Julia's at it again, according to the Brisbane Times - trashing Australia's reputation. Except this time she's trying to make out that her prime ministership was marred by sexism. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/julia-gillard-tells-us-radio-i-tried-to-shine-a-light-on-sexism-20140620-zsfoc.html

I never saw Abbott be anything but polite to her, but she brazenly tried to frame him as being misogynistic. Apparently misogynism means you are unsuited for any job whatsoever, no matter what skills you might have, so it is the trump disqualifier in Julia's world.

SPQR, it was Brandis who first called Howard a "lying rodent."

Many people believe that Abbott continually lies; there are websites which have listed the actual lies. In relation to SPC, Abbott was called a liar by his Liberal colleague, Sharman Stone.
The so called 'unity ticket" has been seen to be a lie.
Abbott's attitude to climate change can at best be seen to be manipulation; he has called it crap. All actions he has taken show this to be his true conviction, while pretending otherwise.

The Abbott government has lost trust, and are seen to be quite callous through their budget; there should be no surprise that they get a bad press on social media.

I agree that ad hominem attacks and disproportionate and irrational loathing of politicians has become an increasing feature of the political landscape, but I don’t think it’s restricted to the left. Our most recent prime ministers – Abbott, Rudd, Gillard and Howard – all attracted personal attacks and dislike out of all proportion, though granted none was/is exactly exemplary in character or achievement.

Nor is this just an Australian phenomenon – look at the visceral loathing of Obama, Bush and Clinton; or Cameron and Blair.

The left are at least sometimes more inclusive haters – Labo(u)r supporters’ loathing of Blair and Rudd at times exceeded that of their political opponents.

I agree that twitter encourages a particularly mindless and shallow form of groupthink, however. It’s one of many reasons why Q&A has become some tedious.

Ant,

Whether Brandis was the first to call Howard a “lying rodent”...or Sharman Stone called Abbott a liar is really beside the point (and let's not forget that Labour has had similar intra-party sniping).

The central point is that it is simply NOT TRUE that we are seeing such nastiness now because the libs were not nice to Julia.

And those who propose such --just as those who just twelve months ago were pushing the line that Julia was the only politician who ever suffered abuse-- out themselves as naughty little boys and girls who tell fibs!

Then again, I should have picked you as such after seeing your full-on proselytizing for AGW & the IPCC on other threads.

"Whatever our prejudices, status or abilities, when we mix with others with a similar prejudice, we become even more prejudiced."

Of course, in the past this phenomenon applied mainly to the paid parrots of reactionary media oligarchs and their audiences, now progressives have a chance.

It's just not fair, the working class are banding together, that's always a problem.

SPQR, Abbott continually pushed the view that Labor lied while he was in Opposition. I think that created expectations that he could not keep. It was very clear not long after the September 2013 election that the Abbott government was backtracking in relation to promises made; and so, they gained no honeymoon period. Now politicians generally are not trusted.
Paul Keating has been the master of putting out abuse in my opinion which goes against your thesis.
I think you'd find it difficult to find many comments I've made in relation to the IPCC, SPQR. I do however believe that climate scientists are telling us how things stand climate wise. Climate change deniers have few scientists who they can quote. I try to provide facts it is up to readers to make up their minds.