BS: Abbott out, Turnbull in

Subject: BS: Abbott out, Turnbull in
From: Rapparee
Date: 14 Sep 15 - 10:23 AM

I'll do it, since no one else seems to want to. Here.

Subject: RE: BS: Abbott out, Turnbull in
From: GUEST,#
Date: 14 Sep 15 - 12:31 PM

Couldn't figure out why this was labelled BS. The thread title makes it sound like a square-dance call.

Subject: RE: BS: Abbott out, Turnbull in
From: JennieG
Date: 14 Sep 15 - 05:03 PM

And there is much rejoicing, believe me!! Bot men have their supporters and their detractors, but on the whole Abbott is greatly disliked......when he opens his mouth it's to change feet.

He's the bloke who told the women of Australia, when announcing a fall in electricity prices, "it won't cost you as much to do the ironing."

Subject: RE: BS: Abbott out, Turnbull in
From: freda underhill
Date: 15 Sep 15 - 05:03 AM

Thanks Raparee.

I'm glad - it may be harder for Labor/ Greens to beat Malcolm Turnbull, but he's a much better international representative for our country. Tony A was dangerously inept on the world stage - he sabotaged the excellent negotiations Julie Bishop did on Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan (drug smugglers in Bali who were executed after Abbott's intervention). On Abbott's first visit to Indonesia the local journalists protested on the street because Abbott held media conferences for Australian journalists only - his boofhead behaviour has been an international embarassment and has caused so much damage. He was never up to the job and its an appalling reflection on the Liberals that he was trusted to lead the party. A puppet of The Institute of Public Affairs, he effectively led our country towards being a police state.

Malcolm Turnbull is considered more moderate, but has agreed to uphold regressive policies on the environment, same sex marriage etc in exchange for being supported by the Nationals, who are in a coalition with the Liberals to form government.

BTW for catters outside Australia, the Liberal Party in Oz is our equivalent of the UK Conservatives or the US Republicans, liberal being individual freedoms, personal responsibility, free market etc.

still exhausted from following developments, now waiting for updates on the new Cabinet,

freda

Subject: RE: BS: Abbott out, Turnbull in
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Sep 15 - 07:26 AM

as a collector of cartoons, I'm saddened Abbott is out. I have over 800 cartoons about him, most collected since he became Prime Minister 2 years ago, with 300 collected between Jan-April in his last leadership crisis which wound down when he saidGood government starts today (or maybe tomorrow)

With short hair, protruding ears & habit of being photographer in his budgie smugglers on the beach when he is not wearing a suit with a blue tie, he's a cartoonists dream

As a lefty folkie, I'm very pleased he has gone - & the shanty singing stopped last night when the result was announced, the bar erupted with cheers & we took our usual mid-evening break a tad early to discuss it & calm down - several singers even walked up the road a bit to watch TV coverage & didn't come back.

Then new Prime Minister is intelligent & non-confrontational, but is held back by more hardline colleagues, so life will be very interesting.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Abbott out, Turnbull in
From: JennieG
Date: 15 Sep 15 - 09:24 AM

And - I forgot the Suppository of Wisdom, one of Tiny Rabbitt's most memorable mis-speaks.

Subject: RE: BS: Abbott out, Turnbull in
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 05:43 AM

Turnbull was a good lawyer, but is still very right-wing.

Subject: RE: BS: Abbott out, Turnbull in
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 06:22 AM

a bit less right than some of his colleagues who hate him

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Abbott out, Turnbull in
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 06:41 AM

Yes

Subject: LYR ADD - Liberal Leadership - John Dengate 1971
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 17 Sep 15 - 04:49 AM

some things never change

LIBERAL LEADERSHIP

By John Dengate   © 1971


Well, God looked down from heaven saying, "Peace, Good will to men."
Then cast his eyes on Canberra and he blinked and looked again.
For there he saw unfolding quite a foul and fiendish plot;
The Liberal Party leadership was in the melting pot.

"I'm leader," squawks poor Snedden, "God knows I'm leader still."
"We know you are," they answer, "Of course you're leader, BiII -
But best beware the ides of March and try to get the knack
Of building up immunity to daggers in the back."

They filed into the party room where Menzies' portrait frowned
(And next to that is Harold Holt's, done just before he drowned).
Oh, you remember Harold Holt; he chose a watery fate;
And so would you if you were plagued by Zara and Jeff Bate.

Now Mr. Lynch is cunning and he shows a bit of sense
When called on to commit himself; he sits upon the fence.
He doesn't like the sight of blood; the thought he's bound to shun,
So he reserves his loyalty to when the winner's won.

And since Lynch is so clever and so neutral and so fair,
They asked him would be please oblige and so he took the chair.
"The leadership (he cleared his throat) is vacant we agree."
And people right across the land replied, "You're telling me."

Well, anyway, the time had come to put it to the vote.
"I'm leader!" bawled Bill Snedden - "Sit down, you billy goat -
The democratic process is the thing that must prevail. "
(A voice from somewhere on the right was heard to cry "Sieg Heil!"

It was raving Billy Wentworth - he rose to have his say -
"I move the Chinese army should turn round the other way
And march into Mongolia where they would die of thirst
Or we'd attack them from behind, whichever happened first."

He also moved that rice should be declared a noxious weed
But they ruled him out of order so the meeting could proceed.

Well, we all know Fraser got the nod and Snedden got the sack
(Why, in the second verse I mentioned daggers in the back);
He's gone the way of Bill McMahon, the way that Gorton went.
Now Fraser's treading lightly lest he stir up discontent-
No wonder the employment situation looks so crook;
There's out-of-work ex-Liberal leaders everywhere you look.

Published in 'My Shout: Songs and Poems by John Dengate, Sydney, Bush Music Club, 1982


Menzies - founder of the Liberal party & very long term Prime Minister (1939-1941 & 1949-1966 = 18 years)

Harold Holt - short-term Liberal PM

Zara & Jeff - Harold's widow & her second husband

Billy Wentworth - eccentric member of Australian's oldest political dynasty

Fraser, Snedden, McMahon & Gorton - shorter-term Liberal Prime Ministers