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Possibility of a Liberal lead minority coalition, under Abbott, seeing how at last glance they possessed 72 seats to 70 ALP. Though, re-elections will be soon.
* Welsh-born former lawyer
* Taken to Australia as a child in 1966 for the warmer climate
* Known for her pragmatism and sharp tongue
* Seen as intelligent and determined
* Lives with her partner, a hairdresser
* Faced criticism from conservatives for not having children
TONY ABBOTT
* Nick-named the "mad monk", relating to his brief training as a Catholic priest
* Renowned fitness fanatic and former student boxer
* Socially conservative on issues such as same-sex marriages and abortion
* Known for gaffes and has frequently been caught swearing on camera
* Climate change sceptic
From their BBC profiles. What is it with the media and (mostly) conservative politicians? They always paint them as backwards and rigid. Is "the mad monk" that bad?
"They want to test our feelings.They want to know whether Muslims are extremists or not. Death to them and their newspapers."
I'm a lifelong Liberal voter but I voted for the ALP in the house this election because I consider Tony Abbott to be a complete prick. I almost changed my mind at the last minute because I found out that the Greens would be in control of the Senate and I thought that that in combination with an ALP government would have taken us too far to the left, but at the end of the day I couldn't bring myself to vote for Abbott. He's a biggot who only cares about other people like himself and I didn't care that his side might provide better economic management than Labor, I don't want to be represented by somebody like that. Here is a prevous post that I made on the matter which details my concerns about him.
" .... while I am a lifelong Liberal voter at the federal level (with the exception of one vote for the Democrats in the Senate in 1993), I cannot abide Tony Abbott. For a start he does not give me the confidence that he will make a more competant PM than Rudd did. As the Health and Industrial Relations Minister in the Howard Government he achieved very little in terms of reform, with the really big reforms being driven by others. I consider his use of foul language and inability to reliably turn up to appointments to be unprofessional and his contortions about when we should and should not believe what he says to be a joke.
On his ideology, for a party that is supposed to be about free markets and individual liberty I am amazed that the Liberals have chosen a leader that is the polar opposite. His biggest policy announcement was a big business funded maternity leave policy, the absolute antithesis of what a Liberal leader should be doing. It clearly shows that he knows nothing about economics. I also do not think that he can be trusted to keep his very public religious beliefs out of politics, the only notable thing I ever remember him doing as the health minister was to drive the ban on the abortion drug RU-486 and for an alternative Prime Minister of Australia to say that he is "uncomfortable" with an entire section of the Australian community (Gays) on national television is an absolute bloody disgrace."
Anyway, I'd put it 75% - 25% in favour of Abbott governing with the support of the three conservative country independents. I'm not particularily happy about it but he may surprise us and not turn out to be as big a prick as he has until now. We'll see.
"There is no such thing as society" - Margaret Thatcher
I voted Labor but im seriously underwhelmed by both leaders to be honest. Abbot for many of the reasons Aussigunner mentioned above and Gillard because of the way she was involved in the political assassination of Rudd. Yes it was legal and allowed in the rules but it was a dog act and she paid for it brutally in Queensland. They also both seem to have no vision or ambition to take this country places apart from the NBN on Labors behalf... and for that kind of money you could vastly improve the countries infrastructure, something that would have an even larger economic impact.
Regardless of who wins, they will face the prospect of it almost being impossible to pass any bills and not having a mandate to rule over the Australian people with their interests at heart, sets the stage for a double dissolution, its only a matter of time before re-elections are held.
However, hopefully the Greens impact upon the Labor electorate so much so it prevents the ALP from drifting even further to the right and present a stable and viable alternative to the Greens as a left party.
A lot of men are uncomfortable with homosexuality. Tony Abbott is a devout Catholic thus highly likely to fall within that category.
I think it admirable that he admits his thoughts on the issue even if they're politically incorrect. Would you rather he lied about it? Here's a politician being honest, let's give credit where credit is due.
A lot of men are uncomfortable with homosexuality. Tony Abbott is a devout Catholic thus highly likely to fall within that category.
I think it admirable that he admits his thoughts on the issue even if they're politically incorrect. Would you rather he lied about it? Here's a politician being honest, let's give credit where credit is due.
Ok, what if he said he was "uncomfortable" with Aborigines? Asians? Protestants? Freemasons? Women? .... I can keep going but you get the picture. If he said that about any of those groups he would be politically castrated and rightly so.
The fact is that if we are honest most of us are probably uncomfortable around one group or another. However, a mature adult recognises that this is their problem and not the problem of the group in question and - unless that group is clearly doing or intends to do harm to others (like pedophiles for instance) - just deals with their discomfort . Furthermore the Prime Minister of Australia is elected to represent everybody so there is an even greater obligation on him or her to treat every good citizen with dignity and respect, irrespective of whether or not he likes them.
Abbott has clearly failed that test - he thinks that it is ok to disrespect those Australians who don't fit into his narrow view of the world. To me that means that he is not fit for the top job.
"There is no such thing as society" - Margaret Thatcher
My only question to you, which I will now clarify with more detail, was whether or not Tony Abbott should have lied to the Australian public when he was questioned about his true thoughts on homosexuality.
My only question to you, which I will now clarify with more detail, was whether or not Tony Abbott should have lied to the Australian public when he was questioned about his true thoughts on homosexuality.
No, I'm glad he told the truth. It proved that he is a biggot who can't keep his religously inspired private views out of his public life and gave me my reason not to vote for him.
"There is no such thing as society" - Margaret Thatcher
I will now just probe your use of the term 'bigot'. I wonder which aspect of Abbott warranted that insult, in your view?
Is it that:
a) He personally feels that homosexuality 'challenges orthodox notions of the right order of things', and/or that he feels 'threatened' by homosexuals.
b) That those above feelings are religiously influenced.
c) That he, as a politician, is not supportive of legalising gay marriage.
d) That his political views are influenced by his religion.
(or any combination of the above, of course)
I realise this may be overcomplicating it somewhat, but I feel that this issue does need to be broken down into its components, in order to understand your position.
I will now just probe your use of the term 'bigot'. I wonder which aspect of Abbott warranted that insult, in your view?
Is it that:
a) He personally feels that homosexuality 'challenges orthodox notions of the right order of things', and/or that he feels 'threatened' by homosexuals.
b) That those above feelings are religiously influenced.
c) That he, as a politician, is not supportive of legalising gay marriage.
d) That his political views are influenced by his religion.
(or any combination of the above, of course)
I realise this may be overcomplicating it somewhat, but I feel that this issue does need to be broken down into its components, in order to understand your position.
We agree that it is good that he told the truth, but if you are suggesting that his motives for doing so were because he is an honest, good bloke then we disagree. I personally suspect that he knows that it was an appeal to the many other Australian homophobes whose votes that he wanted to attract. I suspect he would have calculated that it would have outweighed the number of people who would be offended by it, a majority of whom would probably not vote Liberal anyway.
It is instructive that during the "Town Hall Debate" in Brisbane he was much more circumspect about questions on what he might do with respect to abortion, than he was on gay marriage. Could it be that there are a much greater proportion of straight women who vote than homosexuals who want to get married?
Re your question, I don't care if his views are religiously influenced or not. I find the notion of a government intruding into the rights of a group or denying the same privilages to that group that all others in the community can enjoy offensive, irrespective of whether the judgement is religiously motivated or not. He can hold those views if he likes but he should just apply them to his own life and not to those of others. So my answer would be C with an additonal answer of E - He feels the need to impose his views on others.
"There is no such thing as society" - Margaret Thatcher
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