Constance,

I think you greatly exaggerate Mr Abbott's activities, although it was nice to see him face his very first fire as a "volunteer" - after 13 years of attending the occasional meeting and filling a single sandbag for the cameras a couple of days ago.

As for his integrity, he's firmly on the public record as a proven liar - both in and out of government.

He doesn't speak off the cuff, his media appearances are carefully controlled and staged and he often walks away during interviews when confronted with a difficult question that isn't covered in his scripted lines.

He's not a leader, he's always been a follower.

As for the typical backhanded "elitist latte sippers" tag, I think you will find more of them living in conservative seats than in the western suburbs.

I also don't know where you got the data on volunteer work "always being done by conservatives" but it's well known that the poorer are comparatively more generous when it comes to donating to charities.

Mr Abbott was asked how voters could trust him, given he broke a "rolled gold" promise he gave as health minister to not raise thresholds on the Medicare safety net.

Mr Abbott said he also doubted the Labor party would reject the verdict of the election, which he has said will be a referendum on the carbon tax.

Asked to give certainty to public service department bosses, Mr Abbott said he couldn't guarantee every single one would be in the same position if he won the election. But there certainly won't be anything resembling a night of the long knives or a bloodbath of the public servants," he said.
Mr Abbott also restated his commitment to paid parental leave, saying it was a workplace entitlement .

Mr Abbott was asked how voters could trust him, given he broke a "rolled gold" promise he gave as health minister to not raise thresholds on the Medicare safety net.

Is that the best you can come up with 579, something that occurred three governments ago.

You see the problem the likes of you face, caused by your total ignorance, or state of denial, or perhaps both, is that the hole you have dugg for yourself is now very very deep and you will have to eat a lot of crow and spit a lot of feathers just to get to the poimt where you can peek out, let alone get out.

I am afraid your beloved Julia, by way of calling the election so early, has cooked her own goose and Blind Fredie himself could most likely win the upcoming election, shoukd Julia remain at the helm.

She has set herself some 220 odd days to be reminded of her lies and broken promises, not to mention her harboring of Mr Thompson, who, whether guilty or not, was only ever protected for the sake of her numbers.

Hardly what I would call 'sound governance' don't you think!

Banjo, for the purpose of this debate can we both? leave our self assurance out side the door?
PC can in no way, be used in the climate change debate.
Show me how it apply s.
Tell me too, at the second time in 2 years why we should not ask, is it a factor.
Queenslanders, may well feel remote from the reality's of northern NSW recent history of floods.
We suffered, but not as much as they have in just about a quarter of the events we have had.
Early days yet, we and Queensland, may suffer again in the next two months.
Right or wrong, compareing PC with the debate on climate change is unfortunate proof.
Proof in fleeing, and Australia will, from Gillard, we are running in to the arms of the right of Liberalism, in no way related to
true Liberal thoughts.
A truth exists here, three questions, need debating.
And what better time than this.
Is the climate changing.
Can/has man anything to do with it.
Can we change anything by our actions.
And what if any answer ,for me all are, is yes, do we do, branding a debate PC in this fashion is not less than Nazi book burning.

The first day of the campaign personifies what the Labor Party stands for. Not fighting the bosses for the rights of workers but rather fighting the law. Craig Thompson 149 charges. Gillard is a political air-head. My prediction, Labor to loose 20 seats.

I think 579 has a huge amount of crow to eat. Recently he was proclaiming Craig Thomson's innocence based on his assertion that they did not have enough evidence to arrest him.

Looks like the 2013 campaign will co incide with the fraud and corruptions trials of Craig Thomson, Peter Slipper, and the NSW Labor Mafia.