Hope you don't mind if I insert this one here...talking of what our taxes should and should not support.

I nominate the PM as as a tactical and diplomatic waste of space.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/terror/tony-abbott-sought-military-advice-on-go-it-alone-invasion-of-iraq/story-fnpdbcmu-1227233174095

"TONY Abbott suggested a unilateral invasion of Iraq, with 3500 Australian ground troops to confront the Islamic State terrorist group.

Flanked by his chief of staff, Peta Credlin, in a meeting in ­Canberra on November 25, the Prime Minister said the move would help halt the surge of ­Islamic State in northern Iraq.

After receiving no resistance from Ms Credlin or his other staff in the room, Mr Abbott then raised the idea with Australia’s leading military planners. The military officials were stunned, telling Mr Abbott that sending 3500 Australian soldiers without any US or NATO cover would be disastrous for the ­Australians."

What a goon!

Dear runner,

Is that the best you can come up with to blame Labor.
Labor supported the man until evidence against
him was provided. Most people still believe in the
concept of -
"Innocent until proven guilty" in this country.
Once that happened the man was asked to resign.

If you want to blame political parties and
provide some balance - you need to also currently
trail Mr Abbott's wreckge.

Then you may have some credibility.

Until then - its best for you to keep quiet - while
this current government continues to stuff up and
hurt all Australians.

Stuff up and hurt all Australians you say Foxy. Just look at the utter mess he inherited, which is amplified when considering the situation Kevin 07 inherited.

It's all but impossible to do anything with ones hands financially tied behind their backs, Anistasia P is about to get a lesson in QLD I would suggest.

While I too was against asset sales/leases, can you accurately state that our poles and wires will be in high demand 50 years from now. I certainly wouldn't and if the likes of the greenies have their way we certainly won't be needing them as much.

What labor did in just six years is near on criminal, and we must remember the libs tried to plug the holes but have been out voted.

While I accept their budget was too harsh, people have to realize that the debt left behind from labor has to either be paid back, or left for future generations because I pay $60 to see my doctor and I'm on $70K a year now, so surely $5 is not too much to ask of low income earners because after all, they don't pay much in Medicare in the first place.

Take away the illegals mess, the debt and hand Abbott $20 billion in the bank and see what he could have done, because that's where Howard left off.

The sad part is no liberal government has inherited a surplus in my lifetime and it most certainly won't happen now.

Dear Foxy,

Yes, innocent until proven guilty unless someone can get off on the technicality that some vile crimes were not actually on the books at the time someone committed their vile crimes ?

Yes, you're right, this person is 'innocent' on a technicality. Morally, he is as guilty as hell. And you know that.

Love,

Joe

It appears once again that in the eyes of Foxy and Poirot that Australians associated with terrorism (Monis & Hicks; and most likely the two who were recently arrested for planning an attack) are the real victims.

Foxy writes "Therefore in the "war on terror" we see a new generation of journalists who blindly re-hash propaganda dressed-up as facts
about ever illegal detention and intelligence." Never mind the facts that all of the above were caught red handed... it's the right wing press trumping up false charges to manipulate public opinion against Islam.

You play with fire you may get burned. You go overseas and fight with the Taliban or Al Queda and you might get killed or captured while you are killing other people or guarding the fort.

Boo hoo, poor David, let's give in a million dollars in compensation; maybe Bill Shorten might even think of some metal to pin on him for heroism.

Let's face it, if a terrorist attack takes place on Australian soil (or even more so on American soil) the loopy left will immediately leap to the defence of the perpetrators, especially if they are Muslim.

Dear ConservativeHippie,

Monis was a mentally disturbed individual.
A one-of case - known to police and released
on bail despite over 40 previous convictions.
Nothing to do with terrorism as such.

As for David Hicks - as stated earlier - it is
perfectly legitimate (indeed crucial) to ask
Hicks tough questions about his background,
his belief in the Taliban and his nauseating
old letters praising bin Laden.

But none of this justifies long-term jailing,
torture and psychological abuse without charges
or a fair trial. The rule of law and due process
should have taken place. It did not.
And this didn't stop Australian Commentators
baying for blood. Hicks was consistently painted
not only as a "terrorist" but a "well-trained
terrorist" and consistently referred to by the
coportate press and by Murdoch columnists as
"terrorism supporter." Fair trial be damned.

We need accountability and a Royal Commission and a
full judicial review into the David Hicks case.
Questions need to be answered. Things need to be
explained. Especially the part that the US and our
former government's role in this affair.

Otherwise all we can do - is repeat what's in the
media, the opinions of various journalists and commentators,
and make summations according to our own values.
None of us really know the truth - only what we've been
told by various people. It's all a matter of whom
we believe and trust - and what our logic dictates.