Tony Abbott

Oh Fred ... just for research eh?

Harrangueman - September 3, 2010 - 8:33am

I have to admit to a certain expressive 'ha ha' when Fred Nile was revealed to have had his office computers used to surf p0rn sites.

The famously bushy eyebrowed one - has he not heard of a Brazilian? - has spent countless years thundering in denunciation of man and woman's joy and seeing the other naked and ready to get bizay.

I can see that. What happens between consenting adults with their bodies, or those who third party view such action in the privacy of their home, is completely Fred's business. Read more »

Hahahahaha! .. Oh, you’re serious…

GroupThink - September 2, 2010 - 11:20am

Treasury has found a $11 billion black hole in coalition costings:

Before the election the Coalition said its promises would add about $11.5 billion to the budget bottom line over the next four years.

But Treasury analysis given to Tony Windsor and his fellow independents Rob Oakeshott and Bob Katter shows the Coalition’s promises would only add between $860 million and $4.5 billion to the bottom line. Read more »

The Tony Abbott Horcruxes

GroupThink - August 25, 2010 - 2:34pm

As a website, Facebook is generally filled with fail. But every now and again, someone creates a group that fills me with such lolz that I feel compeled to share it.

Anyone familiar with Harry Potter would be familiar with the idea Horcruxes, the dark magical objects used by Voldemort to obtain immortality. Items that store part of your soul so that you can never die. To create a Horcrux you have to split your soul and the only way to split your soul it so commit murder. In the Harry Potter universe Voldemort creates 7 Horcruxes that must be destroyed before the dark lord can be killed. Read more »

Election Injection

Skepticlawyer - August 25, 2010 - 5:02am

Julia Gillard is a childless 48-year-old unmarried atheist redhead who lives in sin with her hairdresser. She is also the first woman to become prime minister of Australia. Just in case you thought that might mean a new era had dawned, be assured that it is probably just about over. Not that Gillard had radical intentions, or radical policies, or any policies. Her slogan was “moving forward” – to nowhere in particular. The election, which took place this weekend, was hers to lose and she has all but lost it. Read more »

What would an Abbott minority government be like?

Larvatus Prodeo - August 24, 2010 - 5:51pm

This thread is a companion piece to Mark’s post on how a Gillard minority government might ideally operate. The advice about parliamentary reform and processes of governance and policy formulation surely applies to both sides, so I’ve decided to vary the form of the question and ask – what would an Abbott government look like?

I suspect Tony Abbott’s understanding of process issues doesn’t go much beyond the staple promises oppositions always make – a better question time and an independent or more independent Speaker. The Parliamentary Budget Office idea was Malcolm Turnbull’s.

Abbott is not talking a more inclusive game, but as of today, he’s still completely unable to say anything without making his standard litany of partisan points, and effectively trying to steamroller himself into office. Read more »

Oh Tony - did your casio break?

Harrangueman - September 3, 2010 - 12:04am

Despite having an alleged degree in economics - seriously - Tony Abbott and his team apparently made some slight miscalcs in his costings. According to treasury the Lib's costings were about 10 billion out.

10 ... billion.

The Coalition refused to let Treasury cost its policies during the campaign and furnished independent advice claiming savings of $11.5 billion over four years. Last week the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, relented to demands by the independents to let Treasury cost the work.

Figures released after the talks with the independents show Treasury calculated the Coalition would save only $860 million over the four years. Under another scenario it says the saving would be $4.5 billion. Read more »

Has Abbott done his dash?

Larvatus Prodeo - August 25, 2010 - 9:40pm

Tony Abbott’s response to the country independents’ request for Treasury costings of his promises [see this previous post for details, and for Julia Gillard's response] is to offer them meetings with the Coalition’s accountancy firm and his shadow ministers.

Peter Martin thinks he’s thrown away his chance at the Prime Ministership.

This is, of course, the only logical outcome of a risible policy performance during the campaign, where back of the envelope polices were the order of the day, where announcements were illogical, sketchy and constantly changing, and where the Coalition did everything possible to avoid any scrutiny of either the costs of their billion dollar a day promises or their dodgy “savings”. Read more »

Abbott’s Plan B?

Larvatus Prodeo - August 25, 2010 - 11:29am

On another thread, Josh makes the intriguing suggestion that Tony Abbott may not be taking negotiations to form government seriously, and preparing the ground for a claim that any Gillard minority government lacks “legitimacy”, particularly if the Coalition seat count ends up being higher than Labor’s.

That would no doubt be echoed by the media, who are already working themselves into a lather with aggressive columns, ranty editorials, and online polls and vox pops designed to reinforce their (highly contestable) claim that the three rural independents represent “naturally conservative” electorates.

Even if Abbott is expecting that negotiations may lead to his forming government (and the demand from Tony Windsor for Treasury to cost his promises is probably a significant roadblock), I think it’s pretty clear that the direction of his rhetoric over the past few days signals that this is Plan B. Read more »

Breathtaking gall

Harrangueman - August 24, 2010 - 6:01pm

Tony Abbott today declared that because Labor is undergoing a period of sometimes bitter introspection, that only he, Tony, Mr People Skills, can offer the people a stable collegial government.

Mr Abbott also ridiculed "the civil war" raging inside Labor. He argued there was widespread disunity in Prime Minister Julia Gillard's ranks - and this underscored the Coalition's claims of having the best case for stable government.

He said "only the Coalition" - which, like Labor, looks certain to need the support of the three independent MPs - could offer a reformed Parliament. Read more »

Election Reflections – Three perspectives - pls read and Contribute to the debate

Left Focus - August 24, 2010 - 2:43pm

above: Australia's next Prime Minister?

With the Australian election result ‘on a knife-edge’ there is a need to reflect on what has happened and analyse what went wrong. In Left Focus today we host three perspectives - one from a Left ALP activist (myself), another from AMWU organiser, Don Sutherland, and the last from Tim Anderson – who offers a non-ALP but Left perspective. Read more »