The thirty hours between 8 am Tuesday and 2 pm Wednesday saw the end of the Abbott adventure, probably, and put paid to his party’s hopes of governing Australia in this decade.
In those hours Rebekah Brooks, the intimate of Cameron and Murdoch was arrested for hiding and shredding evidence; Bob Katter launched his book; Christopher Pyne was shown to have phoned Jeff Ashby after swearing he hadn’t; Craig Thomson was shown not to have thieved or misused two hundred and seventy-two thousand dollars; Mitt Romney was shown to have beaten and terrorised a homosexual at college; Greece was forced to a second election which the anti-austerity forces would win; Francois Hollande’s plane was struck by lightning but he didn’t die; and Joe Hockey said he mightn’t give money to the Disabled which Gillard had promised them. There are as many Disabled as there are Tasmanians and as many Disabled Carers as there are South Australians and as many relatives and close friends of the Disabled as there are Queenslanders and this alone could landslide Joe’s party out of politics forever.
It is interesting how these things feed into each other. The arrest of Brooks, the CEO of News Limited, for concealing things the police want shown casts doubt on anything said by News Limited and Newscorp or Sky News or Fox News reporters. The Thomson exculpation opens those reporters up to individual quarter-million lawsuits. The Katter book reminds us that Newcorp’s numerical hit-man O’Shannessy concealed polls showing Katter’s party doing well — or so his silence every time I asked this portends. Romney’s assault on a homosexual will energise the young vote and assure his defeat by Obama, a Social Democrat. Hollande’s survival means Socialism is back, and merciful, and popular, and confident in Europe. Rebekah’s arrest meant Cameron would fall and Miliband would be PM or Deputy PM to Clegg by year’s end. Greece’s imminent default would mean that Europe goes belly-up and Swan’s Budget now looks like an act of prescient wisdom. And Hockey’s proposed persecution of cripples shows the Liberals (though not necessarily Abbott, who is DLP) to be a pack of bastards.
Historians will show that these were the hours when it all fell down, and the Australian Liberals received five bullets to the brain, or possibly six
.
It might be worthwhile asking now if Christopher Pyne has ever used prostitution services of any kind in any country, and if he paid for them with his parliamentary wages, money the taxpyers gave him these last twenty years.
For me the most fascinating moment was when I asked who Craig’s whore was and why Laurie had not interviewed her. It then became plain that ‘hookers’ to most people had no human meaning. It meant rather something like those blow-up life-size female rubber dolls that young men take to Antarctica. The idea that some actual young woman with a birthplace and a biography went to Craig’s room suddenly seemed very, very unlikely. And if she did, where is she? Who is she?
This question may be the coup de grace to everything.
Name:
Christopher Pyne may do anything he wishes with his WAGES.
Nothing illegal, I hope.
With taxpayers’ money.
Or do you disagree?
Please answer this.
Simon?
Am masterful account of how seemingly disparate occurences worldwide might be about to change a lot of people’s lives – thank you.
I stupidly had a small bet on Labor winning the next election at odds of $3.90, figuring these were good odds in a 2 horse race and politics changes quickly.
Sad to say that, despite your analysis, the ALP are now paying $6. Should I average down?
Interesting that K Rudd is now $2.50 to lead Labor at next election (J Gillard is $2.80)
Labor will be on $1.50 by August. The leader may not be Gillard but will not be Rudd.
Beazley could swap with McLelland and be PM by December.
Or Faulkner with Garrett.
Or Carr with Garrett.
Beazley would be a great choice; he stands like a giant among today’s pygmies. I like Faulkner, a man of integrity, but doubt whether he would be prepared to take the task on – he seems somewhat disillusioned.
We must agree to disagree about Carr.
I think I will take the $6.00 odds but woe betide you if they then blow out further in the betting.
Again not one Union member would have an issue with the spending on the anti-work choices election. The issue is the other expenditure and whether the ALP thinks this is of the standard required for a parliamentarian.
Criminal, disgusting, abhorrent are just some of the adjectives used to describe Thomson’s behaviour by the ALP and the Unions.
Sorry Bob, one item you forgot to mention was Combet admitting that 30% of families receiving carbon tax compensation are actually going to be worse off, is probably going to impact ALP votes more than the events you have mentioned.
Can you ask Penny and Wayne are they going to fund the NDIS in 2013/2014 and if so where is the money coming from? DO you think seriously that the LNP won’t support his if the model is right?
I predict the ALP will lose with Gillard as leader but not in a QLD/NSW style trouncing against Abbott, against anyone else the ALP will be out of power for a decade or more. They have one hope of winning Rudd vs Abbott in a short election campaign.
Is what Pyne does on his holidays disgusting? Just wondering.
No, Hockey’s repudiation of the Disabled and their carers and their relatives, all three million of them, has done for the Liberal cause forever.
It was the GOTCHA moment, and he did it to himself.
I actually believe Abbot when he says “When it comes to the national disability insurance scheme, I am Dr Yes”. ALP missed a good opportunity to wedge if they had proposed to fund the NDIS through the Mining Tax, rather than cash handouts.
But the HSU is not Craig Thomson and has not been since 2007.
The major crimes have been done by Michael Williamson – Thomson is innocent you fuckwit.
The day it all fell down huh?
Absolutely.
But err…wrong Political Party Bob.
“Labor has slumped to be level with the Greens in Tasmania’s latest opinion poll.
“The EMRS poll has the ALP down two percentage points since February with 17 per cent of the primary vote, equal with the Greens, their power-sharing partners in the state government.”
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8467721
In Tasmania the ALP holds 4/5 seats, and just missed out to Wilkie to make it 5/5. They also provide the most ALP senators of any state.
Tell me again how one shabby poll means anything?
Did you not see the results from Tasmanian Upper house for Hobart (Basically Wilkies elctorate)? The ALP vote halved, that is not a poll but actual votes from real people, similarly the greens candidate out polled the ALP one.
Bill Kelty is telling ALP supporters to wake up, stop blaming the media and opposition and it appears James you didn’t listen.
Dick Adams is the only safe Labor seat in Tasmania right now. You know the courageous man of principles who stood up to Latham on behalf of workers?
I assume you refer to the recent Tasmanian Legislative Council elections.
Elections for a 15 member body which currentlys counts as many Liberals as Labor members – 2.
One each for the major parties, and 13 indies.
I think the ALP representation in that body peaked at around 4, many moons ago.
Noteworthy also, that the Green run endorsed candiates, yet not one has ever been elected.
You’ll have to try some different tea leaves if you want to tell me about Ragnarok.
OK stick your head in the sand then, seems to be working well for Gillard and co.
Or you could head to Tasmania and ask around about the popularity of Giddings, Milne, McKim and Gillard by the very population that the ALP regards as its base.
The Tasmanian Labor Government is of a similar vintage to the recently departed Qld and NSW Labor Governments.
Barring major catastrophe, it will be 16 years old at the next scheduled election.
History tells us that after such a lengthy period in Government, the people tend to want a change.
Show me the last State or Federal Government that lasted longer than 16 years, and remained popular until the end.
In the last 80 years, the Liberals have only managed 16 on the Treasury benches.
It will be a short period in the wilderness.
Don’t mistake normal cycles for irreversible trends.
Actually if it was solely an ALP govt I am sure it would be doing better in the polls. Giddings like Gillard chose to walk down the aisle with her green partners, that my friend was a bad move.
Read Richo’s article in the Australian today, he talks of two MP’s being shocked at the absolute hatred for Gillard being expressed by the public, this from two of Gillard’s supporters in February. People have had enough the ALP can chose to listen or not.
Try to contain your glee, you miserable bastard.
This will get far, far worse for Chris Pyne before it gets better.
Get some popcorn.
Well put, that Wangmann.
Excellent, James W. Pyne has bitten off more than he can chew; admittedly that wouldn’t be hard.
His yap is far worse than his bite.
I would opt for handing the keys to the Lodge to TA, and the Govt. to the Libs and retire from the field, as the world goes down the Economic Gurgler. Don’t even have an election, just get the bond back.
Let Tony and Joe argue over the finer points of fiscal policy, Abbott obviously pulling rank via his superior Rhodes Scholarshipped driven Economic prowess. Bring Costello back, he will want to test his mettle against a slightly more challenging Global Economic climate, just for the hell of it.
My name is Schadenfreude and I am insatiable.
There, there.
It may be here here
Wild thing
Bob, don’t you think it’s time to take the words “film and theatre” out of this blog’s title? Neither get much of a look-in. Why not call it “Bob Ellis on the State of the Nation?”
You guys should all learn to relax like the old silver bodgie does with a good singalong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-FXIRoE1h2I
The Liberals are dead men walking, but no-one has told them yet.
Ashby is going after Bobby C
Fuck off and for Christ’s sake Bob get rid of the fucking emoticons ::
Don’t know how.
That should read
Don’t know how
This is one of my favourite posts.
I quite like you, ‘Carbie.
Sometimes
Fondly
How’d you get on with the caverject needle – sideways up your arse? Painful I hope.
