Cast your memories back to the media's constant reminder updates during federal Labor Parties last term in office, of the Carbon Tax and the Mining Tax. The Carbon Tax raised electricity charges while the mining tax had little effect on the general population.

I would suggest both taxes never actually existed. The media's constant bringing up of the two taxes while the Labor government was in power, gave the Liberal party a policy platform to campaign with, before the last federal election. My, I can't prove assumption is that the taxes were said to be there, in order the show separation between the two main political parties as a democracy. My only anecdotal evidence is the overly amount of media “talk show” discussions, you the reader may remember, I assume drove many listeners crazy with “why this again” pointless judgements.

Now as the Liberal party is in government, the only achievements Tony Abbott government have carried out are the removal of the two taxes and stopping the boats. Present Tony Abbott future achievements in progress are the decades aged old behind closed doors trade tariffs, giving Labor party scare headlines of workers losing jobs.

Can I not make comparisons between religious priests and ministers putting on ceremonial praying performances, allowing witnessing congregations a belief that an actual magical god is taking notice.
The idea is, the more politicians performances are witnessed the more performances are judged real, reinforcing democracy in process beliefs.

Pete,

Sorry. I didn't know that you had the monopoly on 'blather'. You criticise any one or anything as much as you wish, and with my support. I criticise Abbott constantly, just for different things. But, for heaven's sake, don't call, him something he is clearly not. Get your facts right. Don't describe him as the type of person who has never existed in Australia. Going over the top, as you have on this occasion, only makes you look silly, and invalidates your argument: particularly over something that 99.9% of people now know was caused by some stupid, barely literate clerk.

ttbn (just giving your first name would be human...)

If you accept the "barely literate clerk" theory you know little about para-military politics in Canberra.

For a start this newly black clad force displaying full parade dress medals (not at a parade) is considered (by real servicemen) as strange behavior https://twitter.com/ausborderforce/status/616133663781076992

Border Force seems an odd creature that does not have the legitimacy or legal backing of the Police or Armed Forces.

However Abbott's need to be surround himself with uniforms and military hardware (whenever possible) is just one of his character defects.

Look at this wouldbe military vanity - no pilots - just the MAN and HIS Machine http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/jump-jets-on-navys-agenda-as-tony-abbott-orders-air-strike-rethink-20140603-39gl0.html

Pete,

OK. So now I'm not human because I don't "give my first name". I don't know if Pete is your first name: it's just quicker than plantagenet (lovely mob they were). In this day and age, I think it's unwise to reveal anything personal about yourself.

So, if you think me and my views are inhuman, we don't have anything to say to each other.

Cheers.

Syd Hickman, so conservative = insane?
Typical arrogance from the Left.

Old Man, you are right to point out the hypocrisy of marriage reformists evading the polygamy issue.

Incestous marriage will also still remain outlawed (even people *adopted* into a family!).
Yet these "loves" are still denied their "dignity" by the reformists.
Either reform/repeal the whole shebang or STFU hypocrites!

I'm not so sure about your assertions of monogamy's contribution to civilisation though.
Many "savage" human cultures have embraced it.

JohnBennetts "The first Australian political party that successfully enables its members to meet democratically, as equals..."

Weren't they the Democrats?
Where are they now?
They represented the author's supposedly "sane" moderate leftist position on everything, yet had little success with the voters.

The author laments our disinterest/disillusionment with parties.
This is a bad thing?

This could be the birth of *true* democracy.
Direct democracy.
No need for "representatives" at all.
Today's technology easily enables it.

But I think the Loony Left secretly fear it won't produce the support for their utopian agenda they hope for (despite the opinion polls), so will fight against its implementation tooth and nail.

Too many "crazy" conservatives might upset their applecart.

I presume most of the people posting here read the article. If so I am amazed.

I didn't get past "The Liberal Party is engaged in a civil war between the dominant religious hard right conservative faction of Tony Abbott and the more rational, truly liberal faction of Malcolm Turnbull."

Once I read that little lot, applying the word rational to Turnbull, I knew there would be nothing worth reading in the thing.

I was surprised to see so many posts, but judging from the discussion I was right not to bother. Obviously any one who could praise Turnbull is either a fool, or up to no good, & should be avoided.