Otokonoko. Brilliant. I really enjoyed your take on hiking and leadership. That is so true. I wish the pollies would read it.
But then they may not understand, they don't have the broader
view of life and that's why they constantly get lost.
Replacing their guide books won't achieve much because the media won't change. They will always present the failures and not give a positive direction because that's what sells.

Leadership will return, in my view, when the journalists' stop putting their own spin on politics, and when Julia Gillard stops having knee-jerk reactions to certain groups. ( I refer here to the dreadful slaying of cattle in the overseas abbattoirs ), sure it is acceptable to have groups who are passionate about what we recently witnessed, but in her hurry to get her Ag.Minister to act, both Gillard and Ludwig fired from the hip in order to achieve a satisfactory and rapid result, thus the graziers in the mentioned places suffered a terrible financial loss, not to mention the truck drivers and the shipping lines. Surely it would have been better to think things through for 24 - 48hours and come to a better solution.,
But, I digress, I reckon we should get the media out of the political arena, the pollies should give a short once a week 'sound bite' session for about 30mins, and definitely pull the media up for not reporting the truth;, sometimes the media lie by ommission, which is often worse than bending the truth.
But we do need a leader with strength and vision,sadly such qualities are missing on both sides of the parliament. But my money (on the long term is on the Gillard Government).

Two things, country bumpkin that I was ,I started life hating gays.
Sorry but being honest, changed after finding out work mate was one then a few I knew.
I think we, all of us, are hypocrites.
We use church as a reason to get involved in this, none of our business let them wed, Gillard is acting here in fear only.
My great fear is politics, my party, every ones party is not looking for statesmen and women any more.
And that media, [thanks] is not reporting but manufacturing news.
What are the qualifications for news folk to ask questions full of funnel web spiders?

Lexi, mate, what some homosexuals do with their tongues, & other bits to whom, where, under what circumstances, & covered by what law, is about as important to the scheme of things as what some ants may be doing down in my bottom paddock. There are many much more important things to keep us busy.

RObert I think that article was one from a despairing Labor supporter, hoping some muck, if enough is thrown, will stick to Abbott. To me he is looking better every day. I expect to see him grow into quite a leader, even with his budgies, much hated by the feminists.

I watched Labor spend about 6 years hammering away at the "Honest John" nickname, as it made life difficult for a bunch of liars to compete. That they try to use as a put down, the athletic ability, of about the only Canberra polly, who could walk from one end of parliament house to the other, says so much about them.

The current lot can't even do it themselves, that they have to bring in the troops in the press to do it for them makes it even worse.

A few minutes ago I heard a scientist say on the radio that cattle belching produces a lot of greenhouse gas. Now, with Julia's mob holding back all those belching cows from exporting to Indonesia will the Gillard Government tell us to how much emission tax this will amount to ?

Dear Hasbeen,

It's not only gays who use their various orifices and appendages in "imaginative" ways - not everyone is a "traditionalist," so to speak.
And how people have sex - is frankly none of our business. Enjoy your sex life and let them enjoy theirs - as long as it doesn't harm anyone.

As for Mr Abbott and his budgie smugglers. He's welcomed to them and lycra. If that's all you've got - by all means flaunt it. Fitness is something to be admired. However, we need more than just fitness in our PM. We need policies that make sense and so far Mr Abott lacks a lot in that department. So for now we're happy for him to get on his bike and ride - and keep on riding until he can come up with better ideas than what he's been offering to date - which is so yesterday. And of course there's also other qualities that are necessary - things like - initiative, genuine leadership (not just forcing the same mantra and party line that everyone party-member must wear). Things like - negotiating ability (begging, bribery, and intimadation doesn't count), willingness to take risks (inaction doesn't count either), and did I mention - persuasivenss - these areas need lots of improvement for Mr Abbott - perhaps you could persuade him to get off that bike, give up his budgie smugglers - and get on with the serious job of showing people he can actually achieve positive for this country - by following the example of past Liberal leaders (Howard excluded).

WE don't have to make a joke of Mr Abbott, as well-known cartoonists have mentioned, "We couldn't make this stuff up!" He's doing a great job all by himself.