http://thehoopla.com.au/laugh-cry/

I had such a good laugh reading this article, I just had to share it with everyone :)

It seems a Minister called Michaelia Cash (OMG, a woman!) has a shiny new sign on her door saying "Minister assisting the Prime Minister for Women"!

Really?
So what is that then?
Are we supposed to forgive the PM for having only one woman in his cabinet because he now has a junior minister 'assisting' him with women?

Does he have a minister to assist him with men?
If not, why not?
Surely all you men out there should be outraged by this obvious political policy gender imbalance?

The article goes on to discuss our PM rocking up to his swearing in as PM in a taxicab.
Surely for this one auspicious occasion he could have dropped the budget card?
His 'digs' at the police barracks are embarrassing enough.

Our new PM sure has made an interesting impression in his first few weeks as PM.

You rely on a try-hard and not very funny comic entertainer for your news?

Any wonder you missed criticising Ms Julia Whatshername for her Minister for Women with Status.

The remainder of your post is just as ridiculous - throwing mud at the PM for taking a cab.

BTW, as if you would ever support representation for men, when sledging men is your favourite sport. You are foaming at the mouth since the change in government.

Maybe it is time you came out on something. It must be hard to keep up that story that there are 'men in your life who care for you'. Still, you never say there are any men that you actually care about. So at least in that you are likely being consistent with your preferences and choices in life.

It is going to be a very long six years for you.

Dear Suse,

Thank You for this thread. As voters we do need to face
the challenges before us and hold our leaders to
account. Not close our eyes and try to extract ourselves
from the messiness of political reality.

Dear OTB,

If you continue to base all of your discussions on
insults rather than reason - you will be ignored.
Deservedly so.

How do rags like that bit of garbage survive?

Are there really enough people around silly, enough to read the bit of crap, to justify publishing it?

Until I read some posts on it, I never realised there were so many delusional people in the country. I guess that explains how we get things like Rudd & Gillard floating to the top of the settling ponds.

OTB,

Yeah I reckon the Coalition will get two terms. It will take Labor that long to get its act together, assuming it can do so of course.
I think by two terms the voting public will also be fed up with the Coalitions back to the future retrograde style thinking.
We really do need a progressive third Party of some size and substance, the current options of Labor or Coalition are rather dreadful and no real choice at all.
Watching both parties in action over these last few years was a pitiful display of our supposed political talent. Is this the best we have, I hope not.
Ref the original post the country by now should be advanced enough and mature enough not to need specialist gender Ministries.The fact we do is a sad indictment of us as a supposed advanced civilised society.

SD

Dear Hasbeen,

The Menzies era has been described by some as a
time of unleavened bread. There are many voters who
feel that the current years ahead will provide
even less wholesome sustenance for the nation.

As for what's considered "good" media. That's very
subjective. Some swear by The Australian, The Daily
Telegraph, and others in the Murdoch fold where
information is misrepresented and key facts are left
out - as was recently done from leaked copies of
the draft IPCC report.

However as I stated in my earlier post, we do need to face the
challenges before us and hold our leaders to account -
not close our eyes and believe in slogans.

'However as I stated in my earlier post, we do need to face the
challenges before us and hold our leaders to account -
not close our eyes and believe in slogans.'

pity foxy that all the diehards could not see that with Gillard and then Rudd. and to think they are still defending their deceit and incompetence! The slop posted by Susie just proves the point.

As one commentator put it, there has been a lot of buzzing in the hive since the government changed.

Foxy, "you will be ignored"

Say what? You are never backward in bucketing anyone with opinions contrary to your own. You even cheer other on to do the same, like your sole mate Suseonline.

What you choose to ignore is anything that could challenge your slant on the world. Such as Latham's criticism of the two Labor leadership hopefuls,

"Latham points out Albanese's problem

Anthony Albanese's links to disgraced former NSW Labor minister Ian Macdonald should rule him out of contention for the Labor leadership, says former Labor Leader Mark Latham"

and Shorten is a chronic back-stabber.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/anthony-albanese-is-an-intellectual-lightweight-mark-latham-20130926-2uf9s.html

Suseonline/Foxy stay strong, the bloke you currently have bought out of a hole is far from the only one to wish you do not have opinions.
I found the thread fun and very strange.
But in truth not unexpected the rednecks are in power and such is standard stuff from them.

Belly, "the rednecks are in power"

Nothing negative about that, no Siree! LOL

It is going to be a very, very ,very long six years for some.

But look on the bright side dear Whingers, you will have the back-stabbing 'Whatever she says' Shorten, or the other fellow with those sad links, Albanese, to lead at the pleasure of those union heavies. That 'leadership' time could be short and blood will run freely as is their way of course.

Meanwhile Ms Julia Whatshername will appear from time to time to say she was robbed and it was all the fault of the 'Menz'. Just like in Deliverance, only it will be Rudd and Whatshername arising from the dark waters of Labor.

Shaggy Dog
I don't think you will ever see a Labor government (as we know it) again.
I am sure the LNP will do everything in their power to legislate or outlaw them out of existence and quite rightly too.

Hmmmm, I'll have to change the sole/soul mate pun. From what Belly intimates, it is actually a ménage à trois, Foxy and Suseonline and Belly. Is there a fourth of indeterminate sex?

Any wonder you Whingers diss 'traditional' marriage. Sorry Whingers, you just do your thing. It is all too much information though.

Six years minimum, LOL.

Dear Belly,

No worries.

Fifteen of the Coalition's new seats are held on very
thin margins. Eleven of the Coalition's new seats are held
on a margin of less than 4,000 votes. This isn't a clean
sweep, no matter how the hacks spin it. It will be
interesting to see how long it will take for the nation
to wake up. Six years of the Coalition?
Nobody can predict the future with absolute certainty.
It's risky at the best of times.

Meanwhile there is the competition for titles and covers for the Rudd and Mzzz Julia Whatshername's horror stories. See here,

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/julia-gillard-and-kevin-rudds-political-horror-stories-to-hit-shelves/story-fni0xqrb-1226727181297

It is very funny.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...the token "woman" is making a hash of all things diplomatic.

http://m.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/jakarta-fires-new-warning-shot-on-coalitions-asylum-seeker-policy/story-fn9hm1gu-1226727761442?utm

Chrissgaff,
Whatever replaces Labor,if your prediction is correct, will need to be able to take it up to the LNP as no party holding an absolute unassailable majority can be a good thing.
I do not like either overmuch in their present form, too much either way and both very dated in their outlook.
The country is ripe for something new in the way of politics but there appears to be little on the horizon.
I am not holding my breath, we are stuck with mediocrity across the board sadly.
Poor old Oz, so much promise but devoid of any real leadership.
Take it easy.

SD

Oh dear me, after a long day at work, I return to find not many people found the article as funny as I did :)
For goodness sake, can't we ever have a bit of a laugh about good ol' Abbott?
Goodness knows, many certainly found plenty to laugh about with Gillard and Rudd.

Aren't we ever allowed to make comments on the present PM and the present Government?
If not, what on earth would we have to discuss on OLO?

The fact that the sign on Michaelia Cash's parliament door says "Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Woman" instead of ' women' is ironic, given Abbotts track record with women's issues.
Maybe he only wants to assist one woman...obviously, that woman is Julie Bishop.
Lucky girl...

I thought the article was very clever, especially where she commented that the Government has a new border protection policy because "...we are being invaded by asylum seekers, so we need a three-star General to protect us from all those scary women and children...".

Lol! I totally agree.

Shaggy Dog,
We need a form of dictatorship where leadership and decision making is from the top.
We need people to start doing as they are told and not what they want to.
We need discipline in the home, schools and the streets.
We need to lock up the offenders and make them work hard to gain their freedom.
We need to get out of all the United Nations Conventions.
We need to get rid of the freeloaders, the social security bludger brigade.
We need to cut out the indigenous welfare that is different to the white mans lot and make all welfare only available to those in genuine need
We need to cut the dole after three months and increase the penalties for stealing.
Above all we need to stop importing anything that can be made here.
We need to kill the supermarket power and arrest the manages that seek nothing but profit at any cost.
We need to remove the minorities from the forefront of society and allow the majority their right to rule.
We need to have a National Service, A Coast Guard and a Drug Enforcement Agency and we need a no tolerance stance on drugs and crime.
Bring back the death penalty (it costs too much to keep a crim in goal for life)Give us back our guns so we can protect ourselves (the police can't) Book every bastard who breaks the road usage laws until the show some respect for other users.
SD the list goes on forever.
We need a dictatorship of the "Right" and we need it now.
Labor and the socialistic bent will bring us to our knees just in time for some foreign country to walk in and kill us all off. They won't want us, only the land for food.

The Liberal Party has always been a boys club, the old school tie, the Melbourne club, port and cigars. The reality is most Liberal Party men have a disdain for certain woman, particularly those who are educated, self confident and assertive, they see such women as a threat, and going against the natural order of things. They believe women should know their place and stay there.
Abbott is comfortable with women who are submissive and would not dare to challenge him as an equal. I think one of the problems Abbott had with Gillard was the fact she was a woman and as prime minister in a superior position to him, that went very much against the grain with the misogynistic Abbott.
I am pleased that both Labor and The Greens have no such problems with women and see them as vital to their parties leadership and future aspirations.

Chrisgaff,

Yeah a bit of leadership and discipline about the shop would be a good thing.
Sadly you will not find it in Canberra. Mediocrity and a lack of vision is the norm in the halls of power in our capital no matter what the brand.
You will have to look elsewhere to fulfill your dreams. I visited some dictatorships over the years, there are some upsides but quite a few downsides as well.

Take it easy.

SD

ChrisGaffe1000,
I think you would be more comfortable living in a country ruled by sharia law, or one with a resident dictator ..... maybe someone like yourself perhaps?

Thank goodness we don't have the gun laws you crave...

Paul1405, thank you for your wise words.
It is posters like you, Foxy, Belly, Poirot and a few others that keep me coming back to OLO.

Cheers,
Suse.

I get a grin out of those defending Abbott,s views on women.
He seems to think they are there to make the jam scones and cu cumber sandwiches then waddle of out of sight to wash the dishes.
From time to time those same commentators target us on the other side with the charge we are blind and fixed in our position.
Now that is funny I do not care who you are!
Watch the fixed comments flow from them at me now.

Interesting list chrisgraff1000...

Iran just about ticked all the boxes but fell down with their excessively generous unemployment insurance scheme, which for singles cuts out at 6 months if preceded by 12 months paid work ranging to a cut out after 50 months if preceded by 20 years employment.

Suseonline
Don't worry Suseonline we will be getting our concealable guns back. Just for self protection. Pity we will have to protect the rest of you though who wouldn't raise a hand to protect your lifestyle, family or country.

Here you go, Suse.

http://myblairmore.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/16-yosemite-sam-mustach.jpg?w=490

Obviously the singular/plural issue was a mistake... but what about the conjunction?

Not sure.

Minister assisting the Prime Minister with Women?

I'd fully support a Minister for getting leftie women on the right track before they become left-overs & cost us even more.

Lol Poirot :)

Chrisgaff1000, are you serious?
Concealable weapons?

You have been watching too many American crime shows.
Would you like Australia to have the same horrendous murder rate as the US?

Even Abbott would never agree to relaxed gun laws, so bad luck.

>>Chrisgaff1000, are you serious?
Concealable weapons?<<

Did you see his post yesterday where he was advocating for a fascist dictatorship?

Chris Gaffe is a perfect demonstration of Poe's law:

'Without a blatant display of humor, it is impossible to create a parody of extremism or fundamentalism that someone won't mistake for the real thing.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe's_law

I honestly can't tell if this bloke taking the piss or if he's just unhinged.

Cheers,

Tony

"We need a form of dictatorship where leadership and decision making is from the top." Adolph Hitler
"We need people to start doing as they are told and not what they want to." Hermann Goering
"We need discipline in the home, schools and the streets." Joseph Goebbels
"We need to lock up the offenders and make them work hard to gain their freedom" Heinrich Himmler

You forgot to mention the secret police to maintain law and order and all of the above. The name Gestapo has a certain ring to it.

Wasn't this bloke a copper or something, it sure figures.

Paul1405,
We need to hoodwink Australians by telling them we're doing a great job but we're really running the country into the ground. ALP Politicians

Some of the people criticising Suse's post were quite happy to defend the awful behavior of the far Right, even praising those awful signs like "ditch the witch", "Juliar" "Bob's Bitch" and similar.

Just goes to show, responses to the these sorts of things are totally influenced by one's allegiances. We might be all guilty of this at times but some things are just unacceptable.

Suse's post is far from being in this category. Despite the sign being a faux pas it was a bit funny.

However that said, I would much rather the press start focusing on more important things the Coalition plans to do, things that may affect freedom of speech, privacy, transparency and sovereignty, with long term ill-effects.

pelican, "I would much rather the press start focusing on more important things"

Agreed, but as can be seen from the 'MSM' as some label it and the 'independents' (LOL) online, there is a market for pap.

Where oh where would some be without their daily adrenaline fix from "Ain't it awful"?

In the UK, enterprising journalists (some still exist) tracked down the offending 'animal lovers' responsible for mate mail that was being directed at a couple whose twin infant girls were attacked by a fox. They even accused the couple of harming the twins themselves for publicity. The perpetrators when found were not really what many might think them to be.

Here is the report of the attack,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1284505/Baby-twins-Isabella-Lola-Koupparis-seriously-injured-fox-attack.html

The originators of the hate mail found,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1291353/The-animal-rights-fanatics-benefits-left-fox-attack-family-needing-police-protection.html

The hate mail directed at Tony Abbott's children for example was disgusting.

My "In the UK, enterprising journalists (some still exist) tracked down the offending 'animal lovers' responsible for mate mail"

should be,

"In the UK, enterprising journalists (some still exist) tracked down the offending 'animal lovers' responsible for the hate mail"

Paul1405,
Glad to see you have read (and studied) Mein Kampf otherwise you would not be able to allocate particular preferences to particular persons.
Now perhaps you might like to devote a few lines to what you consider good things that we, as a society. might consider doing.
Perhaps then these threads might have some meaning other than personality shooting galleries.
Actually my political and social philosophical bent is in the direction of Ayn Rand rather than National Social;ism although there must have been a few endearing features about the Hitler regime since countries like the US and GB and Israel adopted a lot of their ideas and tech heads after the war.
It is amazing how easy it is to get you people up onto your bikes with a few well place words. Look how many pages you filled when I suggested we veto UOG.
Where is he anyway surely? I didn't scare him off>

Chris,

Quote: "Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it"
I believe this quote to be a truism, but unfortunately many of us have learned little from history.
Just last week I was in a shopping center when a TV station was conducting a survey. They posed the following question:
"Should police in NSW be given the right to stop and search cars for drugs and weapons?" You answered by touching a TV screen on the answer choices, Yes, No, Undecided. So I could plainly see how people were answering. From my own little survey of the few people following me, I found how quick society would be willing to trade away their civil liberties for expedience without contemplating the consequences.
You said: "although there must have been a few endearing features about the Hitler regime" No, Hitler and the philosophy of National Socialism was an obscenity with no endearing features what so ever. Hitler's book, Mein Kampf nothing more that the ravings of a lunatic.
You ask; "you might like to devote a few lines to what you consider good things that we, as a society. might consider doing."
Put it in a nit shell, I believe in equality and justice for all, a fair and equitable society, where all are given equal opportunity regardless of their place of birth, race or the colour of their skin. I'm sure you will brand this as idealistic soap and poo hoo it with you hard line beliefs, that's me and that's you

I believe in equality and justice for all, a fair and equitable society,
Paul1405,
Most people would agree with that but many don't, they want us to mollycoddle them cradle to grave at our expense. Just look at elitism that is Academia yet it is funded by us.

Indi, I was being philosophical about the billions of people in our world, not about a minuscule section of society such as academia, although I don't have a problem with such people who do perform a vital function in society.

Paul1405,
so you don't object to elitism yet you proclaim to be a socialist ?

Pelican what you obviously fail to realise is that many people use the mirror defense when under attack.

I like many I know was prepared to give Gillard a go. She destroyed much good will in minutes with her carbon tax lie.

She then spat venom at those who expressed their annoyance at her lying.

Those of us who may not have expressed our annoyance at this rather large lie, but did feel it, considered ourselves included in the target of her venom.

Naturally we threw up our mirrors, & reflected her venom back at her. With every passing day it became more obvious what a horrible person she was, & just how much hate she had for most of us.

That she became hated by many was her own doing. That most of the rest of us became disgusted with her was also her own doing. In fact I think it is fair to say that what she got was merely a pale reflection of what she projected to anyone who dared to disagree with her. She got off lightly in other words.

Dear Hasbeen,

I don't think that history will agree with your take on
things. Here's an article written by John McTernan,
a politican analyst who served as a senior advisor to
Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and Harriet Harman:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/10148550/Julia-Gillard-Australian-blokes-have-done-their-country-down.html

According to McTernan the former Prime Minister "faced serial abuse
as a woman on a scale that is unprecedented in modern politics.
That negative, corrosive, and anti-woman rhetoric that Gillard
endured for so long damaged Australian politics and public opinion."

I recall her being called "deliberately barren," by a
leading member of the Opposition in 2007.
I recall her being asked on
public radio whether her partner Tim was gay, I recall the
dreadful menu that was produced at a LNP fund-raiser and as
McTernan points out the most remarkable thing about the former
PM was that in the face of this serial abuse her sense of
self, of calm, was never rocked or rattled.

Her strength was that she was a woman who believed above all
in the power of rational argument. That if you counter prejudice and
ignorance with reason and logic you can change the world.

McTernan tells us,
she was the best parliamentary performer
of her generation, male or female.
Her strongest instinct was to refuse
to let the abuse get to her. McTernan explains
that, although "the belief that everyone should be
given a "fair go" runs deep in our country - at the same time
there does exist a very powerful sense of mateship, male
values, and a male-oriented inscribed culture."

It's the tension between these two characteristics of Australian
life that was the backdrop to the former PM's time in office.

We can only trust that she has made it easier for the next
female PM. That her treatment shall be different to what
Julia Gillard had to put up with.

Foxy,

You really have some gall and more front than a Sydney bus quoting UK Labor's spinmaster, imported by Gillard as her 'director of communications' and disliked by all Australian journalists regardless of their political orientation.

What about the 457 visa system in his case? Or do you reckon there were no journalists available in Australia? Typical Gillard and Labor, one rule for others and a different one for themselves. Very foxy indeed.

That fellow was responsible for the very ill-advised and unsuccessful gender and class wars waged by ex-PM Julia Whatshername. Obviously such negative, gutter politics, beating up opponents with allegations of 'isms', eg 'sexism', appeals to your oft-demonstrated hatred of your fellow Australians and of men particularly.

However it doesn't wash with Aussies can see straight through that stuff and voted with their feet accordingly.

However, since you are forever partisan in your posts, it is worthwhile reminding you that it was your mob, the forever bitching Left, Rudd and the factions, who put Julia Whatshername's flaws into the limelight and rightly so in most cases. The smiling but always treacherous Bob Brown and the Greens she took on as her sidekicks busied themselves knee-capping her, just because. -Just because that is what the Greens do best.

What about the feminist sisterhood's role in her toppling? To take an instance, Penny Wong did alright out of it, didn't she?

The current players for the Labor leadership are reversing her policies. Julia Whatshername is best forgotten they believe and so does Labor.

Dear OTB,

I notice that you addressed your last post to me.
Can't respond in depth though, as I no longer read your
offensive rants. You go right on thinking though, that "your
ignorance is just as good as our knowledge," if it makes
you feel happy.

Cheers.

Come on Foxy. Remember the misogyny speech?

That was dripping either with hate, or feigned hate. It really doesn't matter much, it showed us the woman, & apart from a few radical ratbag feminists, we were appalled.

It also showed us that truth had no place in her world.

She was an appalling PM. She is an appalling person, & we are well rid of her. The women's movement would be well advised to distance themselves from her as quickly as they can, the mere thought of her brings a nasty taste to the mouth of most people.

Dear Hasbeen,

I went back and re-read what McTernan had to say about
that misogyny speech. And I fully agree with him that
what's surprising is that it took so long to speak up.

Julia Gillard faced misogyny from 1998, when she was first
elected to federal parliament. It followed on when a leading
member of the Opposition called her "deliberately barren"
in 2007. Signs of "ditch the witch," and terms like, "witch,"
"bitch," were common referrals to the prime minister of
Australia. "Non-productive cow," and "Julia Gillard:
Kentucky fried quail - small breasts, huge thighs and a big
red box," made their appearances. Imagine asking a
prime Minister of Australia on radio if her partner was gay.
And wanting her tied up and dumped in the sea.

In retrospect what is surprising to me is that it took so
long for her to speak up. The lady had guts. Not many in
her place would have remained so calm.

In the end two million people watched that speech. And with
it the PM defind herself in the minds of young men and
women worldwide. It was a speech that also hit a nerve in
Australia. She spoke to every woman who had ever been
slighted by men in a business meeting or experienced sexism in
the workplace. And it went even wider. Every other group
that had ever felt opposed in Australia knew she was lifting
a cloud in their society.

So say what you will, (and no she wasn't anti-men, and neither
am I), but she had had enough of the serial abuse, unfair
treatment as a woman on a scale that is unprecedented in
modern politics. No one should have to put up with such
negative, corrosive, and anti-woman rhetoric that she
was forced to endure. And certainly not a Prime Minister of
this country.

Gillard's gender and class wars as advised to her by her imported spinmaster Tiernan resulted in her being tipped out on her (r)ear by her own mob, including by the other members of the notorious Handbag hit Squad.

Nobody, just nobody, believes that radical feminist *bleep*.

Julia Whatshername was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to ride the feminist bandwagon into the second highest public position in the land. It was her own incompetence and poor judgement that betrayed her.

No PM before has ever enjoyed the understanding, support and latitude allowed her AS A WOMAN by the Australian people. But she let everyone down in a multitude of ways. Finally her own Party removed her. Otherwise Labor would have been wiped off the political landscape. Labor was saved from extinction by the very man she knifed and still hates(!).

Foxy, you are right about Gillard.

She never had a chance from the moment she was declared PM, and both Rudd and Abbott felt utter despair and anger that they are the first male politicians to be beaten to the PM post by a woman!

Abbott was obviously the most upset, given his self appointed, god given right to believe he is superior to all women.

Whether or not Gillard was right or wrong with her brand of politics, she never had a chance because she was treated so badly as a female politician.

Nothing that Good Ol' Boy Hasbeen and He-man OTB can say will ever change my mind about that.

Abbott needs more than a token female minister to 'assist' him with women, he needs a sodding miracle!

Dear Suse,

Our first woman Prime Minister was treated disgracefully
while she was in office and now it seems that some
people are going to try to deny her achievements as
being recognised as well.

However, it is interesting that she has come out of
her self-imposed "exile" and will speak at two public
forums in the next coming weeks at the Sydney Town Hall
and at the Sydney Opera House. Tickets have been sold out
for both events. Not bad for a supposedly 'unpopular'
PM.

It seems that there are many people who do remember the
facts. That there were 590 pieces of legislation that were
passed during her time in office - including such landmark
reforms as Disability Care Australia, equal pay for low paid
women workers, The Royal Commission into Institutional
Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australia in the Asian Century
White Paper, and major educational funding changes, as well as
carbon pricing, despite leading a minority government.

And she did this while enduring relentless vilification.

Can't wait for her book to come out.

cont'd ...

Dear Suse,

As Julia Gillard said in response to Alan Jones's
comment about tying her up and throwing her into
the sea, "Don't they know that witches don't drown?"
She's not about to disappear any time soon either.
:-)

Susie and Foxy,

http://www.news.com.au/national-news/abbott-flees-reporters-after-asylum-seekers-drown-on-way-to-australia/story-fncynjr2-1226728862846#ixzz2gAeNwwTx

Get a load of our shonky excuse for a Prime Minister scuttling away from questions concerning the latest asylum seeker tragedy.

He's downright embarrassing.

Dear Poirot,

It's more than embarrassing.
It's sad for us all.
He's obviously run out of slogans and scripts and now
doesn't know what to do. Won't he be great internationally?

Foxy,

"He's obviously run out of slogans and scripts and now
doesn't know what to do. Won't he be great internationally?"

That's exactly what's happened.

Indeed, he'd have to check it out first with Sir Humphrey Credlin before he'd be given the all clear to deploy her latest script.

"The women's movement would be well advised to distance themselves from her as quickly as they can, the mere thought of her brings a nasty taste to the mouth of most people."
No doubt Daddy Hasbeen said the same of Germaine Greer, and Grandpa Hasbeen defiantly said it of Emily Pankhurst. Did you know not one of the fore mentioned women could whip up a decent batch of scones,shocking. I ask you, what did they ever achieve? Although I do believe Mr Pankhurst was rather partial to Emily's chocolate brownies. LOL.
Some people, men and women. have this notion in their heads that women should fit a certain mold, regardless of their achievements, they are seen as failures and therefore failing their gender in some way. Gillard is a prime example of this complex. She could have fixed world poverty, stopped all wars, saved the planet etc and still have been seen as a failure for no other reason than she didn't fit the mold, a woman in a mans world.

Dear Paul,

Yes, many a man thinks himself extremely sensitive
simply because he's easily put out.

In this country the belief that everyone should be given
a "fair go" runs deep but as John McTernan pointed out
at the same time there exists a very powerful sense of
mateship, male values, and a male-oriented culture.
It was the tension between these two characteristics
of Australian life that was the back-drop to Julia Gillard's
Prime Ministership.

Foxy,

I've mentioned before an acquaintance I was once in touch with who led the Greens nationally in Canada.

She resigned fairly early on in her tenure and told me it was because of the "men's club" atmosphere of the Canadian Parliament. She's a publisher and felt she could do more for her cause by going back to her field of expertise.

Getting back to Abbott.

How shameful that this man not only hides away, only emerging for short scripted comments - or as we saw today, couldn't even rustle up from the depths of his inarticulate rhetoric short condolences in the wake of the boat tragedy.

He's a dud (bigtime!)

Dear Poirot,

I've got family in Calgary, Canada.
My God-mother also teaches at the University.
She's also told me about - the glass ceiling,
and certain mind-sets that still exist within faculties.
We may have "come a long way," but boy, there's
still a way to go.

As for our current PM? Hopefully more scrutiny will
be placed on him now that he's in government. It's one
thing to drift along on slogans when in Opposition but
now he should be held to account when in government.
I trust that the new Labor leader and his team will do
precisely that and people will be able to see just who
they've got.

Foxy, the people have seen exactly what we have, in a silent PM, when told of the deaths of the 'invading foreigner' women and children on their way to Australia.

Obviously, these people hadn't heard about the 3 star General being sent to turn around the invading boats on their way to Australia.

Or...maybe they were just so desperate with their present situations, that they took the journey in desperation?

I am sure that Indonesia could do more to stop these people from taking such risks.
With the large numbers of boats setting off from their shores, the authorities surely must know.

It really is such a big problem, with no one answer.

One thing's for sure...

Tony's inane and trite pre-election slogan of "We'll stop the boats" ("We'll make a difference from 'day one'") turns out to be as hollow as his ability to behave like a leader.

Far more difficult when one assumes responsibility for the "solution" than just mouthing off and playing spoiler from the sidelines.

"She resigned fairly early on in her tenure and told me it was because of the "men's club" atmosphere of the Canadian Parliament"
Poirot, I'll have to ask a good friend (a woman and a Muslim, shock horror)about that one as she has just entered the NSW parliament. So far she has been very busy settling in and getting on with her areas of responsibility. She will not have a problem with the male members from The Greens as they will give her 100% support. Plus as I have worked on a couple of campaigns with her as the candidate I know she will have no problems dealing with the issues at hand and the "opposition" she is going up against.
I'm sorry your friend in Canada resigned, I hope it was not because of Green members, I would be shocked if it was, as I know The Greens here in Australia are very well represented by woman and its been my experience that they contribute as much, if not more than the men. very hard working and very committed.

Hasbeen
There was more venom towards Julia Gillard than from Julia Gillard especially over the Carbon Tax. I would never call JG venomous.

While I was critical of the misogyny speech given its context I have no doubt that there were many people with a problem of having a woman as PM. I think it was a mistake for Gillard to turn this into a gender issue though - these are two different things - as a PM you act for all people and there are different and better ways to approach this IMO. I know many will disagree.

Poirot, Suse and Foxy
Tony Abbot did not mean stop the boats he meant stop talking about the boats (I read that on a tweet somewhere and it made me laugh). Transparency is not looking to be a strong element of the new government.

OTB
I agree with you on hate mail. I have read my share of hate mail (directed at my employers) over the years and it always leaves an nasty, menacing impression especially those directed at family. All politicians are targets when it comes to hate mail. It is an unfortunate and distasteful aspect of their jobs - sadly.

Hi Pelly,

Talking of transparency.

There's a little too much for George Brandis at the moment.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-29/michael-smith-wedding-barnaby-joyce-george-brandis-expenses/4987502

But of course...

"Senator Brandis says to resolve any uncertainty he will pay the money back."

He earlier defended his use of taxpayer funds to attend the wedding...something about connections with shock jocks being of national significance (Lol!)

Of course, Peter Slipper offered to pay back his wrongly claimed travel allowance.

Unfortunately (for him) he wasn't permitted that option because "someone" had referred his case to the AFP.

Imagine if that happened to Mr Brandis?

But he'll probably be afforded the Minchin Protocol, just like Tone and his accidental claim for $9,400.

Poirot
By all accounts, the Minchin Protocol only kicks in when the offenders have been found out. Very convenient. The Ministers (Parliament) make the rules which is why there is a big problem with accountability coupled with reluctance of public servants to raise their heads above the safety of their bureaucratic bunkers. So politicians continue to be immune to prosecution within a culture that overlooks wrongdoing and when it does it is usually handled very quietly with nothing more said.

Abbott's book signing saga, Slipper's winery jaunt and the recent taxpayer funded wedding crashers are typical examples of where obvious transgressions are just shrugged away with an 'oh well' and other than repaying costs there are no repercussions. Imagine how often this goes, the public only hears about the stuff that gets in the media. Any other citizen would be charged with fraud or theft.

Yes, Pelican, the Minchin protocol is only offered if the problem is detected internally by Finance.

As I said, Slipper was referred to the AFP by an external party, hence the Protocol wasn't applied.

Btw, here's some raw footage of Mr Abbott scuttling away from those questions the other night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhQYehcGweg&feature=youtu.be

Not tidied up for the news.

Hows that for our country's new leader...pretty stylish, you reckon?

Disgraceful!

Poirot, "here's some raw footage of Mr Abbott scuttling away from those questions the other night"

You don't imagine that your comment, more a slur with the unnecessary 'scuttling away from questions' is at all poorly based and unfair where the target was walking to a car and the journalist was hurling questions at him?

He's running and scuttling alright (he's keeping a secret, you know). Who's the burly woman he's scuttling with?

>>You don't imagine that your comment, more a slur with the unnecessary 'scuttling away from questions' is at all poorly based and unfair where the target was walking to a car<<

scuttling (intr.v.): to run or move with short hurried movements.

Maybe your eyesight is failing you, old man. There's more than walking in that video. Go back and watch closely around the 20-second mark. That gait is no trot or canter. It's certainly not a walk - not even an 'Olympic' walk. One might select a different intransient verb to describe such a gait, such as 'scurrying', but 'scuttling' seems a fair and reasonable description of the observable evidence.

Cheers,

Tony

TL,

Not a good look no matter how one describes the method of movement.
Hows about. "I'm outta here."

SD

Tony, skulking away from the female journalist , acted exactly like he has before when asked something he doesn't want to answer.
He is struck dumb, purses his lips, glares wide-eyed, becomes red-faced, and acts constipated!

The only difference now is that he is our illustrious PM and is supposed to rise above this childish behaviour, at least when he is in public.

Surely he can use some inane comments like "yes, any loss of life at sea is a tragedy", etc, and then avoid all this negative publicity and embarrassment ?

Dear Suse,

Tony Abbott says he works out because it
clears his mind. Perhaps sometimes just a
little too much? :-)

Perhaps he wants to think twice before he
says nothing.

Well Foxy, I can certainly give him a suppository of advice:
Eat your fibre, and speak when spoken to... : )

Foxy and Suse,

I'm hearing on twitter that he's hired his own television crew or some such assistance to provide gaffe-free and controlled content.

Will let you know if I hear any confirmation of that.

(One assumes it will be a requirement if he's not to continue making a barking fool of himself)

Dear Poirot and Suse,

I think you both might enjoy this tongue-in-cheek
satirical link:

http://newmatilda.com/2013/09/26/do-not-boycott-article

Lol Foxy, thanks for that :)
Suse.