579, you say Campbell Newman has lost five from his cabinet. What your not considering is that he had almost 80 to start with, an unprecedented situation in QLD"'s political history. While five from say the usual 50 would be considered a large number to loose, five from eighty is not as alarming.

Now as for the Medicare back down, we can still retain free medical, all we need to do is work out where we are going to take the funding from, because the funds are simply not there.

So for someone who as recent as two years ago you was sitting there saying, nothing to worry about, it's all under control, you seem to be worried all of a sudden. Have you just worked out that you can't borrow hundreds of billions, then waste it without suffering some pain.

I'd love to see a coalition government come in to office with a surplus and zero debt. Unfortunately even with out now extended life expectancies, I still won't live long enough.

Butch you are an Abbott devotee. 5 is a loss of 5 in a very short time how many do you think will be left after the election. IF there had of been 10 bi elections there would have been 10 less. It will be an incredible achievement if Newman can hold his own seat.

As for medicare funding that is in Abbott's court, if he is good enough.

Two years ago Butch we had unemployment figures that were sustainable.
Two years ago we were in far better shape than we are now.
All Abbott has achieved is increasing the deficit by cutting programs that were money earners. Remember the flush of business confidence you predicted when the carbon tax was abolished

Two years ago we did not have to put up with Abbott's B/S
You have to be made of steel to stick up for a person that has told so many lies, and caused so many back-flips that it has created history

This PM is a no-hope pm. He is operating as a one man coalition party.

Govt leadership under Abbott and Credlin (see PMO) is a joke - and now we're hearing a few right-wing journos echoing that sentiment.

Not to mention backbenchers are now getting in on the act.

The only hope for this govt is to dump their leadership team, regroup and start again.

(Not that I can see them redeeming themselves in any hurry)