Australian Politics thread [merged]

[10 FLAGS]

I don't like bringing up none political issues but seeing how 1965 is enjoying the mud slinging contest of bad eggs I thought I'd show there are some on the labor side as well.

Embattled federal Labor MP Craig Thomson is being investigated over whether he misled industrial umpire Fair Work Australia.

Fair Work Australia has previously found insufficient evidence to prosecute Mr Thomson, the member for the NSW seat of Dobell.

Seven News reported on Thursday the industrial body was now investigating whether Mr Thomson misled the initial probe into allegations his former union credit card was used to pay for prostitutes.

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/labor-mp-thomson-in-new-credit-card-probe-20110818-1iyvm.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LaborUnion+%28%5Buw%5D+Labor+Union+News%29

But Mr Abbott  declined to agree that Mr Thomson should have to resign.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-18/abbott-on-craig-thomson/2845062

Either of two things have happened here.

1. It is a non-issue and tony Abbott knows it or

2. The Libs have similar skeletons in their closet that Tony knows about.

 

Abbott doesnt have a problem at the moment only gillard has the problem and its called Craig Thomson.

[tiger101]

Abbott doesnt have a problem at the moment only gillard has the problem and its called Craig Thomson.

Just when all the ALP fanboys like 1965 thought Gillard was coming back in the polls to set up a land slide victory at the next election.
Craig Thomson sticks his head up and pulls the party into a fraud and sex with prostitutes scandal.  Not a good look for the ALP

[WilliamPowell]

Just when all the ALP fanboys like 1965 thought Gillard was coming back in the polls to set up a land slide victory at the next election.
Craig Thomson sticks his head up and pulls the party into a fraud and sex with prostitutes scandal.  Not a good look for the ALP

Have to say you are correct

It's a very poor look as it would be for either side of politics.

Biggest problem the ALP has is his seat isn't a safe Labor seat in that if they had to have a by-election he would likely lose. So he is unlikely to re-sign or be sacked

Having said that I don't think Tony's looked to flash in this either with response yesterday:

"The one thing I don't want to do is set myself up as a moral paragon because you never know what tests you might face. You just never know these things,"

What a "wishy-washy" nothing said to cover all bases in case one of his charges has been naughty

Granted it is only one part of his overall answer but I reckon he should have left it out, his other answers were actually pretty good for Tony 

[tiger101]

Having said that I don't think Tony's looked to flash in this either with response yesterday:

"The one thing I don't want to do is set myself up as a moral paragon because you never know what tests you might face. You just never know these things,"

What a "wishy-washy" nothing said to cover all bases in case one of his charges has been naughty

Granted it is only one part of his overall answer but I reckon he should have left it out, his other answers were actually pretty good for Tony 

Agree with you on that. But he had to say something to the media about the scandal to keep pressure up on Gillard and Thomson and by doing that the media was always going to question him what he would do if it happened on his side. So I kind of expected him to say what he did. As Gillard would if roles was reversed(unless she wants to keep lying).

[WilliamPowell]

Agree with you on that. But he had to say something to the media about the scandal to keep pressure up on Gillard and Thomson and by doing that the media was always going to question him what he would do if it happened on his side. So I kind of expected him to say what he did. As Gillard would if roles was reversed(unless she wants to keep lying).

As I said on the whole his answers were exactly as they should have been in the circumstance with the exception of that one statement that the media not surprisingly have highlighted.

It pains me to say this because as you know I cannot stand the bloke but he actually came across as positive in his tone even though he was keeping up his negativity.

What I mean is he his tone when answering didn't sound like his normal whining negative spin. He was very measured and the "you'll have to ask the PM that" without constantly referring to lying to the Aust people was good, and really that's all he need to do.

I certainly noticed a distinct difference with him yesterday

[tiger101]

WP I think that's the direction he needs to go in.
People know she didn't keep her word and they've moved on from it. They didn't like her doing it and it could very well come back and bite her at the next election but for now people don't need to be kept getting told how she lied and blah blah blah etc. As you said it comes across as being whiny after a while. All he needs to do from now till the election is just keep the pressure up on the issues/policy's.
IMO(labor members I know have also agreed) the main problem for this labor government since 07 has been their always appearing to be on the back foot and for no one real reason I can think of is they just can't turn it around.

[WilliamPowell]

WP I think that's the direction he needs to go in.
People know she didn't keep her word and they've moved on from it. They didn't like her doing it and it could very well come back and bite her at the next election but for now people don't need to be kept getting told how she lied and blah blah blah etc. As you said it comes across as being whiny after a while. All he needs to do from now till the election is just keep the pressure up on the issues/policy's.

Exactly but also realising that you need to present alternative policies as well. That approach IMO is what being an effective opposition, therefore alternative govt is all about

IMO(labor members I know have also agreed) the main problem for this labor government since 07 has been their always appearing to be on the back foot and for no one real reason I can think of is they just can't turn it around.

I reckon that is a good point and it was something that certainly showed up during the last election campaign.

Whether you agree or not if things had of been managed and spruiked the right way there was alot of things they could have promoted as being achievementsin their first term but they didn't seem to realise that was what they should have done unitl it was too late IMO. They spent far too much time worrying about trying to show up the opposition leader than seeling themselves. Again negativity; too much of it is a killer for any party

The other thing and it's always been a problem with Labor govts alot of the time their ideas/policies are very very good but their ablility to excute or implement them (eg the Insualtion fiasco is the perfect example) is shocking to say the least.

[tiger101]

I have no doubt the ALP hierarchy would be very peeed off at Thomson. I wonder if they would go to the extreme of pre-selecting another candidate at another election in that seat.
The main concern is still Wilkie with his pokie reform IMO. Its got no chance at passing COAG and its ment to be in the May 2012 budget which was apart of the agreement. I have no doubt in my mind Wilkie would ditch Gillard over it. His one of though's people that are not concerned with what other people think of them. He'll be the collapse of a government but still walk around with his head held up high. Plus he'll win his seat again with liberal preferences.

[Penelope]

Senator Chris Back faces legal action after Indonesian abattoir bribe claims.

THE senator who claimed Indonesian abattoir workers were paid to mistreat animals for the cameras is being called on by his fellow parliamentarians to apologise and faces potential legal action after producing only a three-line affidavit to back up his allegations.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/senator-faces-legal-action-after-indonesian-abattoir-bribe-claims/story-fn59niix-1226117000721

Another power hungry lying Liberal caught out.

I'm surprised that the live export fiasco hasn't got more of a mention here.

[1965]

Just when all the ALP fanboys like 1965 thought Gillard was coming back in the polls to set up a land slide victory at the next election.
Craig Thomson sticks his head up and pulls the party into a fraud and sex with prostitutes scandal.  Not a good look for the ALP

Have to say you are correct

It's a very poor look as it would be for either side of politics.

Biggest problem the ALP has is his seat isn't a safe Labor seat in that if they had to have a by-election he would likely lose. So he is unlikely to re-sign or be sacked

Having said that I don't think Tony's looked to flash in this either with response yesterday:

"The one thing I don't want to do is set myself up as a moral paragon because you never know what tests you might face. You just never know these things,"

What a "wishy-washy" nothing said to cover all bases in case one of his charges has been naughty

Granted it is only one part of his overall answer but I reckon he should have left it out, his other answers were actually pretty good for Tony 

Tony seems to come unstuck when he tries to ad-lib and not just stick to the three word slogans.

He stumbled over the coal seam gas debate and could have handled this better as well.

 

[10 FLAGS]

Stop the Tax
Stop the Boats
Just Stop Everything

Winning Slogans. Well done to next Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbott. A great leader he will be too. 

[1965]

I have no doubt the ALP hierarchy would be very peeed off at Thomson. I wonder if they would go to the extreme of pre-selecting another candidate at another election in that seat.
The main concern is still Wilkie with his pokie reform IMO. Its got no chance at passing COAG and its ment to be in the May 2012 budget which was apart of the agreement. I have no doubt in my mind Wilkie would ditch Gillard over it. His one of though's people that are not concerned with what other people think of them. He'll be the collapse of a government but still walk around with his head held up high. Plus he'll win his seat again with liberal preferences.

"The key milestone between now and then is that by budget 2012, the Federal Parliament is to have passed legislation to intervene in any state that would not cooperate with these reforms."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-03-29/wilkie-sets-deadline-for-pokies-reform-plan/2636452

Sounds like he thought of that as well. Still not over the line though and it could still bring the Govt down.

[1965]

Abbott doesnt have a problem at the moment only gillard has the problem and its called Craig Thomson.

Just when all the ALP fanboys like 1965 thought Gillard was coming back in the polls to set up a land slide victory at the next election.
Craig Thomson sticks his head up and pulls the party into a fraud and sex with prostitutes scandal.  Not a good look for the ALP

But the Government countered this morning, raising charges of shoplifting that have been laid against a Liberal South Australian senator, understood by the ABC to be Mary Jo Fisher.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith said people should remain silent until Fair Work Australia hands down the results of its investigation into Mr Thomson in the same way Labor has been silent over Senator Fisher's charge.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-19/abbott-ramps-up-attack-on-thomson/2847450

Aother example of the difference between Labor and Liberal.

Labor are respectfully silent over a Liberal senator in trouble with the law and the Libs are foaming at the mouth at the prospect of forcing an election.

The fact that so many can't see what is happening is unbelievable.

 

[Penelope]

and scary

[tiger101]

If the liberal senate gets found guilty then another Liberal will replace her.
Just like how NSW Senator Helen Coonan is retiring but being replaced by another liberal person.