http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/liberal-party/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/wrap-of-the-week-its-the-economy-stupid/ There is a touch of Lleyton Hewitt about Julia Gillard. It is not merely that both are redheads or that they hail from South Australia. It is that both have a curious tendency to produce their best only when staring at defeat. Hewitt fans are used to their man dropping a set or two before pulling out his A-game. Ms Gillard too seems best when her back is against the wall. This was clear in the last election campaign following Cabinet leaks aimed at destroying her - she held a doorstop press conference and impressed with a purposeful denial stripped of all the lame scripting and woodiness of her usual approach. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/wrap-of-the-week-its-the-economy-stupid/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/wrap-of-the-week-its-the-economy-stupid/#item7726 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Tony Abbott recalls the 11 years of the Howard government as a golden age and one gets the impression he would like Homer to nip back to record its god-like political heroes in an Aussie Iliad. He put passionate nostalgia up front in a speech last week which revealed the core of the Abbott electoral philosophy. He is promising a former Australia preserved in Liberal amber. It would be an Australia where no one had to share a suburban street with boat people, where factories operated in defiance of cheaper, better goods made overseas, and climate change was a minority fad, like fast-speed internet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/it-takes-selective-memory-to-call-Howard-era-a-golden-age/ Tony Abbott recalls the 11 years of the Howard government as a golden age and one gets the impression he would like Homer to nip back to record its god-like political heroes in an Aussie Iliad. He put passionate nostalgia up front in a speech last week which revealed the core of the Abbott electoral philosophy. He is promising a former Australia preserved in Liberal amber. It would be an Australia where no one had to share a suburban street with boat people, where factories operated in defiance of cheaper, better goods made overseas, and climate change was a minority fad, like fast-speed internet. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/it-takes-selective-memory-to-call-Howard-era-a-golden-age/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/it-takes-selective-memory-to-call-Howard-era-a-golden-age/#item7677 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Tony Abbott recalls the 11 years of the Howard government as a golden age and one gets the impression he would like Homer to nip back to record its god-like political heroes in an Aussie Iliad. He put passionate nostalgia up front in a speech last week which revealed the core of the Abbott electoral philosophy. He is promising a former Australia preserved in Liberal amber. It would be an Australia where no one had to share a suburban street with boat people, where factories operated in defiance of cheaper, better goods made overseas, and climate change was a minority fad, like fast-speed internet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/wednesday-afternoon-fun-at-the-expense-of-albo/ This is doing the rounds of Twitter, thanks to the Liberal Party YouTube channel. It’s pretty funny. The rip off was spotted by none other than Liberal Party Director Brian Loughnane, a big fan of the movie The American President. Mr Loughnane told The Punch: “I was going through the torture of watching Albo at the Press Club when suddenly I thought to myself – I’ve heard all this before!” Making reference to the central love interest in the film, Mr Loughnane said: “I suddenly had this thought – I’m late for a meeting with Sydney Ellen Wade, and I’m stuck on Dupont Circle” “I thought, this is too good to be true, so I Googled the script and then we set about making the video”. Of all the political films Anthony Albanese could have drawn inspiration from, The American President was a risky choice. It was written by Aaron Sorkin, every political tragic’s favourite writer. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/wednesday-afternoon-fun-at-the-expense-of-albo/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/wednesday-afternoon-fun-at-the-expense-of-albo/#item7614 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Tony Abbott recalls the 11 years of the Howard government as a golden age and one gets the impression he would like Homer to nip back to record its god-like political heroes in an Aussie Iliad. He put passionate nostalgia up front in a speech last week which revealed the core of the Abbott electoral philosophy. He is promising a former Australia preserved in Liberal amber. It would be an Australia where no one had to share a suburban street with boat people, where factories operated in defiance of cheaper, better goods made overseas, and climate change was a minority fad, like fast-speed internet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/give-the-coalition-time-and-theyll-vote-for-gay-marriage/ Marriage equality is too serious an issue to play political games with and too important an issue to be set up to fail. This is why supporters of the reform want calm heads to prevail and for the bill to be introduced at the right time. It’s important the Labor Party approaches this reform strategically and doesn’t jump the gun. Too many people within Labor have worked too hard to change the ALP’s policy platform for it all to be squandered on a premature vote. Because the ALP has allowed a conscience vote for its MPs, reform has very little chance unless the Coalition allows a conscience vote too. Coalition leader Tony Abbott has so far ruled out a conscience vote, but there is growing support within the Coalition for a different, fairer approach. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/give-the-coalition-time-and-theyll-vote-for-gay-marriage/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/give-the-coalition-time-and-theyll-vote-for-gay-marriage/#item7469 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Tony Abbott recalls the 11 years of the Howard government as a golden age and one gets the impression he would like Homer to nip back to record its god-like political heroes in an Aussie Iliad. He put passionate nostalgia up front in a speech last week which revealed the core of the Abbott electoral philosophy. He is promising a former Australia preserved in Liberal amber. It would be an Australia where no one had to share a suburban street with boat people, where factories operated in defiance of cheaper, better goods made overseas, and climate change was a minority fad, like fast-speed internet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/with-enemies-like-these-who-needs-friends/ As a Labor MP who joined the party as a teenager it will be no surprise to learn that, for me, the grand enemy has always been the Liberals. That pretentious blue “L” which appropriates the Australian flag set in the middle of a prissy blue rosette pinned on an overly groomed and unreasonably confident young man was the embodiment of all that was wrong with our country. It was these types who in government squandered the economic opportunities of the sixties, couldn’t make a decision to save themselves, sneakily avoided packing up the Christmas table, and I am positive were to blame for the fall of Singapore. By contrast Labor represented a balance of determination and enlightenment. Unlike conservatives who wanted things to stay the same, we had ideas. We fought for the rights of working Australians and we opened up our economy. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/with-enemies-like-these-who-needs-friends/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/with-enemies-like-these-who-needs-friends/#item7423 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Tony Abbott recalls the 11 years of the Howard government as a golden age and one gets the impression he would like Homer to nip back to record its god-like political heroes in an Aussie Iliad. He put passionate nostalgia up front in a speech last week which revealed the core of the Abbott electoral philosophy. He is promising a former Australia preserved in Liberal amber. It would be an Australia where no one had to share a suburban street with boat people, where factories operated in defiance of cheaper, better goods made overseas, and climate change was a minority fad, like fast-speed internet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/to-be-fair-we-need-to-stop-people-dumping-on-australia/ President Barack Obama’s speech to the Australian Parliament, like those of his predecessors, was indeed an historic occasion. Amidst the hype and ceremony, I can’t help but wonder if a couple of Labor Ministers didn’t squirm a little in their seats as the President reminded us: “We seek trade that is free and fair. And we seek an open international economic system, where rules are clear and every nation plays by them.” In a reference to the G20 and the World Trade Organisation, which just days earlier had welcomed Russia to its ranks, the President stressed: “We need growth that is fair, where every nation plays by the rules – where workers’ rights are respected and our businesses can compete on a level playing field… so no nation has an unfair advantage.” feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/to-be-fair-we-need-to-stop-people-dumping-on-australia/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/to-be-fair-we-need-to-stop-people-dumping-on-australia/#item7202 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Tony Abbott recalls the 11 years of the Howard government as a golden age and one gets the impression he would like Homer to nip back to record its god-like political heroes in an Aussie Iliad. He put passionate nostalgia up front in a speech last week which revealed the core of the Abbott electoral philosophy. He is promising a former Australia preserved in Liberal amber. It would be an Australia where no one had to share a suburban street with boat people, where factories operated in defiance of cheaper, better goods made overseas, and climate change was a minority fad, like fast-speed internet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/modern-day-conservatism-is-an-oxymoron/ Tony Abbott’s filthy scare campaign is starting to melt faster than the ice caps in the Antarctic. Not only is it starting to stink of desperation and self-interest but it’s also showing why the Liberal Party is a policy-free zone. For months Tony Abbott has been effective at scaring Australians into believing that under a carbon price the sky would fall in, but as each day goes by the loose threads that hold together his empty scare campaign are coming undone for all to see the nothingness that it contains. I’m not writing this piece to tell you about the scare campaign and level of debate in our country – I have penned this piece primarily to discuss what I believe is an ongoing political tactic of the conservatives because they have nothing else to offer our country and its citizens. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/modern-day-conservatism-is-an-oxymoron/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/modern-day-conservatism-is-an-oxymoron/#item6660 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Tony Abbott recalls the 11 years of the Howard government as a golden age and one gets the impression he would like Homer to nip back to record its god-like political heroes in an Aussie Iliad. He put passionate nostalgia up front in a speech last week which revealed the core of the Abbott electoral philosophy. He is promising a former Australia preserved in Liberal amber. It would be an Australia where no one had to share a suburban street with boat people, where factories operated in defiance of cheaper, better goods made overseas, and climate change was a minority fad, like fast-speed internet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/its-astounding.-liberal-senator-arrested-and-charged1/ Liberal Senator Mary Jo Fisher - she of Time Warp fame - has been charged with allegedly nicking groceries from a supermarket and allegedly assaulting a security guard. She rejects the charges and will contest them at a September hearing. There’s not much more we can say. It’s all over here on AdelaideNow. But we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play this video one more time. It is, after all, a very merry dance. If she’s convicted she could lose her seat. Read Penbo’s analysis of Ms Fisher and her dance here. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/its-astounding.-liberal-senator-arrested-and-charged1/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/its-astounding.-liberal-senator-arrested-and-charged1/#item6357 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Tony Abbott recalls the 11 years of the Howard government as a golden age and one gets the impression he would like Homer to nip back to record its god-like political heroes in an Aussie Iliad. He put passionate nostalgia up front in a speech last week which revealed the core of the Abbott electoral philosophy. He is promising a former Australia preserved in Liberal amber. It would be an Australia where no one had to share a suburban street with boat people, where factories operated in defiance of cheaper, better goods made overseas, and climate change was a minority fad, like fast-speed internet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Diary-of-a-liberal-front-bencher-carbon-crusade/ Monday 11/06/2011 6am Had to spend weekend in Canberra. Was unclear on how carbon tax fell within ambit of my Future Building and Values portfolio, but then Abbott issued edict that tax on everything touches every portfolio. Says it is a threat to our way of life. Had to cancel golf game. Who announces a tax on a Sunday? feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Diary-of-a-liberal-front-bencher-carbon-crusade/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Diary-of-a-liberal-front-bencher-carbon-crusade/#item6316 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Tony Abbott recalls the 11 years of the Howard government as a golden age and one gets the impression he would like Homer to nip back to record its god-like political heroes in an Aussie Iliad. He put passionate nostalgia up front in a speech last week which revealed the core of the Abbott electoral philosophy. He is promising a former Australia preserved in Liberal amber. It would be an Australia where no one had to share a suburban street with boat people, where factories operated in defiance of cheaper, better goods made overseas, and climate change was a minority fad, like fast-speed internet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/turnbull-whisperers-turning-libs-into-a-right-wing-cult/ If the whispering campaign aimed at driving Malcolm Turnbull out of politics succeeds, it will have two effects. It will make the parliament a whole lot stupider and it will make the opposition less representative of the broad spectrum of conservative opinion, cementing the perception that, under Tony Abbott, this party has become much more right-wing than any outfit John Howard ever presided over. The campaign against Turnbull and the dearth of voices rallying to his defence underscores the supine and ineffectual quality of the moderate faction within the Liberal Party. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/turnbull-whisperers-turning-libs-into-a-right-wing-cult/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/turnbull-whisperers-turning-libs-into-a-right-wing-cult/#item6304 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Tony Abbott recalls the 11 years of the Howard government as a golden age and one gets the impression he would like Homer to nip back to record its god-like political heroes in an Aussie Iliad. He put passionate nostalgia up front in a speech last week which revealed the core of the Abbott electoral philosophy. He is promising a former Australia preserved in Liberal amber. It would be an Australia where no one had to share a suburban street with boat people, where factories operated in defiance of cheaper, better goods made overseas, and climate change was a minority fad, like fast-speed internet.