Why stick with Gillard?
She is performing badly, in polling in taking action putting her hands up, in the third round of a fight.
Her timing is has always been way out.
So why.
My guess the wanted out come is to put Labors policy's in place, I support both the policy's and that thought.
To watch Abbott, his replacement dismantle it.
And ride back in to power on the disenchantment of the electorate.
An INSANE but possible idea.
Or did the lady get an assurance she would not be dumped, did she promise to leave Parliament if she was?
Who else has made that threat.
What would be Prime Minister will not risk defeat?
Is it the egos of power brokers who got it so wrong the reason my party is planning its own near death?
And the party is offering a free feed with Bob the Silver Bodgy, if we recruit 2 new members, at the discount rate of five bucks each.
Are we allowed to kidnap them?
I have always thought service brings membership.
Not begging.
Is reform the problem, is it possible that reform, letting rank and file have a say is feared by power brokers?
Just guessing but all of the above seems a chance.
Get a back bone folks call Kevin if Bill will not run.

Belly I've worked it out! Gillard is a man hater. She don't like Tony, she don't like Kev, she don't like Craig and she don't like Pete. I don't think she even likes Bob, and we all like Bob, even Paul, and she definate don't like Clive, well not much. I think she might like Tony, they think alike, is there not a saying "rat of a feather stick together, or is that birds, so what, just because he wanted to join the Monks of Tibhirin and sail up the Zambizi River and convert the heathen savages, what's wrong with that! Definitely she don't like Kev, that loveable little teddy bear he is. And what there's not to like about Craig, that man of independence! that supporter of the working class, okay he likes to spend their money, so what. Poor old Pete, what's not to like about Pete, just because he wants to dress up like King Louie XVI of France and ride around in a golden carriage at tax payers expense, who don't want to do that, I ask you?
After the budget I don't think Jules will like Wayne anymore. Can a person have a popularity rating of minus 40, and be liked by anyone? Does she like Clive? She will have to like Clive, he's moving into the Lodge soon, whether Jules is still there or not, Clive thinks the country needs him, no time to waste, what's there not to like about a superhero like Clive.

Bob oh boy, are you two competing to see who can write the least comprehensible posts on OLO??

D’oh, I mean no offence. But yes, I did struggle a tad.

Surely Bob is Labor’s obvious choice to replace Dillard. And the sooner the better!

It’s as simple as that!!

Gillard is a tough and forceable leader. To install any one now would fuel the fire about unelected leader.
Our economy is good, our employment is really good.
This is the most productive govt of all time.
All of these credentials will surely stand up.
The day after the Carbon Tax comes in, people will realize that Abbott has sold them a pup. The sky is not going to fall in, and the sun still shines.
As yet we do not have any policies to judge Abbott on.
So the polls show a lopsided view.
All we have is a popularity contest. Which is not going to run an economy.
The noalition as yet have not won a round, Julia has outfoxed Abbott at every turn.
Abbott is desperate to go to an election without policies, he knows policies will bring his mob undone.
If Abbott is that confident, he will call a motion of no confidence.
It's time to put up or shut up.

'Our economy is good, our employment is really good.
This is the most productive govt of all time.
All of these credentials will surely stand up.
The day after the Carbon Tax comes in, people will realize that Abbott has sold them a pup. The sky is not going to fall in, and the sun still shines.'

579 did you think of this yourself or did you steal from Anna Blighs election speach.

Belly,

As I said when Rudd challenged, I would prefer Juliar to stay Labor leader. With Juliar facing Abbott, she would be sliced and diced, as she has lied on most of her promises.

I grow more weary of politics every day.
Of taking the stick to my party's back.
They do that so very well them selves.
Age has its benefits, as I often say, I have been here before.
1972 the pure joy! for 6 months before the knowledge we had it in the bag.
Brief renewed joy, as a two man cabinet got things rolling.
Not ever thing we did was wrong.
Then we got Monkey nuts and rice to borrow on our behalf.
Back lane stuff, well intended we planned to buy back the farm.
Jim went from hero to zero with his kind of love.
News media,almost as bad as today, reinvented the truth.
55% Labors fault 1975!
And it did not matter.
The country had turned on us.
If our front bench had halos, we still would have been thrown out.
Today, even female ABC TV/Radio front liners melt the facts twist them and hurl their opinions as facts back at us.
Our policy's,those we stuck with,are good ones, yet we put, Gillard puts half witted ones up.
SHE stood against climate change!
Our reason in part we one, she alone turned our country away from the most important issuing our lifetime.
I will ask again why in next post.

Today we sit on the Verge of worse than 1975, the equal of NSW as bad as QLD.
We do so because Kevin Rudd was awful, so we are told, little more, other than his polling was bad.
Gillard knifed him.
Not in days not weeks but months maybe years she planned her rise.
Shifting from left to right she has loyalty only to? her self.
Latham had a plan his followers three, Gillard Crean And the infamous scandal waiting to be unmasked the member for Hunter. Fitzgibbon.
She is willing to betray my party and its members to stay in the saddle driving the horse to the very cliff.
WHY?
IF Kevin Rudd returned now we would Be ten points up in a month.
Can no one count in the house.
Is it not clear we are dead men walking?

If one Labour pollie showed the humility to admit the carbon tax is idiotic and thievery the party would climb immediately in the polls. Funny enough this is what Gillard told Rudd before the election. This happened when when Abbott defeated Turnbull (due to his idiotic carbon tax support) for the top spot. Pig headedness and green religion is on the nose with all but a few tree huggers and has seen the Labour party decimated.

Your Judgement is premature, This is not a popularity contest.
Abbott has again been defeated, outfoxed at every turn.
An election in 18 months.
Rhetoric can not run an economy.

579 you over value the thought process of the average voter.
And overlook Gillard lacks political ability's.

Actually there is a popularity contest every 3 years, based on the performance and honesty of the politicians. Polls accurately reflect the voters feelings at a point in time.

Presently only 1 in 4 thinks Juliar should govern, whereas twice that think Abbott should govern.

Belly I know Julia has had to amend some pre election promises. She did say after the election and before any govt; was formed, she said all promises are off.
All of the Abbott supporters are concerned with are the before election promises.
The stimulus spending, which was necessary at the time, but memories are short.
Abbott is running an effective campaign of negativity.
I don't see the people of AU as stupid.
Legislation is moving along very well.
I see Julia's ability as leader, very strong, and able to with stand an onslaught of rhetoric and negativity.
The amount of BS that has gone on with Abbott about the Carbon Tax, will not subside until it's introduction.
The posters in favor of Abbott, i am convinced would vote for blue the dog, just because that is their team. The lack of any sort of policy doesn't worry them.
Politicians with allegations against them are doomed.
All i see is the absolute desperation of a man possessed, and willing to go to any length to get power, without success.
Abbott has ruled out a no confidence vote. Why.

Dear Belly,

Labor's policies WILL be reversed, there is no question of "if", but only of "when" and accordingly of how much will it cost the tax-payer, the later it will be, the more expensive.

So "579", if you want to avoid seeing Abbott elected (and do us all a service because frankly, not too many people like his style and arrogance), the only way is to start dismantling those policies yourself, now.

I know that governing based on opinion polls leads to a reactionary and ineffective government, but surely when your approval rating is in the twenties it's time to start asking why. If our current government's policies really ARE what's best for the nation, surely it isn't too hard to demonstrate that? When over 70% of the people disapprove of what you are doing, then either you're doing the wrong thing or you need to lop some heads in your PR department. I'm not asking for more spin or for better spin, either. I'm just suggesting that the government credits the Australian people with sufficient intelligence to understand the information that is given to them.

Of course, the whingers who post in the newspaper forums may be difficult to please. They don't often let a little bit of information get in the way of their opinions. But therein lies the problem: we have a LITTLE bit of information, or so it would seem. After all, saving face by not backflipping on policies surely isn't a good enough motive to push through immensely unpopular and suicidal policies ... is it?

I hope you're wrong Yuyu.

If Labor steps back from its policies on carbon, mining, border protection, the NBN, or from Gillard who is essential to carry through on these, then we're doomed to be lead by two deeply populist parties, the last thing this country and our children need.

If Gillard embodies the hard choice we have to make for our children's future, and is willing to wear the odium of representing that choice, then she deserves the leadership. I don't see her shirking but self-servers in caucus might push again for Rudd because his well demonstrated soft head and ticker is perceived as a furniture saving electoral asset. The best thing that Abbott can hope for is that Gillard will be dumped before him in a race to the populist bottom.

Google their lies, webpages galore dedicated to the litany.
http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2012/02/19/Tony-Abbott-we-are-sick-of-your-lies.aspx
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/andrew-bolt-does-your-leader-lie/story-e6frfhqf-1226271224387
At least Abbott is openly honest about lies and half-truths being a necessary accessory to political armoury. They always have been, but Gillard tries to hide from this fact. Does honesty or dishonesty about lying make one better than the other? If anyone has an answer spare us your humbug.

Shrill crap surrounding Slipper, who Pine and his mate Ashby could have gone after any time, and Thomson who Gillard could have moved on much earlier, is just noise made all the louder by the peculiar political balance of this parliament. Politics is dirty lying business, always was and always will be, and only the disingenuous scream for an early election as if it will ever change the basic fact?

The carbon tax, etc are all bad policies, and I will welcome their reversals. The reason that the carbon tax is so unpopular, is that it was clear in 2010 that after Copenhagen that a carbon tax was bad policy, and Juliar promised not to bring it in. That she then lied sealed her fate. The following litany of blunders and poor judgement only made things worse.

The Labor brand is shot thanks to Juliar's deceit, and will take at least a decade to expunge.

<< If anyone has an answer spare us your humbug. >>

Oh but Luciferase, I can’t resist the opportunity!

Agreed; Gillard changed her tune on the carbon tax. Damn silly mistake to say she’d never bring it in. But was it a lie? No I don’t think so. It was probably a genuine position at the time.

So let’s insert some real humbuggery here: maybe there are deliberate liars and inadvertent liars!?

It would seem that if Abbott considers lying to be part of politics, then he’d most likely be a deliberate liar from time to time, whereas Gillard is much more of an inadvertent liar, which as bad as it is, is not really lying at all...is it?

Yes, Gillard is much more of a principled leader than that soft-headed off-the-planet Rudd character. Abbott? I wouldn’t call him soft-headed, but much more populist than principled.

But hey, Bob Carr would raise principled politics to a whole new level, and in the right direction that this country needs!

From now on in Australian politics, when a political leader makes a promise on how his/her party will govern if elected, it will have to be with the caveat that the promise will stand only if the party is elected to govern in in its own right, i.e. not leading a minority government.

In an alternative universe which took the opposite path to ours, The Mad Monk is leading a minority government and the anti-matter version of Fairfax is having a field-day. Meanwhile, important legislation proceeds just as it does in our universe (Yuyu, of course, resides in all universes. How's the solipsism going, Yuyu? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solipsism_syndrome)

Dear Luciferase,

I invite you to continue paying the carbon tax even after it's revoked: I'm pretty convinced that the Australian treasury will not refuse your generous offer!

Luciferase,

Hows the Dissocial personality disorder going for you and Labor generally?

The traits of this personality disorder includes:

(a) callous unconcern for the feelings of others;

(b) gross and persistent attitude of irresponsibility and disregard for social norms, rules and obligations;

(c) incapacity to experience guilt or to profit from experience,

(d) marked proneness to blame others, or to offer plausible rationalizations, for the behavior that has brought the patient into conflict with society.

Stick to lies and half-truths, Shad, attempts at hyperbolic humour do not become you.

I have oft wondered whether you have simply been assigned to this forum, and others to various other forums, to chant the coalition mantra of each week all the way through to the next election. Do we get the real Shad or just a cardboard cut-out?

Lucyface,

I will leave the lies and half truths to you, as you do them so well.

The reason Juliar and Labor are in the poo is precisely because they bent over so far to accommodate the loony left, that she had to break a solemn promise. This wasn't helped by her subsequent incompetence and moral collapse.

How much does Pyne know, he now says he did talk to Slippers staffer.
There could be a set up here.

I do not want Labor to change policy's just get a leader not the shadow of one who is leading the death match.
579 dreams will not do it polls are so very close to right every time.
Believe, Gillard is driving Rudd supporters to vote conservative.
She, as final proof of her lack of any ability, can not out box Abbott, his cat could!

By the time the election comes around things are going to be pretty tough on the eastern states and SA.
Power and cost will be a big factor , both Gas electricity, and petrol.
It's time for Julia to plan for an election, based on living costs.
Maintaining jobs numbers, and the general well being of the residents
This will include the livability of non mining residents in the mining states.
Mining will have to put more into the pot, to cover for stolen labour and declining revenue.
Abbott has agreed WA needs more GST than the eastern states, could be another foot in mouth disorder.

An election held today, both current leaders still in place, best serves the greens.
Only when Labor is down, it is now, and Liberals unable to bring true Liberals back, do greens prosper.
Lets face it so very many will not vote majors, Liberals would win but greens do well.
Gillard can not turn her polling around.
Party loyalty that ignores her true inability's is blindness, and harmful.
By June she will have failed to lift her polling,she is incapable of truly counter punching with Abbott.
She will be replaced, only when remains unknown.
I want to know, truly, why pollsters are not asking if people still want Kevin Rudd.

"Abbott has agreed WA needs more GST than the eastern states, could be another foot in mouth disorder."

Nah, 579, he corrects himself here,

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-03/abbott-backs-away-from-gst-changes/3988068

The screaming headline in The Age tomorrow will be,

"Our Darling Tony (Vote for Him!) Promises more of the GST Pie to Everybody" or,

"Gillard, the F'n ranga B*, Won't Pay Everybody a Bigger Slice of the GST Pie Like Our Darling Tony Will (Vote for Him!)"

Good morning JG no guessing this morning.
Advice instead, lets look at the form guide,cash for clunkers,drop/do not drop carbon tax, now? cash for refugees!
Bit like Lets adopt a boat person.
AH difficult,well no, see say it like it is, like you think, not what you think the other person wants to hear,it has an extraordinary out come, TRUTH.
Take the person who came up with that, and those who support it to lunch.
End the day with a walk over the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
Those who can not walk carry them.
On top throw them over, take pictures and films, good fund raiser those shots.
IF you survive, I want the job, speech writer, me and the Garbage bloke from Redfern.
We are not much good but any one is better than that are they not?
Fancy! getting all the way to govern and coming up with that!
I have better plans than that in my rotting garden waste bin!
Following is my first speech, on this subject,if you use it?
You owe me ten new flower bulbs, yes probably more than you paid the fools to write that junk?
Julie? Julie are you there?
Well had a nice view of Sydney on the way down!
Continued.

That you Julie? bit foggy here this morning not sure.
For safety sake do not let Wayne near this speech, his love for you gets him squeaking at times.
And not Crean! could not draw a crowd with a pencil!
Say Anthony, a natural,a fair dinkum give it to them bloke!
Now before we start Anthony look in to the eyes of Pyne Abbott and if you are brave enought, gee I am not, to two Bishops!
Have a recovery time then read this.
I on behalf of this government wish to say sorry to Australia.
We got it wrong on boat people refugees,driven by international discust at the Howard policy's we for got the views of our own people, for that we are sorry.
We too are sorry for the increased costs, mounting and massive,
We believe, without doubt, current advice tells us too, a return to Howard ERA will no longer work.
In fact without change will too be defeated in the high court.
We regret, the pain and impacts on refugees, and the non refugees arriving every month in Australia.
Our Malaysian plan, with agreements from that country is blocked in Parliament.
We regret that.
It had two purposes, we intend to send 800 but take 4000, no not a bad swap,we think the 4000 picked by us, is a humanitarian out come.
We think the 800 returns, maybe 4 times 800 sent 4000 received,will end the boats.
Last , this issue sees us branded as cruel.
For in agreement with a country flooded already with far more refugees than we will ever see being different than Abbott's.
Who intends to send refugees back at gun point to a country not subject to UNHCR and a country who regards this action as unfriendly.
Last we know only compromise is possible, no one will be completely happy with any result,for this we are sorry.
But determined to act in the best interests of Australia.
Sydney public are asked to watch for a woman in Sydney Harbor wearing a poorly fitting jacket .

The pressure of the 24 hour news cycle is unfortunately overshadowing some of the good policies this government is purusing like the national disability insurance scheme. The media is more interested in the entertainment value of Slippers and Thomsons than something of substance.

It is not that Slippers and Thomsons are not unimportant, and Gillard has certainly blundered on both counts however some of the commentary on this has been very one sided.

It would be foolish to put in a new leader now, this would be a mistake and would make no difference.

The trouble is many voters look too superficially at Gillard and are more diverted by her voice than what she is actually saying. Rags like the Australian and the DT are good examples.

Gillard has made mistakes, one of the biggest being swayed by the bullshite of politics and going on about real Julias and taking government by betraying a promise to the voters. This has always got to be seen as unacceptable but some of the dodgy behaviour of the Howard Government was worse including punishing in overt and covert ways any organisation or individual who disagreed with their policies.

Look at the withdrawal of aid to an East Timor group because they opposed Australia's view on maritime borders. Even the AusAid employee had to hide the fact that this was the reason why funds were not granted the following round. AWB, Children Overboard of which the public servants involved became heads or deputy heads of departments. And the Liberals are more of a US lackey than the ALP. These are just some issues.

So for me the mentality of the Libs and their penchant for the big end of town including lack of environmental concerns make the Liberals a much worse proposition. Just watch while employment conditions take a dive again and the gap between rich and poor further widen. If it has to be Abbott or Gillard my vote is with Gillard (after the Greens).

It is a shame that many voters will be choosing the least worst rather than a passionate yes.

Belly I agree with most of what you say. Forget that I'm a Green and your mortal enemy for a moment LOL. Why should Australia not deal with this problem within Australia. Regardless of the rights or wrongs of people sailing to Australia in leaking boats seeking asylum, even us Greens don't want these people to take this risk, the sailing that is, I do understand why they do it, desperation on their part. We should not be trying to shift the problem to some third world country like, Malaysia, East Timor or Nauru. Say Indonesia had a problem with refugees, which they do, said to Australia "you have plenty of room in the NT, we want to ship our refugee over there for while. How would Australians react? We have to deal with our own problems, not use our wealth to hide the problem in a third world country.
p/s You and I both know Labor or Liberal in power will quietly bring the vast majority of asylum seeks into Australia at the end of the day, regardless from where ever they hide them, that's politics.

Pelican as usual you are quite right.
Every word
Sadly however so very many , vote only on a glancing look at those papers.
Even here see see entrenched views, from some who get all their info that way.
All my life the Monday after an election you can hear the frogs croak, I did not vote for them.
Gillard is unable to tell in terms people will listen to, her tale.
She has left it too late now,while she is out there every day, delivering good news,it wastes her time.
She should be CONFRONTING Abbott Pyne Murdock media, in every speech, hard and harsh.
See that is Abbott's secret to success, no one questions the truth.
Paul 1405, in fact truly, the Malaysian solution would stop the boats, forever.
Some who look only at the numbers,do them selves a miss service.
If over a period of years we take 40.000 and send 8.000 both Australia, by stopping the boats haveing our say in who comes, and that country gain.
We may well introduce that country to closer ties with UNHCR.
Stop the flow of refugees there too.
Best possible out come is the only possible outcome, not perfection.
On this matter alone Tiny target Tony shames his party and him self.

"...even us Greens don't want these people to take this risk, the sailing that is..."

Well what are the Greens going to do Paul1405, go and pick-up every refugee in the world who wants to live here?

You still haven't responded to my challenge to Greens to support their position on border control which is essentially that nothing needs to be done, other than to make illegeal entry legal, and to welcome everyone in who can get here. Go to http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=4897#130772
to have the challenge spelled out again.