IAWJ ?

Institute of assorted whack jobs ?

Demonland Think tank

you friends with jazza, 'nut' ?

this looks like the milking crew down 'The Great Ocean Rd' wayz. can you tell us which one may be jazza?

Can we make Dee-luded's hankie hat out of tin foil?

LoL, whatdaya sayin? gives you better tunein capacitor & resistors against abuse

dear ol' Pah-luded

.. & family

LoL, whatdaya sayin? gives you better tunein capacitor & resistors against abuse

dear ol' Pah-luded

.. & family

this could be a fashion, for training days when its inclement.... heres one of saty, I think. > or is it dc incognito at training

I guess this is the forum to slag off on all embarrassments.

Putting all policy aside, there are only a few pollies that to me are what I consider an embarrassment.

As stated earlier - In the main, I did not like Howard's political agenda but I admired the way he presented himself and represented the country.

Abbott has been well covered here but I think I have a new poster boy for " I am a big goose and seriously should consider a new vocation as I am not suited to a profession where people put a microphone under my nose".

Christopher Pyne.....seriously.

I heard him late last year make a goose of himself on "the hack" and he was at it again yesterday on Adelaide radio.

I stress, this is not about policy - it is more about how he handles himself in the public arena ( or more accurately - how he makes a complete botch of it)

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/christopher-pynes-incredibly-awkward-moment-on-abc-radio-in-adelaide/story-fni6uo1m-1227215940897

I guess this is the forum to slag off on all embarrassments.

Putting all policy aside, there are only a few pollies that to me are what I consider an embarrassment.

As stated earlier - In the main, I did not like Howard's political agenda but I admired the way he presented himself and represented the country.

Abbott has been well covered here but I think I have a new poster boy for " I am a big goose and seriously should consider a new vocation as I am not suited to a profession where people put a microphone under my nose".

Christopher Pyne.....seriously.

I heard him late last year make a goose of himself on "the hack" and he was at it again yesterday on Adelaide radio.

I stress, this is not about policy - it is more about how he handles himself in the public arena ( or more accurately - how he makes a complete botch of it)

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/christopher-pynes-incredibly-awkward-moment-on-abc-radio-in-adelaide/story-fni6uo1m-1227215940897

good ol' tweetie, gotta admire his tenassity, if nothing else

I never liked Tony but assumed he would be competent enough to run the government for a couple of terms with the help of Uncle Rupert and the Conservative bloc. But really after demanding near perfection on every issue from Julia and Kevin he is turning out to be a near total incompetent. Since his survival last week and his declaration of good government starts today, we have had the submarine debacle, the personal attack on the Human Rights Commissioner and now he has knifed Ruddick, a 40 year party veteran! There is a bad trend of Tony shooting the messenger and always spoiling for a fight, no capacity to lead or bring parties together to achieve outcomes. He can't manage business and he can only lead if there is an external enemy at the gates. As for a coherent vision for Australia forget it. All we have is a mishmash of an agenda from the Murdoch Press, the BCA and the IPA that avoids hitting the rich and powerful and anyone who has donated to the cause. All that is left for poor Joe is to kick the defenceless poor in the teeth to find savings.

I never liked Tony but assumed he would be competent enough to run the government for a couple of terms with the help of Uncle Rupert and the Conservative bloc. But really after demanding near perfection on every issue from Julia and Kevin he is turning out to be a near total incompetent. Since his survival last week and his declaration of good government starts today, we have had the submarine debacle, the personal attack on the Human Rights Commissioner and now he has knifed Ruddick, a 40 year party veteran! There is a bad trend of Tony shooting the messenger and always spoiling for a fight, no capacity to lead or bring parties together to achieve outcomes. He can't manage business and he can only lead if there is an external enemy at the gates. As for a coherent vision for Australia forget it. All we have is a mishmash of an agenda from the Murdoch Press, the BCA and the IPA that avoids hitting the rich and powerful and anyone who has donated to the cause. All that is left for poor Joe is to kick the defenceless poor in the teeth to find savings.

I don't think he has the ability to see his faults & adjust, or he just doesn't care & ploughs straight thru. fences roads trees, whatever is in-front of his agenda.

IMO he is just dangerous, lucky 9/11 didn't happened this morning !

I don't think he has the ability to see his faults & adjust, or he just doesn't care & ploughs straight thru. fences roads trees, whatever is in-front of his agenda.

IMO he is just dangerous, lucky 9/11 happened this morning !

9/11 this morning?

#edit: sorry hood, I just realised what you meant after re-rading my initial post I left out an mportant word... (didn't happen ths morning) & mucked up the sentence.

9/11 this morning?

yes, I wouldn't trust him, to not take us back to war on some flimsy excuse or false reason.

What I don't understand is who the hell is advising him or is he just going "cowboy".

1/ Reported that two weeks ago, that his "messenger" asked for Gillian Triggs resignation. The human rights commission is meant to be independent with the President having a 5 year fixed term. The fixed term is in place to remove political interference !!!

2/ The removal of Ruddock. Ministers being removed from positions and reshuffles is not a rarity but I question the timing. When he has just defeated a spill motion ( and with any huge majority) you would think that fence mending and softer, gentler approach would be the order of the day.

What I don't understand is who the hell is advising him or is he just going "cowboy".

1/ Reported that two weeks ago, that his "messenger" asked for Gillian Triggs resignation. The human rights commission is meant to be independent with the President having a 5 year fixed term. The fixed term is in place to remove political interference !!!

2/ The removal of Ruddock. Ministers being removed from positions and reshuffles is not a rarity but I question the timing. When he has just defeated a spill motion ( and with any huge majority) you would think that fence mending and softer, gentler approach would be the order of the day.

IMO used his great determination & distrust of others to Discipline himself to just read from the script set out for him.... he says >, "debt & deficit",,,,, "debt & deficit",,,,,"debt & deficit", I said "debt & deficit",

but now he is in charge, he is slipping back into just being u.n.c.l.e. Tone. 3 word slogans don't pass muster when your the boss & answerable to the people.

now the BlueTie hawks are circling for their bit of the action.

What I don't understand is who the hell is advising him or is he just going "cowboy".

1/ Reported that two weeks ago, that his "messenger" asked for Gillian Triggs resignation. The human rights commission is meant to be independent with the President having a 5 year fixed term. The fixed term is in place to remove political interference !!!

2/ The removal of Ruddock. Ministers being removed from positions and reshuffles is not a rarity but I question the timing. When he has just defeated a spill motion ( and with any huge majority) you would think that fence mending and softer, gentler approach would be the order of the day.

Pin the tail on a Donkey, 'step right Up folks',,, "everyone's a winner".

The problem for Tony now is that the Emperor seems to have abandoned him. The party newsletter, The Australian has leaked that Tony wanted to send troops unilaterally into Iraq. Tony has vehemently denied it but the Oz is adamant they are correct. That is a sure sign that his most serene highness Rupert the Wise has made up his mind. Tony is for the chop sometime soon.

The problem for Tony now is that the Emperor seems to have abandoned him. The party newsletter, The Australian has leaked that Tony wanted to send troops unilaterally into Iraq. Tony has vehemently denied it but the Oz is adamant they are correct. That is a sure sign that his most serene highness Rupert the Wise has made up his mind. Tony is for the chop sometime soon.

that's a toughie earl

who to believe in? tony or rupert?

i'll pass, eddie

The problem for Tony now is that the Emperor seems to have abandoned him. The party newsletter, The Australian has leaked that Tony wanted to send troops unilaterally into Iraq. Tony has vehemently denied it but the Oz is adamant they are correct. That is a sure sign that his most serene highness Rupert the Wise has made up his mind. Tony is for the chop sometime soon.

We can only hope.

I remember laughing when he became opposition leader as he was, as Keating called him, an intellectual nobody. I thought K-Rudd would thump him. I didn't realize the depths of the ALP's policy vacuum and it's obsession with approval ratings.

Putting partisan views aside, Abbott was the best opposition leader in this country since Gough Whitlam. Like Whitlam, he will go down as one of the worst prime ministers ever on an administrative front and being able to run a government on a day to day basis (Rudd is up there as well). Unlike Gough however, he will have no policy legacy to leave behind.

The problem for Tony now is that the Emperor seems to have abandoned him. The party newsletter, The Australian has leaked that Tony wanted to send troops unilaterally into Iraq. Tony has vehemently denied it but the Oz is adamant they are correct. That is a sure sign that his most serene highness Rupert the Wise has made up his mind. Tony is for the chop sometime soon.

truth, on rumour,,, the knighthood'r, & president maker, is after u.n.c.l.e. Tony's ass, it was going cheap mid 2010, but nobody wanted it enough to deal with it back then.. thats the trouble tony, sell it low & its lost all sparkle, it gets dirty & on the nose.

the emperor wants the rabbot gone, because he can see the possibility of his plans coming unstuck, Via a change of government... the emperor wants to have his Pay TV all over the world. he wants to KILL OFF free to air TV, so he can control all media coming into households & therefore into our kids minds. & charge us all for it, to boot.

electronic media, news, movies, sport, all coming down the optical fibers of the emperors networks.

paytowatch.... its coming to your lounge-room.

Abbott's lucky Costello retired and the Rudd/Gillard government was so retarded.Otherwise he wouldn't have had the slightest chance of becoming Prime Minister.

Abbott's lucky Costello retired and the Rudd/Gillard government was so retarded.Otherwise he wouldn't have had the slightest chance of becoming Prime Minister.

he's an imposter. now we have to pay him a PM's pension, 'for the rest of his natural life' !

The more I listen to Shorten the more I am convinced he is a phony.

Even when he raises legitimate points / issues he sounds insincere and it's as if he does not believe a word coming out of his mouth.

Like Abbott, he will do and say anything to advance his own political interests; I suppose in a way this is the story of modern politics on all sides of the fence.

It's depressing, though, not knowing from when or where the next proper leader is going to emerge.

The more I listen to Shorten the more I am convinced he is a phony.

Even when he raises legitimate points / issues he sounds insincere and it's as if he does not believe a word coming out of his mouth.

Like Abbott, he will do and say anything to advance his own political interests; I suppose in a way this is the story of modern politics on all sides of the fence.

It's depressing, though, not knowing from when or where the next proper leader is going to emerge.

Interesting point Grape. When will a real leader emerge? I don't see one any time soon. Where would they come from? Your Bob Hawke types were one offs. Your Keating types would be cut down remorselessly by Murdoch. You might get a John Howard type again but let's face it the media and us do not like change that costs us money and Johney apart from the GST was a prolific spender and waster of opportunities. Joe Hockey talked the talk I thought but baulked in the budget. Apparently the age of entitlement was limited to the poorest. He stuffed up his best opportunity to try and cut costs across the board, rich and poor alike and hope to balance the budget.

Interesting point Grape. When will a real leader emerge? I don't see one any time soon. Where would they come from? Your Bob Hawke types were one offs. Your Keating types would be cut down remorselessly by Murdoch. You might get a John Howard type again but let's face it the media and us do not like change that costs us money and Johney apart from the GST was a prolific spender and waster of opportunities. Joe Hockey talked the talk I thought but baulked in the budget. Apparently the age of entitlement was limited to the poorest. He stuffed up his best opportunity to try and cut costs across the board, rich and poor alike and hope to balance the budget.

I think the advent of the 24-hour news cycle has really changed - and hurt - politics Earl. As you say, how would the likes of Keating and Howard fare in today's environment. Howard was allowed to be opposition leader 3 times, and a failure year after year, including losing an election - a period of grace to grow and improve which would never be granted in the climate of today's rabid political reporting. The Bulletin featured Howard on its cover one week with the huge headline: "Mr 18 per cent. Why does this man bother?" Headlines like that today are fatal. Beazley was allowed to fight two elections and was still a legitimate contender at various stages of the next three parliaments. These days, you have a bad week and your neck goes on the chopping block.

Agree with you on Hockey, too, he (and Abbott) really blew it, in many ways.

If Abbott is our Dubya then there's the possibility our Obama is around the corner?

Some will say that isn't a great thing, but few would deny his leadership qualities.

I don't think the modern political and media world necessarily precludes the emergence of a true, unifying leader. But it is now far more challenging, and it may be a while before we see it. Which is a sobering thought.

The more I listen to Shorten the more I am convinced he is a phony.

Even when he raises legitimate points / issues he sounds insincere and it's as if he does not believe a word coming out of his mouth.

Like Abbott, he will do and say anything to advance his own political interests; I suppose in a way this is the story of modern politics on all sides of the fence.

It's depressing, though, not knowing from when or where the next proper leader is going to emerge.

I think your confusing sincerity with spontaneity. spontaneity is lost with speech coaches, & media coaches. see gillard, see rabbot, & see how it worked for this man.

from this > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixn9fFatdcs

to this >

I think the advent of the 24-hour news cycle has really changed - and hurt - politics Earl. As you say, how would the likes of Keating and Howard fare in today's environment. Howard was allowed to be opposition leader 3 times, and a failure year after year, including losing an election - a period of grace to grow and improve which would never be granted in the climate of today's rabid political reporting. The Bulletin featured Howard on its cover one week with the huge headline: "Mr 18 per cent. Why does this man bother?" Headlines like that today are fatal. Beazley was allowed to fight two elections and was still a legitimate contender at various stages of the next three parliaments. These days, you have a bad week and your neck goes on the chopping block.

Agree with you on Hockey, too, he (and Abbott) really blew it, in many ways.

To me the difference is Beazley and Howard both had some substance to them.

Abbott and Shorten are all fluff.

It's probably easier to withstand a media [censored] if you're not made of hot air.

To me the difference is Beazley and Howard both had some substance to them.

Abbott and Shorten are all fluff.

It's probably easier to withstand a media [censored] if you're not made of hot air.

Abbott to me is not fluff - the extent of his lack of understanding of situations and ability to read the mood of public and his own party knows no bounds - the sacking of Ruddock again highlights this. His comments linking aid to the executions of the two in Indonesia - why oh why ?

Shorten ? - yup - fluff.....