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The Forum > Article Comments > Honesty not always the best policy position > Comments

Honesty not always the best policy position : Comments

By Mirko Bagaric, published 24/5/2010

The biggest liars are those who claim never to lie: we should be embracing Tony Abbot's honesty for admitting the occasional fib.

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Mirko
You are correct we all lie in certain circumstances often to protect others but Mr Abbott's admission while truthful, was not in any way honourable.

Yes, we all know that politician's lie whether they openly admit it or not. However the act of lying should be judged on intent and context.

Asking "does my bum look big in these pants" is not the same as asking "what is your policy for health reform or tax reform".

Politicians are elected to serve the people and to represent their electorates in which there is an expectation of transparency in regard to policy matters. Under our current system politicians seem more beholden to party loyalties than to national ones.

I guess in this context it is no wonder that lying is seen as acceptable as a normal part of politics.

We are looking at this from the wrong end and should be instead asking why is it that politicians feel the need to lie, to procrastinate or to evade direct questions.

What about the obligations to those who voted for them and to the greater national interests. Ideally we don't want people we vote to represent us to then turn around and lie.

Give the people some credit and just tell the truth.
Posted by pelican, Monday, 24 May 2010 11:35:47 AM
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Abbot's gaff was quite amusing. Being "straight up" is one thing, but admitting that he often speaks rubbish and lies to look good in certain conversational situations is very naive!
There used to be a thing called "principles" and "idealism" was not seen as the flaw that it is today. This means that sometimes your principles will look good, sometimes not.
Obama's decision to allow drilling looks good in discussion's about oil, energy security and national independence (all except Greens like this in current climate)...but since the spill it looks pretty bad. Had he said "no" by sticking to environmental principles he'd be looking pretty smart, but if the spill didn't happen he'd just look like a politician with unusually strong principles (which Greens would like but the Right would criticise).
Doing the right thing is tricky for a politician. Their opponents play with the media to strengthen or weaken particular positions (e.g. the relentless "boat people" scares for the Right, environmental scatres for the Left.) What Abbot actually said was: "I have no principles except what is official "holy writ" party line. Expect me to BS my way through any discussion by remaining shallow to look good, forget getting a real opinion if it might let me be judged."
Pretty spineless, but a good summary of the "Conservative" Christian position on life!
Posted by Ozandy, Monday, 24 May 2010 11:48:53 AM
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Don't be confused about Abbott. Lying or not lying he is still a feckless person with little merit as a person and absolutely none as leader.
What we have all seen of this man is all you are ever going to get. He has taken the Liberals a few points up the ladder in the polls. With Murdoch's ulterior objectives one can dismiss the News Poll totally. But even blind Freddie could have taken the coalition forward because they all know that there is a worthwhile leader in the wings, who came back from possible retirement after much pressure from intelligent observers who realised that they will never win under a knave like Abbott and there never will. His agenda is too well known by the voters who still wish to see Australia as a secular country not hinged at the hip to the Roman gnomes as is Abbott, weak and corrupted.
So if Turnbull doesn't get a run soon, it is Labor again for another three years. Ask around. Abbott is a joke and as an Australian leader on the international stage he would be a laughing stock, and that's gospel.
Posted by rexw, Monday, 24 May 2010 11:53:22 AM
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Absolute rubbish and cow droppings. Abbott was nailed by Kerry O and stuffed up. How can you possibly say it is honest to say "I lie". It's an oxy moron and so are you, less the oxy.
Posted by RobbyH, Monday, 24 May 2010 3:40:18 PM
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While I am no particular fan of Tony Abbott, I don't think that many politicians deliberately lie. This may be seem a naive attitude, but situations change so quickly in political matters that what seemed a good idea at the time is altered by changing circumstances. If a financial circumstance changes and there is an obvious lack of money or a new priority raises its head, what seemed set in concrete previously, has to be compromised. It is bad enough trying to forecast forward estimates in a global context only one year ahead let alone three. It s almost but impossible to set out an accurate budget as it is only guess work.

What I object to is hasty decisions where so much money is wasted when a little common sense and consultation with people other than bureaucrats would be more propitious.

Political promises will always be broken but these things, given mostly sincerely at the time, are often found wanting and of course the electorate never forgets. In the same way Keating was never allowed to forget his L-A-W Law promise and Rudd hasn't been able to deliver on his climate change polemic or child care centres
Posted by snake, Monday, 24 May 2010 3:47:30 PM
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and Mr Rudd claimed to be an economic conservative and that global cooling (sorry warming was it?) was the biggest moral challenge of the century. The Abbott haters really no nothing about shame or hypocrisy.
Posted by runner, Monday, 24 May 2010 4:00:50 PM
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