Sorry about that shouty heading, but seriously, just how many repetitions do Australian political journalists and commentators think they can wring from that theme in the space of a fortnight?
It is tedious in the extreme.
It's periods like this that political journalism becomes a big bore, and the self fulfilling prophesy of "can the leadership survive another poor poll?" shows up journalists as participants in a big game, not just sideline reporters.
I have to admit, though, that Peter Hartcher does something unusual this morning: he finds some public servants who used to work with Tony Abbott who say he was thoughtful, courteous and good to work with.
I don't have a problem with accepting that - I have said before that I did not mind him as a Howard government minister.
However, his virtues evaporated once he wanted the leadership. A policy he formerly didn't really care about and couldn't really see any great harm in (an ETS) suddenly became the Worst Policy in the World (with a nod of gratitude to Andrew Bolt and Alan Jones for showing him how to become a populist.) Suddenly a Labor parental leave plan became not generous enough (a thought which seems to have occurred to no one else in Parliament, let alone his own party.) Massive exaggerations of the effect of government policies (mining tax and carbon pricing) fell routinely from his lips. Flaky ideas like a "Green Army" appeared, and he forced the government into a version of his own asylum seeker "solution" that is bound to collapse again sooner or later under the weight of its poor treatment of people on crappy island accommodation.
Nope: whatever his past merits, Abbott was promoted above his level of competency and he doesn't deserve the leadership. Being in charge of everything doesn't suit him.
3 comments:
Stevie, really, stick to possums and other wildlife, where you are much better.
Abbott is a careful thinker, an experienced Cabinet Minister, and has been a Rhodes Scholar. He has published a well-received book on his philosophical position and ideas.
As Opposition Leader he joined the Liberal heartland in the move away from the Climate Change scam. Also, Labor has opened our borders and encouraged illegal migration fraud, all of which has cost us billions in real terms, which could have gone to much better uses elsewhere. We provide many better services for 'asylum seekers' than we do for our own people in need, and they are naturally resentful about this.
Time to vote Liberal, Stevie. It won't kill you, you know. You might even get used to it and find an argument so much easier to sustain if you took off those old leftie blinkers.
People might want to come here then too. You don't ring true under your present colours.
Lizzie, Lizzie. Abbott studied economics too, yet wasn't it Peter Costello who said that Tony showed no interest in the topic at all in Cabinet?
Battlelines has been reviewed as showing Abbott's inconsistencies; it seems a lot of people thought it interesting for showing him to be a more nuanced character than his media image indicates, but I don't think anyone who reviewed it said it was showed any particularly deep, or brilliant, or novel, thinking. (Not that we especially need that in a politician - I was a fan of the pragmatism of John Howard.)
I wouldn't be surprised if he was actually aware of the blatant opportunism in his current policy path, but he's willing to follow that path for the sake of power. So it may be fake Tony that we are witnessing now: one smart enough (for example) to know that no economist supports his approach to carbon emissions over carbon pricing, but he can't admit that because getting cosy with the "skeptics" was how he got into power.
Abbott will not (as everyone presumes) attain the prime ministership by force of his ideas and personality: it will only be because of people's over-reaction to Gillard and a hung parliament.
Lizzie, If "Abbott is a careful thinker", it would help if he didn't open his mouth and blurt thought bubbles (unbounded maternity leave payment, funded by a 1% tax on large business?).
" We provide many better services for 'asylum seekers' than we do for our own people in need, and they are naturally resentful about this."
That is absolute nonsense Lizzie. As soon as someone uses the word "illegal" regarding asylum seekers, I know they have dubious information sources. Don't rely on Bolt and Blair for your information on the world. Here's a good start for you: http://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/library/pubs/bn/sp/asylumfacts.pdf
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