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