"I think that the briefings out of the party room are well done, they're very well done, but I guess occasionally a construction is put on it which is a personal construction, not necessarily the full context that needs to be attributed to remarks," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/22/2934133.htm

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Gus: pouring flaming oil on waters... or pouring water on flaming oil... Take your pick. See toon triptych at top.

from the Daily Telegraph

OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott took out a new $710,000 mortgage on his family home shortly after going into Opposition, partly to help fund his family expenses after losing his ministerial salary.

But in what appears to be a breach of the parliamentary rules covering MPs' pecuniary interests, he failed to declare the loans to Parliament for almost two years.

The man who claimed in January 2008 that politicians don't get paid enough took out a new loan on his family home in April 2008, four months after losing the election and halving his salary.

It is believed he used it to help his family cover living costs, including private schools for two of his three daughters.

Mr Abbott has made no secret in the past that he had often found it challenging to make ends meet.

But Mr Abbott's office was forced to admit the Coalition leader had failed to declare the loan with the parliamentary register until two weeks ago, when inquiries were first made into the loans.

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There are rules and regulations that govern the politicians to keep them more honest than journalists... But this little rat made a "honest mistake"... As if he did not have an accountant or a bank manager or a garden gnome to tell him such loan would have to be reported to the parliamentary register... And some people want him to manage this country? Idiots! The man could not get out of a paper bag. And if he find it hard to make ends meet, he should reduce his expenditure like the rest of us, rather than prance in his underpants...

Why Gus - why?

Like you I have my views on the roll Australia should be able to be represented on the world stage.  I cannot believe that the power of the Murdoch Media has once again proven to be the major factor of who will and who will not govern in democracies - especially Australia.

When Kevin Rudd was the “ant’s pants” of politics because the Australian people loved him, and his personal respect for the working families of our nation profited by his policies, one could wonder WHY his popularity collapsed.  And without any major problem for which he took responsibility and by the courageous statement that “the buck stops with me”.

I have no idea of how Julia Gillard will be accepted by the Murdoch media but I suspect that if she maintains the media independent attitude of her predecessor she will not last too long.

Julia has some aspects in her favor – that is that she has created a milestone in being the first female Prime Minister in Australia’s history.

But at what cost?  I do not believe that Julia had planned this assassination herself – I believe that the Labor factions against whom Kevin Rudd fought so hard, wanted her to increase the chances of a re-election of the Labor government no matter who was at the helm.

I believe that her objective is to continue the policies of the Labor government but, her need is to satisfy the Murdochracy as to what they really want.

God Bless Australia and may we grown up as a nation.  NE OUBLIE.

Yes Ernest...

Why, oh why did Rudd bite the dust?...

Rudd was not liked by many within the Labor Party. The media always gets wind of whiff of discontent within political ranks... And yes the media lives on the blood of green people or preferably fresh dead bodies, like a vampire... The media chooses and picks its victim(s), usually making alliances with other vampires in the political system, to corner them... Rudd's style was to trail-blaze and whatever sticks sticked... It worked for a while while doing the necessary backyard burning of all the crap from the Howard years' trash. Rudd did a many good and some great things... But while establishing new policies, even with the best of heart and goodness, there need to be expectation of maximum efficiency possible. Rudd's style of leadership — the one-man band in a team (of good people) could not sustain that. Rudd adventures and expedient explorations became Labor's tainted mistakes... The Labor party needed Rudd to flick Howard. Now they need Julia to stabilize the ship and sail though the new rough patches.

There is no two ways that Australia — and the World (the Chinese are waiting with interest to see how Autralia can implement this so they can do the same, Chavez went full bore at nationalisation of resources) — needs a new system of resources taxes, but you don't catch fishes using cricket bats or by throwing rocks at them... Julia knows.

The world needs to pay more attention to global warming. Julia knows. Abbott-the-thug has no idea.

We need a fair and equitable society in which some people can get richer than others but not at the expense of most. Julia knows. Abbott-the-thug has no clues as long as he can send his kids to private schools and forget to declare his pecuniary interests...

One aspect of Abbott-the-thug that could redeem him would be his genuine care for aboriginal issues... Like me, he supports Noel Pearson in his fight against injustice of the Labor Queensland government that has legislated under the pretense of conservation. But Abbott-the-thug was part of that awful Howardian milit'ry "intervention" which has divided communities. Julia should change the focus of this "intervention" to a cooperation of souls and listen to Noel Pearson in earnest... I hope she knows that. I know she can do this amongst a many other great things while galvanizing the team spirit. But as my mother told me yonks ago: "patience and good applied work does more than force and rage."

Add a dash of clarity of spirit and one can deflect the cunning of all the Abbott-the-thugs...

I of course did not listen to my mother and tend to rush things too often — a bit like Rudd, really...

I know failure.