For the third time since becoming PM, Gillard reshuffles the cabinet. What is it all about, hardly can call it stable government. Is it panic stations, is it payback, and is it reward for past services? When an under performer like Garrett can hold on it can hardly be seen as getting rid of the dead wood. A couple of old union hacks in the form of Combet and Shorten get bigger plumbs, is that reward for past services? Carr got the chop, too friendly with the enemy. Will rearranging the deck chairs save the sinking ship, hardly think so. One novelty about the Gillard cabinet is that opposition leader Rudd sits at the table, now that is a change.

More feminizing of an already emasculated Government. No wonder we are in such a mess.

They never learn either do they?

A quick look at Queensland would have shown what happens when you fill the cabinet up with a bunch of skirted personal. With the bunch of dills Anna surrounded herself with, even a popular government soon goes down hill.

Dear Hasbeen,

Let's take a look at this country's history of
"skirted personnel,"
just to name a few:

Caroline Chisolm
Dame Enid Lyons
Margaret Court
Dame Nellie Melba
Edith Cowan
Dame Mary Gilmore
Dawn Fraser
Shirley Strickland
Stella Miles
Elizabeth Kenny
Dorothea MacKellar
Shirley Smith
Lois O'Donoghue
Betty Cuthbert
Roma Mitchell
Mary Mackillop

Just to name a few ... and you're right people like Tony Abbott,
Kevin Andrews, and Co. have it all over the "skirted personnel."
LOL!

Paul is a greens supporter.
And an admitted Socialist.
He ,rightly so, understands the ALP is his sides enemy.
And he, as do some Conservatives conveniently, forget almost, if not every Prime Minister has done much the same.
I in no way back away from the firm belief Gillards best chance for improvement is leaving the role of PM.

...T’wld be nice to think, when we throw-out this mob of “ratbags”, that the next “lot” would be an improvement. After thirteen years of Howards evil, it does not look good for the future, having Howards clone sitting on the side-lines as a “lay-down misere” for a win, (and what an appropriate descriptive word – French for “destitution”)! ...Definitely destitution will be the sad lot of many, as a consequence of either choice.

...Yes Belly, and who would you suggest as an alternative PM, “King-Kong”. I would suggest King Kong has half a brain, at the least. And with a name of "Kong" probably speaks Chinese too...

you gotta admit putting
the former health minester to end snmoking
in as atourney general[to clean up her own mess..[well thats clever]

and she will put the blame
on the one that warned her

heck woman can be so trickey eh?
when they must do as the backroom backdoor
blacksuited faceless men...tell her to do

rocks-on managed to get non patentable nicoten
onto the govt cash subsidies list..[cleverrr]

that was clever...[
increased the price of chewing gum..
so that we give more tax payer/cash..to big pharma

lol for nicoteen gum..scraped of the sidewalks
mixed with giggie butts..and street chunder

Labor are not worth wasting comments on.Their whole show has been a farce from go to woe.The rotting carcass of lies,nepotism, corruption will hang around their necks for years to come.We know it but they are too frightened to look in the mirror.

Let them rot in their own cesspool of degradation.They are finished, caput.We have better things to do.

All views have value.
I must admit at times I find it perplexing trying to see that value.
So females are the problem.
Bitter old men may think so.
In fact Gillard, the lost Lady,has promoted good talent and over looking that to insult females is a bit strange.
We are confronted by posts in this thread with a truth.
Some comments are, well, no need most know the lost nature of those we look at this morning.
Self confidence is a good thing.
If contained and not miss used some clearly have far too much for ability's on display here.

I don't think Julia has anything to worry about with Labor running at 30% in the latest Newspoll her rating is fantasic when compared to New South Wales Labor who Newspoll say Labor would score 22% if a vote was taken now. Robo needs to reshuffle his shadow cabinet, I don't think he can not enough members, some have to triple up already. As I said else where ALP members in NSW are deserting in droves, many are joining The Greens. Green membership in NSW is at record levels.

I'm not opposed to women in cabinet, but I do object to the increasing power of members of Emily's List in this government

but jenny
the men are worse..[or at least no better]

party selection ...lol
that says it all right there

selected completly by the party
putting up people THEY trust

or some elites
serving their big business multinationals
to loot and plunder the peoples assets...

govt sale of assets
MUST see the whole assosiated beurocracy sacked
and oversight bodies fundings reduced

private owned greedy people
hate maintaining assets..tthey love depriciating them..letting them run down
claiming tax back for letting it devalue/depriciate

i call it treason
we are over governed
sack the states to call time out

re-nationalise all public services

serviced not by public servants/or for private gain
but skilled workers..serving the public good

Robo is doing ok in NSW he will be around as leader for a long time.
Never forget how bad NSW went, or that one of its drivers on that wrong road,made it in to federal Cabernet today.
All three women promoted are better performers than Gillard.
Emily's list? I could find 7 men who defame the Parliament.
Paul sorry your dream is unrealistic.
Labor will, if it reforms truly, get those refugees back.

Belly,
Does that ? mean that you do not know what is Emily's list?

Yes I do know exactly what Emily's list is who she is.
And too I know the greens are mostly female self deceiving too.
Let us look at the heart of politics.
Numbers/voters achievable out comes.
If we take a figure to represent Australian voters.
Say one hundred.
It matters not the percentages will end up the same.
This weeks polls say 29 are Labor voters.
11 are greens, 55 are conservatives.
Very heart breaking but reality.
The very reality of politics.
If we knew, we may think we do, what of that number understands any thing about the subject.
We may be forced to see a third know little.
There is the reason, we ,all of us, tend to think every politician is an idiot, every out come makes enemy's.
A crime I charge us with, only compromise is achievable
Right now, of the 89 Australians who do not vote green.
How many want an end to coal mining trading and use?
What number require us to put the tax on fuel up to cut the use of cars.
How many want to become ants rushing into sardine tin like public transport to get to work.
Are drugs so little danger we can decriminalize them.
Do we want an end to all native logging.
Are the 11 do force the 89 to their knees.
Politics is about compromise's.
This hung Parliament.
Its own internal problems, have left Labor to decay, it matters not what they/I think but what the 89 think.
If ever it was clear minority's riding or appearing to ride on the back of discontent with the 89 percent are an infection it is now.
Be as upset with me as you like but 11% are getting to be unbearable.

we agree to disagree
yes the greenies are getting theirs now
but essentially only cause the green adgenda
has united with the liberal capitalist adgenda

capitalists..see the oppertuinity to make money
and get cash crab's and govt gifts..to 'go green'
how can the greedy resist?

we see any absiolute power corrupts absolutly
but because its sold as 'the right thing to do'
sure go tax smokers or poluters..give a dog a bad name and tax it

thats how the spin works
trust the powerfull to pick who we can vote for
let them preselect the antithesis of unionism to run unions
and then let them pick token unionists...with capitalist servility

little wonder we are run by lawyers
over half of govt are or were lawyers
then one third the rest union/greenie/docters/accountants former business men

to hell with govt serving the people
it serves the adgendas set by those sneaking into power
via party selection mechanisms...[

having talk fests where you get 'allowed' to listen..
then vote on party policy..lol

..with the clever ones picking out
what your allowed to hear..who or what you are allowed to vote for

turn hard right
or turn hard left

you end up in the same place
cause capitalist is communist
greenie is capitalist and a unionist privatisation[ist]..

we actually got labratters selling of the peoples assets
[at least that thought is consistant with govt renting a union building..for millions]..too trickey by far

its like athiests running the vatican
or non scientists holding a theory thinking its a science

"And too I know the greens are mostly female self deceiving too."
Talk about making a comment from a point of ignorance.
Unlike the ALP who don't discriminate. Labor criminals are tolerated at all levels of the party. Staring with branch stacking and stand-over men like Tom Domican in the 90's to George Seitz doing the job for Bill Shorten. Eddie Obeid and Joe Tripodi, now there is a dynamic duo for you, they are infamous for branch stacking in NSW. Then at the local government level corruption is the name of the game in the ALP, Woolongong council, say no more, 4 out 6 labor aldermen and for you Belly alderwomen, found to be corrupt. Moving on to a State level criminal activity in the ALP goes back to the year dot. Was Karyn Paluzzano, one for the girls, a prodigy of Rex Jackson. Then you have the down right bad B, Milton Orkopoulos. This sttff is not in the dim distant past, no just a day a two back the ICAC named Labor man Tony Kelly corrupt, I wonder if he is related to Ned Kelly, no poor old Ned would be to honorable for this bloke. At the federal level we have Craig Thomson with the union, mobile phone, union credit card, prostitutes. All I can say to HSU members doing it hard, working in hospitals on $20 bucks an hour, keep paying you union dues so grubs can enjoy the fruits of your Labor. How long is the so called 'inquiry' into this going to take, until the next election? Labor don't discriminate Ian Macdonald favored meat is women paid for by a criminal for a little favor, David Camp bell prefers the men, while minister for roads, good old Dave's in Ken's of Kensignton, tax payer funded driver sitting in his car in a back lane, all while molester, sit in traffic jams. By no means is this an exhaustive account of recent ALP history. These are just a few who got court, the rest, we will never know about them.

In light of my last post the Labor Party should organise a 'Bob Askin / Russ Hinze' Memorial Dinner, tickets would sell like hot cakes. Corruption is not the exclusive domain of the Labor party the other dinosaur has corruption as well. Maybe they are better at hiding it.

Dear Paul,

Well, that's enough to turn anyone off our pollies
for life. So, what's the alternative? Perhaps
these corrupt so and sos are in the minority?
Or perhaps the old adage, "absolute power corrupts
absolutely," is true.

Lexi Paul is wounded, he dredges up the ancient past, names even a conservative Knight Askin, a criminal in his list.
And a man of lessor IQ also a conservative police minister from Queensland Russ Hines.
Some he brings back to life 25 years after they died.
We know of a knight there who went to prison, a Conservative Police Minister.
Few have any doubt, had a jury not had party members and supporters a QLD leader mad Joe too would have been in prison.
Lexi fear not, NSW shames my party still, but for what it was not is.
A bush fire, fire storm helped in part by a third of my party drove us in to a wilderness we EARNED!
We have suffered and will, history shows, no bias, we once had been the party of government in NSW.
We face maybe 3 or 4 terms in opposition, every action from our failed exit has seen rebuilding.
NSW has stalled Federal Labor, so very few will talk of it, but Gillard lost those percentage points, because she seems to have been advised by one of the rats who left the NSW ship he helped sink.
People did not like*the BITCHY* rudeness toward Rudd at conference.
Paul unleash your anger, but not at the facts, numbers rule.
Had the voting pool been ten, your share is 1.1.
Had it been 100 million it would have been one million one hundred thousand.
Your anger will not change the truth.
Every time 11 greens in a hundred shake the tree 89 are unhappy.

Dear Belly,

Thanks for clarifying things for me.
I'm not very familiar with some of the people Paul
mentioned. Your info helps to broaden the picture.

Paul, Lexi must be around my age, I understand his pain and his anger.
I disagree with it, his reasoning, but more than half the offenders he mentioned are Conservatives.
And from long ago.
I traveled that too left road, it was never a super hyway.
It decayed with invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
It struggled to come to terms with its leaders preaching Socialism, while living like Capitalists, and starving its people/victims
Poland, A Union called Solidarity, helped by your Brave Pope bought it down.
Thankfully.
It is true, now and forever ,voters will not, now or ever, swap the fears they hold for Greens radical intentions.
It is true self interest drives most, not dreams.
And true too, that my ALP achieving much that is good.
Confronted by true concerns the opposition has no plan, is bound for defeat.
And true too, Greens taint, is taking votes from us to conservatives.
For Paul, a good bloke I truly think, the real pain is not his 11 or 12 percent.
It is the sad but true fact about 30% actually totally dislike/distrust them.
Yesterdays crimes yesterdays Socialism dressed up lipstick and all but a pig still.

Paul, the reshuffle, on the face of it, aligns with Gillard's strongest supporters and a fast track for some of those who have been touted as future leaders. How Arbib made it in the pack as regards talent is a mystery unless keeping the NSW Right happy is a priority. It is a precarious position Gillard puts herself in with some of the discontented reportedley threatening resignation and a risky bi-election.

However, there is no real harm in re-shuffling portfolios 'if' there is benefits to the public in the changes. Afterall the Cabinet and portfolios was still more of a Rudd design than a Gillard. It is not really problematic other than all the paper shuffling and letterheads that need to be re-printed and the new process to align with the newcomers' whims.

The anti-women sentiment is out in force again in this thread. While any reference to 'patriarchy' or male bonding rituals (the boy's network, club etc) is verbotten it seems it is open slather on women in disparaging terms such as 'skirted personnel'. It is nothing but bigotry. If we are going to use such adhominem terms lets make it equal and refer to male politicians as trousered personnel or walking suits.

It might be a newsflash but women, like men are individuals first and their ethics, values, job suitability, incompetence are not gender determined.

Why are there still so many men, albeit mostly older gentlemen, who possess these sour grapes attitudes about women in roles they have ordained only be preserved for men. What is that about?

Pelican

'The anti-women sentiment is out in force again in this thread'

Actually it more a reaction to the sisterhood who parade a self righteousness but underneath are sleazy and corrupt just like many men. We have a PM who lies consistently and is part of Emily's list which I suspect you need to support baby killing to be part of. They are protected by the left wing press and then claim victimhood when exposed for lies and incompetence. We have seen plenty of that in the last 12 months.

Dear runner,

One problem preventing Australia from developing into
a mature nation is the proliferation of irrevelant,
unimportant, total crap issues clogging up our public
discourse - and the Murdoch press is the gold medallist
on this particular podium. You blame the government for
so many things - however the Opposition's strategy based on
complete and total negativity has many advantages going
for it but it inevitably suffers in terms of relevance as
decision are taken and the public debate moves on.

Whenever you find yourself on what you think is the side
of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority,
but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the
ignorant.

it was agonising watching the criminals
swear to serve...only the commonwealth...that is dead
scince the australia act

why dont they swear to serve the voters
or the people..or their service/duty to the living

who elects you mugs?
us

what is the commonwealth
a myth

heck you didnt swear even to serve the queen..
and her duties to the common weal!

lettle wonder they utter the black rods lord prayer
when they 'serve ther commonwealth'...lol

yes men
yes woman
yes party master[whip]

yes..[i guess]..
without an origonal thought in their head

xtians taking oath

bah

dont take the lord name
in vain*

mathew...5;..22-48...[33/37]
james..5...1-20..[12]...[4;10-12]

oh ye with unclean lips

OUG your contribution is at best uninformed.
Maybe you know no better,I prefer uninformed.
Runner? another extraordinary show of a form of bigotry.
From a self proclaimed Christian, truly no good for Christians comes from such a spokesman.
Gillard promoted talent.
See my posts the morning after she became leader, rashly said she would govern well.
BUT warned she could not be trusted, in those first few posts, after the knifing, I said she too would go Rudd's way.
Right now she holds on to a rope fraying , but holding her in place ONLY TO KEEP EGG from her installers faces.
Bill Shorten, one of them, must move now or step a side and let Rudd back.
Suits look good but my party belongs to its members not them.
Labors reforms MUST FIRST re inform its parliamentarians the first loyalty is to those who installed them.

Lexi you write

'You blame the government for
so many things - however the Opposition's strategy based on
complete and total negativity has many advantages going
for it but it inevitably suffers in terms of relevance as
decision are taken and the public debate moves on.'

Yes agree I do blame the Government for to many things as people are the ones who vote the Government in. Abbott, Gillard and Brown all have an adamic nature like you and me.

I hope the opposition continues what you call, 'total negativity' as it has consistently put them miles ahead in the poles. Turnbull's 'positive'regressive approach had them even behind Rudd's Government. It is good to be negative towards an idiotic tax that the PM lied about, negative towards a perversion of marriage which is bad for society, negative towards a illegal immigrant policy that was changed causing hundreds of deaths. The opposition have man y flaws but could not possibly be as incompetent or dishonest as our current Government as voters seem to now realize.

Dear runner,

Firstly let me clarify a few things for you.
The Prime Minister did not lie. Circumstances
changed. She found herself in a minority
government where compromises had to be made.
Mr Abbott would have had to do the same thing
had he succeeded in forming the minority government.
He failed, the PM succeeded.

Your take on same sex marriage puzzles me. And of
course you are entitled to your opinion. You believe
that you path is the right path and that's fair
enough - but when you want to insist that it's the
only path - that's a problematic issue for me.

Regarding "Illegal migrants," we've been over this
ground so many times. I presume that you are referring
to "boat people," and not the many who come by plane.
The facts are there are (and have been for decades )- re-
many "illegal" migrants. However, asylum-seekers are
not considered "illegal," and as far as asylum seekers
are concerned - Australia is obligated to assess their
claims.

Finally, with a price on carbon pollution, many people
see a future where companies will be more
environmentally friendly.
Australians will get a better deal because clean green
choices are cheaper and more competitive than polluting
ones and new industries will be created with high paying
skilled jobs for the future.

As I stated earlier - a strategy based on complete and
total negativity inevitably suffers in terms of relevance
as decisions are taken, positive outcomes are achieved,
and the public debate moves on.

It's still a long way off to the next election. And in
politics much can happen before 2013. One thing is certain
though, continous finger-pointing and negativity is not
going to continue to succeed. If the pollies don't stop
people may stop paying attention to them altogether.

Lexi

'The Prime Minister did not lie. '

Twist, squirm or do whatever you like she lied. She also lied to the Australian Christian Lobby by stating the Labour party would not be changing their stand on 'gay 'marriage. Ms Wong also lied on Q & A. At least Howard had the integrity to take his tax to the people. This Government is bereft of morals and I think only you Belly and one or two other are the defenders fo the indefensible.

Dear runner,

Remember "Truth Overboard?" and "Work Choices?"
Remember "Core Promises" and "Non-Core Promises?"
Remember Howard's promises concerning Medicare,
costs of University courses, just to name a few
of the lies involved.All of which affected the community
deeply and the damage caused was great. So please don't hold
the man up as some sort of an example.

However, as I stated previously, finger-pointing does
not achieve anything constructive.

Lexi

You rightly point out the corruption in the heart of all people. Your hatred of Howard even caused you to speak less than the truth. The point is that just like Labour throughout the States has proven rotten to the core, this Government has taken blatant lying to all new levels simply to cling to power. Frankly I am not sure the Liberals will be much better however the vast majority of people think they will be according to all polls. What makes it worse is that a female and emasculated male dominated Government takes the high moral ground while proving to be as rotten as any other Government. It is sickening to see the backslapping. You would think they would hang their heads with Slipper and Thomspson in a little humility.

Dear runner,

I repeat -finger-pointing does not achieve anything constructive.
I do not hate Howard, Abbott, or any politician for that matter.
I simply judge them by what they did or are doing.

However in
Australian politics we must transcend the assumptions and
conditionings that automatically polarise perception in terms
of "them" and "us." But I guess that's easier said then done.
It's much easier to attack opponents personally when you
can't win on policies - and so many pollies and their followers
seem to be doing that these days. It just shows some of the
calibre of the hacks that politics seems to attrack.
Neither side has any reason to feel smug either - about some
of the people in their parties - past and present. Neither side
is squeaky clean.

Eagles may soar but weasels never get sucked into jet engines!

As a youngster my parent sent me to the City to work.
With mums brother .
18 months every weekend I went home.
On the Cooma Mail a steam train.
I soon found out I was better if I could ride with the Gard, it could be done as dad was a fettler.
See someone who reminds me of runner would sit next to kids like me, pressing us in to our seats so we could not move.
Hours of chanted Christian promises/threats/orders to get down on my knees and talk to God.
Not you is it mate?

runner
I have never suggested women are more righteous than their male brotherhood counterparts. As I said men and women stand by alone as individuals first and are judged on their own values and beliefs (and behaviours).

Please give me examples of where women in politics have paraded themselves as any more righteous or in a way different to male politicians.

There is no honesty here. Some men do not like seeing women in positions once the domain of men. It really is that simple and I just think it is a shame that some have not moved on or show the same respectful behaviours as towards men. This is nothing to do with feminism but valuing people regardless of their gender, ethnicity or religion.

Pelican you will get no answer you can consider reasonable from runner.
If you look, you will see a strange view some hold just being a woman bars you from doing good work.
Many extremely good women sit in every Parliament in Australia.
I do not think Gillard is not one of them for other than her inability to lead.
And the two Bishops disturb me.
But some of our best business managers are female.
Emily's list?
I could start one about air wasting men in every house in this country.

"As I said men and women stand by alone as individuals first and are judged on their own values and beliefs (and behaviours)."

Pelican could not agree more. As a member of The Greens I have been involved in a number of election campaigns working with both males and females. I've never come across a problem with pre-selection based on gender, always been on merit. In The Greens woman are very much respected for their input and hard work. I must say the best candidate I ever worked with was a woman, she was a hard worker, very committed, intelligent had a very good understanding of the issues, articulate and a good listener. Back in the 90's I worked with a nice bloke who had a very defeatist attitude, did not want to get involved seem to be there to make up the numbers. Its not just about 'winning' its so important to get your message across, all part of the democratic process. Back in the 70's and 80's as a ALP member it tended to be an 'old boys club'. Campaigning was different our sitting members were ministers in safe seats. Campaigning was media releases, photo ops and mass mail-outs, little or nothing at the grass roots level. It makes a whole lot of difference when you have money to burn. Our budget for the last State election was a bit over $20k and what we raised ourselves, about $2k more, (fairly large by Green standards many get about $5k), the ALP spent $42k alone on one very glossy mail out. i think woman are getting a far better run in politics today than in past years.

(Excuse my bad grammar and editing in the previous post).

Thanks Belly - despite disagreeing with runner on many issues, he is generally a respectful sort of bloke so I was more surprised with his emotive comments. From some of the others it is the norm. It is interesting that despite the fact that the majority of politicians are men, these sorts of attitudes remain. I don't give a toss if a politician is male or female only that they do their job in representing their constituency but with a strong party system unfortunately it is often party interests and 'winning' that take priority. And this is not a gender problem.

Paul, I did not mean to divert your very relevant thread too much on this, but cannot help but respond to some of the anti-women sentiments. There are many good women and men out there in various roles including some politicians.

The work and commitment involved in being a member of a minor party is much more generally given there are less resources.

lexie[our love]..loved the quote

""Eagles may soar but weasels never get sucked into jet engines!""'

[though i have seen a dude put jet engines on his skate board
so never say never]..BUT..i still agree its unlikely..but never say never

ps im not getting sukkerd into the jets
on this woman thing..let me be clear..i [normally]..love woman telling me what to do[but when they crew me into the same place the males do..they get the same outflow...[sussing]

my bull shhhhh it detecter..ignores sex

if they lie down with dogs
they get fleas

and scratching the little beggers
only gives them a new place to suck new blood from

a cant reveal the leeches fast enough
in fact wish they would suck harder
so we get to the end game...where the light come on..

and we see the scum for the scum they are
[regardless of race sex beliefs]..

by their deeds
will we know them

no place to hide...sows ears look best on a sow
as a male its best to watch out for the tusks

but big ones
or lots of em...
seem to turn..even a thinking woman into a juliar

the yes woe[man[.....version
of the yes man...yes mzzzz pm

tax me a little bit more..it feels so good
keep spanking...it only drives the problem deeper
beat me till ya hands hurt,...lol

i dont trust childless people
of any sex/race/creed..but also dont trust child lovers

something about taking the middle road

a little here..a little there..
dont just hit the hot eject button
cause you* found out where it is..[*you used genericly],lol..