I've read that description in quite a few commentaries - that it appeared Mr Abbott was sizing up the option of punching Riley's lights out. Yes, it is terrific that Tony decided against it and "controlled" himself, however, one has to ask why he wasn't prepared a little better - he had warning of the interview.
Ambush or no ambush, a polly with his experience can't really get away with a 24 second stare of silence.

Barry Cassidy compares the fates of Julia and Tony in this article:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/09/3134481.htm

Poirot thanks for the link found it very good.
Yes Friend I am Labor very much so ,but mark my words unless we see the Julia Gillard we saw in question time today we are on the way out.
Turnbull need not worry about Julie her head has been on the block for while.
She however hastens it by being very much right the Howard plan for helping Indonesia should stay.
In fact while Bill Shorten would be a much better leader, will be soon, Rudd is out most out standing attack dog.

Hi Belly,

I'm convinced there is no alternative to Malcolm Turnbull for the Liberal leadership if they are to have any chance of taking power at the next election.
Abbott should have been able to take advantage of Gillard Labor's poor performance since the last election, yet the opposition is as much or more on the nose than the government.
I imagine Turnbull will wait until we're a bit closer to an election (say 12 to 10 months out) and make his move.

Gday Poirot yes me too, but we face a crisis right now.
That bill, strange stuff,spending 300 million on students, passed the senate IT A TIME ABBOTT SAYS CUT the budget?
And if it gets through the lower house Abbott takes the government.
After we take on the roll of spoilers and Australian politics become worse for it.
Devision is becoming entrenched.
However it lives within the beating heart of conservatives and may implode .
We live in interesting times IF such events put Abbott in charge he would prove to be very bad.
Have no fear he will be gone soon.

Hi, and thanks for link Poirot. I also enjoyed it.

The Abbott reaction was okay only because he doesn't have power.

It struck me that if he was PM he would have had Riley, clasped in irons after being taken away by a goon squad,
the camera and it's contents confiscated and destroyed.

All that rage did seem to be possibly manifesting itself in a left hook by the mad monk,
but he contained himself to having his own personal eruption, punctuated by 24 secs of silence.
He must have calmed himself by saying to himself, wait till I'm PM , I'll fix you then.

I would worry that once in power Tony Abbott and Co would make themselves hard to get rid of, a la Joh Bjelke.
Maintaining their power base with pork barreling and electoral adjustments.
Tony plays dirty, his team plays dirty, and Australian Politics has gone downhill.

As for the Gov't , we have seen today that Independents Katter and Crook are prepared to vote in favour of the levy.
Is it possible that these two Independents could drift to Govt and strengthen the Alliance Govt.

Remember this is not a Labor Gov't but an Alliance of Labor, Greens and Independents.
If Pollsters asked the voters who they would rather have, "Abbott and Co or the Gov't we elected," I wonder what the result would be? .

I admit to liking the idea that Independents and Greens are a part of the decision making process, not just either of the major parties.

I'm guessing/hoping that a lot of other people like this idea as well.

The question I still ask after Mr. Abbott's Petit-mal like response, what is in the video that he is so afraid of? Nothing occurred from the beginning of the interview to explain his response. He was shown the video and asked to explain what he meant. He immediately went on the defence. Why? He was not ambushed. The video's were taken by the Army to be distributed to the media. It was not a private conversation.