Post by pim on Dec 20, 2012 6:36:27 GMT 11
Tony Abbott's tactic of parliamentary disruption was once summed up by Paul Keating on Lateline to Tony Jones as "Make me Prime Minister or I'll wreck the place!"
But I put up this thread not in some sort of propagandising spirit. I realise that on this board I don't have to convince anyone about Tony Abbott! And I think there's a pretty solid consensus, on this board at any rate, that we'd much prefer to see a Gillard Labor Government returned to office than to see an Abbott Liberal Government installed in office. So I don't feel the need to make any combative partisan political statements. Not here at any rate.
So when I ask "Overreach?" in the thread title I do so cautiously, being mindful that Abbott's tactics stand an excellent chance of being successful. Still!! Notwithstanding the encouraging Morgan polls that Freddy puts up on another thread. I can think of three cases of overreach that makes me wonder ... oh so cautiously and trying to keep some sort of objective perspective here ... if we're not seeing a pattern occurring, and if it isn't a case of several of Tony's chickens coming home to roost.
Tony Abbott appears to have overreached in the Peter Slipper case and now he's committed to supporting Mal Brough's increasingly dodgy position as an endorsed Liberal candidate. Even Arthur Sinodinos (and Tony needs to learn to listen to Arthur. John Howard used to listen to him very carefully and found his advice very useful) says that Brough has questions to answer. But Tony's approach is to brush away these questions with his "Move along please, nothing to see here!" answers. Disturbingly for Tony, questions are starting to be raised by journalists who in the past would give Abbott an easy ride. Such as Lenore Taylor: www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/silly-but-tony-stands-by-his-man-20121219-2bnd0.html and more directly and in-your-face by Ben Eltham newmatilda.com/2012/12/18/abbott-must-sack-brough-over-ashby
The second case of overreach is in the Craig Thompson case. Today's smh reports www.smh.com.au/nsw/no-brothel-evidence-says-thomsons-lawyer-20121219-2bnou.html that court orders requiring particular brothels to surrender any documentation that could incriminate Thompson (such as bank records) have turned up nothing. Zero. Nada.
The third case of overreach is more potential than real since it's still unresolved, and that's the AWU slush fund affair involving Julia Gillard. Sooner or later - and I suspect sooner rather than later - newspapers like the Australian and Julie Bishop are gonig to have to substantiate their claims and accusations with something that a court can do something with ... or end up with egg on their faces.
The stakes are very high for Tony Abbott. His focus ever since he failed by a cat's whisker to become Prime Minister back in 2010 has been what he has believed to be the imminent implosion of the Gillard Government. In this scenario, he had to be ready to become Prime Minister at any time. He has believed that the Gillard Government was always teetering on the brink of collapse and that his task was to assist in that collapse. To that end, he has gone for character and we've seen non-stop demonisation and vilification of Julia Gillard, and targeting of members like Craig Thompson.
It may still succeed! But it's looking less and less likely. And in two out of the three "character" attacks: Slipper and Thompson, it's the Abbott Opposition that emerges tarnished and tawdry. As for the attacks on Gillard over the AWU slush fund, my bet is they'll come up with nothing.
The danger for Abbott is that as they move to an election next year, there will be Abbott's record in Opposition stacked up against Gillard's record in Government. And it won't be a good look for Tony.
But I put up this thread not in some sort of propagandising spirit. I realise that on this board I don't have to convince anyone about Tony Abbott! And I think there's a pretty solid consensus, on this board at any rate, that we'd much prefer to see a Gillard Labor Government returned to office than to see an Abbott Liberal Government installed in office. So I don't feel the need to make any combative partisan political statements. Not here at any rate.
So when I ask "Overreach?" in the thread title I do so cautiously, being mindful that Abbott's tactics stand an excellent chance of being successful. Still!! Notwithstanding the encouraging Morgan polls that Freddy puts up on another thread. I can think of three cases of overreach that makes me wonder ... oh so cautiously and trying to keep some sort of objective perspective here ... if we're not seeing a pattern occurring, and if it isn't a case of several of Tony's chickens coming home to roost.
Tony Abbott appears to have overreached in the Peter Slipper case and now he's committed to supporting Mal Brough's increasingly dodgy position as an endorsed Liberal candidate. Even Arthur Sinodinos (and Tony needs to learn to listen to Arthur. John Howard used to listen to him very carefully and found his advice very useful) says that Brough has questions to answer. But Tony's approach is to brush away these questions with his "Move along please, nothing to see here!" answers. Disturbingly for Tony, questions are starting to be raised by journalists who in the past would give Abbott an easy ride. Such as Lenore Taylor: www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/silly-but-tony-stands-by-his-man-20121219-2bnd0.html and more directly and in-your-face by Ben Eltham newmatilda.com/2012/12/18/abbott-must-sack-brough-over-ashby
The second case of overreach is in the Craig Thompson case. Today's smh reports www.smh.com.au/nsw/no-brothel-evidence-says-thomsons-lawyer-20121219-2bnou.html that court orders requiring particular brothels to surrender any documentation that could incriminate Thompson (such as bank records) have turned up nothing. Zero. Nada.
The third case of overreach is more potential than real since it's still unresolved, and that's the AWU slush fund affair involving Julia Gillard. Sooner or later - and I suspect sooner rather than later - newspapers like the Australian and Julie Bishop are gonig to have to substantiate their claims and accusations with something that a court can do something with ... or end up with egg on their faces.
The stakes are very high for Tony Abbott. His focus ever since he failed by a cat's whisker to become Prime Minister back in 2010 has been what he has believed to be the imminent implosion of the Gillard Government. In this scenario, he had to be ready to become Prime Minister at any time. He has believed that the Gillard Government was always teetering on the brink of collapse and that his task was to assist in that collapse. To that end, he has gone for character and we've seen non-stop demonisation and vilification of Julia Gillard, and targeting of members like Craig Thompson.
It may still succeed! But it's looking less and less likely. And in two out of the three "character" attacks: Slipper and Thompson, it's the Abbott Opposition that emerges tarnished and tawdry. As for the attacks on Gillard over the AWU slush fund, my bet is they'll come up with nothing.
The danger for Abbott is that as they move to an election next year, there will be Abbott's record in Opposition stacked up against Gillard's record in Government. And it won't be a good look for Tony.
