- is that the absolutely "bestest", "mostest" you can come up with?
Poirot,
Yes by design as any more would be too much for you I guessed.

I think it's fair to suggest there is a very fine line between toughness and sheer arrogance and Julia does not have a patent on arrogance within the labor party, esspecially given the display given by Swan, about the surplus which he finally accepted was unachievable, something most of us realized some time ago.

Julia is not tough. She is the malleable party man who never did squat, has no commitment nor loyalty to anything or anyone, and who manages to get ahead when there is a leadership vacuum.

Politics is like that. Keep lopping the tall poppies and making deals to suit factions and this is what you get.

If it helps, Rudd at least showed some commitment to a higher goal. Some likelihood that there was more to him than being a weather cock (and I am astounded no cartoonist has drawn Julia as one!). Yes Rudd is hampered by a monstrous ego, but so were many before.

Julia's best political weapon? Her elbows!

Her greatest weaknesses? Lack of backbone and lack of imagination. Bob Brown played her like a fish.

Good evening to you ONTHEBEACH QC, BELLY my friend, & LEXI...

Thank you ONTHEBEACH for reminding me so persuasively of my modest career beginnings. And for drawing my now doddering and diminishing attention, to my earliest memories of jousting, with some bright eyed but hitherto benign legal adversary. One so strikingly adorned, with her wig, so new and so bright and white, one might need special UV len's in which to safely gaze upon the friendly countenance of my first real antagonist, who is by now comfortably sprawled across the wooden lectern on the large Bar table. Preparatory to her initiating her best attempts to totally decimating the good fame and reputation of a terrified junior detective, in some (puerile) subsidiary legal tourney.

Yes, I am immensly grateful to you ONTHEBEACH ?

And how are you BELLY...?

Indeed, I don't believe you necessarily need to further describe your position when it comes to Federal Politics. I'm as much a conservative, as you are Labour. But I believe we both have considerable common ground, though diametrically opposed ? It would seem, you're not all that enamoured with the current PM as your preferred leader, as I am not with Tony Abbott either ? I would add, NOT Mr Malcolm Turnbull either.

Hi there LEXI...

I'm so pleased to see you enter your views and opinions to this topic. And you seem to have agreed with my take on the PM's 'toughness' also. There are others herein who put up a strong arguement saying it's not about being tough, rather it's holding on to power, at any cost ? I think maybe they're right ! How about we say, she's very tough and forthright in the way and method she goes about holding onto power ? Further, there wouldn't be too many who'd disagree with me saying, she's more than capable of 'staring down' Tony Abbott across the 'Dispatch Box' ? Although, does anyone think that Tony Abbott, is keeping his powder dry, and at the right time, he'll endevour to land some real broadsides across the chamber ?

o sung wu,

You take it all in good spirits. It is good that we can have pleasant discussion.

'runner,

Yup - and good old Maggie was lucky enough to have the Falklands come along just when she needed it. Nothing like a good war to lift the patriotic fervour of a nation and overlook the foibles of its leader. '

Yes Poirot and the current handbag brigade see far more deaths through useless border protection laws then Maggie did even with a war. I am sure you are proud of them.