It’s not often that I see my mum, Kay Rollison, as angry as she was on Thursday. I too was furious at the behavior of the Labor Party. I could probably write a book about all the reasons, but I thought it might be useful (and perhaps cathartic), to home in on the strongest reason for my fury. Those who have followed my blog for a while will know how I came to this position. I am just out of my mind incensed that some people in the Labor Party think it’s a good idea to let the mainstream media’s ‘narrative’ of Labor chaos, disunity and debacle win. Because it’s a fucking joke that this narrative even exists, let alone that’s it’s allowed to be treated like a real ‘thing’, a ‘thing’ big enough to throw away any chance of a Labor government win.
I often get accused of being, or sometimes just mistaken for, a Labor party hack. It’s hard to be a Labor supporter these days without being accused of something. A faceless person. A rusted onto something. Every word I write, to some people, seems to exist with the sole purpose of campaigning for the Labor party. I find this annoying and unfair. Yes, I’m a member of the Labor party. Yes, I’m a Labor voter. But that doesn’t mean I condone EVERYTHING the Labor party does. And it doesn’t mean that I blog as a missionary to convert non-Labor voters to my thinking. I write what I think and those who read my posts can take what they like from what I say. My core belief is that you vote based on the political policies you most agree with. Policies. Should I say it again? Policies. Even if I’m totally opposed to some things the Labor party does, such as dog whistling of any kind in relation to policy around asylum seekers and gay marriage, it doesn’t mean that I’ll cut off my nose to spite my face, and vote for a party that doesn’t align in the slightest with my policy preferences. Write me off as you will. But be aware that I don’t get paid by anyone or anything to do with the Labor party or the Labour movement.
It is in my rational best interests to support the party that is offering the policies that most closely align with my values as a member of the Australian community. I am nothing more than an informed voter with an opinion. I am as independent as it is possible to be. So what does this rant within a rant have to do with the topic of this post? The reason I am so angry is that I think the Labor party’s policies are bloody good. Not all of them. Not all of them all the time. But overall, especially compared to the Abbott alternative, they are the only option I can even begin to encourage. And I think that the Labor government’s weakness in letting the mainstream media decide how they conduct themselves is a disgrace. Because it threatens my hopes for the policies I want being successfully implemented or continued post September 14.
On my way home from work yesterday, I had the misfortune of listening to a few minutes of Waleed Aly on ABC’s Radio National. I often listen to Aly and I remind myself every time I switch him off in anger why I have this reaction. It’s because Aly is typical of the mainstream media when it comes to journalists, commentators, reporters and media personalities who think they’ve earned the right to speak about politics, when clearly they have not. It’s the smart-arse effect. It’s the ‘I’m so cynical, that I’m cynical that I even got out of bed this morning, and the worst insult anyone could ever give me is that I give a shit about something’ attitude. To the mainstream media, the ‘leadership speculation’ and the aborted ‘leadership spill’ is all a big game. A big laugh. A diversion. A talking point. A ditty. Something to make themselves feel so smart and humorous. Ha ha ha. If I were to name all the people in the mainstream media who have this attitude about the reporting of political current affairs, it would take less time to mention those who don’t behave in this way, rather than naming those who do. You see, the thing that shits me above all else about the mainstream media, is that they don’t give a fuck. They don’t care about policy like the average voter does. They can’t even be bothered mentioning it, let alone investigating it. People like Leigh Sales think it is ok to say policies like the Mining Tax and the Carbon Price are policy failures, presumably because they were struggles, when actually, quite obviously, they are policy successes. Since when was a good policy ever not a struggle? Since when did a policy have to be popular for it to be worthwhile for the country? What the fuck are you talking about Sales?
It’s this ignorance about policy, and the obsession with opinion polls and popularity that is at the heart of the failure of good political reportage in this country. It’s the reason why political journalists love leadership speculation and opinion polls. Because this is easy. Because it doesn’t challenge them to think about anything. And that’s the other thing. They only love leadership speculation if it’s happening in the Labor party, as this suits their Labor bashing narrative. The Liberals get away scot free with leadership spills. Basically unreported in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Even when we all know that Tony Abbott only won the leadership of his party by one vote (again I’ll point out it was Peter Slipper’s), yet the only leadership tensions the mainstream media choose to fuel and obsess over are Gillard versus Rudd. Even though Rudd doesn’t have the numbers. Even though Joe Hockey probably does, since Slipper exited the scene. Even though there are policy successes that go unreported on a daily basis (anyone hear ANYTHING about the NDIS passing the lower house this week?) The mainstream media is full of wankers who are trying to make a name for themselves by showing how little they care for or respect political policy. And SOME Labor people (such as Rudd, Crean, Fitzgibbons, Ferguson, Bowen and other nobodies like Graham Richardson who I wish was more faceless), play straight into these little fuckers’ hands.
Imagine if for two years, the media continually reported that Joe Hockey wanted to take the leadership of the Liberal Party from Tony Abbott. And/or Malcolm Turnbull was reported to be counting numbers. What if there was a constant barrage of three-way leadership tension between Abbott, Turnbull and Hockey? What if this ‘reporting’ reached a crescendo just before the election when Abbott actually looked to be making some headway? What if this was the chosen narrative of the mainstream media? Would the Liberal Party be stupid enough to have a public leadership spill so close to the finish line? Would they guillotine their policies (or lack thereof) so blatantly as the Labor Party has this week? I think not. I think Abbott’s Liberals have their eye on the prize and unfortunately, will not let anything the mainstream media does damage their chances. This is obviously purely hypothetical as the mainstream media gives the LNP a free run. Actually, it’s better than a free run. Let’s call a spade a spade – it’s a fully supported campaign. But I still think the morons in the Labor party who think there was something to be gained by giving the mainstream media a circus tent and filling it with clowns will live in our history forever as the morons who ruined Gillard’s chance of victory. I hope I’m wrong. But in my furious state, I can’t see the Labor party coming back from this, no matter how much dead wood and how many white-anting disloyal Rudd supporting MPs are sent to the back benches, which is not as far back as they deserve.
So yes, I’m furious. I’m furious that the bullshit mainstream media have been given exactly what they wanted, when all they really deserve is the falling readership and viewer numbers that they’re currently experiencing. I’m furious that the Rudd camp were leaking to the media about a challenge they didn’t even have the numbers for. I’m furious that the mainstream media were reporting on a spill, constantly for two years, that Rudd didn’t have the numbers for. I’m furious with the Labor party for giving these mainstream media wankers exactly what they wanted, when they could have just taken my advice and moved forward with dignity rather than chaos and debacle. I’m furious that the only party that’s capable of providing me with the policies that I want, is too self-obsesses and egotistical to get it together and do what should be an easy thing – to beat Abbott. I’m furious the Labor government thinks it’s a good idea to let the mainstream media narrative win, no matter how petty and inaccurate this narrative is. Because this week, that is exactly what the Labor party did.
Media Inequality 
Victoria
I had the biggest laugh at you post, your passion is admirable but your confirmation bias much less so. Quite simply you seem utterly oblivious to the shortcomings of this government under the leadership of Gillard.
It is naive in the extreme to believe that All of its woes are the fault of a hostile media, or that the media is critical without good reason.
Take what you say about the mining and carbon taxes. The former can only be characterised as an utter failure, and its a failure because of its very poor design, a design that Wayne Swan essentially let the big miners make to suit themselves. As for the Carbon tax how can anyone claim it is a success? based upon a betrayal of trust and set at a rate many times the “market rate” add to hat the way that it costs more in compensation than it collects and it can only be seen as an utter failure.
The reality is that Labor have utterly imploded under Gillard and there is almost no chance of them being re-elected again for a decade at the very least. Maybe longer if they don’t learn the folly of over promising and under-delivering and most importantly that this country has no time at all for any administration that can not get the right balance between revenue and expenditure.
So the alternative for you Iain is an Abbott government that is so morally bankrupt that it will remove the carbon tax, and the mining tax altogether. At least the labour Government had the right intentions, only the implementation was lacking. Given another term in Government these policies could have been improved, but this opportunity is now lost, due to the self interested behaviour of some of the faceless men, and of course the media, just as described by Victoria.
What is at all “morally bankrupt” in removing two useless tax schemes that both cost more than they collect? Its clear to me that no amount of tinkering could fix either.
If Labor tries to redraw the mining tax it will invoke another campaign form the mining industry and they are terrified of that so they will do nothing. The Carbon tax is a creature of the Greens invention and I bet that there are a majority in the Labor party that rue the day that they signed on for it.
Face it David, both policies are beyond redemption and are just dead weights that are dragging the party down even further than the poisonous internal culture of the Party. Surely its delusional to think that almost all of the media is part of a huge conspiracy rather than admitting that the political zeitgeist is over the Labor party in general and Gillard in particular. After all they have not “won” a single opinion poll during the period of Gillard’s residency in the lodge which should tell you something is crook in the party and the way that they do politics.
Just read your blog Iain Hall and while I don’t agree with your analysis about the mining or carbon tax, what you’ve said is what I and others, including, as it turns out in the media, a politics Professor, believe. This was clearly a conspiracy between Gillard and Crean. Now, the politically inexperienced and naive are blaming Rudd for something he had no part in, only the Gillard camp did, and they did it deliberately knowing that Rudd would be blamed. Which is exactly what happened. I don’t normally believe in conspiracy theories, but christ, Stevie fucking Wonder can see this. Too bad Gillard’s need for revenge and need to punish Rudd for him being popular and love by the people when shes not means we lost the most talented, stable, respected and experienced ministers. Now Gillard has a bunch of amateurs and bumbling accident-prone buffoons like Conroy who fucks up every thing he touches. Such a shame that a once great proud party for the workers has been held hostage to a vile selfish power-at-all-costs woman and resulted in the most respected and experienced elder statesmen being on the backbenches. The True Believers Rudd supporters can see this but the blind, naive and gullible and politically inexperienced Gillard supporters cannot. The True Believers stand taller and more passionate than ever. We WILL have our Prime Minister back. September 14 will mark the end of our party being held hostage to a woman’s power trip. It will come at a cost, but the Gillardbots don’t care about that, obviously.
I have long suspected that Rudd is looking to be a great reformer of the party and that he thinks that the inevitable September wipe-out will give him the chance to rebuild it phoenix like from the ashes of the Gillard self immolation. when those who remain with seats will be far more amenable to serious change to bring the party into this century in both the policies it espouses and in the way that it governs itself and the way that it governs when in power.
I noticed this lady, that you say is holding all to ransom, is still standing tall over a thousand days later. Has not flinched once, at all that has been aimed at her.
We have had a thousand predictions over that time. Saying that for her, the end is nigh.
We still have Abbott out each day, with still the same threats and slogans, predicting her demise.
A demise that she seems to have avoided every time that has not come to be.
It could not possibjy be, that this lady has the measure of Abbott, and now maybe the media..
The lady, I believe has the measure of those who oppose her, witin the party.
Many of you could not possibly be underestimating the lady. I suspect most have.
Just a thought.
Victoria, maybe now we can start discussing the policies that many of us are uncomfortable with. Maybe we will have a chance to see what they are about.
Fed Up
Your comment makes no sense whatsoever
So Iain you are a professional blogger who claims perfection in analysis of policy perhaps you could advise on what you would prefer to reduce carbon emissions, or the distortions that have occurred to our economy as a result of the mining boom and the high dollar.
If you think we should not have stimulated the economy to keep employment levels to an acceptable level and please explain what level of debt we should have and what level of unemployment we would have without stimulus.
Budgetary policy at this time is important should we have a tightening and allow the market to sort itself.
Tex
When it comes to carbon emission reduction neither the scheme created by Labor or the one designed by the coalition are worth the money that they cost to create and manage. In the bests possible world we would have neither that said if we have to chose one over the other the coalition’s scheme has a very small edge over the Carbon Tax insofar as the collation scheme may have some direct environmental benefits.
As for the mining boom and our dollar well I don’t think its really that big a problem.
When it comes to things like the stimulus in its various forms I think that we will never really know of it helped or not. Personally I think that Rudd panicked and just threw too much money around too quickly with out much concern for what it was spent on.
Good morning Victoria. I read your anger well. Yes I am as angry as ever with the Rudd defunct camp followers, with their latest antics playing out to the Media only for Abbots titillation gratification, thus inspiring a landslide win at the elections for the LNP.
What fools do believe in those orchestrated so call polls. If we take one thousand voting age people, well if it is by phone, then who really knows if they are. The next question with so called polls is that any person who favours the Coalition can use their untruthfulness to vote against the Prime Minister Julia and Rudd the Dudd combining those faithful Labor supporters who favour Rudd, resulting in a inflated numbers based on lies used by the Media in their rants against PM Julia Gillard.
LABOR MUST UNITE AND ATTACK THE OPPOSITION LNP AND THOSE SO CALLED GREEN PEOPLE AND LETS HOPE THE UP AND COMMING BUDGET HAS A LOT OF GUTS IN IT THAT ABBOT CANNOT CHALLENGE.
Now people are saying that HELL looks like we are going to get an Abbot lead government what are we going to do? I reply in good faith don’t vote for him in anyway what’s so-ever.
Insideres is going to be interesting as all those so called gurus of political science try to blame Julia for all this mess.
Have you ever been polled James?
I have and it does not work the way you think it does.
Yes Mr Hall so there. Moreover I also have been on the other end asking those stupid questions. So get a life Mr Hall. The other is the biggest lie Australia have to endure that makes the Carbon Tax like a kindergarten fairy tail compared with President George W Bush Weapons of Mass Destruction that your mate John Howard used to go to war in Iraq, while in the mean time Mr Abbott another one of your mates cut the guts out of the Health system ,so Howard had the cash flow enabling Australia to fight another failure just like that Vietnam War. Been there and done that!
Finally the big surplus that Howard left was the proceeds of selling Telstra. So there goes all that god Australian fiscal management by the Howard Government by you. So dream on Hall.
James
I see that you are a big fan of the old bait and switch when you are in a desperate position in the debate.
But lets get back on topic shall we? Just out of respect for the blog owner.
Its been clear to me since before I abandoned a life long commitment to the ALP that those in the party do develop some good ideas but they are woeful at delivery in general and delivery on budget in particular. That is what has destroyed the party’s credibility with the voters. And that is why they will sojourn in the wilderness for a very long time.
Now I realistic enough to understand that an Abbott government won’t be perfect but it is unlikely to be anywhere near as bad as your paranoia suggests. They will certainly make mistakes and pursue a few pointless policies but it won’t take much for them to perform better than Gillard.
One thing we can agree on is that Insiders will be interesting tomorrow however if they do “blame Julia” it will be because she and the ALP deserve it.
Its now become obvious that it was a PLOT by Crean and Gillard, and that it was never sanctioned by Rudd. His text message released to the media proves it. He stated in it ‘nothing has changed’. The gillard-bots have all been had. This was a setup by known Gillard supporter Simon Crean. Any Labor supporter or member who supports Gillard the failure has no right to call themselves a Labor supporter. Rudd was the People’s Prime Minister and is very much loved. Gillard is a malevolent power-hungry selfish bitch. She is the most hated PM ever. Rudd is Australia’s most loved Prime Minister. Any MP who would have voted with Gillard should be bloody ashamed of themselves and should be stripped of the right to wear ALP colours given their traitorous behaviour leading to an Abbott govt. The FACT that a recent poll showed that under Rudd, not only will Labor retain most of its seats, its likely to pick up an extra 3 or 4, thus delivering Rudd a MAJORITY GOVT, something this woman couldn’t do. Rudd is the difference between a devastating lost, and retaining govt with a workable majority. Its so fucking clear! Anyone who can’t see that Rudd is the ONLY thing between us and that despicable Abbott who is the only politician I hate and loathe more than Gillard, was obviously dropped on their head at birth and/or is actively campaigning FOR an Abbott govt!
I agree entirely with your anger, Victoria, and i could not have said it better myself. Don’t worry about the Iain Halls of this world. He seems to sing the same song whenever he answers blogs. As soon as i see his name i skip over what he says. We should not lose courage and fight for all the good policies that came from this government to continue. Take heart, the election is not lost yet.
I sing the “same song” because I am correct in my analysis hilderombout.
Mr hall you are just another Liberal fool saying same crap day in day out fact is Howard and Costello under sold telsta and gold just to get a surplus they went to war on a lie fact they were all involved in AWB scandle fact Abbott as health minister cut 9 Billion from health Fact
education and infrustructer went backwards over their 11 years fact Abbott used $100,000 slush fund to jail people fact Abbott punched a wall next to a womens head fact Abbott said Nasty things about dying people and stuffed up a serious apology just this week fact media does not hold Abbott to account form his lies fact I can show you the real weaknesses of Abbott and His Coalition all day long well documented in both media in the ast and hansard fact you need to start being better informed by reading Abbott and howards history over the last 15 years before you get back on that high Horse of yours and for the record I am niether a reporter nor a hard core political person just got sick of the lies from Abbott and researched all the facts I have just presented if the media did the same thing Abbott would be gone fact
All of your so called “facts” are very debatable and at this point in time no one cares about such things enough to lose Abbott the election. We may have different views about politics but as it is you who seems so at odds with the current political reality and that my friend is by definition the act of a fool.
I admire your passion, you seem as angry as I am, but for different reasons. So please excuse me if I’m rambling and go wander off but I am so angry at Gillard’s actions and so full of hate for her now more than ever, that I cannot think straight or seem to calm down. The more I think about it, the more angrier I get. Maybe this will be therapeutic. Short of wanting 5 mins alone with her….. I support Labor, but I hate, loathe and despise Gillard, I think she is a malicious, scheming, conniving bitch (yes, I said that word – if the PM was a male I’d call him a dickhead or something – this has nothing to do with gender to me, being a woman myself). Gillard is the most hated and loathed PM in my time. Now, common sense would dictate a TRUE Leader would put the country and party’s best interests FIRST, not her self need for power. She is all about herself and she doesn’t care that she will lead Labor to a ‘2007’ in reverse. Julia doesn’t understand she is Labor’s ‘2007’. Howard stayed too long, he should have went earlier. If Costello would have been electable is debatable. But he arrogantly stayed when he should have gone.
Labor have not learned from 2007. Politics is as much about PEOPLE as it is policies. If the head seller is loathsome, abhorrent and hated, it doesn’t matter how many policies you’ve been able to get passed in a term. People hate the seller. You might be ‘Anyone But Abbott’, but if you support the person who will lead to Abbott winning, YOU are responsible for delivering Abbott and are therefore complicit in Abbott’s election. If someone is genuinely, truly, really for anyone but Abbott, they would support the person whom we KNOW can PREVENT Abbott from getting into the Lodge. Its blatant hypocrisy at its finest to be ‘anyone but Abbott’, but be personally responsible for delivering Australia Abbott. Either you are for preventing Abbott at ANY and ALL costs – or you’re not. If you support Gillard, you are *personally* complicit in your support for an Abbott govt. Plain and simple. End of story.
And since Kevin did all he could (ie text Crean to stop him, called Crean’s office) to prevent this, and considering Crean must have known he didn’t have the numbers plus the fact that until recently Crean was a very vitriolic critic of Rudd and very much ‘Team Gillard’ its obvious this was a scheme between Gillard and Crean to destroy Rudd. Now, thanks to Gillard-Crean’s plot, Australia has lost the best talent in the party. The talent and experience is now all the back bench. The caucus is full of factional puppets hellbent on sending Labor and ultimately Australia from September 14 into the abyss. As someone on Twitter said: #LABOR Thanks. For choosing the least popular,most hated,most inept leader to go to the election. Need a Rope? Shovel? Seriously idiots..! Inept is right. I hear a lot of the deadwood Labor MPs saying how “strong” Gillard is, how much ‘leadership’ she has shown. Gillard selfishly puts her hunger for power before the best interests of this country. That is not ‘strong’ that is simple stubborn selfishness. As far as leadership, as I said a leader knows when to hold em and when to fold em. If its obvious the public don’t like her (understatement of the century) and that she personally may cause the party to suffer a devastating defeat and hand power to that monster Abbott, then morally she should be big enough and selfless enough to sacrifice herself for the good of the country. Never mind Rudd not having the numbers with the koolaid-drinking Gillard-bot MPs. She should have recognised that while she enjoys the support of caucus, she does not have the support WHERE IT COUNTS. With the PEOPLE. Therefore, she should have resigned on Thursday and not re-nominated, allowing Rudd to be elected unopposed. She doesn’t have the party’s best interests at heart, she is all about herself and her love of power. The party on September 14 will just be ‘collateral damage’ for her ego and selfish love of power. She is going to deliver Australia Tony Abbott and never have I hated anyone as much as I hate this self-serving, manipulative evil bitch.
Which is why I and other Rudd supporters believe we need to become a Republic with a POPULARLY elected President or alter the constitution to have the Prime Minister chosen sole by the people, not by the caucus. The Labor caucus have shown they can’t pick a leader that is palatable to the public if they tried. The public in future must now be allowed to choose our Prime Minister personally. One thing is for sure; this won’t be over until Kevin is back. Kevin is the People’s Prime Minister and the most loved Prime Minister, perhaps even more than Gough Whitlam. Gillard is toxic, she is poison to our party. She is a funnelweb in a clothes and the public will not rest until our Prime Minister is back.
So lets get September 14 over with; lets see the rout happen that Labor so richly deserves, Gillard will (or should, knowing how self-centred and power-hungry that woman is I doubt she will go willingly)then not re-contest the leadership of the Opposition, and Rudd will have 3 years as Opp Leader. Abbott will show his true colours, meanwhile the people’s love of Kevin won’t dissipate only grow due to Abbott. Kevin will then go to the 2016 election, make Abbott a one-term PM, and everything will be right again with Kevin saving the day again ala 2007. The sooner the Federal ALP is destroyed and the deadwood scum supporters of Gillard lose their seats, the sooner we can rebuild our party with Kevin as Opposition Leader, and the sooner he will be back in as PM. September 14 can’t come fast enough. Lets get Abbott’s one term over with and be closer to getting our Prime Minister back.
Sorry about this long, er, forcefully spoken post. But I hate her SO much right now for what she is doing to our party and for what she is going to deliver Australia on September 14, I HATE her SO much, there are no words. People are even talking about staging protests now outside Parliament House to get her to do the right thing and resign and put Rudd back in. This has only stirred up people more now and stirred up more hatred for her and more passion for Rudd. Never has there been a more malevolent, selfish or power-hungry and divisive PM out for herself only and bugger the party, its members or the country than Gillard. Funnelweb is the nicest word I can call her. Anyone imo who supports her over Rudd is a traitor to the Labor tradition of politics and is and will be personally responsible for the pain and devastation Abbott inflicts on workers. I’ve already told my local Gillardbot Labor MP he should be bloody ashamed of himself. The blood is on their hands, and they will be personally responsible for an Abbott govt.
I am so sorry you feel this way,Sami.
Remember,JG has faced the people and won the election.
Maybe it was wrong for the caucus to vote for her as leader after KR resigned the leadership in 2010 but it happened.
kevin will always be honoured as the one to unseat the seemingly invincible Howard.
However,who knows what sort of a job the media would do on him now,and how quickly his popoularity would wilt.
The only way for Abbot to be defeated,realistically,is for all Labor supporters and MPs to unite behind JG.
Please do not bite off your nose to spite your face
Good rant Victoria. Felt the same as you for a start, but decided to step back & look at the overall situation, which is not as scary as it first looks.
As for you, Ian Hall, you little troll you, of course you’ve been polled, you are such an expert on everything. Pity you don’t run for parliament& join the other LNP dolts. We know what they stand for LIES NO POLICIES. They just want to bring back Howards policies – back to the past.
Now that I have calmed down Victoria, I reckon that the many commenters over on THE PUB blog site have pretty much nailed last weeks goings on for what they were. The MSM controlled by the ‘you know who’s’ (all of them) and the LNP have been baying for this to happen. It has and the sky hasn’t fallen in. The PM & the ALP have been at last able to weed out the rats in the ranks. What else is there for the media to talk about now. Only made up stuff to suit their own agenda’s.
People are not dumb, they know they have been taken as mugs for a long time now. That’s why the 5th Estate & Social Media has become the leading force for truth in this country. The whole episode of this saga is now over. The LNP will now be exposed to more scrutiny, not by the MSM, but by the rest of us who really care about the substance of good policy over the ego of personalities.
Its time to roll up our sleeves folks. Lots of work to do here. The stage has been set for all of us who really care about social outcomes like looking after education, health & housing, infrastructure. Wonderful policies have been introduced and a lot more to come. Do any of you really want any of this to be destroyed. No, of course not.
But let me tell you this. If, for instance, TA is telling you that he will get rid of everything that this government has achieved, it is because the man will lie & cheat, spread as much muck at the PM & the ALP as he can muster up. It will continue up until the election with the aide of Murdoch,Fairfax, ABC & pretty much all of the MSM.
What we need now, is for some answers on Ashbygate, LNP involvement in bringing down Slipper, Thompson, Pauline Hanson for starters. Action required here please. What do you call when the opposition ARE deliberately trying to bring down a duly elected government – TREASON.
What do you call a media who willingly go along with what Murdoch & Fairfax pump out – PROPAGANDA.
I certainly don’t want these self interested, power at any costs, running t & ruining this country, do you?
Get fired up, get ready to stand up for democracy, truth, honesty & the best policies to take us into the future.
Sandra
You are fighting a battle (for Gillard) that has been lost since she broke her commitment to the people over the carbon tax . As for me running for politics well I’m too old, too grumpy, and lacking any fire in my belly to go out there and campaign . I just do my bit in the big online game of arguing about politics, just as you do.
you sad and sorry little fool the PM did not lie it was an Abbott and media lie PM said there will be no carbon tax under a gonernment I lead but I am determanded to put a price on carbon check hansard cheack the media back in 2010 just before the election and even if as you say she lied even thats crap because she did not win the electionand cut a deal with indies and greens to form goverment Abbott could not cut a deal because the 11Billion $ black hole in is costing came out his accountants were find heavily for Abbotts lies fact again I ask you nicly check your facts before writing your crap
Geoff
You can resort to pedantry if you like but that won’t change the way that the voters perceive Gillard as an oath breaker. In politics perceptions are everything and may point is that ever since that back-flip Gillard has not been believed or trusted and no amount of hair splitting will change that.
WOW so what your telling me is that the facts dont count as long as Abbott and media lies control how people think thats fine we excuse me you may lack judgment on this issue for me I see it as important to get the truth out to the public not your agenda there is nothing to debate in the list of facts I gave you it on public record all true all available as for me being a fool yes I was I use to believe what Media wrote until I started hearing Lie after lie from both media and Coalition now I check for myself as for you well your narative will continue because you cant take the blinkers of and look at the fool you support no Policy no costings as you will find out he has lowered politics in this country to tea party politics of the USA and i\has a lot of questions to answer in relation to the slipper case Justice Rares findings one nation court case coming up where Abbott has been accused of breaking laws and the wall punch case where another witness has come forward Abbott has many questions to answer in and out of court fact
Geoff
If that was what I meant to say I would have said it. You seem to be one of those Gillard Glee Club members who does not rate the intelligence of the voters very highly at all.Their judgement may on occasion be made for rather base reasons but in a democracy we just have to accept that they have the final say and once they lose trust in a player like Gillard then they are politically dead.
It may be hard for you to appreciate but what constitutes truth is actuality a really big philosophical question that could be discussed at length and not the either or proposition that you think it is.
Well I take everything I read with a grain of salt as all thinking people do
If Abbott is such a fool then why is he so likely to be resoundingly elected?
Its all just desperate noise from those who hope for the impossible victory of Gillard in September.
Now for a small request to you about the form of your comments, can you please try to use proper sentences and proper punctuation? it makes what you say more readable and your argument more cogent.
Sami, how strange fior a minute there, you actually sounded very much like a liberal supporter!!
Victoria, we are all with you.
Your last two articles have been strong and true,
I stand up to be counted, along with you.
I’m surprised there’s still Rudd loyalists who believe, Sami. You may even have a point about Crean’s involvement. Is there no end to That Woman’s deviousness? Here’s another take from someone with a fair bit of knowledge of how an ALP Caucus functions.
http://www.afr.com/p/national/he_hater_and_wrecker_but_feel_sorry_zBrlyQ4WjKf9iWvD2eZzDO
And another from someone outside that sphere, but who has long believed Gillard knows what she has to do to govern and to win
http://www.afr.com/p/national/he_hater_and_wrecker_but_feel_sorry_zBrlyQ4WjKf9iWvD2eZzDO
There’s less than six months to the election. The destabilising had to end so that the focus could be turned back to the real enemy: News Ltd and the coalition.
Whoops missed the second link, giving you a rerun of Latham.
Andrew Elder was the one I intended
http://andrewelder.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/a-thousand-deaths.html
Another post, another site taken over by Hall.
Fed Up
at least my comments are on topic and make sense
“Now for a small request to you about the form of your comments, can you please try to use proper sentences and proper punctuation? it makes what you say more readable and your argument more cogent.”
What colour did the pot call the kettle?
Roger did you read the comment to which I refer?
The author is clearly channelling James Joyce because the entire paragraph has no distinct sentences and not a single full-stop. The trouble is that this modern stream of consciousness has none of the charm of Molly Bloom’s rant or the eloquence of Joyce’s prose.
Oh do they, that is your opinion Mr Hall only.
James
You are a better man than me if you can make head nor tale of fed up’s
March 23, 2013 at 5:33 pm comment.
Easy. There have been literally hundreds of predictions leading to the PM’s downfall. Not one has come to fruition
The PM still stands tall.
Well said ….
Julia is the one person who can turn this mess into victory in September …Go Julia 🙂
Victoria, I am not a member of any political party but like you I was stunned & angry at this weeks events in Canberra. I cannot believe that a group of politicians could be so self-obsessed & self-indulgent. Labor has just lost the plot. I simply have to shake my head in disbelief at their behaviour.
I cannot see any way back for Labor from here. They have simply burned their remaining credibility on the Altar of selfish ignorance. When were they intending to think about their obligation to govern for the future of the nation? I just think they have lost the will to govern.
It is pointless to blame the MSM or the Opposition or the Independents. Bottom line is that Labor is in government (regardless of how this happened in 2010) & that they have a responsibility to govern well no matter what the personal desires or consequences. Ordinary voters are not much interested in the internal power struggles of political parties they are only interested in stable government & their own financial security (count me in that category)
Labor only have themselves to blame for losing the confidence of the wider electorate. For me this is a shame as they have instituted some very good policies since 2007 in their efforts to recover the faith of the electorate after the disillusion of the final years of the Howard government.
The final insult is that their lunatic behaviour has guaranteed that Tony Abbott will be PM in September. I could accept a Liberal victory because it is inevitable but the prospect of Abbott as PM just makes me sick with embarrassment for our nation. Rudd & Gillard, this is your fault! I don’t know if the electorate will forgive you both for a long time to come. I will still vote Labor this year but it will be my most reluctant vote ever for a political party. I will only vote Labor so that I can say with a clear conscience that I did not vote for Abbott. Thank you very much for that Julia & Kevin!
Thats why the LNP want Labor to stick with Gillard. They know Rudd can beat Abbott. And comfortably. Gillard can’t.
It’s over …move on FFS!!
Victoria your opinion could not be closer to my own. As a Labor member and voter I just cannot understand the self destructive bullshit that is going on in the party. While I despise Abbott and have been proud of this Governments achievements I cannot help but think that the Labor party may be best of regrouping in opposition. At least that might get rid of some self obsessed career politician bastards.
It’s tempting to think that Ella…. but the truth is Abbott will wreck this country both socially and economically…if he ever gets in.
There’s a long way to go before September …and Julia will turn this around. Nobody in their right mind really wants AbbottThug …and his goons….
Victoria
with one two honourable exceptions such as Laura Tingle, Labor will have to contend with Fairfax and Murdoch journalists forever. However that’s not the end of the story. The flip side is that Abbott and the Libs are surviving on their support alone.
If by about June the PM has made use of whatever clear air is available and is even marginally competitive, then I look forward to the pre-election debates. Rudd creamed Abbott in their only televised debate. The man, while politically savvy and cunning as a shit house rat, is, after all a fool.
Lets see how we go.
Wait and see how The Aussie Guardian affects the media landscape & their ‘Labor bad’ narrative …
Could get interesting 😉
Eyes on the Priza.Yes.
This was a fairly minor hiccup.
Please ALP supporters lighten up. Hand wringing and self criticism only plays into TA’s hands.
The LNP for years survived by never admitting a mistake ,ridiculing those who pointed out the most outrageous blunders.
Did Howard ever admit remorse for the lies over WMDs?
Did Costello ever hang his head in shame over selling ONE HUNDRED TONNES of Australia’s gold reserves at less than $320 per oz.?
Of course not!
Lets make light of all these minor ructions,after all who wants to be governed by a party of dills with no ambition.And why not leave criricism of our great givernment to the MSM and the LNP.
They seem to have little enough else to discuss.
Susan
I am definitely not an ALP supporter but even I can see that a bit of honesty about the failings of this government is far better than pretending that all is fine except for an evil conspiracy that is doing the work of Tony Abbott.
Its easier to see and admit the faults of our opposites than it to acknowledge the faults and shortcomings of those we endorse. The problem is that unless we can see the faults in the team we a barracking for we are going to fall into utter despair when the cold hard light of reality makes further denial impossible.
Ian
Perhaps you would like to acknowledge the faults and shortcomings of those you endorse?
Oh I have no trouble doing that Susan for instance I am no fan of the coalition’s policy on Climate Change as it happens, I think it entirely unnecessary and a great waste of money, then again I think that Labor’s scheme is worse.
Is my comment still in moderation?
Just wondering …is this Iain Hall’s blog …or Victoria’s?
Bit like ‘Bemused’ over at PollBludgers …thank dog I’ve got a track-pad!!
Suggest you block the troll Hall, Victoria. He’s a walking, talking logical fallacy. A self-styled contrarian.. You know the type. They’re contrary about everything. Except Coalition policy, News Ltd’s line, Gina’s wealth, etc. Always ready to go in to bat for the overdog. Don’t let him derail another comment thread with his nonsense.
There is a consensus amongst Labor supporters that the likes of Alannah McTiernan and Simon Crean are disloyal and treacherous. This is unjust. Their loyalty is, I believe, absolute; even unto the point of self-sacrifice for their cause. Years ago now, I was watching the ABC midday news when a segment so singular popped up that it stuck, verbatim, in my mind. It showed the out-going Tony Blair, just before his conversion to the Roman Church, saying (on the subject of 21 century politics) “It’s no longer Liberal versus Labour. It’s now secular versus the Faithful.” Seen from this perspective, if you set aside labels like “Liberal” and “Labour”, an only slightly more diligent-than-normal Google search will yield evidence to exonerate both Alannah and Simon. They are no traitors. If Tony Blair is to be believed, they are devout and they are resolute and they are on a mission. A masterful campaign: shock-and awe and stealth, simultaneously! Most impressive of all, the weapons being used against the secular are their own pre-conceptions, their own intellectual complacency and their own proclivity to hate.
Gorgeousdunny1 good one. Like those old fighting words from Ben Chifley if it is worth the effort, then stick it in them bayonet and all. Dudland Chicken-Kev camp failed too and lost to the two-up spinner. Yes it was a sad day for Labor in past tense. So an old soldier once said, if you mark time on something like this, then you mark time on your grave and the only way ahead is to march forward with bayonet affixed ready to charge the Abbott camp.