JoanL

Abbott - what a gift to Labour!!!

Well, he won't get many women voting for him for a start off. He just doesn't get it regarding abortion. Many women hate the idea of abortion too, but they hate the idea of women suffering and dying through illegal abortions, and unwanted children being born into rejection and misery. They also know that having a baby adopted out is traumatic for the mother. If Abbott got his way he would bring back all these miseries.

Also, this is Australia not the US - we don't like religiosity here.

AND there's the spectre of Work Choices, which he supported.

AND with a right wing ratbag like him, there's always the fear that they'll muck around with Medicare.

I guess not much work will be getting done in ALP circles until the hilarity subsides.

Abbott -

ha ha ha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha hah

rajj

All the libs have to do now is get Costello to come back as deputy and bammmm Oz may be electing 'Abbott & Costello' to run the country.

JoanL

mono

At least Abbott has the right attitude towards the monarchy/republican issue in Australia.

http://www.nationalobserver.net/2004_spring_abbott.htm

NedKelly

What extreme views are they? Please enlighten the ones who have not been here long enough to know.

JoanL

Well, he's a religious nutter for a start and opposes legal abortion, which has been a woman's right here for quite a while. He belongs to the far right of his party, and would bring back the draconian industrial relations laws that got his party slaughtered two years ago. His nickname is the Mad Monk.

I'm sure there's more - I know there's more but it is all just too depressing.

rajj

As health minister he effectively vetoed the licensing of new drugs on his religious grounds (mildly disguised as on technical grounds). This was despite strong backing from scientists and most MPs who were demanding the drugs be allowed into oz. Unfortunately I cannot remember the drugs in question but a google search of news from the past might just do it.

IvanM

It was an abortion pill.

rajj

That's right, but I understand there were others which were not outright abortion pills.

fish.01

Looked hard, but couldn't find it

Broad Shoulders

He is also a very vocal opposer of stem cell research, yet again his religious beliefs clouding his political mandate

mono

Abbott thinks that the way Australians forget their British heritage and seek a republic is juvenile and ridiculous.

Good man.

JoanL

The monarchy v republic debate is not really important. I voted for a republic 10 years ago, but now I just don't care. I like our Governor General, and would be OK if she had been made president in the same way.

I'm no monarchist, but the thought of ending up with a US style republic, with all the expensive bovine excrement that goes along with it, is too horrible.

So - I'm glad this particular question is on the back burner. Mind you, I don't understand why the ultra Roman Catholic Tony Abbott supports the head of the Protestant church of England as our head of state....puzzling.

No wonder we call him the mad Monk.

fish.01

He would. It always goes back to the ideological fight with extremists.

Assuming all Australians who want a republic only do it out of disrespect for Britain or our British heritage is juvenile and ridiculous. Thinking we can't respect that history and still become a republic is juvenile and ridiculous. Always bringing it back to old ideological fights and battles is....oh I'm sure you get the theme I'm pushing now

BadgeIsBack

Abbott... he strikes me as a worry...why??

A polly who does not have the self-control to hide the fact he is basically a bit of a nutter. In a word - not professional enough by the standards of the profession...

...if that makes sense...