Tony Abbott has promised to return Australia to the "golden age" of the Howard government under his "incoming Coalition government".
In a speech to the South Australian Liberal Party yesterday, the federal Opposition Leader emphasised the connection between the Coalition under his leadership and the government of John Howard, which was voted out in 2007 after 11 years.
The tradition of the Howard government would live on, Mr Abbott declared, in no small part because of the similarities between his frontbench and Mr Howard's ministerial team.
"Sixteen members of my frontbench were ministers in the Howard government," Mr Abbott said.

"We won't have to learn on the job because we have done the job before. There won't be questions about the judgment of an incoming Coalition government because an incoming Coalition government has shown good judgment in the past and that's where there is going to be such a contrast between an incoming Coalition government and the government that we currently have."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/abbott-ill-revive-howards-golden-age-20120818-24f31.html#ixzz23xFbV0gC

--------------------------------

I hope you have not forgotten the illegal wars and the floggings...

Tony Abbott has become the first Opposition Leader in nearly 26 years to be thrown out of Federal Parliament, during a heated Question Time dominated by debate on school funding.

Despite delaying its response to the Gonski review by several weeks, the Federal Government today announced plans to fund students on a consistent basis regardless of the type of school they attend.

Mr Abbott says that in the current economic climate, Australia cannot afford the recommended $5 billion in changes to public and independent school funding formulas.

But Prime Minister Julia Gillard says that would mean a funding cut for public schools under a future Coalition government; the disagreement contributed to another spiteful Question Time.

Earlier today Mr Abbott said public school funding was not as dire as some make out.

"Overall, the 66 per cent of Australian school students who attend public schools get 79 per cent of government funding," he said.

"The 34 per cent of Australians who attend independent schools get just 21 per cent of government funding.

"So, there is no question of injustice to public schools here. If anything, the injustice is the other way."

Ms Gillard seized on the comments and later told Parliament that Mr Abbott had public school funding on his "hit list".

"The Leader of the Opposition thinks public schools have got too much money," she said.

"Like Jack the Ripper he's going to be there wielding his knife to cut money out of [public schools]."

When Mr Abbott said Ms Gillard's continued remarks were lies, he was asked by Acting Speaker Anna Burke to unconditionally withdraw.

But he did not follow her instructions.

"The Leader of the Opposition will withdraw, without qualification," Ms Burke said.

"I withdraw," Mr Abbott said, before adding: "It's still an untrue statement."

This prompted Ms Burke to eject the Opposition Leader from the chamber.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-20/abbott-thrown-out-of-question-time/4210814?WT.svl=news0

In hindsight, Tony Abbott probably wishes he took a holiday on Monday and didn’t turn up to work all week. He’s had a shocker, especially on Wednesday and Thursday — as was reported by Barry Cassidy on The Drum.

Some people might choose to see his performance on ABC 7:30 as anomaly in an otherwise successful run as opposition leader. Perhaps Lisa Wilkinson’s interview on Channel 9 was another anomaly?

It could be argued that the historically soft treatment of Abbott by the mainstream media is now causing his downfall. When a politician is challenged on a daily basis, they get stronger, smarter and better at finding the right answer at the right time. Abbott proved, when challenged by Sales and Wilkinson, that he had nothing.

Flustered, defensive and confused. No three-word slogan could hide his ineptitude.

Conversely, Gillard, who has been constantly challenged by the media since becoming Prime Minister, produced a calm, calculated and consistent performance in a marathon press conference on Thursday. And Abbott couldn’t even be bothered watching this conference, or reading the transcript later.

http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/politics/abbott-to-choke-on-the-silver-spoon/

One group who appear to be taking this message to heart is the Anyone But Abbott campaign. ABA is a grassroots, non-partisan organisation whose stated purpose is to oust Tony Abbott from the federal seat of Warringah, which he has held since 1994. The group believe that Labor will ‘almost certainly lose the next federal election’, but are convinced Abbott lacks the policies and the

‘…strength of character to effectively unify and deliver prosperity to a nation after a period of prolonged divisiveness’.

In reality, ABA is attempting to wrestle power away from the small but powerful Liberal right faction and return it to the moderates with the group openly endorsing moderate heavyweights, Joe Hockey and Malcolm Turnbull as ‘higher calibre’ leaders.

http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/politics/anyone-but-abbott-a-chance-for-liberal-moderates-to-rise/

see toon at top...

TONY ABBOTT says he has no plans to change the Coalition's question time tactics following criticism from Malcolm Turnbull that the session focuses too much on asylum seekers and the carbon tax.
With Parliament to resume on Monday and the government about to start sending the first asylum seekers to Nauru, the Opposition Leader said yesterday that border protection and the carbon price remained the government's ''two biggest failures'' and the opposition would pursue the issues.
Mr Abbott was commenting yesterday after a rugged week in which the Nationals revolted over foreign investment in agriculture and Mr Turnbull, the opposition communications spokesman, gave a provocative speech decrying the deterioration of political discourse.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/abbott-sticks-by-question-time-ploy-20120907-25jnm.html#ixzz25qo2Zv3o

Federal Labor has seized on the tough budget cuts announced by conservative state governments, declaring they are just a "curtain raiser" to what Tony Abbott has in store.

The Queensland Government has announced that 14,000 public service jobs will be cut as part of a plan to return the budget to surplus.

The state's Health Department will be the hardest hit, losing 4,140 staff.

Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek has slammed the cuts, telling Parliament they will affect frontline services.

"The cuts that we're seeing in the Queensland Health budget are just the curtain raiser on the cuts that this Leader of the Opposition would preside over here in Canberra," Ms Plibersek said.

Labor's attempts to link the cuts in Queensland to the Federal Opposition began even before the state treasurer stood to deliver his budget speech.

Acting Prime Minister Wayne Swan had earlier told a caucus meeting there had been a massive response in Queensland to the anticipated cuts and that it provided a platform for highlighting what an Abbott government would do.

Later in Question Time Mr Swan said he was "horrified" by the "huge" cuts being made in health and education in his home state.

"What we are seeing here is a clear warning," Mr Swan said.

"We're getting a sneak preview of what an Abbott government would do to health and education nationally."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-11/labor-warns-of-curtain-raiser-to-abbott-cuts/4255188

see toon at top...

Australia doesn’t want Tony Abbott. We never have. When pollsters rang to ask who we wanted to take over from John Howard or Brendan Nelson or Malcolm Turnbull we put Abbott way down the list, usually at the bottom. As the years went by and the number of Liberal contenders dwindled, we always wanted someone else: Peter Costello even after he gave up the leadership without a fight; Malcolm Turnbull even after the climate sceptics brought him undone; or Joe Hockey the untried hulk from morning television. We never wanted the man the Liberals gave us in December 2009. Abbott was their pick, not ours. And the party was almost as stunned as the nation. “God almighty,” one of the Liberals cried in the party room that day. “What have we done?”

The press pack was held behind ropes waiting for the result. Bob Ellis was treated as comic relief as he buttonholed us with predictions of an Abbott victory. All alone in a nearby anteroom the Reverend Peter Rose sat reading the Bible in front of a blank television screen. “There was no rancour in there,” the priest told me. “That’s what I was praying for.

http://www.themonthly.com.au/political-animal-making-tony-abbott-david-marr-6251

then comes the end paragaph:

What he’s about is destroying a government. Looking like a prime minister in waiting is a second-order consideration. The work isn’t pretty but, with a helping hand from his opponents, he has brought a million or so Australians over to his side of politics. They don’t much like him but they like the Labor government even less. If Abbott can hold on all the way to the ballot box, he will be remembered as the most successful Opposition leader of the last forty years, turning a rabble into a govern ment in four years. Tricky to read at the best of times, he’s becoming more opaque as he approaches office. The big question of Australian politics now is not the fate of the mining boom or the impact of the carbon tax, but how Tony Abbott might perform as prime minister. He is campaigning hard and giving little away. Look to my record, he says, as he slogs on with a ferocity that alarms the public almost as much as it rattles the govern­ment. That’s how he’s chosen to play the game. Love and respect can wait.

----------------------------

This last paragraph alone sketches something that we should be fearful of: what appears to be the emergence of a sociopath... Do it — apply the sociopath test... I have done it and according to the questions, Tony Abbott is a dangerous idiott, "bordering" on sociopathy...

http://www.yourdemocracy.net.au/drupal/node/12497#comment-15797

http://www.yourdemocracy.net.au/drupal/node/13239

http://www.yourdemocracy.net.au/drupal/node/20385

http://www.yourdemocracy.net.au/drupal/node/13326

http://www.yourdemocracy.net.au/drupal/node/10135

This  questionnaire [with updated answers] is based on research and experiences of socialised psychopaths. For each trait, decide if it applies to the person you suspect may be a "socialised psychopath" (sociopath), fully (2 points), partially (1 point) or not at all (0 points).

1. Do they have problems sustaining stable relationships, personally and in business? 
     TONY ABBOTT score: 1
   
2. Do they frequently manipulate others to achieve selfish goals, with no consideration of the effects on those manipulated?
     TONY ABBOTT score: 2
3. Are they cavalier about the truth, and capable of telling lies to your face? 
     TONY ABBOTT score: 2
4. Do they have an air of self-importance, regardless of their true standing in society? 
     TONY ABBOTT score: 2
5. Have they no apparent sense of remorse, shame or guilt? 
     TONY ABBOTT score: 1
6. Is their charm superficial, and capable of being switched on to suit immediate ends? 
     TONY ABBOTT score: 2
7. Are they easily bored and demand constant stimulation? 
     TONY ABBOTT score: 1
8. Are their displays of human emotion unconvincing? 
     TONY ABBOTT score: 1 (on some occasions 2)
9. Do they enjoy taking risks, and acting on reckless impulse? 
     TONY ABBOTT score: 2
10. Are they quick to blame others for their mistakes? 
      TONY ABBOTT score: 2
11. As teenagers, did they resent authority, play truant and/or steal? 
      TONY ABBOTT score: ? (2)
12. Do they have no qualms about sponging off others? 
      TONY ABBOTT score: 1
13. Are they quick to lose their temper? 
      TONY ABBOTT score: 1
14. Are they sexually promiscuous? 
      TONY ABBOTT score: 0 (1)
15. Do they have a belligerent, bullying manner? 
      TONY ABBOTT score: 2
16. Are they unrealistic about their long-term aims? 
      TONY ABBOTT score: 1
17. Do they lack any ability to empathise with others? 
      TONY ABBOTT score: 1 (but on some occasion 2)
18. Would you regard them as essentially irresponsible?

       TONY ABBOTT score: 2
----------------------------------------------
TOTAL:            24 (29 with the alternative)

A score of 25 or above suggests strong psychopathic tendencies. 

This has not stopped others involved in campus politics sending in their recollections.
Ross Kerridge, a self-described ''minor player'' in student politics in the late 1970s, says he remembers the incident being discussed widely at the time.
''But to be fair, Barbara was no shrinking violet. At one SRC meeting she reduced Tanya Costello [Coleman] to a welter of tears with some amusing barbs about her politician father.''
Ron Grunstein, a member of the SRC from 1977 to 1979, said he does not recall the alleged incident.
''Mr Abbott was no angel but neither were the rest of the ratbag collection of effervescent Trotskyists, dour Stalinists, wavering centrists and the ever excitable DLP faction.''
Mr Abbott said he laid low yesterday out of respect for the funeral of a soldier killed in Afghanistan. He has given interviews on four other occasions when such funerals were held

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/punch-witness-comes-forward-with-tales-of-anarchy-in-the-src-20120912-25sxx.html#ixzz26IEf7wl9

Tony Abbott: a relic from the 1950s

Tony Abbott is an elitist, a homophobe and a misogynist — Australians must not allow him to take this country back to the 1950s. David Donovan reports.

Tony Abbott is not fit to be Australian Prime Minister and there are many reasons for this, some of which I have previously written about. For example, he is untrustworthy — by his own admission, you can’t believe anything he says unless his comments come from a carefully scripted statement. He is arrogant, ideological and prone to errors of judgement — like his decision to, and excuse for, going to a British Conservative Party Conference in preference to visiting Australian troops in Afghanistan in 2010.

Elitist Abbott

His attitude towards royalty is well-known and is a good example of his fundamentally inegalitarian nature. Despite being a Catholic himself – a religion specifically excluded from ever being the monarch (and therefore Australian head of state) by the 1701 Act of Settlement – Abbott is a fanatical royalist. Most Australians see the principles of selective hereditary succession for our head of state as being discriminatory, but Abbott sees no problem with the archiac principles of primogeniture.

It’s fine, Abbott wrote in 2007, because the Crown is ‘…hereditary…like looks, intelligence, aptitudes and even property’.

Homophobic Abbott

Abbott has a strongly questionable attitude towards homosexuals. In March 2010, when questioned about his attitude towards gays, he said he felt “threatened” by them.

If he feels threatened by them, it seems likely that he will avoid confronting their issues? We already know that he doesn’t believe in gay marriage – the touchstone issue of homosexual equality – despite the overwhelming majority of the Australian population being in favour of this reform. And, moreover, when someone is threatened aren’t they more likely to strike out in anger? Abbott seems more than likely to attempt to punish homosexuals by punitive legislation if he becomes Prime Minister, particularly when his strong religious beliefs are taken into account.

Bullying mysogynist Abbott

Most disturbing of all, arguably, is the fact that Abbott is bigoted against 50 per cent of the population—women.

Abbott has shown this several times before

For example, in a public debate with the shadow health minister Julia Roxon during the 2007 election campaign, Abbott was an almost unforgivable half-an-hour late, leaving Roxon to make her address and field questions on her own. Roxon began her address, rather understandably, by referring to Mr Abbott’s absence as a lack of respect for the importance of the debate. After the debate was concluded, in comments accidentally picked up by the microphones, Abbott shook Roxon’s hand and moved close to her before whispering that she was speaking “bullshit” and calling her “unpleasant”. The typical actions of a bully.

etc...etc...

Even worse was his conduct towards Julia Gillard just over a year ago. On September 10, 2009, before becoming Opposition Leader, Abbott confronted Julia Gillard during Question Time in Federal Parliament, aggressively telling her to stop wearing a “shit-eating grin”.

Abbott again revealed his misogynistic side after becoming Opposition leader. In February, he caused something of a stir when he said that the greatest gift a woman could give a man was her virginity. Soon after, in March, he revealed that he considered ironing to be woman’s work. He continued:

“What housewives of Australia need to understand as they do the ironing is that if they get it done commercially it’s going to go up in price, and their own power bills when they switch the iron on are going to go up.”

In Australia, we must demand better from our leaders. 

http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/politics/tony-abbott-university-bigot-and-bully-and-still-one-today/

Abbott is an idiott... A relict from the middle ages...

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has accused a Labor "dirt unit" of being behind allegations he physically threatened a female student during his university days, and denies the incident ever happened.

In his first media conference since the allegations were raised in a magazine article last weekend, Mr Abbott conceded he did a lot of things that were "silly, childish, [and] embarrassing" while involved in student politics at the University of Sydney.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-14/abbott-denies-punching-wall-next-to-rivals-head/4260714?WT.svl=news1

Labor throwing dirt at Tony? That would be a change... Usually it's Tony throwing dirt — manufactured from the Liberal (conservative) dirt unit — on Slipper (Slipper was one of his "mates" for nearly twenty years), on Thomson (Lawler at Fair Work Australia was apparently appointed by Tony and Kathy Jackson is also a "good mate" of Tony's), on Julia (rehashing an old story that has no legs), on ironing work for women...

In fact, labor has been very subdued in the dirt on Tony department and it's only because David Marr (small L liberal — moderate conservative, possibly gay) wrote an article in the Monthly showing the true rotten colours of Tony Abbott... The only dirt unit I know of in the Labor Camp is Kevin Rudd who's still trying to do his swan song and peackock dance...

Tony Abbott is an idiott...

Meanwhile:

A Sydney barrister who publicly backed claims that Tony Abbott physically threatened a female student 35 years ago has strongly rejected suggestions he is connected to a Labor Party "dirt unit".

Speaking at his first media conference since the allegations were published last weekend, the Opposition Leader today denied being physically aggressive towards Barbara Ramjan, who defeated him in the 1977 student election.

Instead, he accused a Labor "dirt unit" of peddling the story to journalists.

Ms Ramjan's former campaign manager David Patch, who is now a barrister, did not see the alleged incident but says he spoke to her soon after and has backed her version of events.

"I believed her then and I believe her now," Mr Patch, a former Labor candidate, told ABC News Online.

And he rejected suggestions he had been encouraged by Labor to speak out about the issue.

"I categorically deny that I have had any contact, either directly or indirectly, with anyone in or associated with the Labor Party about this article, either before or indeed since," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-14/abbott-reax-shell/4262186?WT.svl=news1

The ABC asks the question:

Tony Abbott's uni days: Who said what?

Posted Fri Sep 14, 2012 12:11pm AEST

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott blames a Labor dirt unit for allegations that he physically threatened a female student and political rival during his university days.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-14/tony-abbott-barbara-ramjan-david-marr-university-days/4261254?WT.svl=news5

The answer is simple.... First, Tony DID what David Marr reported.

Second, Greg Sheridan writes or says:

"There's absolutely no contemporary evidence that it occurred... (there is no pictures but witness) This is the most disgraceful, sectarian, anti-Catholic campaign I've ever seen and the ABC should hang its head in shame the way it has given uncritical and worshipful coverage to the most disgracefully incompetent, sloppy, inaccurate, vindictive piece of nasty writing by David Marr [David Marr is a small L liberal - conservative] that has ever been produced."

-----------------

Is Greg a catholic? I've no idea but he ain't a bright spark in my book and the DLP was giving me the creeps back then in the 1970s. It was the most hypocritical of all political parties... I have the feeling too that Rudd is aligning himself with DLP ideologies... Here is an extract of Greg Sheridan's political position: from Wklipedia:

In journalist John Pilger's book Hidden Agendas, Sheridan was accused of being a "reliable ally" of the Suharto dictatorship while serving as the foreign editor of The Australian.[2] In particular, Pilger noted Sheridan's defense of Indonesia following the Clinton administration's critique of Suharto's human rights records, as well as the Australian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee following its confirmation of the Santa Cruz Massacre. Sheridan stated that "even genuine victims frequently concoct stories".[2] He was a vocal critic of Prime Minister John Howard's intervention in East Timor in 1999, and during 2006 called for the removal of Mari Alkatiri as Prime Minister of that country.

Sheridan is also a supporter of the Australian government's anti-terror legislation and argues the deportation from Australia of American leftist activist Scott Parkin was well founded.[3] He has also argued in support of the notion that George W. Bush will be judged one of the great presidents of the United States.[4] Consequently he argued in favor of the conservative candidate in the 2008 campaign, John McCain, and turned his disappointment on Barack Obama's victory into a denial of the "Noam Chomsky-John Pilger-Phillip Adams" view of the USA.[5]

-------------------------

"Every one would agree" that George W Bush was a dud... Similarly, Sheridan's friend, Tony Abbott, is an idiott......

It is often argued that the worse time for a political leader is when the public stops listening.

That's not true. It's even worse when the public is still listening, but they think you're talking rubbish.

That's the danger now - if not the reality - for Tony Abbott; that he so over-egged the consequences of the carbon tax, the public will now discount a lot of what he has to say on other contentious issues, making him a less effective advocate.

That is not to say the carbon tax is no longer a troubling issue for the Government. It is, especially since Julia Gillard provided the Coalition with rolled gold campaign advertising material in the days leading up to the last election. "There will be no carbon tax under a government I lead…" will be the echo of election 2013.

But more broadly, the issue is in decline. The worst for the Government, is over.

The Opposition was wise to shift the focus to declining tax revenues and increased government spending on lofty long-term initiatives that so far come without any corresponding savings.

"Where's the money coming from?" is the new Coalition catch cry.

It will resonate, at least in the short term. But the reality is the Government is duty-bound anyway to answer the question in its mid-(financial)-year review late in the year.

And of course the same question can and is asked of the Opposition.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-21/cassidy-carbon-tax-a-fresh-debate-is-underway/4273130?WT.svl=theDrum

Nauru is set to charge $1000 per month on visas for asylum seekers the Australian government sends there. 

The island nation has introduced a new visa category, which it calls an Australian regional processing visa, that costs $3000 for three months, ABC radio reports. 

There is a $100 special purpose visa fee for people who arrive on Nauru, independently of Australia, to seek asylum. 

The Australian government has sent 381 asylum seekers to Nauru for processing so far, but the detention centre can hold up to 1500. 

The visas could net the Nauru government $90 million over five years, if the detention centre is at capacity. 

Comment has been sought from the Department of Immigration. 

The Hoopla