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The Forum > Article Comments > Abbott’s blunder > Comments

Abbott’s blunder : Comments

By David Donovan, published 12/10/2010

Last week Tony Abbott showed again why he is not fit to be the Australian prime minister.

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The author should redo this piece in light of recent events, and now it turns out the PM and ALP were behaving in their usual "kindly manner".

Isn't it interesting the number of people who line up to criticize someone not in government, and make no comment at all about the actual government.

Does it not occur to the author that what Tony Abbott does in inconsequential, and what the government does is what is important?

I thought ex-PM Rudd had taken with him all his media managers, seems the ALP has many left, to coach journalists on where to focus their efforts.

How about a piece on PM Gillard's ideology next? Her Scoialist background etc. Come on, show some objectivity and balance eh?
Posted by Amicus, Tuesday, 12 October 2010 8:49:18 AM
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By the same measure, "no carbon tax" etc neither is Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd or most of the motley crew called parliament fit to govern.

In fact if what someone says in the heat of the moment is a standard, I doubt you will find anyone on the planet.
Posted by Shadow Minister, Tuesday, 12 October 2010 9:05:38 AM
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Dear Tony, please do not consider ever leaving the leader ship of the Liberals.
You are the best secret weapon that labor has ever had.
Posted by sarnian, Tuesday, 12 October 2010 9:55:32 AM
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'Tony Abbott again showed again why he is not fit to be the Australian prime minister '

What a stupid one eyed comment to make. Does David really think stabbing a sitting pm in the back qualifies someone to be pm. Maybe it is Tony's decency that gets up David's nose. How else could you come to such an idiotic conclusion.
Posted by runner, Tuesday, 12 October 2010 10:18:05 AM
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Where is the apology and correction from David Donovan?

It is now apparent that Abbott was already booked to go to Afghanistan weeks ago but couldn't reveal his plans for security reasons.

C'mon Online Opinion, this is not good enough.
Posted by grn, Tuesday, 12 October 2010 10:54:55 AM
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Phony Tony is is a total disaster for the Coalition. That he only got the leader's job by one vote gave us a clue. His actions since have confirmed everyone's worst fears.

I shudder every time I see him as he ponces around pretending he is important. A blind, three-legged dog would look more capable of being Opposition Leader than Phony.

Make him Sports Shadow Minister or, better still, get rid of him altogether!
Posted by David G, Tuesday, 12 October 2010 10:56:38 AM
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Everytime he opens his mouth a heap of crap falls out.
Nice excuse booked months ago wow.
What a waste of recorses, iron man wanted to do his own thing.
He must be very tired after his long trip.
Sounds like a good cartoon to me.
Posted by 579, Tuesday, 12 October 2010 11:35:34 AM
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Of course he is not fit to be an Australian Prime Minister. He is feckless and as bad as that is, it pales into insignificance when compared to the equally feckless but extremely dangerous Gillard.

It was the one vote against Turnbull on the matter of ETS that gave him power and after a history of previous leader changes adding a level of instability in the minds of the voters, he stayed on as leader to an election.

It should never have got that far, so he is therefore a leader, BY DEFAULT, a desperate mistake.

This country has yet to see the dangers of Gillard. Leftwing in the extreme, but it was rightwing support gave her the PM role. An atheist who allocates $220,000 to school religion to pander to the Christian vote, a promise of a railway for the voters of Epping and on, and on, and on. Because of the devious interests of the Melbourne Zionists, she is controlled by such people in the area of foreign policy, a stoogefor israel. A weak, compromised leader, with absolutely no compassion. As well, she moves in whatever direction the wind is blowing, regardless of policies. Power is her game. We have seen so many examples of that in such a short time, a practice that will continue for as long as she continues, hopefully that will be as short a time as possible.

We have never been so badly served in this little country of ours by the quality of politicians, these two leaders being compromises in every sense of the word.

Time for the voters to become a little more involved and aware so that second-raters like both Gillard and Abbott cease to sit in our Parliament, both Federal and State.
Posted by rexw, Tuesday, 12 October 2010 12:23:10 PM
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I have no love for Toni Abbott, i feel the goings on over the Afganistan trip have shown that he is starting to loose his grip on the situation. He has made a mountain out of a mole hill over the reports in relation to the trip and in particular his insistance that it is all a labor party conspiracy. It's all sounding a bit paranoid and his tactic of yelling abuse long and loud till everyone believes him is starting to fail..

Having said this, the article is weak. Lacking objectivity and in the light of the information that he already had a trip organised is now discredited. Yes he made some ordinary comments while maintaining the security around his trip, but this only shows that his media adviser is not on the ball.

i suspect he didn't want to visit with Julia anyway as it would unquestionably be good for her to have him in her shadow all visit so why should he. He is attempting to show his own leadership abilities and though i have no confidence in him i don't support media guessing what has happened and writing bias rubbish.

Whether he would be a good PM or not is hard to judge unless he does the job, i never thought John Howard would cut it as PM but irrelevant of whether you agreed with his government or not he turned out to be long lasting and a strong PM.
Posted by nairbe, Tuesday, 12 October 2010 1:24:36 PM
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Why would anyone believe anything the liar Gillard would say?
Posted by keith, Tuesday, 12 October 2010 2:59:28 PM
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Tony Abbott IS a blunder-buss.

The title of his book should be Battle Lines or My Blunderbuss World-View.

I and my fellow right-thinking "conservatives" am right. Everyone else is wrong.
Posted by Ho Hum, Tuesday, 12 October 2010 3:12:03 PM
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After the above comments about Tony Abbot, reckon in a re-election Malcolm Turnbull would scoop the pool by a record amount.

Though myself more a middle of the road chooser, reckon I could vote for Turnbull because of his belief that modern man needs to get his senses ready for Climate Change, the key to which was the Mentality of Motorisation which brought on the Industrial Revolution.

Mankind thus began to feel the Thrill of the Motorised Chase, as youngsters foolishly feel the thrill from from motorised speed.

Thus as has been said when Mankind thew away the axe and spade for motorised power, the world was in trouble.

Please speak up and do your bit, Malcolm, because a possibly dying world, could need you.

PS. Might ask the difference in the amount of carbon from a totally burnt green tree and one already scorched and dead? from
Posted by bushbred, Tuesday, 12 October 2010 5:03:53 PM
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What I am worried about is that a non-jetlagged Abbott made the initial comments in the first place. I wonder what he would say to foreign leaders or dignitaries if he is ever PM and jetlagged.

Also, the choices of Gillard's words in this whole issue make it clear that she is out there scoring political points - shame on her. Especially if she, as PM, was aware that Abbott had a trip already scheduled (I'm of course assuming the PM is kept informed of matters like these). Security and the logistical planning and work that goes with these kinds of visits to combat areas should not be taken lightly. I wonder if the visits by Gillard and Abbott spread out are easier to plan and manage than having both of them there at the same time.

http://currentglobalperceptions.blogspot.com/
Posted by jorge, Tuesday, 12 October 2010 6:40:34 PM
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"AND I'M NOT GOING TO COP IT!"

Sounding like a pub brawler, the potential Prime Minister thrust out his jaw and puny chest and repeated his childish insults about the current Prime Minister who is in a class a million miles above the ex-pugilist.

Put Phoney in a cage and let him join a circus wearing a leopard skin and budgie smugglers. He'd be in his element!

http://www.dangerouscreation.com
Posted by David G, Wednesday, 13 October 2010 7:16:09 AM
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Too much is being made of this issue on both sides. Get on with the business of governing and stop the schoolyard antics. Abbott certainly seems hellbent on perpetuating the nonsense over the whole debacle.

Isn't this trite exactly what the hung parliament reflected - an electorate sick of the PR bullshite and adversarial, nonsensical distractions to LCD politics.

We are supposed to learn from history not repeat it.
Posted by pelican, Wednesday, 13 October 2010 9:27:07 AM
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Abbott's biggest blunder is his apparent support for military force to achieve an outright victory over the diplomatic path with military support.

The contrast between political leaders who are peacemakers and warmongers was dramatically shown in a documentary last night on SBS, analysing the steadfast persistance for peaceful, diplomatic resolution of several serious international conflicts displayed by JF Kennedy. His advisers wanted war but he denied them at every turn.

Had Kennedy not been assassinated, then there is a high probability based on his track record that the Vietnam war would have been over with a peace deal before it escallated into a humiliating defeat for the United States. LBJ took the predictable choice for overwhelming force to achieve an outright military victory in Vietnam. This was against the excellent political advice at the time of his Vice-President, Hubert Humpfry.

In Presidents Karzai and Obama we have seen some tentative steps to form a national unity, powersharing government with the Afgahistani Taliban. Military losses to the Taliban are making this an attractive option for the the first time. The Taliban will learn that poliics is about compromise in the national interest. The foreign Al Quaida will be left isolated and expelled from the country if the deal comes off.

In looking at leadership of Gillard and Abbott in military matters, does either have the nuanced approaches neccessary to help end the war in Afganistan? Gillard seems to be on the same page as Obama and Kazai. We need peace focessed leadership like JFK but the war talk from Abbott sounds almost identical to the rehtoric of LBJ. Tony's petition on military justice is a case in point. Therein lies the greatest danger of an Abbott Prime Ministership.
Posted by Quick response, Wednesday, 13 October 2010 9:59:51 AM
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Quite a long winded opinion article for something you have been duped on. The labour bias is showing quite badly.

Is Julia doing a carbon tax when she said if she was elected, there would not be a carbon tax. Yes she is and at a time that the global warming theory is falling apart.
Posted by SteveMac, Wednesday, 13 October 2010 1:04:33 PM
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Has anyone ever said a carbon tax has got to do with global warming.
A tax on carbon is a deterant for blowing black smoke, and affecting peoples health, like cigaretts.
Deisel cars are the worst, at least trucks put it upwards.
You must have global warming on the brain..
Global warming has got to do with weather patterns.
You won't have to worry after next May anyway.
Posted by 579, Wednesday, 13 October 2010 2:27:21 PM
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Such determination to take down the opposition leader. Now, as it was pre election.

It suggests to me that Labour-philes are under no delusions about how close he came to PM; nor that with the slightest Labour cock-up, he still might be.
Posted by hugoagogo, Wednesday, 13 October 2010 2:44:44 PM
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The disturbing thing about the ascension of Tony Abbott as Liberal Leader in Australia
is that lying has taken a new sinister form.

Talk all you want about a new Gillard led minority Govt having to adjust to a new paradigm
and describing this as lying, the type of lies introduced by Tony Abbott are designed and deliberate deception.

Not only are the lies designed to deliberately deceive, but they are re-jigged and re-worded after the fact by other cohorts such as Robb and Hockey on this occasion. Unfortunately for TA on this occasion he told the truth by accident in his first initial non-scripted response to the PM's invitation.

I'm left to wonder if Abbott learn't anything from the British Conservative Conference because
he would have been informed that the profligate Labour Opposition had been very helpful and co-operative
in a minority Govt situation thankfully, with the British economy in crisis exactly the way Australia isn't.

More sinister is the Liberal/National parties audited election manifesto, which appears in the cold hard light of day to have been a complete fraud.
Now the accused, reputable accountancy firm has denied that the election costings of the LNP were audited or costed as such.

In a classic web of lies designed specifically to deceive we now hear that

(a) Hockey made an understandable mistake referring to it as an audit. (Robb spin 1)
(b) Whilst it wasn't technically an audit it was a same or similar thing (Robb spin 2)
(c) Accountancy firms like ...... don't actually provide the type or service or product that
the Treasury Dept does anyway. (Robb spin 3).

I'm left to wonder what the election result would have been had we known
these facts at the time?. cont,
Posted by thinker 2, Wednesday, 13 October 2010 3:49:47 PM
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The whole point of course is that Treasury was available for costings anyway prior to the
election but Abbott's strategy was to invent savings, invent the the notion that treasury wasn't independent,
invent a perception that we have a crisis of debt, invent the threat of invasion from boat people,
and finally post election invent the the notion of a gentler polity in a deliberate attempt
to deceive all negotiating parties during crucial talks to form Gov't.

Who could trust this person? or his team.Tony Windsor in particularly was not fooled by Abbott
and for those who think that Gillard is bad, you ain't seen nothing yet if Abbott was PM.

The author of the article refers to Howard, another ideological tragic and digressive
and as a result, an International pariah.
And after 13 or so years of backward small town thinking, I shudder when I think about the amount of taxpayers money John Howard spent
on indoctrinating our children. Changing their view of history etc in curricular at schools, endless Govt advertising and pork barrelling etc.

A son of Howard version Abbott led Gov't is clearly a fearful prospect. I share the authors concerns.
Posted by thinker 2, Wednesday, 13 October 2010 3:59:56 PM
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I wonder just what the problem is for David Donovan?

Is it really because Abbott used an absolutely stupid reason for not visiting Afghanistan with Gillard?

Is it because Abbott visited an".. ideologically aligned political party?" Or,is it perhaps because he was the "executive director of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy" in his younger days? Maybe it is simply because he is a conservative!

Is any of the above a hanging offence? I think not.

David Donovan's piece reads for what it is- a brief put together with "judiciously" selected references to Abbott's conservatism and a lot of far-fetched speculation of this might happen, or it could be this, no it wont, it will be this because Abbott said something stupid. He didn't start a 3rd world war.

Besides, Gillard and Labor have not come out of this smelling as sweet as new-mown hay. But, that small factor is quite comprehensivley ignored. Bit like what goes on in a court of law, really.

Quite entertaining I suppose for those who suspend critical thinking and buy the lofty sounding prose of righteous indigination about someone on the wrong side of the political blanket as far as David is concerned.

By-the-way - Labor is only in power in Australia because of an alliance with the Greens and because 2 conservative independents saw fit to defy their electorate's voice. No more of a recommendation than you hint at re the new UK government.
Posted by Ibbit, Wednesday, 13 October 2010 6:37:14 PM
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Maybe Donovan's cat has probably a more reasoned slant on why Australia's prime minister Julia Gillard had to play politics with the scheduling of the events, considering that the opposition leader Tony Abbott advised the prime minister well before time of his "troop trip" which he planed and advised the prime minister accordingly. A woman in a war zone has no real picture impact except capitulation, that's probabley why green labor had to produce an attack at any cost.

Lobor's mercy mission with bite.
Posted by Dallas, Thursday, 14 October 2010 2:43:37 AM
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No ibbitt, Labor is in power because the opposition took Tony Abbott as their prime ministerial candidate to the electorate.

Had the Libs had Malcolm Turnbull as leader for example, the defeat of a Gov't in disarray would have most likely been the result.

The difficulty for the Libs is that there is not one person currently sitting on their front bench that I can imagine as a PM anyway.
I've scratched Malcolm since he joined Abbott's team.

The Abbott strategy has always been to mudsling at the Gov't and I think that some of his colleagues are visibly un-comfortable
having to toe this line (to their credit), but none the less, doing this would be affecting the public's view of them as well.

As I mentioned earlier, hanging with Tony has changed my perception of Malcolm Turnbull
already. Imagine the squirming he must be suffering by acting as the destroyer of the NBN,
a progressive idea that he would most likely support, one would have thought.

The continuation of this knock and block strategy can only continue until the balance of power changes in the Senate,
and then it will be a whole new ball game for whomever retains the Govt benches.

The trick for the new model Alliance Govt will be to hold on too the Gov't benches at least till then.
Meanwhile the Brutus of Australian politic's Tony Abbott will continue true to form,
hopefully this will ultimately prove a political blunder.
Posted by thinker 2, Thursday, 14 October 2010 8:48:35 AM
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People have interesting memories , Tony Abbotts blunder;

According to Labor Lore , Whitlam is the Prince Regent of the ALP the Greatest and most Famous of all Australia's Sons !

Yet when Cyclone Tracy devastated the City of Darwin Where was Whitlam ?

Did he Fly home to comfort the people of Darwin ?

No he did not , the Most Famous Man of the ALP was "Do"ing Paris !

While his Darwin People were Dying,Devastated, Homeless and Hungry.

History makes Tony look like a Saint.

In my opinion the Grass Roots ALP's are just Virulent Anti-Catholics.
Posted by Garum Masala, Tuesday, 19 October 2010 9:53:23 AM
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