We've all expressed our opinions on our
current Prime Minister - Tony Abbott and
on his current government.

I thought it would be interesting - to find
out what people thought of the leader of
the opposition - Mr Bill Shorten and the
members of his team. It would also be
helpful to learn the reasons for people's
opinions - and why, or if, they prefer one
leader over the other.

I look forward to your comments.

if Bill Shortens past is scrunitised one tenth of that of which abc/sbs has done so to Abbott he is finished. Not likely though.

I don't really have an opinion either way on Bill Shorten.
I don't find him interesting enough.

He may be a smart man, but I don't think he is PM material. He just doesn't have a forceful enough personality.
I would rather see Penny Wong. (wouldn't that cause a stir!) as PM, as I feel she is the sharpest tool in the Labour shed at present.

Bill Shortlen ?
Well, nothing really against him, just does not seem to be comfortable
in the job. He has the failing of other politicians who think they can
just fix everything with growth.
Other politicians including Abbott & Hockey as well I presume Shorten
have been told what is happening with world economy.
Abbott & Hockey, if they believe it are trying to ignore it.
Shorten I think just doesn't understand what he has been told.
He just does not seem to be other than a cardboard cutout.

If he cannot break away from the Union patten he would be a disaster
for the economy as many holy cows will have to be slaughtered.

From Labors side i'm not a fan of Bill Shorten, not an inspiring leader by any stretch. Shorten does have the advantage of being up against probably the weakest PM in living memory. Who in the Labor Party do I admire Penny Wong

I guess Bill Shorten is a bit of a mystery
to many people.
Although, to me at least,
he does appear to have some key
attributes necessary for leadership.

He
does enjoy the support of his party. He does
appear to be open to ideas, and he does have
a firm grasp on social policy. In contrast - at present
the demoralised Coalition government is marked
by legislative defeat, policy confusion,
broken promises, and a worsening budget
position as well as the PM's personal approval
rating being not very good.

I remember being very impressed by what
Bill Shorten said at a celebration of Australia Day
It made me sit up and take notice.

"Real patriots don't try and justify or excuse their
nation's flaws and failings and anachronisms - they
get on and fix them. True patriots don't shrink from
historical truth - they welcome it, they learn from
it. True patriots know that until a nation includes
everyone in its history, in its society, in its
economy - then there is always more to do."

"We gain nothing from boiling down our history to a
bland mish-mash myth of the Rum Rebellion and Burke
and Will,s Badyline and the stump-jump plough,
the Victa Mower and Olympic Gold. There's nothing wrong
with celebrating those moments and achievements - but it
is wrong to pretend that they represent the limit of
our national capabilities - or our national ambitions."

"The Australian "mateship" rarely included everyone.
At the turn of the 20th century the Australian Worker's
Union was open to all workers but at the same time said -
"No Chinese, Japanese, Kanakes, Afghans, or coloured
aliens."

cont'd ...