I have heard many people wonder aloud how much longer Tony Abbott can continue to lead a government that is illegitimate by his own standards.
Tony Abbott was adamant that the Gillard government was an illegitimate government because it had to horse-trade with the Senate to have legislation passed, and because of the notion of a broken election promise, putting a price on Carbon.
Forgetting for a moment that Gillard had actually made an election promise to indeed put a price on Carbon but that it wouldn’t be a tax, as I don’t wish to delve into a debate on semantics, however Abbott’s track record on broken election promises hasn’t been real flash either.
In fact I think it’s safe to say that I would put more faith in a Tiger Woods wedding vow than a Tony Abbott election promise.
There have been too many broken promises to list, each one making the government that little bit more illegitimate by Abbott’s own standards.
To me however one of the real glaring failures/broken promises is the one in the picture below that relates to the same Carbon Tax he criticised the Gillard government for.
What does immediately mean to you?
The promise/pledge to immediately legislate to scrap the Carbon Tax could again be a debate on semantics, but I feel I’m on safe ground with this one.
To me the word immediately means straight away, or without delay.
The Oxford Dictionary gives these definitions:
1. At once; instantly:
I rang immediately for an ambulance
2. Without any intervening time or space:
she was sitting immediately behind me
3. In direct or very close relation:
they would be the states most immediately affected by any such action
I searched high and low, both far and wide and could not find a definition that said either
“Virtually a year later”
Or
“Whenever a political possibility emerges”
To give Abbott some credit though, he made the assumption that he was going to sweep into power and have control of the Senate as well. I guess Abbott never heard the saying
“To assume makes an ass of u and me.”
Well an ass of Abbott that assumption has made as his government are looking less legitimate each day by Abbott’s own standards as they deal with an unpredictable Senate and negotiate just how big a hole to put in their first budget in an attempt to deliver an election promise almost a year late.
What happened to the talk of a double- dissolution election? Not feeling quite so cocky and confident now Mr Abbott?
To be completely fair several members of the Coalition did a joint press conference to explain why they did not choose to announce a double-dissolution election which can be seen in part in the below video clip.
One thing the Gillard government will be remembered for is guiding a huge amount of legislation through a hung Parliament and Senate with skill and minimum fuss, rather than the circus we are currently seeing from this government.
So how does someone deal with such a failure of government of such epic proportions?
Having a media tycoon on speed dial helps.
However spin doctors and a bunch of people who are very skilled with smoke and mirrors is how it’s being handled after all even a media tycoon needs something to work with.
Over the weekend Fairfax reported on Abbott’s new team of spinners that are meant to rival Warnie.
Abbott has 37 staff in his media and communications team at a cost to the taxpayer of approximately $4.3 Million per year.
To their credit his team of spin doctors have done a superb job. Polls show that Abbott’s fall from grace has been the fastest of any Prime Minister in the country’s history. That’s $4.3 Million well spent so far…
Abbott however is a lightweight in the spin department compared to Immigration Minister Scott Morrison who clearly thinks that refusing to give any information needs more far spin than just talking crap like Abbott does.
Morrison has a team of over 95 communications staff that apparently tell him how to say nothing and then spin it to try to make it come off as plausible. Morrison’s team of soothsayers and spin doctors cost us around $8 Million a year.
The selectively blind and mute Morrison.
Between Abbott and Morrison that is around $12.3 Million a year of taxpayer’s money. Bear in mind this is only for staff whose job it is to tell their bosses what to say and then twist and distort their words once they’ve said them, not their other staff.
By the time Abbott’s term is up and we will have the chance to elect a legitimate government by Abbott’s standards, Abbott and Morrison will have cost us $36.9 Million just on spin alone.
$36.9 Million is a lot of pensions, a lot of disability support, and a lot of doctors’ visits for the kids.
Never mind though, I’m sure that Abbott’s team of spin doctors will make it sound good when they cut all of the above to shreds.
Another important point to remember in all of this wild spending on spin during what the illegitimate government call a “budget crisis” is that this immense figure only represents figures for two members of that government.
The Government has 30 Ministers and 12 Parliamentary Secretaries each with their own communications staff so that figure is likely to be much higher given it only takes into account the figures for less than 10% of the Ministry alone.
Those bracing for the pain of the budget must cringe at the thought of all this wasted taxpayer money.
Those who work in the governments colossal spin department must also be cringing as they learn the truth behind another old saying.
“You can’t dress up a turd.”
However for $4.3 Million, I’m sure they’ll keep trying…
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All that spin (and $$$) and they still can barely take a trick. Bill Shorten has more material to work with than any Opposition could have dreamed of. Let’s hope the ALP thinkers are developing some ball-tearing pollcies which will differentiate them from the Abbott rabble and form the basis of their next term in government.
No you can’t polish a turd and watching bishop who is clearly out of her depth, stumble, bumble and embarrass us (again) there isn’t much point in putting a frock on a turd either.
Astounding waste, Peter. Which Abbott spin doc thought it was a ‘damn good idea’ to brown-nose to the Japanese PM by having Idiot Boy cite “the bravery of Japanese submariners killed in the 1942 raid on Sydney harbour”..and “We admired the skill and the sense of honour that they brought to their task although we disagreed with what they did. Perhaps we grasped, even then, that with a change of heart the fiercest of opponents could be the best of friends,”.
Disagreed!!!! It was a wee bit more than that Abbott!!
His spin doctors certainly aren’t managing to stop his horrendous gaffes. A diplomat he certainly is not. Wonder why there hasn’t been more of a hue & cry over this statement? Spin! Imagine if an ALP MP had said something as insensitive as that? Not that they would but the front page of the Daily Toilet paper would have been frothing with rage. The RSL has been silent too which is astonishing.
I agree with all of the above but what is interesting to me is that, with Abe visiting Australia with his wife, there has been no reporting of Abbott’s missus. She didn’t even accompany him on his world blunder tour. Is Margie (I think that’s her name) MIA? This is a legitimate question as she helped portray Tones as a loving family man during the election campaign and, if this was not the absolute truth, he’s gotten away with another lie. Admittedly I don’t read the Telecrap, the Oz or any women’s mags, nor do I watch any Turdoch TV, so she might be all over these forms of media (and I use the word “media” with a sense of irony here) , bit ‘m wondering if Margie might be out of the picture. If this is the case then ALL of the media are complicit in a cover-up.
Yes James Cook, it was interesting that Margie did not accompany her husband on his recent all-conquering world wide tour de farce as is usual. Nor did she appear to entertain Mrs Abe during the Japanese PM’s visit. Wonder who did do the honours?
There does seem to be a total hands off by the MSM re Abbott’s family life, such as it is, which never, ever applied to Julia Gillard nor Kevin Rudd. Imagine the confected outrage from Murdoch’s rags if Therèse Rein hadn’t accompanied Kevin on such trips or visits?
Meanwhile the taxpayer is footing the bill for her to live at Kirribilli House & for Abbott to live with the boys & girls at the AFP training establishment. It will be interesting when the renovations at the Lodge are finished. Will Abbott live there on his own?