Dear Paul,

I feel that it's still early days to make
judgements on Bill Shorten. He hasn't been
leader for that long. However, as Ben Eltham
points out in his latest article - "Mr Abbott's
time as Prime Minister has been marked by
gaffes and bungles, some trivial and some so
serious that his colleagues came within an ace
of removing him."

The Abbott-led Coalition has an image problem.
"It is seen as nasty, punitive, and out of touch."
And "those ministers who are pulling their weight
are Julie Bishop and Scott Morrison and they only
serve to highlight the mediocrity of time-servers
like Peter Dutton, George Brandis and Kevin Andrews."

Eltham confirms that "Joe Hockey is one of the
government's biggest problems but internal tensions and
leadership worries prevent Abbott from re-shuffling him."

In comparison to all that Bill Shorten and his team is
looking better all the time.

Just to spice things up here is a video of Bill Shorten caught on camera picking his nose and eating the snot.

http://www.2gb.com/article/ray-hadley-video-shorten-picking-his-nose#DwujQbSPRrcYrGWJ.99

Dear Shadow Minister,

No more than you consider the PM's
refusal to answer questions about the
government's payment to people smugglers
as "evidence."

We'll have to wait and see on both fronts.

Dear Shadow Minister,

I am pleased to see that you're really "raising
the bar" in this discussion - in typical
Abbott "Liberal," fashion.

You really are a "child" of the Liberal Party
it seems.

I'm no fan of Mr SHORTIN or his Party, but these allegations against him, emanating from media sources reporting from the Royal Commission, are scurrilous in the extreme ! Mr SHORTIN is entitled to be heard by the Commission, 'before' anybody's got the right to impeach his character or his integrity !

Even then, the evidence gathering process from the RC, needs to be properly tested by a constituted court of law, only then can these allegations be appropriately determined. Far too many people have had mud thrown at them during these Commissions of Enquiry, therefore having their good fame and character, forever arraigned, without the recourse of the law. It happened to me in the police force, it turned out to be unfounded, nevertheless that stain remained on my record, for my entire career ? You wouldn't want it to happen to you, would you ?

Shorten has been under attack from within his own party. What does he believe in and what does he stand for?

For someone who has been in public life for so long and is the leader of a major party, it is very average indeed that he cannot find answers to such simple questions. His recent problems can only add to that.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/bill-shorten-causes-labor-dismay-over-lack-of-ideas/story-fnbcok0h-1227272018488

Shorten could take some advice and get some spine from his mother in law. A leader cannot be so self-obsessed, egocentric and lazy. That is the way with career politicians though. Labor has too many like that on its front bench - all spin and self-promotion and bugger-all REAL concern for the exasperated electorate they are supposed to be representing.