Gillard's 3rd Strike
 

1. Carbon Tax that was promised wouldn't happen and now is happening.

2. Supporting an MP whom a blind man could see is lying about using Union funds for paying for prostitution and lying to conceal the fact

3. Asylum Policy destroyed because its illegal

Please will someone put us out of her misery.

All the crisis management lessons in history suggest that when bad things happen the leadership should admit it, stand up, commit to fixing it. The worst thing you can do - as proven time and time again - is to paper over, and trivialise or dodge - On 1, 2, 3 above they have dodged the issue.

I cannot believe that the aforementioned Union leader with poor cash management skills is still a sitting MP - Building a duck-pond with an approved expenses claim is one thing - spending 100,000 on hookers and what-not and then "losing" all the financial records and lying about it to the press, public, etc is entirely different.

Re: Gillard's 3rd Strike
 

Made a promise associated with having a majority, and when they didn't, made an accommodation with a party to form a majority in a democratic fashion. +1 for actually not being an arse and doing the right thing (eg not increasing the pollution and putting in place policies that might reduce it).

Not having a choice, because of the fragile nature of the numbers. As to what she would do if she had 20 in hand, we don't know, but my guess is she would dump him. If you think he should have been dumped, you shouldn't have voted for the right wing in the first place.

Suffered what looks to be a VERY dodge decision by a court which goes against most of the case law of asylum (first point of safe harbour), and now has to deal with the crap falling out from that. Probably best would be to reform the court to fix the bad decision making, but fat chance of that whilst there is political capital to be made.

Seems like nothing wrong has been done that isn't forced by the political system, or a court that make little sense. You want to change that, change the board the game is being played on.

Frankly it would be less of an issue if Tony wasn't a Sword of Damocles - hanging over any sane policies in Australia. Ditch that turd and we can talk about fixing things, otherwise Gillard is much the least worst option.

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Tick tock tick tock

Gillard's in the dock

Lose lose lose lose

How long is her fuse?

Time for you to go ginger

Just look at everyone's middle finger

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I think I prefer the yoof version in its brutal simplicity..... FOAD

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Maybe when Abbott comes up with a policy other than "No, let me wreck that for you" and "I'll give you a half arsed worse version of what Julia proposed" then I'll consider it. ;)

Nice how Abbott was quoted by an independent this week as saying he would do anything to become prime minister except sell his arse. And that he might even be willing to do that. Charming fool of a PM he will make. Give me Julia any day rather than that vile man.

Re: Gillard's 3rd Strike
 

Blimey a more staunch labour supporter than me... never thought I'd see that :blink:

Reason a Bennite like myself wants rid of her...She is probably the most hopeless Labour Leader I've ever had the misfortune to see... including Mark Latham. She is doing irreparable harm to the party.

If I was a staunch Lib... I'd be willing her to stay in for the next two years... As to maximise the possiblity of killing the Labour party for a generation.

So Bring on Tony Abbot please.... he is Labours best long term hope :sneaky:

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And that is what will happen probably, no way she is going to let go.

Re: Gillard's 3rd Strike
 

I don't think so. I think most have just come under the spell of constant negative opposition and press...brainwashed by the shock jocks and right wing print journalists...just because an avowed wrecker in opposition is managing to wreck I will continue to judge each policy in the context of a minority govt with a wrecker in opposition. Many of her policies are good, some aren't or just fair.

The obvious thing she lacks is the style/presence demanded of a prime minister but as I prefer smart quiet people over stupid noisy ones I like her. It may be her undoing but I still won't think less of her for being an intelligent pragmatic person doing her best. Reports from "all" sides of parliament, including the LNP and the press, have over a long period described her as an intelligent decent hardworking person who has always strived to reach agreement and find the central ground.

Abbott has had barely one useful idea, has a self declared lack of interest in economics, has a poor team around him, is ideologically driven, is religious in the worst opportunistic judgemental way, has poor morals, knows nothing about technology (thinks wireless is taking over wired), has a bad record as a health minister including letting his religious beliefs interfere with his decisions, uses dog whistle politics without regard to the victims, lies about his beliefs and changes his mind on a political whim to whatever will fool enough people to get him the prime ministership he reportedly craves. Just because his tactics are working you won't find me on that bandwagon.

I can't wait for the day decent more moderate Liberal party members take back the party and provide a genuine choice like we used to have.

Re: Gillard's 3rd Strike
 

Further to my above, I think Gillard will hang on and then yes, Labour will be cast out but ONLY if a replacement for Abbott is found AND early enough.

Re: Gillard's 3rd Strike
 

"The Labor team supports me as the best person to do this job as prime minister," Ms Gillard said.

The proverbial vote of confidence?

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I just wish to go she'd sort her hair out! :eek:

She's shacked up with a hairdresser FGS. :eek:

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I heard a Perth journalist interview one of the Greens senators this morning about the High Court decision http://www.6pr.com.au/blogs/6pr-pert...uj.html:blink:.

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That link doesn't work for me...might just be me though.

I thought it good that the courts proved to be independant of government. That's the job of the law courts, to interpret the law, not do what the govt. of the day wants them to.

Re: Gillard's 3rd Strike
 

Sorry, I'll try it again. The interview was by Paul Murray with Senator Sarah Hanson-Young http://www.6pr.com.au/blogs/6pr-pert...901-1jmuj.html. It was on 6PR and called Stop whinging, do something, on their home page at http://www.6pr.com.au/.

Re: Gillard's 3rd Strike
 

Kevin, Kevin, Kevin, Kevin...............

It's just a matter of time.

He's probably got the knife out of his back by now and its going to be a beauty of a boomerang.

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Now THAT would be interesting. Has it happened before? Here or in the UK?

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Jack the Ripper did a lot of it.

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I'm still tipping a Rudd Turnbull race.

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Julie Bishop looks quietly poised to me.....we shall see.

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What about Smiffy?

Well respected.

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Not sure about her intellectual smartness, although she was elegantly dressed and behaved - unusual qualities for a politican:sneaky: - when I met her.

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just arguing semantics here but the words were ""There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead".

Whilst I'm not anti the carbon tax, as futile a gesture as it is, assuming the real culprits (india, china, america) continue to operate the way thay do, I am completely opposed to her handling of the issue.


I agree. Having said that, I can't see either of them as political players on the global stage. They both seem to be completely out of their depth. Neither have any gravitas or integrity. Kevin Rudd did, I didnt like him and his clandestine introduction of legistaltion, but personality wise he was more suited to the role.

Tony is just bat shit crazy and completley reactionary, without really offering anything other than emotional reactions to labor policy, ad nauseum. He would seem better suited to running a petrol station or a small bar or something of that scale. Not a country. He did teach Australians the word plebiscite though.

Gillard is just a deceitful puppet. She's like the sinister one out of punch and judy.

Re: Gillard's 3rd Strike
 

True, but what are you going to do?

Australia has been increasing its carbon pollution year on year since 1990, whereas others have cut it. Its pretty obvious sensible regulatory means aren't going to happen - so you are left with tax. Now they have screwed up the tax approach as well, giving back what they take so no lesson is learnt, but at least its a start to towards full emission trading.

As for the big polluters, the US, China, etc., joining up the emission trading approaches (Europe, Australia, etc.) would enable the hold outs to be dealt with. If you aren't a member, your country's pollution is counted against your exporters' goods as an extra 'carbon trading' levy. That's got to be the aimpoint of the west to fix some of the competition inequalities - and its best to be in there first, setting the rules.

As the BBC correspondent points out, the entire Australian political setup is second rate and broken. None of them are really very good, and the quality of the decision making is poor and ill informed. They just aren't very good at the game of politics, let alone strategy.

Best solution would be to replace the lot of them as unfit for purpose - but until that point you have to focus on limiting the damage that can be done. Even if Gillard were a deceitful puppet, she is still a much better bet than Tony the Turd.

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Don't you mean ChittyChittyBangBang?

http://www.popcrunch.com/wp-content/...ld-catcher.jpg

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The sooner we get rid of the useless ginger witch the better, I'm really not keen on her but that's what happens when the electorate is given the choice of dumb or dumber.

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yes, but the short term implcations of Australian pricing will be felt, and indeed passed on directly to the consumers, prior to the kinks of penalisation being ironed out.

I will have to do some research to back this up, but I think I saw non-punitive fines of around 1 million dollars being issued to companies who pass on the increased cost to their customers directly. On paper, that's exceptionally damaging to smaller companies but probably a drop in the ocean to the larger ones where the cost of not passing on the incurred tax would be much higher.
Also if the direct cost of the tax cant be passed on, the increased cost of business by R&D into the carbon issue surely can be (potentially penalty free). In the same way that if an insurer experiences a claim heavy year the premiums are inflated to pass this cost on, and maintain profitability and growth.
I'd like to understand what it is quantified as a direct passing on and what the exceptions and loopholesare. As I said, more research required on my part, but I'm sure news.com.au, ACA and TT will be quick to point this out.

I fall into the category of being most influenced by the inevitable price hikes. My income is over the threshold of the accompanying tax relief, and I think I may benefit by $3 per year or something like that.
Obviously I'm thrilled. :)

From am environmental thing it will do nothing on its own, but as a gesture it is definitely a step forward in the right direction. Australia on the global stage, doesnt have the influence to rally the troops around this issue yet. I also dont think it features too heavily on the prime culprits agendas just now. The only reason we're in the global media at the moment was our surprising resilance to the GFC, and all of our lovely shiny minerals which are up for grabs.


I dont normally enjoy Nick Bryants blog. I usually dont agree with him, but I did find that to be absolutely spot on.

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ha! actually I would go with either the clown from under the bed in Poltergeist:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_S-7t7l-ruW...oltergeist.jpg

or chucky

http://www.iconsoffright.com/SHOCK/T...DS_PLAY-35.jpg

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So a case of replace a failure with a failure who was originally forced out to be replaced by the failure who the failure would be replacing?

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I can't see how the proposed carbon tax will help the environment, mainly because the compensation offered negates it. The carbon tax also benefits some of the population and some states, but penalises others. An example is that more people in WA earn above the cut-off income levels, so will not only get no compensation, but will actually be worse off. Another example has recently surfaced, where the coal-fired power stations in WA will not get any of the compensation available to other states and may be forced to close down, affecting the power supply. Yet another link to a radio interview for you http://www.6pr.com.au/blogs/6pr-pert...826-1jdca.html.

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Which ever way you slice it or dice it, Labor are gone at the next election (whenever that will be, sooner rather than later IMO), but the next few decisions they make will decide whether they will be wiped out for a generation or just get beaten.

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It does *look* that way - but I still cling on to the hope that the Australian people will baulk at the final hurdle and realise that putting Tony Abbott in the top job is an apalling proposition - better to stick with the current bunch of incompetants than turn to the 'dark lord' for salvation.

I'd much rather have well meaning but ineffective government than biggoted evil-doers.

Perhaps the best we can hope for is a Tony Abbott to cling on and remain leader *just* long enough to get through the next election - so that the Lib majority isnt too big and he can prove himself to be as much of a twat as possible without doing too much harm before retunring to a re-organised Labor government 3 years later?

I might just about be able to stomach 3 years of Lib without having to leave the country as long as theres a realistic chance of Tony being de-throned reasonably quickly. Quite simply the man scares me.... He shouldnt be put in charge of ANYTHING.... EVER

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I'm no real fan of Abbott but I will vote for him at the next election because he is not a socialist - like we have at the moment. I will say though that he is a very effective opposition leader and is often underestimated by the left-wing, especially the so-called 'intelligensia'. He appeals to the aspirational working man, which is no bad thing IMO.

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I thought that was strange to implement. clearly something to make the tax more palattable in the eyes of teh great unwashed. After all, everyone loves a tax cuit dont they.

I'd say it will fail mainly due to the fact that Australia's global contribution is negligable compared to most.
It may help some people sleep at night, under the illustion that they've saved a nation and its children, but until critical nations join or follow suit or do anything, everyone's carbon footrpint per capita will still just keep going up and up. Australian's included. You cant cherry pick the countries you save.

If the minerals stop, or demand dries up, the rest of the world will pay less attention to Australia, and when we have figures like Gillard and Abbot as the 'spokespeople', It'll just make people ignore us faster.

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but, paradoxically, wasnt that always the core manifesto in the origins of the Labor Party?

If the Liberals had someone more charasmatic than Abbot, a thinker not a constant reacter, a forward planner, and a global player, it would be a landslide.

Although I was new to the country at the 07 elections, it seemed to be more of a people's favourtie politician than any kind of party ideaology. "Kevin 07" not Labor. My opinion is that John Howard should have stepped down and allowed Costello to establish a presence and lead the party for those elections. The results could have been different. I think people were just sick of Howard and his perpetually sorrowful face.

I know its a political game but I love all the overuse of trigger words and phrases like "its teh Workchoicez!!!111!!".
Next time it will be 'Carbon Pricing'

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I don't think so. The original, western socialist movement was based on protection for the working man, based on union membership, collective bargaining etc. The lowest common denominator.

The aspirational working man (cashed up Bogan would be the modern Aussie equivalent) is different - he is someone who wants to better himself through his own effort, to break away from the collective. Thatcher, Reagan, Howard are the kind of leader who appeal/ed to them.

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I think that could be the real threat here that the party need to think about, the long term good of the party. If they can dig themselves out here then it’s worth persisting in government, if they can’t then they have to stem this while it’s still possible for them to form an opposition government.

Tony Abbot in office for one term with a significant opposition may be more tenable than him in office for several terms as labour has to rebuild support.
While I appreciate there was some overlap they had very different policies overall.

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Sure, but they all appealed to a certain type of person who saw a better future for themself if they went for it.

It's one of the reasons that there is no longer a real working-class in the UK.

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Sweet Jesus no, I'd rather have the Mad Monk.

Kevin Elevin?

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I guess the strangest thing in all of this is that polls suggest Australians realise there is an obligation to deal with greenhouse gases. Rather than pretending to listen though Labour seem intent on shoving carbon tax as deeply as possible down voters throats with total disregard for the consequences. A good government would have been (past tenths, it’s probably too late now) able to take voters along on this.

If they had managed to do so and maintain public support the sleaze, misappropriation of funding and bankruptcy by one MP wouldn’t have been such a big issue. They’d have a shiny new candidate take his place and remain in government :thumbup:.

If Labour are looking to blame anyone they should look to themselves, the Coalition haven’t been a particularly effective opposition and by no means have a charismatic or popular leadership.

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Ditto all that. :thumbup: