Bruce Haigh

your numerous scathing criticisms of Rudd/Gillard are ample reason for Abbott to be elected Australia's PM.

After all isn't it a known fact that Oppositions don't win government, Governments lose government?

Chris,

"Popular" is what Obama represented before he was elected - read "inspiring".

The "fact" is that, for a man in his position, Mr Abbott is spectacularly "uninspiring".

Yes Poirot, & Obama proved to have feet of clay. All that inspiration was just smoke & mirrors, the man is an opinionated fool.

Tony on the other hand, yes boring Tony, is probably that way because he is standing on rock, & will actually do, not talk about it.

Lets face it, we have recently got rid of one who ran off at the mouth, from a base of froth & bubble. I guess we should give Julia some thanks for eliminating that catastrophe.

Isn't it interesting that the ABC have him all over the place, perhaps they are worried they just might get a bit of the treatment, quite soon, that they so roundly deserve. They seem determined to pick the PM they want. Their taste really is all in their posterior.

Come on tell us what Abbott's strengths are, in what way(s) is he suited to lead this country?
Bruce Haigh,
I'd think a helluvalot better than yours as a diplomat. Give us some examples of your diplomatic prowess which now benefits Autralians ?

Individual

1. He's the most effective Leader of the Opposition ever.
2. He united a diviuded Liberal Party.
3. He exposed the folly of Rudd.
4. He went to the last election with real policies and will do the same at the next one.
5. He's consistant.
6. He human and admits to human failings.
7. People are coming to trust him.
8. He's tenacious.
9. He's real.
10. He shares the family values that are held by the vast majority of Australians.
11. He's involved in his local community. eg Surf lifesaving and undertakes water safety duties with the nippers. He's in the volunteer Fire Service.
12. He has three degrees in Economics, Law and an Arts Masters in Politics and Philosophy.
13. He's an accomplished, thoughtful and published writer
14. He's been a Minister for 9 years, Leader of the House for 6 years and a Shadow Minister for 4 years.
15. He was known to be opposed to Work Choices, supported the Apology and consistantly opposed an ETS ... and NBN... as well as instigating the Paid Parental Leave policy.
16. He's determined to protect our borders.
17. He's fiscally conservative.
18. He's open-minded.
19. He has intregity.
20. He's a solid negotiator and mediator
21. He's a corker bloke...

I could go on but I'd just like to point out pretty well all Australian PM's have had quite a few of these positions and/or qualities and have often been commonly defined by at least one of them ... except Gillard and Rudd whose chief attributes respectively are lying and speaking Chinese.

Hell who wouldn't choose Abbott of those two?

imajulianutter,

You must be talking about a different Tony Abbott.

Just a few points at random -

Consistent? Hardly. He takes different public stances on the same thing, depending on his audience.

Fiscally conservative? He's now trying to re-implement the Middle Class Welfare State with his "eventual" plan to drop the Health Fund means test - hardly a Liberal policy. His Parental Leave Policy was going to be a "great big new tax" on corporations and was announced without consultation with his own cabinet. His reluctance to put his last policies up for official fiscal scrutiny plus his inability to explain his current ones look more like fiscal recklessness.

Integrity? His evasion when exposed as a "hit man" targetting One Nation with his bizarre Citizens for Honest Democracy plus being publicly caught out lying about things such as meeting with George Pell show his to be more evasive than honest.

The rest of the list is just empty motherhood statements that could be applied to anyone but he was, is and always will be just a political thug and show-pony with no vision for anybody's future but his own.

If he wants an immediate election, he should have his policies out now - if he really has any.