Ind Tony Windsor has said Tony abbot is wrong when it comes to carbon tax.

Wrong!

Tony abbot wants what most of us want and that is for the tax to be a global tax.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Looking forwards to your retirement are you mr Windsor.

Boy have you done some damage to future independents.

Oh come on rehctub, everyone knows Tony Abbott thinks climate change is c##p- global or otherwise!

Like most Christian Conservatives, he does not believe that humans have any likelihood of 'causing' or contributing to climate change, because only their God can do climate change.

Tony Windsor is a very rare politician in my opinion. He seems honest and genuine, and says it like it is where his opinions are concerned.
I would certainly follow his line of thinking before any of the bumbling utterances issued from Abbott's mouth.

I agree Suzeonline, Windsor is a fine politician and person it seems.
A person of principle even. And also thoughtful, intelligent and genuine.

That is certainly rare in a politician.

rehctub,

All I know for sure about the man is his locals have tried to lobby him to support building a abattoir. Tony isn't interested and supporting live exports. He is ignoring his own and its a pity because he is in the right area to support more jobs for his own folk.
Many of his locals who know him best are very upset with him on local issues and promises broken. However Tony Abbott isn't in their radar either other than to run. I will make a point to ask my cousin who lives there about the other issues and get back to you on it rehctub

Dear suzieonline,

Totally agree. There are not too many other politicians who would say during a soil carbon debate “I am pleased to see the member for Wentworth in the chamber. He is one of the few people out of all of us, myself included, who has some real credibility on this issue. I congratulate him for that. Some parts of the debate might not have been easy for him over the last few years, but he has shown a degree of consistency that I think people have appreciated—even those who may not have agreed with him at various times. The rest of us probably do suffer some degree of guilt for understanding the need but not being prepared to follow through—and I again include myself in that.”

Hells bells! I'm willing to concede that the imperatives of being in a party forces members to toe and tout the party line, often against views and values they have held for years, please see Greg Hunt for a prime example, and admittedly Tony isn't subject to those, but that was some rare self-effacement and empathy being uttered in our parliament.

He has more than one policy I disagree with but wouldn't Australia be far better served with a Senate full of Tony Windsor types.

Agree with suzeonline, thinker 2 and csteele. Tony Windsor is that rare breed of politician - down to earth but able to see the big picture, gracious, strong and able to put the good of the country before his own inclinations. Yes, a Senate full of people of the integrity and calibre of Windsor would be a fine thing to see.

Trouble is, we'd have to get rid of political parties from the Senate - I wonder if such a thing would be possible? Just a pipe dream, I guess...

I will have to apologize for adding this in but this thread is rather pointless;

An "Independent" is nothing more than a politician who does not belong to a political party, and usually offers something to what his constituents want.

I'm not quite sure how Tony Windsor's political stances on any one topic differing or corresponding to those of another political party somehow makes him non-independent;

Or for that matter how this would affect the reputation of other independents (except in the eyes of people who don't know what an "independent" is)

Totally agree with Suze, and others, Tony Windsor is a rare calibre of politician - he's an honest, hard working Member of Parliament who's not easily influenced. If only we had more like him. My relatives live in his electorate and they don't have a bad word to say about him. And for a politician - that doesn't happen very often. He does see the bigger picture and weighs up all the facts before speaking. Another quality to be admired.

Ok, so it appears you are all in favor of the carbon tax that only Australians will pay in a futile attempt to clean up a global problem.

My issue with him and his stance on this is that he suggests Tony Abbott and his supporters don't care which is simply not true.

Tony Windsor is not independent, he's got many helping him in being disruptive for nothing more than ensuring a good pension.

individual,

The key word here is "integrity" - and it seems that most of the posters on this thread have gleaned that Mr Windsor possesses that rare political quality.

I believe that diminishes your critical appraisal, and renders it an off-the-cuff instance of sour grapes.

"integrity"

Nope xenophone and a couple of others are men of their own doing - but this blokes not in that class.

They say he doesn't worry about local issues much more has broken promises and angered many.
Lyn & Andy ( my cousin and her husband)me they now call him Tony the Show Pony down that way. There is a protest about a mobile tower the locals wanted fixed well before the elections. They say hes suddenly lost interest.
The guys probably been busy no doubt but fact is locals are *not impressed

i think tony windsor is just following the leader of the country so his not in the bad books with her or else he would of been doing something about all the propeties that were sold in Gunnadah to the china mining company, how much tax will be put on this company even though they haven't started digging as of yet, or will they escape this tax ,

...State members are much more useful to the locals in the bush. That is a reality borne-out in Tony Windsor. As a comparison, Richard Torbay, Independent MP for Northern Tablelands, is the “engine room” of politicians in the New England, which overlaps that of Windsors Federal seat of New England.

...Both are Independents, but of a totally different making, interests and background, and make an interesting study on the issue of Independents

Poirot:

...Yea, but I go with Individual on this one too. Looks can deceive. Your perception of Windsors stubbornness in aligning with Labor on all issues (particularly the carbon tax) could also be interoperated as decision making “frozen” in stupidity. Labor is a sinking ship. Why not jump to save himself

Tony Windsor is a political opportunist who backed the side most desperate for his support in the hope that the huge pork barrelling by Labor would compensate for the anger of his electorate.

His miscalculation is becoming more and more obvious, and he has essentially given up on being re elected, and is only focused on supporting Juliar for the 2 more years at taxpayers expense.

Two things Diver Dan.

It will be a least 2 yrs before we are able to find out if the Govt is a sinking ship anyway. Abbott hasnt got a hope in hell of engendering the trust of the Independents and Gillard actually has their trust.

It would not be part of Mr Windsor's principled thinking or list of options to desert the sinking ship to which you refer, no matter what Abbott, the Murdoch Press and International Moguls and other crooks would want. Clearly they have no credibility and act relative their own vested interests.Principals or belief has no part in this.

Windsor on the other hand has nothing lose from principled activity.

morganzola:>>Agree with suzeonline, thinker 2 and csteele. Tony Windsor is that rare breed of politician <<

Surprise surprise, I do not agree with your thoughts.

Windsor is a servant of the public; his views are worthless to the electorate, unless the electorate happen to support his personal views. His country electorate is as far from Labor and the Greens as Sydney is from Perth, yet he sided with the Left who blind Freddy could see would have to cow tow to the Greens.

His electorate does not have representation, they have Windsor taking the opportunity to settle old scores on his way out, and that is what siding with Gillard is all about. He was ditched for pre selection by the Nats over a drink drive thing and he has been blueing with them ongoing for 20 years. Consider the hatred this self serving hypocrite has for the Nats and his chosen form of expression is to deny the Nats government at the cost of the electorate. Yes Morganzola a rare breed indeed but only because he was leaving anyway, do you think he would have pulled this crap if he needed to stay on the peoples payroll….no way.

The electorate voted for Windsor but got Brown. Windsor is not a “good” politician because just as lawyers must be on THEIR CLIENTS side regardless of personal views, so it must be with politicians, and Winsor is acting 180 degrees contrary to what HE well knows his electorate expected. That you four gems see Windsor as admirable exhibits your ignorance regarding democracy let alone the history of the man. But feel free to comment on how fit for purpose Winsor is to his electorate regardless of whether you know what your talking about or not, thats democracy.

Dear sonofglion,

You said;

"That you four gems see Windsor as admirable exhibits your ignorance regarding democracy let alone the history of the man."

It invites the retort 'if those on the right fail to see any integrity in Tony Windsor then they can hardly be expected to recognize the lack of it in their own party'.

Thus Tony Abbott remains leader.

Of course that would be a cheap a shot, wouldn't it? 

No no Csteele, I am a social democrat so Abbott is no poster boy for me, if I am alive and he is in power and wanting, I would bag him relentlessly for not doing what he is paid to do, my reasoning is as simple as that. In regard to Windsor, he is being paid and not doing what the electorate is paying him to do, represent them rather than himself. If you do not see this I cannot help you in regard to the expectations from an electorate of their paid member, and what Windsor is doing is certainly contrary to what the KNOWN expectation of the electorate is. I told you why he is doing it, 20 years of hostility is a long incubation.

@ SOG:

I love the smell of sour groups in the arvo :)

You're the guy who loves democracy so much you advocate first past the post voting, don't you? Wouldn't have made much difference with Windsor, would it?

Don't worry, the tables will probably turn in a couple of years...

Top marks Sonofgloin:

...Another factor the locals on this page refuse to acknowledge is Windsors ant-union secret side. What a hypocrite is Windsor; siding with a political party of a pro union bias. Alarm bells should ring loud.

...Windsors is not a stand reflecting philosophy at all. It is not a stand proving personal integrity as some believe, but more a position now of personal dis-intergration.

Morganzola>> I love the smell of sour groups in the arvo <<

I love that line...