otb,

"Obama has good speech writers and he can project his voice..."

Are you suggesting Mr Abbott has anything "going on behind" his rhetoric? I mean, lets face it, he just chose one of the most powerful international forums to vent his spleen that he's been unable to get his "surprise" $7 co-payment through. Fancy lamenting to a cohort of 19 international leaders that your prize dupe is dead in the water.

Lol!, and then spruiking to a bloc of people gearing up for the implementation of climate change agreements that you just knocked off Australia's carbon tax.

He addressed them as if he was a civic leader giving a talk to year-nine students.

Can you righties on here point me to "any" source that considers Abbott's opening address was:

1. Appropriate for the setting and audience.

2. Not cringe-worthy

?

runner,

"We know Susie you, Poirot and the abc are competing as to who has the most hatred for Abbott. Just shows how effective he is...."

Here you go again, having no rejoinder to Abbott's cretinous and embarrassing behaviour, you accuse his critics of "hatred.

I tell you what, I can accept a Liberal government - after all it is a democracy.

What I find difficult to stomach (apart from the deceit this govt practiced to get elected) is having to watch our country's leader make gaffe after gaffe, as he awkwardly stumbles his way through his tenure. His non-ability to even fake statesmanship was writ large at this summit. I would like a leader who at least can string a few words together without making a faux pas, without chest-beating like a hormone flooded teen, without his uncanny ability to make himself look like an ass almost on a daily basis.

Australia's cartoonists reckon the Abbott govt is a gift from God...they can hardly keep up with the debacle.

"...Feel free to leave Aussie if you get to embarassed."

The good thing here, is that the debacle of Abbott's Prime Ministership is only temporary. He's embarrassing and awkward, good at sniping in opposition. but he's hardly leader material - especially when he's let loose on the international stage.

Your hatred of Abbott does make it impossible to think rationally Poirot.

Yeah, runner...of course it's mortally wounding to be the recipient of criticism from one such as yourself - so profoundly rational and deeply admired on this forum.

I don't understand the cause and effect in this case, runner...

"Your hatred of Abbott does make it impossible to think rationally Poirot."

How do Poirot's feelings make it impossible for you to think rationally?

I'm with you there Runner, 'feel free to leave if you don't like it', trouble is, where else can seven out of every ten (the three includes big business) get to see the doctor at the free hospital ,well, not free, or have children in the knowledge someone else will pay for them, chuck thier job in knowing if you are stupid and get sacked, youle be provided for. No one in their right mind would ever leave this place. It's just a pity they can't see the big picture, the one that depicts a mother pig with ten teets, trying desperately to feed and care for fifteen piglets. That's what we are essentially doing and, with labors huge debt and wasted billions, they have made the job so much harder.

As Tony quite rightly says, people have to understand that the age of entitlement has to come to an end. Either that, or the three will come two, one, or even none, because they are fed up with not only the burden of carrying the can, but the whinging and lack of respect that goes with it from the now masses who can no longer fend for themselves.