need! none!
      we are already so sick and tired of Gillard and all the fawning most undeserved acclaim and adulation she gets! well all she gillard really seems to care about is her constantly changing hairstyles and color and relentless self promotion!
      Vote Gillard out we dont trust her well KRudd was right he didnt trust her ie Gillard so why should we?

      Reply

    • MH says:

      05:23pm | 18/07/10

      So it’s the sweep the crap under the carpet campaign from Julia and the say nothing campaign from Tony.  Should be riveting. 

      What is interesting is how brief the Julia honeymoon has been.  My suspicion is that a lot of people will see the whole “forward” campaign for what it is - a brazen attempt to gloss over the last 2.5 years of generally poor government and pretend Julia somehow wasn’t part of it.  Oh, and hopefully for everyone to forget about the little Kevin-knifing incident.  Queensland at least won’t forget.

      Still, I doubt that will be enough to see her rolled though.  The political pundits are notoriously hopeless at picking anything but the bookies rarely get it wrong and with Julia at $1.25 to Tony’s $3.90, it will take a remarkable swing for her to screw it up from here.  That said, I’ll be taking a little of that $3.90…

      Reply

    • Jason CR says:

      08:39pm | 18/07/10

      Forget the bookies in election races.  Labor had a bounce when Gillard knifed Rudd and large bets (including a $100K bet) were laid on the day she knifed him, which had the bookies running.
       
      The voters have since had a look and I’m not sure they like what they see so far - and Labor’s 2PP hasn’t really moved.

      I smell a protest vote in the wind, just like when Kennett faced the Victorian voters in 1999.  Bracks was $11 and Kennett $1.08 - the rest is history.

    • Gregg says:

      09:43pm | 18/07/10

      Ultimately, Australia as a nation has only so much wealth through our resources, toil and trade to provide what is most needed and what good governance ought to do is see that prioritisation and management of revenue expenditure is sound.
      We have not only seen that Labor this time around are rather hopeless in financial management, it being a repeat of previous occasions if any Labor person needs reminding of the Whitlam years Petro loans and the Hawke/Keating deficit left for the Howard government to clean up.
      It is no wonder that a responsible government is always having to face making cuts to expenditure for where will we move forward to with an ever increasing debt burden?
      Believe the Gillard/Swann promise of a return to surplus at your own peril for they are still borrowing and servicing debt to keep existing wasteful programs going.
      Time to tighten the belt and cut the credit cards up.

      Reply

    • Faul Kinell says:

      10:08pm | 18/07/10

      No matter how much was spent by Labor to counteract the GFC to keep Australias people & economy moving over and above the rest of the world. The Howard gov+ Abbott et all has flushed billions down the pan, + aussie lives in a futile war in Iraq & Afganistan which will go on costing cash and lives for generations without result or return!

      Reply

    • Mark says:

      10:23pm | 18/07/10

      Can I report Alex’s web site and anything Rob posts banned when the filter comes into actn? after all it’s offending a lot of people.

      Reply

    • James1 says:

      10:08am | 19/07/10

      I am very disappointed.  This is going to be a real South Park election; one in which we are forced to choose between a giant douche and a turd sandwich.  And I for one am not looking forward to the experience.

      Reply

    • Gabrielle says:

      11:34am | 19/07/10

      I love the irony of the moving forward slogan and the quote by Gillard about the opposition “Their gaze is fixed in the rear view mirror rather than on the road ahead”...now let’s take a look at Labour’s ad campaigns which focus (not factually) on an historic Tony Abbott. Confused…me too. Double standards for everything and change the rules on when it suits them. They can’t accept accountability for all the monumental stuff-ups to date so I guess they’re not likely to accept this isn’t fair either??

      Reply

    • Amber says:

      11:37am | 19/07/10

      Who wants to go forward with this amateur, assinine party? I want to go BACK!  Back to where we had a surpus, to when four young insulation-men were still alive, to when we weren’t wasting hundreds of millions on illegal potential terrorist boat people, to when the wasted billions on the BER was still in the bank,  etc .etc .  I’ve still yet to see how COLAs will help children learn??  Can anyone explain? As a teacher, I can tell you than if you send kids out into an open shed in the yard, they will muck up.
      LET’S GO BACK!

      Reply

    • casba says:

      01:00pm | 19/07/10

      @Super D
      Well done, Super D, aka Super Sleuth, for outting just another grub from the Labor Party movement.  They are all the same, up to their dirty, grubby tricks of playing the man and not the policy.  Shame his/her name is “White.”  That smacks of purity and light.  There’s no sign of any clean tactics coming from that website.

      Reply

    • Julie says:

      01:14pm | 19/07/10

      Given we have a liar and an assasin should we bring back Malcolm and Kevin. At least they had a bit more vision and compassion

      Reply

    • Vivian says:

      01:43pm | 19/07/10

      We have already had Gillar’d policy sevral times. All we hear from Abbott is what he thinks is wrong with Labor’s policy, but nothin from him but a few confusing slogans, likw “send the boats back” which mean nothing. unless he has a plan. Abbott sounds like a desperate man trying to keep his head above water.

      Reply

    • Damocles says:

      02:30pm | 19/07/10

      @ Amber…..I’m with you! Take me back! Maybe if I click my shoes together and repeat,
      “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.”
      I’ll be transported back to good old Australia, where KRudd and Joolya were never in power, their lies and bulldust had never conned the Australian people and we still had a great country and inspiring leadership. A Prime Minister who said what he meant and meant what he said! Ah, them were the days! We need to go back to the future with the Libs, not move forward into the past with the Labs.

      Reply

    • Joe Blow says:

      05:31pm | 19/07/10

      The experts reckon that if we do nothing about immigration or birth and death rates then the population will reach 36 million.  Under Rudd this was considered a BIG Australia.  Now JuLIAR wants us to believe that she will create a sustainable Australia (not a BIG Australia) by doing nothing.  No plan to reduce birthrates, no plan to reduce immigration - just magically a BIG Australia has gone away.  She’s just hot air!

      Reply
 
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