ha ha ha. If Abbott has misled parliament ... what? he'll have to resign as opposition leader and the Opposition will fall? Belly laugh...hahaha.

You lot really have lost your grip haven't you. Panic really has set in hasn't it?

Alan,

last weeks events can only impact positively on Abbott and the coalition. How can division in the labor rabble impact negatively on the coalition? Any suggestion it will is laughable and defies all political convention ...what we'll re-write the rules ... starting with 'Disunity in government means death ... to the opposition'.

Turnbull is no threat to anyone ... he should have resigned after he lost direction and the leadership. Abboitt was and still is the Liberals unamious choice as leader. Remember at the last vote he was elected ... unopposed. Turnbull had his opportunity then and squibbed because he knew the realities.

Yesterday I did my usual stint at the pre-polling for the state election. I was astonished at the response.
We reckoned approx 14 to 1 judging by the enquiry for 'How to Vote' requests. LNP . The booth was at Morningside. That's in the heart of Griffith. I've been doing pre-polling booths for over 15 years.

There were two prevelant comments. The nonstop muck-raking by labor is sickening and the tax on sale of the family home isn't fair or reasonable and Bligh and Fraser think it hasn't been noticed.

They've lost Labor voters because this tax hurts them as they start to 'downsize' from the family home. They'll still vote LNP even if the LNP doesn't repeal that tax.

At this stage I reckon we are seeing the end of the ALP. All ... all... the Labor campaign Literature in Brisbane contains no reference to this great tradition. It mentions neither Bligh nor ALP. It referes only to Queensland Labor.

Jeez what are they going to do at the Federal election?

Greetings all,

@Raycom and Imajulianutter, from Hansard, 29 February, Tony Abbott:

“In trying and failing to have Bob Carr made the next foreign minister of Australia, the Prime Minister has been bullied ... by the faceless men ....”

“Then ... they successfully intimidated the Prime Minister into withdrawing the offer.”

“The final act in this sorry story: Sam Dastyari called Bob Carr to say that the Senate spot would go to someone else after all.”

“What we had at the end was a distinguished former Premier of New South Wales left humiliated and desolate.”

“The Prime Minister was rolled by the would-be foreign minister, currently the defence minister."

Now, I’m not a scholar in Aristotelian logic. But it seems pretty obvious even with basic high school clear thinking that if Bob Carr did in fact become foreign minister then all five statements must be false.

Or lies, if you wish. Or misleading the Parliament.

No?

The fortunes of the parties in Australia is not my primary concern, Imajulianutter. I don’t even vote in Australia. But regarding “the end of the ALP”, well, popularity bounces around, especially mid-term, doesn’t it?

You may recall John Howard was often in a far more parlous state mid-term than Ms Gillard is now. His dissatisfaction level reached an all-time high of 64% in March 2001 (Newspoll) but he went on to win the next election.

Keating was pretty whiffy in 1992 with disapproval in the high 60s, peaking at 68%, but also won the next election.

So Julia, at 57% and falling, is probably not badly placed. The next poll – the first one after getting Bob Carr aboard and humiliating the media and the Opposition in the process – will be interesting.

It will also be intriguing to see what the fallout is eventually from Mr Abbott clearly lying in Parliament. Not a good look – to anyone, including the backers of Mr Turnbull.

@Runner, the point of the article is that ALL the media got it disastrously wrong together. Fairfax’s Michelle Grattan was specifically pilloried. Did you read the article?

Cheers, AA

Parliament will resume on tuesday, No mention from abbott about the deceiving, and misinformation given to parliament, an extensive speech to parliament about the suspension of standing orders, all on false allegations from both abbott and bishop.
Abbott has been desperately trying to put out some policy ideas, will probably end up with foot in mouth disease.
The next installment should be interesting.

Alan,

if Abbott resigns ...? Does the Westminister convention of Ministerial Responsibility and Misleading the Parliament extend to backbenchers or opposition members?

Laughable isn't it?

I'm not currently watching federally, where Gillard can only go south, I'm looking at the State election in Queensland and I've never seen a major party with a mere 24% in the polls 2 weeks before an election. Don't apply preferences ... in Qld that's optional.

You don't live here, nor vote here ... well why the hell are you trying to tell us how good and righteous are the Labor rabble? Why the hell do you think we need lecturing about how we should be assessing them?

Are you nuts?

Hi Alan,

Welcome to Australia !

Ho hum.

I thought this issue had been buried, but you raise an intriguing new line of inquiry: why was Bob Carr knocked back, and then offered the job ?

I guess it depends on which questions you ask, and how you ask them: put this another way, what forces were initially marshalled to deny Carr the job (and presumably open it up for Stephen Smith), and a few days later, what forces had rallied behind Bob Carr sufficient to get him the job ?

Is it a jailable offence, Alan, to mention Sussex Street and the power of the Labour Right in NSW ?

Another question: what sort of plum job is Arbib in line for, as a reward for getting out of the way ? And, perhaps, as a reward for getting behind Carr ?

Just asking: I hope that does not breach any of Finkelstein's Iron Laws of Acceptable Speech-in-Print.

Cheers,

Joe

It's about time the opposition seen the light of day and installed Turnbull. Then we may have an opposition that can be believed.
The amount of filthy muckraking, that takes up parliamentary time has got to stop.
Disruptive heckling, members being discharged from parliament, and untrue sinuations are nothing short of total disruption. Not a good look from a would be political party.