Federal deputy opposition leader Julie Bishop said the prime minister came into parliament in 1998 as a 'self-declared socialist, feminist and atheist' and a card-carrying member of the Socialist Forum.

But Ms Gillard was now trying to change into a social conservative, she said.

Ms Bishop joked the prime minister was about to launch the 'parliamentary friends of Christian atheists', say she was inspired by Sir Robert Menzies and become the leader of One Nation.

http://bigpondnews.com/articles/TopStories/2011/03/22/Wedding_bounce_for_Gillard_-_Abbott_591981.html

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Gus: Ms Bishop, the lady who makes garden gnomes explode by just looking at them, should stick to her day job and forget becoming a stand-up comic... The art of comedy is to retain the truth while twisting it. Ms bishop just kills it and the concept of the bon mot at the same time. Too much vitriol... Too much poison... Too much too-muchness...

Why is there so much rancid vitriol from the Liberals (conservatives) directed at Julia, especially her policy on global warming? Mainly because they don't care much about anything, except for the cost of things from their wallet's point of view... And not the cost of all things but only things that one can buy and SELL... And most things on this planet can't be bought and sold, but there is a big hidden cost associated with doing the WRONG THING to them — including adding CO2 to the atmosphere...

But the Libs (conservatives) — including the NSW libs (conservatives from New South Wales) — don't see past their hip-pocket today, while they could be — and will be — hit by a bus tomorrow for not PAYING ATTENTION... No vision. No shame. No understanding. No common sense. No intelligent thoughts. All hypocrisy, pork, bile and money.

Tony Abbott is devilish... His soul, if he has one, is dark. The whole LIBlot is UGLY. It's turning ugly....

And of all things, I believe they secretly know, Julia will get what she wants which on the issue of climate change is ON THE RIGHT TRACK — yet not enough...

And Alan Jones should be taken to the broadcaster tribunal for spreading scientific fibs, even if he believes in them...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/23/3171486.htm

Really! I am upset, baffled, addled, amazed, astounded, befuddled, bewildered, buffaloed, confounded, confused, dazed, disconcerted, dumbfounded, eluded, embarrassed, fazed, floored, mixed up, muddled, mystified, nonplused, puzzled, rattled... Tony is becoming more and more a fully-fledged cartoon character and I have problem keeping up with this... I'm behind the eigth ball in trying to expose his lunacy!!! ...And his hypocrisy!!! and his intellectual defect!!!... It's so obvious, one cannot get upto date with it. He's doing such a good job at crapping on us. I hope Moir will find a way to bring him back him from the doldrum of stupidity up to a silly mortal size...  Tony is worse than Gaddafi... At least Gaddafi is consistent... And Tony is the leader of the Lberal (conservatives) troops!!! Are they idiots or are they idiots?

And talking about being hit by a bus... well, excuse me...

AAP

Barry O'Farrell has shrugged off Premier Kristina Keneally's jibe that his bus campaign is a bit limp and too late.

The NSW opposition leader kicked off his "Real Change for NSW" tour on Wednesday, with four buses hitting the road to cover all 93 state electorates ahead of Saturday's poll.

Mr O'Farrell's bus will roam the Greater Sydney region, homing in on the Labor heartland of western Sydney.

Ms Keneally began her bus travels weeks ago with the premier visiting electorates in the Hunter region, the central coast, Sydney and the Illawarra.

"I see Mr O'Farrell's got a bus," Ms Keneally said.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/ofarrell-brushes-off-premiers-bus-swipe-20110323-1c6i8.html

Greens leader Bob Brown says he hopes the Opposition Leader apologises to the Prime Minister for speaking at an anti-carbon tax rally in front of "offensive banners".

Protesters at the rally outside Parliament House held placards with slogans like "ditch the witch", with one banner labelling Julia Gillard as "Bob Brown's bitch".

Tony Abbott addressed the group of about 3,000 people in front of the placards, and told the crowd they did not look like environmental vandals or scientific heretics.

He said he did believe that humans were contributing to climate change, but that the current debate was a matter of political honesty.

"There are a lot of diverse opinions about climate change," he said.

"Climate change happens, mankind does make a contribution. It is important to have an intelligent response - not a stupid one."

Senator Brown has written to Ms Gillard saying he was appalled that Mr Abbott spoke in front of such offensive banners.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/23/3171890.htm

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says he regrets some protesters at yesterday's anti-carbon tax rally in Canberra used abusive language.

Protesters at the rally outside Parliament House held placards with slogans like "Ditch the witch", while one banner labelled Prime Minister Julia Gillard "Bob Brown's bitch".

Senator Brown wrote to Ms Gillard saying he was appalled Mr Abbott spoke in front of such offensive banners.

Climate Change Minister Greg Combet says it was not appropriate for Mr Abbott to address the rally while standing in front of some of the signs.

"He should apologise to the Prime Minister for being associated with such despicable placards," he said.

In a statement, Mr Abbott says he regrets abusive and hurtful language was used by a small number of the protesters and he does not endorse it.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/24/3172088.htm

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By the fact of speaking at this rally, Tony has certainly shown HE ENDORSES this bad behaviour, this hurtful and abusive language. He can regret and "not endorse" all he likes: he DID ENDORSE all of it. Language USED BY A SMALL number of the protesters? WHO IS HE KIDDING? Himself... Yes yes I know....

Tony is proud and greatly enthusiastic about his stupid ignorance.... We should accept that. He's a clever idiot and a liar... We should accept that. Some (many) of his troops — like Barnaby — are colourful tall intellectual midgets. We should accept that. We live in a democracy where nasty and hurtful language can be used to make a point (I use this device with satire to poke at the pollies who, of course, place themselves in positions to be poked at). We should accept that...

But we cannot accept that Tony is (or EVER will be) mature enough to lead this country. He's still a brat in budgies smugglers. He will never grow up... He has bully rhetoric skills and no idea about things of stylistic and intrinsic value, except his mate's wallets.

He can barbecue his underpants till he's convinced it does not affect climate change. We can accept that.. But we cannot accept he has the fabric to be a leader of this nation. Too many moth holes, too many tears, too much cloth has been burnt. Too much watery deceitful mildew in the brains...

It's all too familiarly catholic... Sin till it hurts then regret it as to be absolved... Ugly.

The Queen will visit Australia for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth later this year, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has confirmed.

Ms Gillard said Queen Elizabeth II would be accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh.

She said the Queen last visited Australia in 2006 when she opened the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

In 2002 the Queen attended CHOGM in Coolum, Queensland.

"Confirmation of the royal visit is an important and exciting development in the preparations for CHOGM 2011," Ms Gillard said in a statement.

CHOGM will be held from October 28 to 30 and is expected to attract as many as 3,000 delegates from more than 50 nations.

Ms Gillard said this would be the biggest international event held in Perth and was a unique opportunity to showcase Perth and Western Australia as modern, world-class destinations.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/25/3173228.htm

there seem to be a few weird constructions in Perth... picture by Gus...

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I hope that the queen has a good ticker...It would be tragic if she has not... While Australia is not a republic yet, when in Rome do as the Romans do, Julia can't snub the head of the anglican church... As a catholic Tony can but he's a royalist... Julia has to take it on chin, gently, and make the most of it...

NOVEMBER IS always a time of remembering.

The Feast of Saints is held at the beginning of November and is now widely observed across the world to remember those recognised as today’s saints — known or unknown, mighty or lowly.

This is followed on the 5th November with Guy Fawkes Night, which remembers the survival of James I from Guy Fawkes’ assassination plot when he attempted to blow up the House of Lords:

Remember, remember!
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!

And of course, Remembrance Day has been held each year on 11 November for almost a century to remember the Armistice of the Great War

As I’ve written before, November is Australia’s "republican season" — a time of year full of republican symbolism, as well as republican remembering. In Australia, the republican season includes the anniversary of the 6 November1999 republic referendum, the 3 November 1997 anniversary of the voluntary postal election for the 1998 Constitutional Convention, as well as the anniversary of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam’s dismissal on 11 November by then Governor-General John Kerr in 1975. The latter event remains the most dramatic event in Australia’s political history and began the modern republican movement.

Recently there have been claims the British monarch was involved in Australia’s 1975 constitutional crisis.

But as ARM National Chair Peter FitzSimons wrote:

'Nothing has changed since 1975 to stop this happening again.  And next time, it might not be an adviser to Queen Elizabeth having these kinds of secret meetings on Australia’s internal affairs, but a courtier of none other than King Charles.'

Early November also sees the anniversaries of the 2014 memorial for Prime Minister Gough Whitlam (1971-1975), as well as the 12 November eulogy delivered for Professor George Winterton.

Winterton was a first-rank constitutional scholar and pioneer of the modern republican debate. He spent most of his career at the University of New South Wales, was a prominent republican scholar and writer, a member of the Republic Advisory Committee in the mid-1990's and a key delegate to the 1998 Constitutional Convention that crafted the minimalist republic model rejected in the 1999 referendum. More than anyone else, he produced the model that went to the people in the 1999 republic referendum.

Republicanism emerged as an issue of major public debate during the 1990s. Australians have long discussed the idea of replacing the constitutional monarchy with a republican constitution, even during the 19th Century, before federation in 1901. In the 1960s, republican activity was restarted by authorsGeoffrey Dutton and Donald Horne. At the same time, the student magazine Ozlampooned the monarchy. A decade on, the dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam by the appointed Governor-General on 11 November 1975 outraged many Australians.

The 1975 Constitutional Crisis drew attention to Australia's constitutional arrangements and, since those turbulent days, several notable Australians have declared a commitment to an Australian republic. There were many Town Hall meetings and calls to "maintain the rage". During these years, the Australian Labor Party edged towards declaring itself for the republic. This it eventually didin 1982.

read more:

https://independentaustralia.net/australia/australia-display/remember-re...