@Shadow Minister: People that voted for Labor voted based on the solemn promise of no carbon tax, otherwise Juliar would have lost.

Tony Abbott he likes say that Labor is breaking its promises, but then he also likes to point out Labor isn't running the country.

@R0bert: Some might remember the rhetoric about work choices.

It is not the rhetoric. It's the choice of rhetoric. Howard was passionate about the GST, Hansen about immigration. These are issues. I can't recall an Australian political leader lampooning an entire area of science as Abbott did when he called climate science crap, or as he did again when he recently attacked economics.

When he does that he is not directly attacking the issues. He is directly attacking the people who support the issues. From where I sit it seems his supporters have taken his cues and now follow his lead - with his tacit encouragement.

Setting parts of Australia's society against one another like this may be good for Abbott - only time will tell. But it's not good for the country. I've seen what happens in the US when politics gets overly personal. Politicians get shot in the head while doing the family shopping. I don't like it.

Excellent posts rstuart and morganzola.

How many Liberal supports really believe that if the Greens and Independents had formed a government with the Coalition that there would be no compromise on climate change policy. Abbott himself talked about a Carbon Tax as a viable approach to climate change among other options such as an ETS and direct action.

We have not heard much about what sort of direct action the Coaltion are advocating. No matter what one thinks about a Carbon Tax Abbott is all hot air - all spin and no substance.

Julia Gillard formed a government in a hung parliament situation, and while I strongly believe governments should be accountable for promises we are not talking about a clear cut win. I believe Julia Gillard would have kept the promise had the ALP been the clear winner. The Liberals would have had to compromise in a similar situation, in fact they were tossing up all sorts of inducements to win government. Perhaps one could argue that the PM shoud have refused that particular compromise based on an earlier promise - we could go in circles on that one.

However, some of the anti-government rhetoric borders on crowd-whipped up hysteria.

Hello RSTUART
I am with you, I am disgusted with the behaviour of Abbott, he really belongs in a travelling circus. Let me make it quite clear, I respect every persons' right to vote for whomever they like, but Abbott is not showing any signs of being an insightful, forward looking person.
His colleagues really need to gag him, he has destroyed the dignity that the Liberal Party used to display. He may be a Rhodes Scholar, but if you cannot exercise your knowledge in an intelligent way, you are nobody. He needs to reel in his circus act and start showing his talent (if any) as a real Leader (if capable). At least the Gillard Government has made a small step in the right direction of reducing emissions., for that, I applaud her., someone had to do it.

Rabbot will happily drag this country down to third world status in his selfish lust for power. He is a traitor and a liar. His fearmongering is damaging our stockmarket and our retail confidence. Who knows how much investment his scare campaigns have deterred.
Considering our position at the top of the worlds best performing economies his lies and distortions are nothing short of treason.

With you all the way on this post rstuart.

The truth most likely is Shadow Minister, that we may well have had a Labor majority, if Julia Gillard hadn't promised to dispense with a carbon tax prior to the last election. Because most Australians are not climate skeptics.

The Liberal tactic of pattern disruption is certainly grating and lacking both substance and credibility, and clearly not good for Australia.

Sorry to interrupt this Labor glee club,

Juliar has been and is just as strident and pugilistic as Abbott, and in opposition tried to do to Howard exactly what Abbott is doing now.

Juliar had a choice, stand true to her promises upon which people voted for her or compromise her credibility by selling out the electorate, breaking her promises and making a deal to obtain power.

She then compounds it by trying to pretend that she did not break a promise, or that it is not really a carbon "tax". The voters are not stupid enough to swallow that.

Without credibility she cannot sell the tax and sounds like a second hand car dealer. If labor ditches her, they could replace her with someone who did not make the promises or compromises that is eating away like a cancer at labor's support.