Unusual lad our sir tones.
Sadly he is our PM.

I don’t think bullying is particularly confined to men. Perhaps we see more macho behaviour in politics because politics is dominated by men and the odd Tony Abbott type character is going to emerge from the ruck (to use a footballing term).

If women dominated politics I doubt that there would be any less aggression it would just be different. Women in power are just as prone to bullying as men.

Such behaviour by Abbot is indicative of Abbott not of Australian men in politics. Most people expected him to behave the way he does before he was elected. It is his policies that have ultimate effect on foreign policy and not the language he uses. I don’t think World War Three is going to begin because he said he wants to ‘shirtfront’ Putin.

a breath of fresh air after the previous Government's Emily's listers sarcasism and nastiness. Obviously not much news today.

"Bullying" Putin, totally LOL. The man IS a bully, you know shooting down MH17 was not a sensitive new age guy thing (years of training in the KGB of the CCCP, building the workers paradise will do that). In-your-face is what he understands hence Abbott is merely being culturally sensitive and speaking in Putin's lingo.

At least Abbott is not eating his snot and suggesting Russians have a preference with rats that is suggested about New Zealanders and sheep.

Abbott is copping stick for his chest-beating comments and rightly so. But what about his opposite number? Shorten was ready to convict Putin of the shooting down of the Malaysian airliner without any convincing proof, merely an assertion coming from within the Beltway. Recent history has shown us time and time again how self-serving those assertions tend to be, once the rhetoric has settled.
Both our leaders have shown themselves to be the type to get their news from reading and swallowing the photo-shopped articles Rupert writes. They are a national embarrassment, as they strut the stage being little bugler boys from the B team.

I am sure that Tony Abbott's actions will not do him any harm at the polls. His main critics come from the Chardonnay Sippers who would criticise him no matter what he does. Those of us who applaud his cutting of many left wing social programs are cheering loudly. However he could take a leaf out of Piggy Muldoon's book. I always loved Piggy for his nuanced statements. The one I loved best was when he suggested that the president of Nigeria consult a taxidermist.