Australia certainly does have a long way to go to
change certain attitudes. I wonder what's worse though,
a pat on the head by a pollie
or a politician who continues to claim
expenses for his "charity" work?

http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/tony-abbotts-dodgy-pollie-pedal-expense-claims/

Thanks, Lexi,

Here's the original source.

http://www.phonytonyabbott.com/blog/how-the-taxpayer-paid-for-tony-abbott-to-compete-in-surf-races

Doog in training for a big event you have to put the hard yards in.
Tony would know that from his sporting pass time.
But he got by in part on Gillards lack of sail-ability, and the endless and mindless negativity.
All down hill from here he can not turn it around.

Politicians and other leaders should claim expenses for their charity work. That is the same for a businessman as it is for a politician. They also buy tickets in raffles, have the bite put on them for all sorts of drives, from Guides biscuits through. They should not always be out of pocket.

Tony Abbott sure does do a lot of good with his indigenous work and has done so for years, not just at election time. A broad range too: charity rides, rural firefighting, clean-up Australia, indigenous and so on. Good on him and brick bats to the miserable, negative narks who likely do 'Zip' themselves ('Zip' - to quote their present leader who was re-born by the grace of union heavies after three years of whiteanting Australia's first woman PM).

His opposite number Kevin Rudd is sitting in the soft calf leather of the luxury VIP 737-700, along with the missus and now his young son -appointed as a senior adviser by Rudd. Loves overseas junkets does our Kevin13 and must like company too.

Though Kevin13 and the missus are millionaires with stacks of assets including property, no-one is asking them to forgo the generous Prime Ministerial & accompanying missus and son travelling and other allowances while Kev doles out millions of Taxpayers' money as overseas aid to the 'good causes' he encounters overseas. The UN next, eh Kev?

SM "...the vast travel expenses of KRudd, I would say that Labor is far better at rorting the tax payer...."

Equating Abbott's illegitimate expenditure claims for jogging, fire-fighting and book-selling (all self-promotion) with Rudd's legitimate state business expenses shows how so sadly and tightly bound to the mast of S.S. Phony Tony that SM, Salty and the usual suspects are.

I don't expect any of them to acknowledge the inequity of Slipper's treatment or who referred him to the AFP or that Abbott fleeces them while they grin and bear it. Anything goes apparently, yet they wail like banshees when there is the remotest sniff of convention breaking or corruption by others in politics.

Getting any concession from them over the most basic of facts reminds me so much of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y

I reckon your right Belly, all down hill from now on. Turnbull is making noises, must be upsetting for Tony. I can't get over how Tony thinks he can be a leader by saying nothing. I know Abbott has never been a populist, just a diversion. I favored the libs, but this leader is not up to it. I think he has sunk his own boat, by his actions.