Are the Labor party and Julia Gillard credible?

[redandblack]

st, you're seriously posting a Herald Sun editorial, marked 'opinion'

[straight talker]

no different to the labor/greens/independant stuff you post on here and that all comes from believers! try and put a bit of your normal spin on things and handball things as usual.

[straight talker]

http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/08/19/the ... on-affair/
this is from a site you love R&B so i know you will think this is genuine hell even your other labor loving mate Laurie Oakes wrote in the adelaide advertiser today sayingg how ordinary this man is and the damage he has done and will continue to do to the gillard/green/independants government... cmon prosecuters prosecute him and bring on a by election..

[Sojourner]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/editorials/pm-gillard-stands-by-her-man/story-e6frfhqo-1226118493972

What I find interesting is their claim that the Union paid his legal fees to keep him from going bankrupt and having to resign from Parliament over it, I can see straight away why they would do that - and have no doubt that the other side in the same situation would no doubt figure out a similar scenario to keep them from losing power also, yet clearly its not even remotely what Union Members Funds are for.

Can understand why Gillard would totally want all this thrown under the carpet, she may retain power for a time, yet its very apparent over and over again when someone is caught breaking the law and is assisted to get away with it because they are a politician that when the electorate finally get there say it can go pretty badly for the party concerned. NSW had their issues and when the nation was swinging against Howard it was not so in WA where issues were alleged against a specific politician.

Think the ALP strategists would be wise to consider what their response to it will be pretty carefully, its one thing to be beaten and sit out for three years by a margin that they are in striking distance of getting back, its totally another thing to be completely belted and spend three terms trying to get the numbers back again. If this goes wrong with Thompson Labor could well get completely canned at the next election, whether that is worth risking for the future of the whole group is another thing altogether!

[Squawk]

Well I'll try and answer the question:

They are both credible - they are just rudderless (no pun intended).

Unfortunately, they have been unable to get traction with their initiatives, and seem to be caught up in a bit of a whirlpool.

Re the PM - she's different. I look at her as the Prime Minister of Education - not the PM of Australia. I think she wants to leave her imprint/footprint ön the ground"in Australia, personally. It is as if she cant get the balance right between time for significant portfolios - Treasury, Foreign Affairs, Defence (remember, we're at war here) and Indigenous Affairs and instead spends an inordinate amount of time in portfolios like Education, Industrial Relations and putting a Ýes'stamp on flawed scheme after flawed scheme. Julia leaves a LOT to her Ministers (Roxon, Swan, Bowen for example) and focuses too much an announcing ribbon-cutting initiatives and then attending to cut the ribbons.

Her situation probably isn't helped by having to spend a lot of time and attention dealing with the challenges of minority govt and the independents (who have a deal each with her personally, not the Labor Party) - but she hasn't demonstrated much ability to persuade the independents towards her thinking, much less the wider public.

Although Abbott can be criticised for a "No means No" approach to almost everything, when I think about it, he is involved in discussions across so many portfolios, lending weight to his Shadow Ministers. Kind of like Prince Andrew hovering in his chopper behind the Navy Boats in the Falklands War, to draw the fire of the enemy. So Labor are firing a lkot of shots at Abbott, but he is still alive and flying (as is Prince Andrew).

[redandblack]

Sojourner, it was the ALP who paid his legal fees, not the union.

[dedja]

LOL, but Abbott was prepared to sell his grandmother, wife and kids to win the independents over, it's just that he failed to do so, otherwise most people will be accusing him of being led by them as Gillard is now if he was successful in forming a government.

ahem ...

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/abbott-de ... 6123919102

TONY Abbott's office has rejected a claim by Independent MP Tony Windsor that the opposition leader told him the only thing he would not do to become prime minister was "sell his a---".

In a series of interviews with independent MPs to mark the anniversary of their decision to back Labor in a minority government, Mr Windsor says he felt alarm and pity when Mr Abbott revealed how deeply he wanted the job of prime minister.

"I remember him saying 'Tony, I would do anything for this job. The only thing I wouldn't do is sell my arse, but I'd have to give serious thought to it'," Mr Windsor told Fairfax media.

A spokesman for Mr Abbott said: "Tony did not make that comment".

The Fairfax report said the independents had revealed they felt badly treated by the opposition, including Bob Katter, who backed Mr Abbott.

Mr Katter is reported to be deeply disenchanted that the Liberal leader failed to stand by a deal to push for mandating ethanol in petrol.

[GWW]

Its scary to think Abbott will be PM soon. I wouldn't have a problem with a Liberal Govt, but Abbott as PM thats ridiculous.

Similar to when Latham nearly became PM.

[Sojourner]

Rumour has it that Barnaby Joyce is going to take Windsor on for the seat next time around, pretty safe bet that Windsor will just quit and hand it to him on a platter!

[dedja]

Its scary to think Abbott will be PM soon. I wouldn't have a problem with a Liberal Govt, but Abbott as PM thats ridiculous.

Similar to when Latham nearly became PM.

I agree ...

[bulldogproud2]

I still remember 12 months ago when Abbott stated that the only time he tells the truth is when he reads a prepared speech. Unfortunately, he is a man devoid of ethics.

[The Sleeping Giant]

Are there any ethical politicians?

[best on hill]

you are probably correct but at this stage i tend to be more on the side of the opposition at this stage as you may have noticed! and by the looks of things so does the majority of Australians. I actually feel for the Government as they wanted to lead so bad that they went to bed with the incompetent unrealistic GREENS and two independants who have no idea what the people of Australia want,thats the problem these people are not listening to the majority voice of Australian people.

with the benefit of hind sight, didnt abbott sell his sole to the independents saying "he would do anything to be PM",
and by majority do you mean your opinion and the opinion of your group of friends believe it or not there is no majority in the australian parliment at the moment

[best on hill]

Are there any ethical politicians?

the probably is but once they get into the system they change and become part of it

the problem with politics is there are two many politician involved and thats the biggest problem regardless of what side of politics you support. all you can do is vote for the party that best represent your interest and beliefs

[straight talker]

i see Juliar said somewhere the other day( I am trying to find it so i can post) that she has created 750.000 jobs!? I was wondering where were they all created and do they show up on the employment records that so many jobs have been created?

[straight talker]

doesnt want to talk about the manufacturing sector?? Goes to prt kembla to speak with people about jobs etc:? she didnt speak to the people who have lost there jobs just 25 who are still employed!!

[straight talker]

id dought the unions would think so now surely after another gillard backflip in concerns relating to an enquiry into the manufacturing business! one day yes the next no. ah ah ah they have done it again add another notch to her lie belt,.

[Rik E Boy]

Are there any ethical politicians?

Adolf Hitler. Everything he said he was going to do he did or at least had a real crack. Why didn't they read his fecking book?

regards,

REB

[dedja]

For what it's worth I think he's not far off the mark ...

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/nati ... 6126208906

FORMER prime minister John Howard has re-entered the political debate with a blast for Julia Gillard who he says "lacks authority''.

The nation's second longest serving PM also predicted independent MPs Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott would lose their seats at the next election and says the Greens have "peaked''.

[mighty_tiger_79]

Are there any ethical politicians?

Nick X