Dear SM,

You have to look at the various media outlets,
and their coverage of events. The coverage
does vary. And the media as an intelligent man
such as yourself must realise is highly selective
or distorted. News coverage, for example, tends
to feature what will draw in large audiences -
even if this means omitting issues that are more
sober (like facts) but perhaps are more significant
also (like nothing's been decided yet). As for
us quoting the "party line," really? And you of course
are totally objective and wouldn't dream of doing that.
Right.

Did Julia put it in writing to Wilkie or was she in Abbott-Mode?

There is a hole in your bucket dear minister dear Minister.
May also help if you note you carry it upside down as well.
Leaving you up to your knees in your own mud.
I like your targeting me, it is a sign you want to turn away from your words.
IF the ALP ever needs to pillory policy's it agrees with to earn points I will leave it.
In the end good policy's are the only reason to be in government.

Lexi,

The news reports were in the Age and SMH, both supposedly left of center papers. The news on the ABC radio (hardly a right wing organisation) this morning was that Wilkie was withdrawing his support for health rebate cuts in retaliation for Juliar's moves to abandon mandatory pre commitment.

If you are looking for absolute confirmation that something is occurring then you will live most of your life in blissful ignorance.

Belly,

Have you actually anything to contribute to this thread? Or are you just a vacuous heckler?

Rache, I think that is a very weak argument.

The deal is better than 'in writing' it has been aired publicly so the entire country, those who care at least, have been made aware of the deal.

Unfortunately, people who chose a party to follow, as opposed to choosing a parties direction, are often guilty of not seeing the forest for the trees, so as to say.

There are those here who are looking for excuses, while others are in total denial.

The fact if the matter is, that JG gaIned government one way , and one way only, that was by cutting an unworkable deal with one single, self interested minister.

Then, realizing herself that this deal was unworkable, she has sacrificed one of her own, the speaker, just to build her numbers so she can back out of, or water down this unworkable deal.

In other words, she lied to the people in order to hold office.

It is being suggested that any reforms may be delayed until 2016, at the earliest.

Well that's a good thing, as we will have had an election by then, so Andrew,s own electorate can decide whether they agree with his stance.

Personally, I doubt any of these three independents will be re elected.

Rache,

Juliar did put it in writing.