Boazy just a thought, you have never had a head ache have you?
benq original idea that,I thought iron bar would get it, hang on same bloke.
And the other poster falling? tell you what the ALP increased majority will answer you.
Rudd a great leader lost his way, convinced only he and his staff, not elected knew he went as he governed, in the interests of his party.
Abbott will not last much longer, remember he is/was and will continue to be more unpopular than both past and present ALP PMs.

Yester day at the Liberals love in stood Tony Abbott.
Arms waving like a grounded Albatross trying to fly he delivered yet another speech.
It, did you see his eyes?,did him more harm than good, you got the feeling even Tony knew it was not true.
His eyes? our Tony's eyes said it all, he knows without doubt who may, who will be next.
As we let media, showmanship and self interest drive the polls we will see more days like last week.
Abbott the Rabbott is siting in front of the medias Ute, spotlight on his every move.
Behind him but only just, sits a team concerned about 3 more years in opposition, within an already split and unhappy team more than one plot is boiling away.
Better for us? my post history is full of demands conservatives get back on track, stop the slip to the right.
It is not yet time, the next leader, maybe within month will try to unite water and fire within the party but the one after, in maybe another year?
Who will lead after Abbott?

I love the way ALGIR continues to throw out the old communist conspiracy with the ETS when it was the Lib/Nationals that first raised it as policy under Howard. Not only does ALGIR continue to throw out baited one-liners but has not yet followed it up with a direct opinion or detailed explanation.

There is no doubt there is danger of an ETS becoming a different way to shuffle money around but it has nothing to do with left conspiracies.

Yes indeed Belly. Abbott is running scared if the plethora of extreme vocabulary is anything to go by eg. continual references to 'execution' and 'betrayals'.

It is a bit rich given the Libs knocked over Turnbull for similar reasons - an arrogant and autocratic leadership style as well as divisions about ETS policy.

Not sure who would replace Abbott if there was a spill, there is not much to recommend many of the contenders.

Abbott's failure is in his lack of transparency on Liberal policies although more information is trickling through. He will lose ground if he continues to be OTT about the leadership change at the expense of informing the public about Coalition policies and what they stand for on the big issues like 'big' Australia, infrastructure, asylum seekers, the environment, tax reform and health reform.

Politicians of all colours often underestimate their electorate but eventually it does cost.

Gillard needs to set an election date sooner rather than later so the leadership issue is settled once and for all.

A good larf all-round if Wilson Tuckey took over as leader, with Nick Minchin as deputy, but sadly that comedy duo will not make the grade.

There is little talent on display in Parliament, whichever side we look at, but should Turnbull get another run, once Abbott has lost the election, and the Libs undertake a Spring clean, moving all the ex Howardites to the backbench, or out into the real world to earn a living for a change?

Turnbull could manage to lead a more 'liberal' Liberal Party.

I'd have thought the surge for Gillard might show Abbott and Goons that the voters are not actually searching for another Genghis Howard character, and they were fed up with the ever-evangelising Rudd.

I find Gillard to be quite a shallow politician, with no clear ambition for ideas beyond 'being PM'. She may yet prove to be a better bet than Rudd though, who was a terrible choice for pre-selection, never mind as PM.

What we really need, in the West as well as here in Australia, is a total review of what we believe government and democracy really is for.

A 'political revolution', with more content than Gillar'd 'education' one. A move to 'sustainable politics' that engages individuals in understanding their community responsibilities to each other.

No, not a 'communist' revolution at all... but a 'thinking' revolution that seeks solutions to our never-ending problems, rather than a path to a 'fixed solution' that ushers in a non-existent 'paradise'.

Just constant hard work to overcome the evolving problems we all help to create, either actively by engaging for our own ends or passively by withdrawing for our own ends... as we all do in various areas of life.

Pondering who is to be next for the knife is a rather silly past time, as the man said, 'in the long run, we're all dead', and in the short run, we and our children may be sniggered if our politics does not change for the better... that is the real issue, will Gillard bring any change for the better?

Adam Morton in "The Age," Saturday, June 26, 2010,
tells us that, "Politicians must pick their
battles wisely, but even more can rest on those
they ditch..."

Morton sums up the effects of Copenhagen:

"The failure of the summit was not Rudd's fault...
Rudd worked trelessly at getting a deal, first
with the Danes and then as part of a negotiating
group of 26 countries that worked through the
night in the meeting's dying hours...
When Rudd fronted the media, he put a positive spin
on what had been achieved..."

"This was really hard, really, really hard, and will
remain that way for the period ahead. But can I say
this - any action at home or abroad on climate
change is a battle because you're dealing with a
whole series of interest groups, some of whom don't
want to act. And as a result you've got to push
your way through."

However, as Morton confirms, "ultimately Rudd didn't
listen to his own advice. Instead he fell into line
with a political interest group at that stage yet
to significantly rear its head in the climate change
debate - the powerful NSW Labor Right led by Senator
Mark Arbib, backed by Wayne Swan and Julia Gillard."

"Despite a personal belief that action on climate
change was necessary. Rudd agreed to delay the
emissions trading scheme until 2013 to help balance
the budget and avoid a stoush with Tony Abbott, who
was claiming the scheme was "a great big tax on
everything (sic)."

What is interesting is that as Morton confirms,
"had Malcolm Turnbull secured one more vote, perhaps
from absent moderate MP Fran Bailey, it is likely
the scheme would have passed and the government and
opposition would have emerged from Copenhagen united
on climate change."

Politicians have
become synonymous in many people's minds with
manipulation, scheming, and grasping ambition.
The public's trust in politicians has been sorely
tested and eroded. What kind of cloth is Julia
Gillard cut from? Her image appears to have
become more polished over the years, but is
she genuine?

We'll find out soon enough.