Hi o sung wu,

As a "lefty" I should remind you that it is dangerous to tar all with same brush. Like those on the right, the left have their fair share of loonies and nutters. Much of the social reforms that we enjoy today are the results of the efforts of progressive politicians, many in Australia from the Liberal Party.
The danger as I see it, is to be overwhelmed by extremism from one side or the other, and we know from history, given the right conditions that can easily happen, without most of us even realizing it has taken place.
Hanson may not be a Hitler, I doubt she is, but there is an ever present danger that a populists politician like her, can be used and manipulated by others for the benefit of the extreme. It is important that we jealousy guard our hard won civil liberties, and not simply cast them aside because some populists dictates we should. 18c by all means revisit it, look at it, discuss it broadly within the community. and if it needs modification, then modify it. Do not simply react in a knee jerk fashion and throw it out, as the extremist would have us do.

Hi there PAUL1405...

I stand corrected Paul, indeed every side of politics has their fair share of ratbags as well as luminaries and other forward thinking individuals.

Interestingly I've become quite enamoured with much of what Mark LATHAM has been saying in recent months. When as Labour leader he stood against John HOWARD I disliked him immensely, now he's essentially out of mainstream politics he's like a breath of fresh air with some marvellous insights in what it is he thinks? What a pity we weren't permitted to see that side of him when he stood against Mr HOWARD? Or is he carefully scripted to say and do exactly what it is the boys in the back room tell him to say? Such is the awful power of every Parties 'faceless men' the devious, conniving bastards!

Hey o sung wu, you sound like you're only inches away from giving Turnbull to Labor, [bloody good idea of course], & taking LATHAM into the Libs. I've not heard Latham recently, but if you find him making sense that is interesting. Is he bloody minded enough to tell all the twits to go to hell, & toughen up policies enough to do some good, if that was his intention.

Quite often people want to chose someone they think is "NICE" for PM, when you often need an absolute Ba###rd to do the job.

If this fool Turnbull continues to be the pick of the Libs I see a very real change in the parties in Oz. We are fortunate to have Barnaby as National leader. He is saying all the very nice things about Turnbull, while obviously sitting on his head, to stop the more stupid things he wants to do.

There is no way they could win with him again.

Hi there HASBEEN...

I really don't know what it is about Malcolm TURNBULL. All I know is I just don't trust the man - it's a though he wears a conservative Coat, but all the time he's preaching Labour values. Moreover the man reeks of utter weakness. In a fifteen minute message his popularity would literally shoot through the roof - one short sentence is all that's needed, viz;

"...on parliaments next sitting day, my government will take immediate steps to fully repeal S.18c, for the purpose of allowing all Australians, full freedom of speech, a concession that our forebears promised us, all those years ago...". "...This is an unequivocal promise I and my government will make, to every Australian, irrespective who they may have voted for, in the last general election...".

Could you imagine it, his personal popularity would utterly soar, but does he have the courage to do such a thing? No way Jose?

That would help o sung wu, but it wouldn't do it for me.

I can't believe that anyone who has access to all the information he has, can possibly believe in the global warming scam. It is obvious that any of them who continue to push the alternate energy barrow are using it & their position to feed taxpayer money to their mates, neck deep in the alternate energy industry.

I don't give a damn if they are using it to feather their future bed in civvy street, or to buy votes from the green blob, this behaviour has lost me.

He would have to come out cancelling all the handouts to alternate energy, cancel future carbon initiatives, & openly state we no longer support or fund the UN IPCC to even start to gain any traction with me. Even then it would take years before I would actually believe his intentions.

Lying bas###d or raving ratbag, who cares, he is the wrong man in the lodge, & while he's there the Libs have lost my vote.

Hi there HASBEEN...

Your last sentence says it all for me too? Why on earth would anyone vote for the Liberals with Malcolm TURNBULL at the helm? The only problem, who are an alternative Party? Labour? Never! Then who? A normally conservative voter has very little choice between Pauline HANSON's Party, or the other bloke in Victoria, Nick XENOPHON (sic) with his three (merry) Senator's. Essentially these few operatives are about the only viable options anyone has, if truth be known? Does anyone know the number of the US 'Tea Party' group by chance, or Mrs PALIN former Governor for the State of Alaska.