Lexi writes
'As for Thomson and Slipper, Mr Abbott is determined
to become Prime Minister and he will pick at anything
to destroy the current government.'

Lexi your Abbottphobia erases the memory that Abbott has not yet slid to the level of stabbing a sitting PM in the back to gain the top job. Your phobia knows no bounds.

btw he does not need to destroy the Government. Their lying, deceit, scandals, broken promises, sleazy deals and trashing of democracy has done that much better than Abbott could. You credit him with to much. Even Michelle Grattan another with Abbottphobia has had to concede that.

Austin Powerless,

Slipper's cabcharge problems happened under Abbott's watch when he was in the Liberal Party and with their full knowledge.

His party continued to support him through 9 preselections but only made noises when Mal Brough started sniffing around looking for a safe seat in the Lower House.

The media did their FOI investigation on this last year in response to the Thomson scandal, but instead of releasing it then (when it would have hurt Abbott), they waited until now when Labor could take the blame and just before he Budget session.

With their historical penchant for using forged documentation (Judge Kikby, Laurie Brereton, Godwin Grech etc) and lies (people overboard, WMDs and the rest) the other side of politics is not exactly squeaky clean on this either.

Maybe it's you who is not looking at both sides for what they are.

wobbles, in case you haven't noticed, although Slipper's antics occurred while he was with the Liberals, who is supporting him now? Labour or Liberal?
As for not looking at both sides, I had a lot of criticism for the Howard government. It's just that the Rudd and Gillard circuses (or is that circi?) have made so many monumental stuff-ups that any Liberal fiascoes are well overshadowed.

Wobbles write

'but instead of releasing it then (when it would have hurt Abbott), they waited until now when Labor could take the blame and just before he Budget session.'

yes Wobbles the tax funded ABC/SBS love Abbott. Whether it is the sarcastic Tony Jones or the snide Abbott hating Marrs you can be sure you will get balance. Congratulations however should go to Chris Ulman who at least tries to add a little balance to the leftist propaganda arm. Take your blinkers off. The feminist atheist trial has failed and left us with moral bankruptcy.

ABC News: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-30/too-many-distractions-for-the-gillard-government/3980464

Too many distractions for the Gillard Government

Updated April 30, 2012 12:43:00

The Prime Minister has tried to neutralise two political scandals and now her deputy is facing a political battle with one of the country's richest men. Professor John Wanna from the School of Politics and International Relations at the Australian National University says the PM is facing a political predicament unlike anything experienced by her predecessors.

snip -

However you look at it, we have a dysfuctional federal system of government whereby the right and mandate to govern is splintered at the cross benches. This is a ship trying to sail with all its achors thrown overboard.

Clive Palmer (like Donal Trump) is just a distraction from the real problem and that is for Abbott to show that the Coalition is ready to govern in its own right if it were elected. Whilst the confidence levels in the Gillard government are decisively low, the support for a swing over to conservative side of politics is not apparent. The eye of this political storm is unprecendented, and perhaps hedges on the electorate asking the question 'what is worse, 11 years of Howard or 4 and a half years of a dysfuctional Labor government? There isn't much to choose from in the 'centre'.

Labor are finished.It is time for a Ron Paul Style Libertarian Party.We need a Constitution to protect the people from their oppressive,greedy Govts.

The Coalition are not the answer either.They are aligned with the old Oligarchs of the British Empire.