tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post4147405871648919163..comments2023-12-06T00:23:28.790+11:00Comments on Press gallery reform: Honourable zombies gnawing at Tony Abbott!Andrew Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-2960943236859313862012-09-09T18:58:41.829+10:002012-09-09T18:58:41.829+10:00Andrew so. You sti
ll have the belief abbott ...Andrew so. You sti<br /><br /><br /> <br />ll have the belief abbott will not be pm,<br />Hopefully you do. Why is mr turnbull staying on i wonder <br />Hard to imagine. Julia and julie<br />Imagine the cartoonists<br />Cannot imagine the liberals electing a lady as their opp. Leader<br />I thought morrison, i use to think turnbull <br />Ract my brains trying to think of others. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-51543705636872703732012-09-04T04:45:02.719+10:002012-09-04T04:45:02.719+10:00Ahem.... Dudley Moore and PETER COOK!
Thanks for...Ahem.... Dudley Moore and PETER COOK! <br /><br />Thanks for the reminder of this song :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-6643431360849762742012-08-31T15:22:38.824+10:002012-08-31T15:22:38.824+10:00Andrew -
I've been mulling over this idea, in...Andrew - <br />I've been mulling over this idea, in the event of Abbott exploding: <br /><br />"In that case, the next leader of the Liberal Party would be Julie Bishop. She'd negate the gender issue and has a hint of steel, but is not deft enough or deep enough to parry with Gillard."<br /><br />I just can't see Bishop happening, but how about Costello trying a Newman-style tilt at the prime ministership from outside Parliament? What chance he'd be stupid enough to try it? (Biggest stumbling block is probably his lack of intestinal fortitude, mind you)<br /><br />Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13092837850355621753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-13741591333560681602012-08-31T01:17:17.258+10:002012-08-31T01:17:17.258+10:00"Your assertion was wrong. This is my blog, I..."Your assertion was wrong. This is my blog, I determine what the context is and if you don't like it start your own."<br /><br />My assertion was based on the facts as presented. You said two different things on two different occasions. This differs from you telling me something akin to if I don't like your whimsical changes of context, I should go and find another blog. Not very astute, or helpful to either party (ie you or I).<br /><br />You have taken me out of context on at least two occasions now. Disagree with me - fine. We live in a liberal democracy. Properly explain why you disagree - even better. But please, don't twist my words or quote me out of context and then pretend that you haven't. It's unbecoming, and frankly quite unflattering.<br /><br />My opinions on the MSM have been outlined quite clearly. I think that the MSM are still vitally important here in Australia, although the influence is on the decline. I have said that the print media in Australia still sets the tone of the political debate and news cycle. I have also said that this MSM bias is not the only reason why Gillard will lose the next election. Her ineptitude as a leader will also be to her ultimate detriment. <br /><br />The centre-left media is less important than it has ever been, purely by virtue of the fact that Murdoch controls 70% of the print media. That, and of course, the incredible rise of social media.<br /><br />There is nothing inconsistent or vexatious about making these claims. The only problem with what I have said is that it seems to be inconsistent with your views.<br /><br />When you were on RN you intimated that you disagreed with the widely held notion that Windsor will be "done for" at the next election. Your exact words were:<br /><br />"I question whether Tony Windsor really is bound for the exit at the next election Jonathan..."<br /><br />To my ears, that sounded like a quasi-prediction.<br /><br />I'm glad my posts cause you such amusement. Yet, let me assure you, that this is not the intent behind them. If it helps you to laugh at someone who doesn't agree with you, then it only serves to make your arguments weaker, in the same way that the shock-jocks yell over those opines that aren't identical to their own.RugbyFannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-21325149871232372692012-08-30T23:02:56.650+10:002012-08-30T23:02:56.650+10:00Your assertion was wrong. This is my blog, I deter...Your assertion was wrong. This is my blog, I determine what the context is and if you don't like it start your own.<br /><br />On <i>Sunday Extra</i> I pulled up the lazy assumptions that Windsor is done for and is making policy on that defeatist basis. I did not claim then and do not claim now that I have any inside knowledge of what might or might not happen next year. <br /><br />We don't have a balanced MSM but cheer up, it's less impotant than it's ever been. You seem unable to determine whether the MSM is crucial, or not important at all, depending on what point you're trying to make. It's very amusing but it doesn't give you the consistency you like to accuse me of lacking. <br /><br />Yep, we can agree that it would be a good thing if Abbott never became PM. I hope you will come around to the idea that the evidence for my assertion in the blog title is growing by the day, rather than some unattainable fantasy on my part.Andrew Elderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-87448371321739332012-08-30T21:43:56.433+10:002012-08-30T21:43:56.433+10:00Hey Andrew
Would love for you to tutor me on this...Hey Andrew<br /><br />Would love for you to tutor me on this stuff<br /><br />Consider going down the Uni lecture avenue??<br /><br />Great blogAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-42503024696159354762012-08-30T19:04:50.042+10:002012-08-30T19:04:50.042+10:00Or to put it another way, "contempt is a powe...Or to put it another way, "contempt is a powerful seasoning for one's words".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-24896403905057970712012-08-30T18:49:56.661+10:002012-08-30T18:49:56.661+10:00"You insist that conservatives must be taken ..."You insist that conservatives must be taken on their own terms; that they will have a Liberal government because they want one, and that an Abbott government will be like the Howard government because they want it to be that way."<br /><br />Not for the first time, I have been taken out of context. Obviously, I didn't insist that the Tories must be taken on their own terms. My assertion was that there seems to be a change in your analysis of Abbott within the space of a month.<br /><br />The Coalition themselves insist upon being taken on their own terms - with an enormous helping hand from the MSM. Whether he can or cannot deliver on what he (and the MSM) want should be debated prior to the next election - but I predict it will not be a strong thread of conversation due to the extreme media bias. However this isn't the only important aspect of whether or not he will become PM.<br /><br />The Gillard govt has a very small minority. They need to retain every single one of their current seats, and gain more seats, if they are to win the 2013 election. Now, prior to saying "you misunderstand how democracy works" the fact is that even if the current independents retain public office after 2013, there is no guarantee that they will support Gillard for a second time. I recall you saying on Sunday Extra that you feel Windsor can retain his seat, but I think that this position is extremely optimistic.<br /><br />"I disagree, and the fact that Abbott can't deliver goes directly to the question of whether or not he'll actually become Prime Minister."<br /><br />If we had a proper, balanced system of MSM, this would be a very important point. Currently, however, it's not as important a point as it should be. This, combined with the fact that Gillard has made elementary errors as a leader which have been pounced on by the MSM, much to the detriment of her policy achievements.<br /><br />I think we can agree on one thing though - we would both like Abbott to lose the next election so his political career can devolve to the point where it can be compared to the way Abbott himself described WorkChoices - dead, buried, cremated.RugbyFannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-19328753996543093682012-08-30T18:21:23.077+10:002012-08-30T18:21:23.077+10:00You insist that conservatives must be taken on the...You insist that conservatives must be taken on their own terms; that they will have a Liberal government because they want one, and that an Abbott government will be like the Howard government because they want it to be that way. I disagree, and the fact that Abbott can't deliver goes directly to the question of whether or not he'll actually become Prime Minister. Andrew Elderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-77561599350748952412012-08-30T17:19:04.614+10:002012-08-30T17:19:04.614+10:00I'm sorry, I don't see your logic, as I wa...I'm sorry, I don't see your logic, as I wasn't speaking to what he can and cannot deliver. <br /><br />Whether Abbott can deliver on being Howard II isn't really the point. As outlined above, the fact that he wants to deliver on it is the salient measure. He is either "Howard in all but name" or he is not. As with everything about Abbott, this issue doesn't have very many levels of complexity.<br /><br />Regarding the old Chinese saying: hard conservative politics is defined by attempts to continually step in the same river - over and over again. It's about repudiating progress unless said progress advantages the upper echelons of society at the expense of all others (whilst hoodwinking "all others" into believing that the social or economic reforms are for the betterment of all).<br /><br />For Tories who aren't moderates, going back to the past (or at the very least, maintaining the status quo) will never seem like an impossible task.RugbyFannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-60767876191370278282012-08-30T13:51:41.874+10:002012-08-30T13:51:41.874+10:00"Brains, brains... we need brains.""Brains, brains... we need brains."Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12270280402479895714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-62358061769749223762012-08-30T13:05:22.072+10:002012-08-30T13:05:22.072+10:00OT I know, but every time I see Morris he looks li...OT I know, but every time I see Morris he looks like he is trying to be a Howard impersonator. The mannerisms, even the way he speaks. Or maybe Howard was a Morris Impersonator. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-73385766646752326492012-08-30T09:41:11.414+10:002012-08-30T09:41:11.414+10:00[Quote]
Grahame Morris (the only one named here no...[Quote]<br />Grahame Morris (the only one named here not to stumble through life with the prefix "The Honourable ...") was one of the wise heads in Howard's office who tempered the enthusiasms of people like Abbott, now he's a strategist. After calling for the Prime Minister to be kicked to death, and confusing a capable interviewer with a cow, there is serious doubt over the value of this man's strategic advice: you can read equal or better on Twitter, or on the walls of public toilets, for free. He is like Barry Humphries' Les Patterson, and shows that such a character could never be elected today. A man his age should have the feet up, but Morris has teenage children to put through school and no other talents to draw upon. One can understand how flattered he feels when media producers seek his time.<br />[End quote]<br /><br />(Blogspot, WHY YOU NO allow blockquotes, you silly thing?)<br /><br />This is a gorgeous example of what Tigtog of Hoyden about Town calls Well-Crafted Scorn.<br /><br />Almost makes you feel sorry for the man...<br /><br />...almost. Helenhttp://castironbalcony.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-80590028734166155792012-08-30T09:35:01.396+10:002012-08-30T09:35:01.396+10:00Yes, I agree.
I have no problem with the 'gol...Yes, I agree.<br /><br />I have no problem with the 'golden age' as a political tactic. As you say, many people remember it fondly as a time of easy money (debt).<br /><br />The problem - for the bazillionith time - is the uncritical reporting by the mainstream media. If you want zombies, look no further than the Canberra press pack! <br /><br />The 'golden age' was driven by a mining boom, a housing boom and a credit (debt) boom. (Our level of private debt reached record highs during Howard's 'golden age', something the Libs seem to overlook for some reason.) Of these, only mining is still delivering the goods, and even that it easing off as we know.<br /><br />The fact is that house prices are no longer doubling every ten minutes and as a nation we're paying down a big chunk of our debt. Both of these are actually good for our economy in the long term, but naturally lead to a completely different mood, a more subdued one. This is especially true for those parts of the economy struggling with this stage of the cycle.<br /><br />There's also the little matter of the GFC, that cataclysmic and ongoing event the Libs want to pretend didn't happen: the one that saw Lehman Brothers disappear, the near collapse of the American auto industry, European governments continuing to go into debt to save their banking system etc.<br /><br />Again, as with the 'golden age' nonsense I don't have a problem with the Libs denying the severity of the GFC, that's politics. The problem simply lies with the mainstream media letting them get away with such pathetic and obvious lies.<br /><br />A simple question would be: Mr Abbott, how do you plan to recapitalise the European banking system?<br /><br />Oh, and should you return us to the 'golden age' can you please not piss it away again?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-51265849390252352482012-08-30T09:24:30.651+10:002012-08-30T09:24:30.651+10:00It's a test of his leadership. Business donati...It's a test of his leadership. Business donations will dry up if he mucks about, and if he does a we'll-say-one-thing-before-election-and-do-another-afterwards, it will kill his credibility (look how Gillard's has suffered after the carbon price - but she has plenty of policy to fall back on). Andrew Elderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-74259483623627226392012-08-30T09:17:34.614+10:002012-08-30T09:17:34.614+10:00Great post Andrew, but better still I now have a v...Great post Andrew, but better still I now have a visual of Pyne and his response to Gonski smirking, eyes shining as he breathes deeply on those stale shock-jock farts.suenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-42641407037667278922012-08-30T09:10:47.143+10:002012-08-30T09:10:47.143+10:00No. Abbott says that he wants to deliver Howard II...No. Abbott says that he wants to deliver Howard II, but it's an impossible task even if he really, really wanted to do it. To quote the old Chinese saying, you can't step in he same river twice.Andrew Elderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-6364786331449963712012-08-30T09:09:20.268+10:002012-08-30T09:09:20.268+10:00High praise coming from you.High praise coming from you.Andrew Elderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-58978943069434961632012-08-30T09:06:57.179+10:002012-08-30T09:06:57.179+10:00Dennis Hopper telling like it is on Zombies:
http...Dennis Hopper telling like it is on Zombies:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbGUlR-0BSsNotushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03173819673356724711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-31762656533882941782012-08-30T00:25:35.821+10:002012-08-30T00:25:35.821+10:00Surely IR has to come up again before the election...Surely IR has to come up again before the election? <br /><br />Grattan bent over backwards to paint Abbott's comments as a wholesale rejection of Howard's IR policy (http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/abbott-consigns-howard-to-the-ir-dustbin-20120827-24wpm.html) ... surely Abbott's supporters in the party and business would never forgive him if he left it off the table. pknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-65851995497980294882012-08-29T23:43:07.942+10:002012-08-29T23:43:07.942+10:00Some great observations here Andrew, however, have...Some great observations here Andrew, however, have you perhaps changed your mind on Abbott's similarity to Howard?<br /><br />Andrew Elder 31/7/12 5:18 PM "However easy it might be for you to imagine, there is no basis for Abbott as Howard II, none at all."<br /><br />29 August 2012 "Abbott has been all about the restoration of the Howard government as fully as possible... When Turnbull could not credibly promise victory in 2010, they bristled at the repudiation and replaced the man who was Howard in all but name."RugbyFannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-5824008549871453172012-08-29T22:42:36.032+10:002012-08-29T22:42:36.032+10:00Simply a brilliant post.Simply a brilliant post.Bushfire Billnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-22860184256671473012012-08-29T21:02:30.415+10:002012-08-29T21:02:30.415+10:00Andrew (Not-Elder),
I agree with Andrew (Elder)...Andrew (Not-Elder),<br />I agree with Andrew (Elder)'s analysis: Zombie Howard retains the certainty that Abbott exists only to collect and venerate the bits that occasionally fall off his master's corpse.rhwombathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12965197378050915417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-90288337401720723192012-08-29T19:43:49.425+10:002012-08-29T19:43:49.425+10:00It was an off-the-record speech that the Fin was r...It was an off-the-record speech that the Fin was really naughty about and published. It seems Chatham House has burned to the ground.Number One Baghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14743162493927293968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-86103575659358064782012-08-29T19:29:19.327+10:002012-08-29T19:29:19.327+10:00Thanks Andrew.
The people will indeed vote about ...Thanks Andrew.<br /><br />The people will indeed vote about their concerns for the future, and not a Howard Restoration that the opposition front bench will bring them. <br /><br />Talk about zombies walking among us; all that the liberals are setting themselves up for is a few terms in the wilderness while such talent is winnowed out.PeterHnoreply@blogger.com