Tony, You have a few credability problems of your own little man.

I really do not understand why we need to be so rude about politicians. I don't think that we will ever find a single one that acts alone. Our emphasis should be on policies and big picture fairness rather than petty character issues. And frankly, I do not spend too much time worrying about how a politician looks at election time. I am more concerned about what they are prepared to do, and for who.

Tony Abbott's refusal to publicly disclose the source of the donations to his $100,000 slush fund is another example of cronyism within the Howard Government. The special deals and favouritism of government ultimately rely on secrecy, especially when it comes to political donations.

Abbott's failure to disclose raises some important questions:

Do the donors include business people who Abbott has favoured and assisted in his capacity as Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations? For instance, Terry Sharples has said that Minister Abbott gave favours to a Perth construction company in return for a slush fund donation.

Do the donors include corporations that Abbott has mentioned in Parliament and assisted through his anti-trade union campaign? Were the donations organised by Ian Harley Macdonald, Abbott's campaign director and fundraiser who was subsequently gaoled for embezzlement?

If Abbott could easily answer these questions he would have given a full account of the 'Australians for Honest Politics' by now. Honest politics demands the disclosure of political donations.
On 11 March 2000 Abbott told the Sydney Morning Herald that:
"I had secured the agreement of a donor to provide up to $10,000, if necessary, to cover any costs award made against Terry Sharples".

That was in mid-July 1998. On 10 August 1998 Abbott went on the Four Corners program and denied that any funds had been offered to Mr Sharples.

Having lied to the Australian people, he should now disclose the source of the $10,000 donation.

Since his election to Parliament in 1994, Abbott has specialised in backdoor politics – digging dirt, spreading rumours, raising slush funds and pushing other people forward to do his dirty work.

"The upshot of this was...a plethora of claims that a Catholic couldn't be trusted to make this decision [re RU486] on an ordinary rational basis."

I thought there was a plethora of claims that _Mr Abbott_ couldn't make that decision on a rational basis.

I also seem to remember a stunning victory for the pro-choice movement over RU486, supported by many female MPs of both the Left and Right.

David Jackmanson
http://www.letstakeover.blogspot.com
http://www.lastsuperpower.net

Tony,the Coalition have been playing against a very poor side for too long and now your party is beginning to play just like them.Kevin Rudd is articulate and is lacking in good judgement.Panic over the perceived rise of Labor will be your undoing.

If the Coalition don't tidy up IR reform, you will lose the next one.It was not well planned and the unions are crucifying you.

Totally socialised medicine will never work in the long run because anything that has the perception of being free,suffers abuse.There must be millions of visits to Doctors by people with minor ailments or who are just feeling lonely.Why not increase pensions and social security,make everyone pay something to see a Doctor and then people in real need will get the care they deserve.The rich can pay for themselves.It is called insurance.It can work if attention is paid to detail.

Forget about Kevin Rudd,get on with making good policies that will Australia a better country.

Get your act together since I don't want to suffer no talent time at the hands of Garrett and Gillard,the two GG's who will destroy us with their Trojan Horse of socialism and panic environmentalism.

Whatever happened to separation of church and state. People with strong religious persuasions of any kind should not be allowed to stand for government.

Keep religous belief in the private arena or you could end up with the equivalent of aatollah dictators of any religious persausion.

I have a daughter who is a strict Baptist and I have discussed the danger of voting for so called holy men with her as I thought it was something she should think deeply about.