Voters don't like governments lead by zealots
who divide and are perceived as bullies.
In Abbott's case voters are growing tired of
the incessant spin and lies. They're turning away from
his slogans and the consistent blaming of Labor.

As one political commentator pointed out -
"Campbell Newman found out the hard way that money
can't actually buy everything."

"In the lead-up to his political D-Day Newman threw $18
million worth of promises at his Ashgrove electorate.
Pork-bellying generally speaking being one of the most
tried and tested methods of political survival."

"The punters like prizes. Always have. But for Newman it
wasn't enough to save his political skin. He was bundled
out of office regardless - due in no small way to the
fact that he was regarded as a bit of a thug and more of
a prick."

Tony Abbott has the same image. His latest stuff-ups only
add to that image. First with the submarines (and God
knows what else he offered his MPs prior to the spill
motion), now with his reaction to the Human Rights
Commissioner's Report on Children in Detention - and his
attempts to get rid of the Commissioner, then his comments
on the two men about to be put on trial that has horrified
lawyers - who suggest that the PM should be put up on
criminal charges - then the firing of Philip Ruddock,
(more "Captain's picks") and who knows what else is
around the corner.

The damage being done to the Liberal Party is immeasurable.
And the country definitely deserves better.

Foxy,

Here's a puff piece in today's Tele (in the "News" section) on Tony and Margie..

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/soul-mates-tony-and-margie-abbott-a-boots-and-all-pairing-set-for-the-long-haul/story-fni0cx12-1227219139475?sv=c0566250ed8c47f08b94b9ad92316070#.VN5sWr5BKv8.twitter

"Soul mates Tony and Margie Abbott a boots-and-all pairing set for the long haul"

[Excerpt]

"Margie Abbott had been on her feet all night playing hostess at the Prime Minister’s annual Christmas drinks last year.

It was getting late at Kirribilli House. It had passed 10pm on Friday, December 5, and there were but a few guests left out on the lawn making the most of the hospitality and the view.

Margie Abbott turned to her husband and declared that her heels were now officially killing her.

“Darling, just take your shoes off,” he said. “If it makes you feel any better I’ll take mine off.”

Tony Abbott bent down, slid off his RM Williams boots and his socks, and the Prime Minister of Australia was standing barefoot among the thinning crowd, stubby in hand.

That was all Margie Abbott needed, and off came her shoes.

Few would pick Abbott for a romantic. A traditionalist perhaps. But chivalrous?

“Absolutely (he is),” Margie insists. “It was like trailing your coat over a puddle.”

Desperate....

Good Lord, even when Abbott does good it is still bad. LOL

Heh, heh, where are the Grrls and their boy assistants at with the recipe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o50DnsD8YTA

It is a brew long in the making, having been stirred from well before the government was even sworn in.

Dear Poirot,

Desperate is right.

When all else fails bring out the wife and daughters.
And I'm sure Cardinal Pell would have also entered
into the picture if he was still in Oz.

And as for loyalty?

What a joke. Ask Philip Ruddock.

No more Captain's Picks - on Monday.
Friday - sacks Ruddock. (Captains Pick).

What's next.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australiasia/australian-pm-ton-abbott-labelled-most-incompetent-western-leader-by-us-think-tank-10041683.html

Submarines you say, ...

I think the simple truism of this is that you will never get world's best by buying from someone else. The sellers are always highly likely to provide something "decent" but of course their best technology will be reserved for their own needs.

Perhaps from our allies we could get a leg up, but then, if that was going to be the case we would have had a substantial fleet of Raptors a long time ago.

No, Australia has always wanted to maintain a pretence of being relatively weak (requiring the support of in country allies) as primary policy is one that does not want to see an arms build up or arms race in the neighbourhood.

Giving the propensity of the culture here of people wanting to run around in the shadows and hide things though, I think that it is safe to assume that Australia has some big teeth secreted away.

And the thing is, subs are extremely dangerous, being able to sneek in stealthily, pop up, pump out a mini nuke and then sneek off again, which accounts for the n.american obsession with technology which damages marine mammals in particular.

Australia has always maintained highly stealthy subs, capable of sneeking up on the larger and much noisier nuclear variety when at low speeds. No, what they want is something tin pot, that doesn't worry the neighbours too much.

What this is really about is a scaling down of the Australian economy

(yes, that means be prepared to be paid less if this mob get their way)

and the coalition are, in a very calculated and cold blooded way, trashing the bastions of unionism and the alp as they go e.g the car industry etc etc and they don't give a toss who gets burned in the process.

In the aftermath, these industries will be rebuilt, but by way of the rules of a new model which allows for us to compete more effectively on the world stage (ie that means the cost of production must come down) and dock more successfully with Asia.

Putting aside their Human Right's and Child abusing fettish, if the leadership team of the alp were true, they would not be talking about "open tenders."

If they were true, they would be insisting that our subs were built in Australia, by Australians in our National Security interest.

What is currently occurring is no different to 2 fleas in a 69er, courtesy of career professionals on both sides of main stream politics who care for little other than themselves and their own.