Impressive

[rrich]

I am comparing Tony Abbott to Bush, Clinton, Bush and Obama.

We've been seeing Tony Abbott on CNN hosting press conferences about MH-370.

The view from here is that he is professional, dignified, competent and does not seem to shovel the road apples. I would say that you blokes are much better off than we are with your elected officials.

[scuzyboy]

Lol try living here under this rule don't worry all pollies are from the same cast full of mushroom food

[jimbur]

All I can say is that I'm sorry for the rest of the world if the lycra lad is the best on offer.

[rwbuild]

How many votes do I hear for Shorten, Rudd, Gillard

[FenceFurniture]

I would say that you blokes are much better off than we are with your elected officials.

Perhaps, perhaps not. Perhaps that is always the case, because you don't have to be wealthy to get the top job here.

He has just lurched back to the good 'ole 1950s by re-introducing knighthoods and damehoods (which were booted out in the second millennium). He did not consult his Cabinet on this matter. He told a handful of colleagues what he was going to do. I would not call that progressive.

His sister is openly gay, yet he still resists gay marriage (as if it affects other people). One state (actually classified as a Territory) introduced gay marriage a few months ago. Abbot saw to it that a High Court (your eq. is the Supreme Court AFAIK) challenge was mounted, and had it killed off within a month or so. I would not call that progressive.

He has 1 woman and 18 men in his Cabinet. That is appalling. In the Outer ministry there are 7 men and 4 women. Parlsecs (Parliamentary Secretary) 1 woman and 11 men. Whips: 3 women and 6 men. Total in positions of authority: 9 women, 42 men. Total available (both houses) 25 women, 90 men. Remember - it only takes one woman to do the job of two men.

Before the election he touted one of his female candidates as having sex appeal. His daughters didn't seem to impressed.

HE is the Minister for Woman's Affairs. That is Stone Age.

He has abolished the Science Ministry. Uk-guk, but aren't we the clever country?

He has stopped the refugee boats - by towing them back into Indonesian waters, and turning his back on the problem. In this and other ways he has deeply offended the Indonesian Govt.

He has point blank refused to do extended interviews with tough journalists for some years, and continues to do so. Furthermore, he hides behind the line of "national security" when he refuses to discuss the refugee issue.

I have never seen a new govt get so many people offside in its first two weeks of life.

Nor have I ever seen a govt have a 5-6% swing against it within 6 months (which happened last weekend). It always works the other way around in such a short period. I should also point out that the Labor Party also had a similar swing against it, although marginally smaller. The continued swing against Labor would be expected, because they got thrashed out of Govt, and still haven't sorted themselves out properly. I suspect the swing against such a young govt may be unprecedented.

I am yet to see any fruit of this govt that I'm chuffed about. That may change in time, but after 6 months I would have hoped for something. It is unrealistic to expect to like (or indeed dislike) everything a govt does, but one does hope for something.

Should we have expected anything else from a govt run by an Abbot and a Bishop, with another Bishop controlling the House?

Make no mistake - all they had to do to win the election was to keep their mouths shut, and show up on the day, while the then govt continued to self-destruct. The Murdoch Press also got them over the line (I don't think anyone disputes that). There was no contest. We didn't deserve what the then govt had become, but we didn't deserve this lurch to the 1950s either.

It's not always about image - positive, decent actions count.

[fxst]

I believe political posts should not appear on this site as it is to volatile most times as people have fixed ideas on what constitutes good government. I will say, however that just because you are of a certain sex shouldn't automatically put you in a position. Being a woman won't automatically make you better at a job than a male.
Pete

[jimbur]

Being a woman won't automatically make you better at a job than a male.
Pete

Nor does the converse.

[FenceFurniture]

I believe political posts should not appear on this site

Should be fine as long as it's kept polite within ourselves and not inflammatory.There was an excellent discussion on Gun Laws and control about 18 months ago, with both sides contributing well. Unbelievably, there was no hysteria, and some eye opening points made by both sides.

Being a woman won't automatically make you better at a job than a male.

Maybe not (and I was being a little facetious about the two men/one woman quip), but women represent more than 50% of our population, yet they get 16½% of the top jobs (ministers) in the federal govt, and have a MAN representing their issues. We shouldn't even need a special ministry for women's issues, but currently we do need one. The very fact that we do need one shows that things are imbalanced.

If we had a Minister for Men's Issues, can you imagine the outcry if the Minister was a woman, and the reception she would get?

[Twisted Tenon]

We've been seeing Tony Abbott on CNN hosting press conferences about MH-370.

Just curious rrich, have you seen him televised in any other forum? For me, it is easy to play the role of a concerned politician/leader in the circumstances of a lost passenger plane. It's the other stuff you may not see. He is the most divisive PM this country has ever had. Fencefurniture put the case quite succinctly.

TT

[rrich]

Just curious rrich, have you seen him televised in any other forum? For me, it is easy to play the role of a concerned politician/leader in the circumstances of a lost passenger plane. It's the other stuff you may not see. He is the most divisive PM this country has ever had. Fencefurniture put the case quite succinctly.

TT

TT,
An excellent point. Unfortunately I've not seen other press conferences. All that I can say is that in the press conferences that I've seen, Tony Abbott is head and shoulders above our local fare for the last 20+ years.

I guess what I'm saying is "That was impressive" while I've not been able to say the same for those 20+ years. Or put another way, once is better than never.

[FenceFurniture]

Well, it is at least a good thing that he is creating a good impression overseas. Politics is only about gaining power and fooling us anyway.

Evidence of that came in 2010 from Abbott, when we had a hung parliament (no clear winner with a majority in the lower house of Reps). One of the two major parties needed to secure the support of the 3 Independents. One of these Independents was Tony Windsor, who was one of our most credible politicians. He later said in The House that Abbott pleaded with him to get the the top job by saying "I'll do anything to get the job except sell my ar*e".

Abbott didn't deny saying it.

[Sawdust Maker]

TT,
An excellent point. Unfortunately I've not seen other press conferences. All that I can say is that in the press conferences that I've seen, Tony Abbott is head and shoulders above our local fare for the last 20+ years.

I guess what I'm saying is "That was impressive" while I've not been able to say the same for those 20+ years. Or put another way, once is better than never.

Interesting
most of what we saw and see of your leaders seems fairly impressive over here as well - I think on both ways we do not necessarily see the day to day stuff from the overseas pollies, that which would tend to make us more wary of them in the long (and) short term

[jimbur]

To balance things a little. A friend in the UK told us she was incredibly impressed by Kevin Rudd when he was overseas as PM. He was articulate and intelligent and didn't talk down to the audience or for the Murdoch press.

[A Duke]

Of course all the gender equality lot forget that Woman are the only candidates for the real top job, MOTHER.
Regards

[silentC]

I don't know, I know at least two blokes who took the job on as soon as the baby was old enough to be fed from a bottle, and I reckon they did all right.