Both Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey were called liars today for the position they have taken over the decision not to assist SPC. Not by Labour or the Greens but by one of their own, Liberal MP Sharman Stone.

Quote from The Australian;

"What they said was, `we're not going to help because it is the amazing wages and conditions that have knocked this company for six', and that is just wrong,'' she told ABC radio.
"They're not speaking the reality ... It's not the truth.''
She said "lying was unparliamentary language, but, "that's right, it's lying''.

End quote.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/spc-ardmona-rejects-allowance-claims-as-mp-sharman-stone-accuses-pm-of-lying/story-fn59noo3-1226817307657

Ouch.

To top that off we now hear Joyce is wanting to find billions of dollars to cover the bad debts of drought stricken farmers. One gets the feeling the SPC decision is going to cost their credibility dearly.

I suppose Sharman could be like Shorten and agree with everything Gillard says despite not even hearing her.

I feel the same way SteeleRedux.
All politicians lie, even the holy Abbott.

Runner, you need to get over your fixation with Gillard.
She is not in Parliament anymore.

Dear SteeleRedux,

As Dennis Pryor stated in his comical, critical, satirical,
look at Australian politics called, "Political Pryorities,":

"Polspeak is the vrbose, hypocritical, mendacious, and
ambiguous language of politicians and their hangers-on. Its
fundamental method is to express everything so vaguely and
densely that polspeakers can extricate themselves from
difficulties by claiming not have have said what they did
in fact say..."

And Mr Abbot and Co as we've seen in the past are so good
at "polspeak." Now of course we're learning they're also
good at lying as well. But goodness me - what else
can we expect from a government that doesn't answer questions
that doesn't seem to believe in transparency or accountability
and who seems to be losing the public's trust.

Lying, is part and parcel of their behaviour. Look at the slogans
and rhetoric that got them elected, look at the lies and
inaccuracies that were spread prior to the election concerning
every single issue - from the state of the economy, to asylum
seekers, to the carbon tax, you name it. So why should any of us
be surprised to learn that a man who's admitted on national
television that he has trouble "with the gospel truth," lying.
It's to be expected and Joe Hockey et al, have to follow suit,
if they want to keep their jobs. Anyone remember -

1) Tampa Aggair
2) Children Overboard Affair
3) Unlawful detention of Cornelia Rau
Unlawful deportation of Vivian Solon
4) AWB - Oil-for Wheat scandal
5) Muhamed Haneef affair
6) Lindsay pamphlet scandal
Utegate or OzCar affair

And the list goes on. Did they tell the truth then?

No problem there SteeleRedux, the Mad Monk will go to see Archy Pell on Friday about this and other sins, for a bit of "Confession" and after three "Hail Mary's" and a "Glory Be To The Father" Tony will be absolved.
"Bless me Father for I have sinned...."

When I was a kid, in Catholic School, I used to do it all the time. But never told "Father" about the "juicy bits" but he was always asking!

p/s The Mad Monk could be in the "Box", as us kids used to call the "Confessinal", for a long, after all he has a long list of sins this week already, and its only Wednesday. My advice to Tony is don't tell Archy about the "juicy bits" no matter how many times he asks. I actually told the old bloke once about the "juicy bits" and I think he had, how do you say it, a "funny" experience, in his box!

Thank you for the responses.

To me what is interesting is the implications for Abbott and his credibility, credibility he should have gained to some extent by becoming PM.

The fact that the accusation came from within the Liberal Party ranks is quite significant. Sure it is not unprecedented. Howard got called a lying little rodent by one of his own, but not this publicly.

I suppose we recognise that politicians are loose with the truth but the confident ones like a Keating or a Katter or a Windsor or even to a certain extent, from Monday night's Q&A, Barnaby Joyce, often make it pretty plain that expediency is the reason for their lack of candour on an issue.

And remember Abbott's track record is not good. Who can forget “Lying to the ABC is not like lying to the Australian people”. I think we are getting to a stage when listening to Abbott the default setting has become trying and judge how much is spin or even outright bulldust. The sense he is trying to take you for a ride is palpable.

This is the same sense we get from many politicians around election time but this is not a good look for a PM early in their first term. We expect better, especially from our PMs because we instinctively look for greater gravitas from the leader of our nation. If anything we are getting the reverse from Abbott.

And when my mother stops defending him I know he is in trouble.