otb,

What a hoot!

"Politicians and other leaders should claim expenses for their charity work....."

Abbott's ministerial staff are not even supposed to be booking his private travel, let alone charging the taxpayer for it.

And they wouldn't have had the so-called "inadvertent" travel expense claim if they hadn't being carrying out duties for him which were inappropriate under the "Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984".

(See Gary Gray's letter to Abbott, here)

http://nofibs.com.au/2013/07/06/exclusive-abbott-forced-to-repay-taxpayers-9400-he-charged-taxpayers-to-promote-his-book/

You are right to be worried about Tony Abbott, Poirot.

Arms flailing like windmill vanes and motormouth in high gear, Kevin13 is dropping clangers everywhere.

In a short space of time Kevin13 has laid jet trails overseas achieving nothing, patted a disabled woman on the head, appointed his son to a senior advisory job and created chaos in Jenny Macklin's portfolio.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/indigenous/kevin-rudd-misfires-on-indigenous-recognition-referendum/story-fn9hm1pm-1226677384766

That is what his colleagues were referring to back in 2008-10 wasn't it? When his own senior ministers said he was a Dud, with crippling personality problems that rendered him unsuitable as PM and a loser for the 2010 election.

OTB,

I'm not "worried" by Tony Abbott.

I'm entertained by the present machinations, is all.

Nice to see the Libs being called to account, examined a little more fulsomely.....even if MSM considers him some sort of protected species.

Time will tell.

Dear Poirot,

Finally Mr Abbott's free ride has ground to a halt.
And hopefully we'll have a debate infused with
meaning.

Labor has done the right thing. They've put the nation
first and they're back in business.

We can now take a look at Labor's plan for education
reform with the Coalition - With Abbott's NBN, public
health, asylum seekers. And see Mr Abbott's ultr-
conservative vision for Australia.

How far back would an Abbott government push the campaign
for an Australian republic, Indigenous recognition, or
marriage equality?

Who would we like to see represent Australia at the G20
Summit in St. Petersburg in September 2013.
Rudd or Abbott?

Rudd described by Bill Clinton as one of the most intelligent
leaders in the world or Abbott described by Peter Costello
as an economic illiterate?

It's not brain surgery folks!

Poirot,

A part of me wants Kevin13 to win. As I have mentioned in another thread, Kevin 13 is iconic, our very own Mr Brittas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxBrldV5ivM

Kevin13 has the same unrealistic, unfounded confidence in himself. He creates chaos wherever he goes, similarly gets everyone offside and there is no doubt that when he is away, things work better. Jenny Macklin would be nodding at this juncture [Memo, keep Kevin13 away from Aborigines].

Therese Rudd would empathise with Helen Brittas.

Dear Poirot.

This might make you smile:

http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/rudds-return-ruffles-reckless-abbott/