Aussies Thread LX: Abbott, Ashes, Ales. And Rudd.

[sh_wulff]

Renewing my passport- for the possibel nightmare future

[Xray the Enforcer]

It's a good thing I like my member. I'll focus on that.

Before I looked at the username, I could have sworn this was a Brady post.

[TomBadgerlock]

Renewing my passport- for the possibel nightmare future

Did mine yesterday. They cost $238 you know! :eek:

[Stubby]

Before I looked at the username, I could have sworn this was a Brady post.

I was going to say that my local member is a tool, but...

[The Marquis de Leech]

I've been pouring cold water on Labor's chances all through this but it does need to be said that a win is actually possible now.

If that happens, it will be simply hilarious.

[arya_underfoot]

Go Kevin!!!

Finally something good comes out of Canberra. There's now some hope that we may avoid the Abbott-Hockey nightmare we've all been preparing for.

[sh_wulff]

Back to teh boys own sandpit!

[Myrish Swamp Thing]

I have nothing to say, except that it's fun how on Twitter they're calling it the Rudd Wedding :P

[Stubby]

I have nothing to say, except that it's fun how on Twitter they're calling it the Rudd Wedding :P

Win.

:bowdown:

[delete this account pls]

Not thrilled about Kevvy oh sevvy being back, Gillard was a bit of a mess but she also achieved a lot IMO and doesn't get the credit she deserves. But I think he's the best chance we have of avoiding an Abbot win, so whatever.

If Kevin can't do it, we just have to hope Harry finds the horcruxes in time.

[karaddin]

Not thrilled about Kevvy oh sevvy being back, Gillard was a bit of a mess but she also achieved a lot IMO and doesn't get the credit she deserves. But I think he's the best chance we have of avoiding an Abbot win, so whatever.

If Kevin can't do it, we just have to hope Harry finds the horcruxes in time.

I hope she gets out of politics and can go do something where she gets a little more appreciation than she has as PM. And hope that labor hang on to enough in the Senate to prevent Abbott undoing the legislative reform that should be her legacy, wish is how she will be judged by history.

[TomBadgerlock]

They just referred to Bill Shorten as "The Kingslayer" in Parliament :lol:.

[Horza]

Right now Gillard looks a lot more alive than he does.

Epitaphs for Gillard and Conroy. Will keep you posted when I find one for Swan.

[arya_underfoot]

I hope she gets out of politics and can go do something where she gets a little more appreciation than she has as PM. And hope that labor hang on to enough in the Senate to prevent Abbott undoing the legislative reform that should be her legacy, wish is how she will be judged by history.

She'll get some ridiculously high-paid consulting job at a big law firm/accounting firm/bank/some other big company. Isn't that what happens to most failed I mean ex- politicians?

Epitaphs for Gillard and Conroy. Will keep you posted when I find one for Swan.

Swan would have to write it himself. Who in their right mind would have a list of positive, or even neutral things to say about Swan. It's sad that all the Labor MP's of QLD (except for Rudd) will be wiped out at the elections, but in Swan's case, there's no one who deserves it more. He will forever be remembered as the minister who betrayed the man responsible for his rise by getting into bed with a grotesquely rich minority and emasculating essential tax reform that would've seen the country cash in on a once in a lifetime opportunity.

[Stubby]

She'll get some ridiculously high-paid consulting job at a big law firm/accounting firm/bank/some other big company. Isn't that what happens to most failed I mean ex- politicians?

I wouldn't be surprised if she goes back into private practice.

I'm pretty sure Slater & Gordon would happily have her back among the directors.

[karaddin]

She'll get some ridiculously high-paid consulting job at a big law firm/accounting firm/bank/some other big company. Isn't that what happens to most failed I mean ex- politicians?

I don't consider her a failure. To clarify I would perhaps consider her a failure as a leader of the Labor party, but I do not consider her a failure as a PM, she has been the leader of an effective parliament that has stewarded Australia through tough international economic waters in relatively good stead and passed a bunch of legislation that I support. She however did preside over her party falling apart with infighting which is why I'm open to her being a failure as a leader of her party.

[Jeor]

I also feel that Gillard was treated harshly - essentially I think she played a bad hand reasonably well.

Rudd has given Labor a chance at the election, but I don't think it'll be long before problems surface again. Rudd has the opposite problem to Gillard - he is popular with the electorate, but unpopular amongst his fellow MPs. Gillard was the other way around. Now that the MPs have changed it, Rudd is going to have to keep on putting out good poll numbers to offset the fact that his fellow Labor parliamentarians didn't like him the last time around for his micromanaging etc.

I'm probably one of the few Aussies on this board (if the only one) who has admitted to voting Liberal - although I traditionally defend myself by having voted Bob Carr at state elections. :P That being said, I think the scaremongering on Abbott is a little over the top. I know his socially conservative views are a turnoff to a lot of people, especially the demographic of this board, and I agree that people are entitled to hold their own view of him as a religious conservative zealot if that's what they wish. But I really don't think he's suddenly going to turn Australia into a vehemently religious, pro-life, woman-hating country. While there may be tinkering around the edges, I don't think Abbott is going to radically uproot Australian society, which in general is pretty resistant to any changes supposedly imposed by politicians.

<prepares for the storm of hate mail>

[brook]

No hate mail here and I actually agree with you for the most part.

&#12288;

I strongly dislike Abbott but I don't think he's going to turn Australia into a Christian theocracy either. My biggest issue with the coalition is I have very little faith in the people who will make up the new front bench, any party that puts Joe Hockey forward as treasurer is going to have a hard time getting me to take them seriously.

&#12288;

In contrast for all the irritatingly dysfunctional nature of the Labor party I do have a decent amount of faith in the ability of *most* of them to do their jobs when they aren't distracted by acting like preschoolers.

On a personal note it disappoints me that a coalition win will set the gay marriage debate back significantly and the less said about their broadband policy the better.

[Paxter]

Yeah the gay marriage thing is annoying - if the coalition gets two stints in Government then we could be looking at no legislative progress for quite some time. Personally I wouldn't mind getting married before I'm 40, or at least having the possibility of proposing to someone I love.

But I broadly agree with Jeor's comments, and will likely be voting Liberal in the HoR (Turnbull is my MP). No Coalition senator will be getting my vote though.

ETA: That was a brilliantly written Gillard epitaph, thanks for that Horz.

[delete this account pls]

Agreed with what Pax and brooke said. Though I find Abbot personally repugnant (and have done for quite a while. I thought he was the most loathsome member of Howard's cabinet back in the day as well) that doesn't really factor into why I'm opposed to him. It's the policies and general attitude of the current Liberal Party that I truly dislike. In addition to their ridiculous NBN proposal, and their fierce opposition to gay marriage, it's solely thanks to the Libs that the whole ridiculous "Stop the Boats" bullshit sideshow is still an "issue". And while I'm not at all a fan of the way the ALP plays along, I really think they'd happily drop it once the Liberals stopped taking advantage of the ugly casual racism that is still pretty prevalent in Australian society. If Turnbull was the Opposition Leader, for eg, I wouldn't be anywhere near as ardent, and might even be considering voting Liberal for the first time in my life.

The ALP, well, I dislike them a little less.