So When Will Malcolm Turnbull remove Abbott

The Main Stream Media are reporting the fact that Mr Rudd has got Labor a boost. What really has amazed me is that they are not talking about the positive aspects of these results but are just putting it down to the honeymoon (which there is an element but a 7% turn around is more than just Honeymoon)

What has to be remembered is that Rudd has had some of the highest polling in Australian history. When was he really behind in the polls? When Malcolm Turnbull was his opposite number.

There has been no talk or investigation of what the situation would be in the Liberal side of politics and a destabilization of the Liberal leadership like there was for Julia Gillard.

Turnbull is a unique character. He is able to cross over the divide of Labor and Liberal politics. He actually holds a very strong place right in the middle with the ability to pickup votes from Labor disaffected centrists. 

Amongst a straw poll of female friends, not done in any scientific manner, Malcolm has the "X-Factor"

I would expect over the coming weeks we will see a further erosion in the Liberal Party position and especially in the support for Tony Abbott. There will be a strong swing to Malcolm Turnbull as preferred leader of the opposition and more importantly as preferred PM. The polling, I would suggest, will show that Malcolm could win. Whether this is actually how it is reported, published  and how opinion is made in the MSM is another matter.

I talk politics with people on a daily basis and even the most staunch of Liberal supports that I have spoken to, really struggle with the idea of an Abbott led government. The fact is that Abbott is disliked especially amongst women and younger voters.

This dislike is of Abbott's own making. He is a very divisive individual as Rob Oakeshott said in his valedictory speech-:

''The fringe has invaded the middle. It's got to be put back on the fringe,'' he said.
''I have been shocked, frankly, over the last three years, to meet ugly Australia and just to see the width and depth of ugly Australia.''

While Oakeshott didn't say it outright. Tony Abbott is the face of ugly Australia. Tony Abbott has been a nasty and spiteful politician, his negative 3 word slogans are not policy no matter how they try and spin it. He has shown a very disturbing element of what Australia could become and I have to say it scares the hell out of me. And I know for a fact it scares a lot of people in the general public.

All you have to do is look at who are his major supporters in the Media and it is a who's who of the right.

If an Abbott led government gets in, we are in for a period of austerity and also a step back in time. Back to the days of racist and sexist policy not nearly as bad has having say Pauline Hanson but it would be pretty damn close.

John McTernan served as Julia Gillard’s head of Communications  from 2011, having previously worked as a senior adviser to Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman. In an article in the Telegrath he discusses the fact that Australia is so far behind the UK in the area of sexism and racist remarks in the public domain.

What is needed is for the debate to be brought up from the gutter. For politicians to return to a level of respect for the office that they hold. But more importantly to a level of respect that truly reflects the standards that are being set by mainstream Australia.

From what I have seen of Turnbull, he is a decent and respectful person who does not go to the gutter to get his message across. I am a Labor voter but if I was to turn it would be for a character like Malcolm.

Don't stress folks I won't be turning any time soon.

Thank You Ms Gillard

Dear Ms Gillard

It is a very sad day for Australia that we have lost you as our Prime Minister and also as a parliamentary member, I want to thank you for all that you have done for us the Australian people and especially want to thank you for what you have done for future Australians.

I have had the good fortune to meet you on two occasions, once when you were Minister for Education and another as Prime Minister. On both occasions you showed charm and charisma. I pointed out to you on both occasions that I considered you a "Bloody Legend" and this was confirmed in the manner in which you acted as PM and accepted the verdict of your caucus colleagues.

You have been a victim of the main Stream Media and the men in blue ties on both sides of the political divide. It is a point of reflection that we in Australia have still not gained the maturity to accept that women have the capability and right to lead.

I will be reminding people of the great achievements during your time as Prime Minister and will remind any young women that I meet of what is possible by using you as an example of what great leadership is about.

You managed to put together a Government made up of a coalition of  Labor, Independents and Greens and then go on a program of change that  has laid foundations for our future. To pass approximately 580 pieces of legislation shows that you had a government that was prepared to take action and implement a real change that had to be negotiated every step of the way. This is the true meaning of democracy.

I want to thank you for having the courage to implement the Carbon Tax and to actually fight all the way to ensure that the doomsayers and commercial interest were dissipated. And we managed to lead the world in what is now proving to be the correct way to go, as shown with the recent announcements from China and the US.

Thank you for the compassion that you have shown implementing the Disability care scheme and making it a levy that removed it from being  an area of the budget that could be manipulated by future governments.

Thank you for the belief in the importance of Education and the fact that it is our future hope for all children to be able to achieve what they want to achieve regardless of their socio economic background or geographical location.

Thank you also for helping us to grow emotionally and to accept that there are parts of our society that are unacceptable. Parts that we need to change and have the bravery to discuss openly so as to be able to heal through the Royal commission into child Sexual Abuse.

I want to congratulate you on the Misogyny speech, another area of Australian society that needs to be addressed. As you said in your Exit Speech let us hope that we are able to have the maturity to recognise that things need to change and people deserve respect regardless of their gender. I promise I will try and push the boundaries on the shades of grey so that women are able to go into leadership roles knowing that they are supported on both sides of the gender divide.

You said that your colleagues showed conviction in the two previous spills and you wanted to thank them for their support and you understood the pressure that they where under to make a change. I have to say you are a better person than I. It is my belief if they had stayed the course the truth would have won out and you would have been able to win the election.

You prevailed as our first Female Prime Minister under enormous pressure from the conservatives on both sides of the fence and did it with grace and dignity. You have changed the nation and made it a much easier path for women in parliament now and in the future.

You said you were proud to have led the country. I say to you we have been proud to have you as our leader. I wish all the very best in your future endeavours and hope that our paths may cross again so that I can remind you again of what a "Bloody legend" you really are.

For those that need reminding http://whathasthegovernmenteverdoneforus.com/

Why is knitting suddenly an Issue

Well the MSM are at it again. They just need any old excuse to slam into the PM.

I find it amazing how the PM is coping so much flak for what is considered a recreation and is not unknown to the media fraternity. On June the 8th I became aware of Julia's passion for knitting and to be honest was a bit surprised as it was not what I expected from her (especially as she professes to be a Game of Thrones fan that is more my cup of tea)

But I then did a bit of research and discovered that there was an actual International Knit-In public day on the 8th of June hence why there was the photo on Julia's Facebook page. It has also been known in the Press Gallery for a long time that Julia is an avid knitter and it is something that she finds relaxing and assists her to reduce stress.

So why is it that today is the day for a fuss about the fact that the PM is photographed knitting? Oops perhaps it might be that the new sport in town is kick the female leader!

I go sailing. That is my choice of relaxation and it works for me. Others I know, write poetry, some do exercise, some make cheese and others do gardening. We have had PM's who have unusual hobbies such as Keating and his clocks.

Please forgive me but when did the Women's Weekly become a forum for political commentary and why is it expected that all subject matter be about policy? Tony Abbott had spreads in the Women's Weekly along with many other leaders including Malcolm Turnball and John Howard. As the journalist in charge of the story said during an interview this morning these are all contrived setup photos and take forever to get organised and agreed upon.

I could not believe the comments about the fact that as a feminist she should not be seen to be knitting. How is this a factor in the argument for feminism? And then there was the argument that as a republican she shouldn't be knitting for the new royal baby. How does this become a factor? I have met lots of liberals that I consider friends. Do I stop buying presents when they have a child. Sorry makes no valid sense to me.

I see the photo as a clear indication of Julia Gillard's sense of humor and the fact that she, like all good Aussies, has an appreciation of self deprecating humor. Look at the staged manner of the photo with the wool scattered everywhere and Ruben posing so well for the camera. Really the photo is a piece of stage managed art.

All politicians of all persuasions stage manage photo opportunities. Some are less offensive than others, like do we really need to see Mr Abbott in budgie smugglers or lycra?

So back to why knitting is an issue? Well it really just isn't an issue to most people in the electorate and  this is going to be another one of the cases where the MSM are going to get it so wrong again.

The MSM is continuing with its campaign to oust the PM and cause as much disruption as possible to ensure that they get the result they are looking for. They try and say that they need the government to be talking about policy and when it is fed to them all they want to do is talk about distractions that they are creating.

All over the internet there is support for Julia Gillard her Parties Policy's and her knitting and some journalists are changing their tune as the day progresses. Please lets keep this alternative dissemination of opinion

and facts going.

Now I want her to knit me a really woolly beanie to keep my head warm
with these freezing winter mornings in Melbourne.

Respecting the office of Prime Minister

Why are we allowing the office of Prime Minister to be denigrated.

I have been following politics very closely since the sacking of Whitlam in 1975 and I have say I don't think any PM has copped as much disrespect as Julia Gillard has in her term as PM.

As a gentleman on face book put it so perfectly last night 

"After everything Julia Gillard has been through - the personal attacks and vilification from Abbott and his LNP stooges as well as the MSM - not once has she resorted to the same personal attacks on any other person. And she has been subjected to more personal attacks than any other Prime Minister of this country! "Ditch the Witch", "Bob Brown's Bitch", "Her father died of shame", "A dodgy lawyer at best", "Slit her throat", "back stabber", "make an honest woman of herself", and others! Yet she remains a strong, dignified and respectful person. Julia Gillard has treated her position as Prime Minister of Australia as a privilege and an honour and deserves the same respect in return for the position she holds!"

I just had to have a laugh when I heard the best that Hockey could come up with was that Julia called him "Fat " and that because he was referred to as a man wearing a white shirt and blue tie she must be calling him a misogynist. To then say he had no knowledge of the Menu at a small party gathering of Liberal supporters at a restaurant of a paid up member of the party - Please give me a break there would have been the usual nudge and a wink and a laugh over a glass of red. 

Don't worry it goes on for both sides of politics the joking and the poking of fun it just doesn't degenerate into sexism is most cases, if you look at the menu there was some actual humour about Swan and it probably wouldn't have got a airing but rightly it has as it crossed the line and displays the Liberal Party's total disregard and lack of respect for women and the Office of Prime Minister.

For Julia to call Abbott a misogynist is actually a intelligent and articulate way to have a level of debate that is mature and actually shows that there is no need to get down to the gutter of name calling to actually describe the political cut of ones Jib.

In 1971 Fraser ran a campaign against Gorton and forced him into a position where he would be rolled and supported the insertion of McMahon as the Prime Minister did he get denigrated for that no. McMahon was shown the respect of the office and then ran as leader.

After the Whitlam sacking people where baying for Frasers blood and calling him all sorts of denigrating and actually very unfortunate descriptions  but once he was duly elected the Media and the public gave him the respect that comes with being the Prime Minister.

I have to say that regardless of your opinion as to the method on how she came to be leader she was elected via the process that is determined by the parliamentary system and she was the leader of choice for Labor during the last election.  I will remind people that they do not elect the prime minister they elect their parliamentary representative and from them a leader is chosen based on a majority process. 

The government is made up of  the 72 members of the Labor Party (The largest party) and the 3 Independents and one Green the Coalition is made up of 5 parties (not one) Liberals, LNP, Nationals, Nationals WA and CLP with Katter supporting the Coalition. this is 76-74 with the speaker coming from the Government there is a democratic government. Abbott would have accepted power if he was able to convince the independents to come across but he failed, since then all he has done is try to disable the government and run a negative campaign despite this the Gillard Government has continued to implement major reforms and affect change.

The coalition is not a single party they are as fragmented as ever and are only holding it together to get them selves back into power. Once power is achieved there will be the usual jockeying for certain promises to be fulfilled and the minor parties will try to get as much of their agenda through as possible. 

I can assure you that if they get a majority in both the House of representatives and the Senate we will have the opportunity to call Abbott on his "promises"that are broken but I would like to think that we would still give him the respect that comes with being the PM of Australia.

The alternative of cause is to make sure that he doesn't get the majority and to ensure we keep him out of government.

Is Julia Gillard wrong to use the Gender Argument

 Abortion debate is valid when you consider history.

Julia Gillard's comments yesterday that women will be "banished" from politics and abortion will be "the political plaything of men" if the Opposition wins the election actually has some validity if you consider the history of the debate and also take into consideration the arguments and statements that she has made during the now famous "Misogynist Speech".

Tony Abbott as a Catholic is against abortion. This is a fact that he will not step away from, he has a strong personal opinion on the abortion debate calling it "the easy way out" and "morally black and white".  To be fair in the last election he did do a 180 degree turnaround (something that he calls a lie when Jullia Gillard does it) and said rather than reverse the decision on RU486 he would take advise from the Health department on the issue. This was after he refused to support the drug being allowed when he was health minister.

See Michelle Grattan's blog here theconversation 

A story before the 2007 election from the SMH

This was during an election campaign where he was not the leader of the opposition and the coalition was not in a position where they would easily win the election. 

For Julia Bishop to call for an apology is just playing politics, no different to Julia utilising everything in her arsenal to get every vote that she can achieve. 

It is no surprise that a bloke Stephen Jones a labor backbench-er who is a Rudd supporter has called the comments a surprise I think if you talk to women about the issue it is right up there in the list of issues that they find important as far as their life decisions are concerned. Not sure as I am a bloke but the women I know would consider the ability to have control over their own bodies as being very important. 

The fact is that the last time the coalition got control of the upper and lower house they went on a program to implement all of the radical and right wing ideological legislation that they could get through the parliament. The only thing that stopped them was the change of government after a stinging backlash from "Howards Battlers"  Why would this not be the case if they are given the power after the election.

The fact is that outside of the main stream media the Misogynist speech rang a bell with the Australian public and commentators in the media got it completely wrong calling it a miss calculation and error in judgement making such an attack,  the truth is that it has 2,344,347 hits on you tube, so there must be a voice for the arguments she is putting forward to the Australian people.

I think the main stream media has got it wrong again and don't realise that there is a real voice crying out to be heard and supported from the women in Australia.

Is Rudd or the Media Challenging Julia Gillard.

When will we wake-up that the media are driving the challenge.

I am getting really frustrated with the way we are being manipulated by the Australian main stream media, we are being constantly told that the challenge is on.

The last time saw one of the labor party's class performers fall on his sword in order to smoke out Kevin Rudd and from that we got a promise from Kevin himself that he would not challenge unless he was invited to take over without any challenges and basically was given a green light by the party to govern the way he wanted to. I don't see that as a real option for Labor 

The part I am finding amazing is the fact that it was the Australian media that actually caused the push by the Labor power players to make a move on Rudd 3 years ago we saw headline after headline about his in ability to govern that he was an autocrat and a bully. 

The media pushed Julia into the lime light encouraged her to challenge (must get a lot of hits and sell a few extra copies and get the ratings up a change of leader) The media brought about this change as they brought about the change in the liberal leadership. 

The coverage was amazing the last time the whisper of a challenge was made every twitter account was running overtime the count was on, journalist where battling to be the first to say that Rudd had the numbers. In the end Mr Crean called his bluff by saying he would support Rudd if he challenged, I thought it a brave move unfortunately Rudd was not prepared to put the numbers to the test. He is the consummate politician don't waste your numbers till you need them.

The 24 hour news cycle is being blamed and yes I do believe this has a lot to do with it, the egos trying to be the first to get the "Facts Out"as soon as possible, but I am also of the belief that we are being manipulated by a media that has its own agenda. 

This has been apparent for some time and I am wondering if we really are this stupid or weather we are actually just complacent. 

This is the first blog of hopefully a daily blog that is reflecting on the Australian Election