During the last couple of days I’ve heard a few women praising Peta Credlin’s bravery in coming out about her IVF treatments. Her unflinching account of how her boss, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, allowed her to store her fertility drugs in his fridge and not only that, sacrificed his private bathroom in support of her pursuit of motherhood will, these commentators claim, inspire so many women who are enduring the same arduous and testing journey towards reproduction.
Then, as The Australian columnist Cassandra Wilkinson explained on The Drum last evening, Credlin has courageously shown us that even powerful women with successful careers have their troubles, just in case we nastily thought their lives were perfect.
I would be more inclined to feel compassion for Credlin’s circumstances were I not so mightily offended by the manner in which she has chosen to reveal them. Usually when I read stories about the IVF process in which a partner is involved, there is somewhere in the account a mention or more of the person who is sharing the journey. Quite frequently there are photos of both parties, and the supporting partner usually has something to say.
In Credlin’s coming out, as reported in the mainstream media, the photos are of her and Tony Abbott. She makes no reference to her husband, Brian Loughnane, Federal Director of the Australian Liberal Party, but speaks glowingly of Abbott’s compassionate and patient understanding of what she is going through.
Of course, Mr Loughnane may not have wanted to participate in his wife’s gut spilling. After all, a husband in the story would detract from Tony Abbott’s role and on the face of it, Tony’s role in the couple’s pursuit of parenthood appears to have precedence over their own. Tony Abbott has the starring role in Loughnane and Credlin IVF story. In the mainstream media Loughnane, husband and hopefully father to be, doesn’t get a mention.
I find this disturbingly dysfunctional. Isn’t there something just too weird about a husband being usurped by a boss in a woman’s IVF story?
Then, in case you find me cynical, Abbott next takes the golden opportunity created for him by Peta to beg understanding from the general public. People who know him understand his views on IVF, abortion and contraception, we’re told by both him and Credlin, but the punters haven’t got a clue. Well, whose fault is that?
It’s important, Tony continues, for people who know his real views to speak out about them. Why? Why doesn’t he speak out about them himself? Why hasn’t he been speaking out on abortion, for example, given that women find him ill-informed and offensive on matters that relate to our health and well-being. If he wants to change our perceptions, why doesn’t he just come right out and tell us his views instead of asking other women who are related to him or work for him to do it on his behalf? That tactic is certainly not going to endear him to us any time soon.
This piece on his website from 2005, for example. Titled “Rate of abortion highlights our moral failings” it is all we have to go on, and what a vile piece of woman-hating propaganda-disguised-as-concern it is. Abbott may well have made statements about his views on abortion since that time, but they are not written down, and as he himself famously stated, we can believe nothing he says unless he writes it down.
It is really quite baffling, that a man who claims his views have so radically changed does absolutely nothing to address that change on his website.
Then up pops Christopher Pyne, falling over himself in his slavering anxiety to tell us how Tony supported him and his wife through their “IVF trauma.” By god, Tony even went against the Catholic church’s teachings in order to do this!
So what next? Can we expect a woman who has been supported by Tony Abbott as she went through the process of pregnancy termination to come forward and tell us how he held her hand? Has Tony Abbott ever spoken to women about their abortion experiences, I wonder?
IVF is no joke, I’m sure. A woman needs all the help she can get to go through it, I’m sure. I don’t think Peta Credlin and Tony Abbott have done anything much to encourage and support women and their partners who are on this journey. Indeed, I think they have, by using this story for political gain, shown once again that nowhere in a personal life is there an exploitation-free zone, whether they choose that exposure for themselves, or inflict it on others.
Brian Louhgnane
No Place For Sheep 
“Health Minister Tony Abbott has blasted the Victorian Law Reform Commission’s call for single women and lesbians to be given access to IVF, saying it casts doubt on the wisdom of “expert” committees.”
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Abbott-blasts-IVF-reform-call-by-experts/2005/05/12/1115843310326.html
I had little doubt Abbott would support the creation of life for heterosexual couples. No one has asked him about he previous statements regarding single women and lesbian couples.
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Nobody did, I wonder why not.
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Jennifer, I get that you don’t like or admire Tony Abbott, and I understand where your views on abortion lie, but that link you posted in the main article above doesnt appear to be particularly woman hating to me…I’m sure you can find a better example
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I’m doing a painstaking analysis of the language and tone of that article at the moment – will put it up soon. Probly very soon as I can’t go surfing today because national park is closed due to fire danger.
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Doesn’t understand the Dark Arts of spin.
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“….went against Catholic teachings in order to do this!” Pity Abbott wouldnt go against his Catholic teachings to roundly condemn the Catholic Church, George Pell and other RC hierachy for protecting paedophile priests all these years. Abbott has always been utterly silent on this issue.
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Interesting, that silence.
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He’s not the only silent one. Many of the high profile profiteers making money from the children’s industry (and the women/girls snouts) are also hiding under the bed.
Hetty Johnston seems to be vocal.
Are the double standards shown here linked to church funding or just cowardice or just hypocrisy.
Not what anyone would call advocacy.Surely the first step in advocacy is speaking out.
Nothing Abbott does will erase history or change his persona.Even ‘if’ it is one of the MSM’s main past times.
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The sooner the Catholic Church comes clean, then modernises perhaps by allowing priests to marry, the better. Money settlements are likely the main reason for the staunch silence and denialism…talk about a “damaged brand”!! It’s easy to cast unsubstantiated slurs against all kinds of institutions but its not as if this one has no basis in fact. The Catholic Church needs to do a major re-think about what they are on about. Unfortunately entrenched hard won positions in the Church hierarchy come at the price of absolute loyalty regardless of where the battleship is heaing….a very dangerous way to run any organisation
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Tip:
Don’t hold your breath.
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in every election since 1968 my vote has not been LIB, and I agree this entire episode is exploitation for TA. Politicking is evil everywhere. However, Mrs Loughnane seems to be attracting some of the fan-spray of ordure that should only be landing on The Member For The Vatican. Not fair. Not consistent in the light of recent posts re “why do women like to attack other women” or whatever.
Peta does everything TA does, only in high heels and for less money. She is nice, and kind, and smarter than he is, and so tall she has to bend like a giraffe to hear the drivel he spews. When she gives up on producing another little sunbeam for the church, she could aim at being PM herself, and I hope she succeeds.
Have you noticed that Mrs Abbott has completely disappeared since they recently flung her into the (always unpleasant) media glare. IVF is far from her thoughts as she is flat-out keeping those 3 daughters on the absolute straight-and-narrow Pope path. Wouldn’t daddy just choke if there was a knock-up or shack-up.
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Well he’s going to have to get used to it, isn’t he? What chance he might get a surprise if he DID nose around his kid’s pasts.
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because I have not read ‘it’ I followed your initial Telegrash link (twice) and got –
PAGE NOT FOUND
We could not find the page you requested. This is either because:
There’s an error in the address or link you have entered in your browser;
There’s a technical issue and the page has not been properly published;
The article was removed to comply with a legal order;
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Oh, that’s interesting. I just checked and redid it – it works now I know you are dying to read it! Lol.
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Now read, the initial Herald-Sun published item has a couple of bothersome bits that make me think Loughnane wrote every word.
A woman desperate to be a mother does not say “last chance to have kids”, she would say “a child”. a precious wanted child.
“Tony’s bar frig” ? – come on, they only cost $200 and she could easily have put one in her own office.
The final para makes it clear that the outcome of the next election is more important than a pregnancy.
You idiot Loughnane, wasting the entire effort with that sloppiness – for your penance you must say 3000 ‘Hail Toby Zeigler’s.
Also bothersome is that there are only THREE published comments, after several days, and all pro-Tony. that smells bad.
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Looking at the photo above, Peta and Tony for sure seem to be adoring each other.
Abbott’s fan club does not have many females; now there are three: Mrs Abbott, Peta and Julie Bishop
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As I commented on Independent Australian regarding this same matter, what we’re seeing is another attempt by the Liberal Party to show Why Tony Abbott Should Be King. We keep seeing a lot of these – he’s a good bloke, he looks good in a Speedo, he’s sensitive, he’s compassionate, he looks good in a fluro vest, he looks good in a wetsuit, he looks good in a cammo vest. If he were going for the job of President of Australia, or King of Australia, this would all be great stuff.
But he isn’t. He’s going for the job of Member for Warringah, first and foremost. Then he’s hoping for the job of Prime Minister of Australia, which he will get if his party scores the majority of seats in the Federal House of Representatives. His party will score the majority of seats in the Federal House of Representatives if they have the best policy offerings for the majority of Australians – the looks, abilities and personality of the party leader don’t come into it.
“Tony supports IVF” is just another example of “why Tony Should Be King”.
“I’ve seen the experience my staffer went through getting IVF, and so when we’re in government, we’re going to introduce $LEGISLATION to make things easier; or fund $RESEARCH to see whether we can improve the chances of conception; or offer $INCENTIVE to private providers to move to Australia” – those are policy options for a political party in a democratic society.
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I disagree with your take.(IF) he Libs will get in, it will be despite of the Abbott good looks/image crap, because Labor has offended many of its grass roots support base, and Labor votes will bleed off.And because if the gullible masses are told often enough they will vote Labor out.It’s apolitical tradition in this country.
Much as I dread the outcome it is sadly self inflicted misery, which this faux Labor will be culpable in making an undeserving electorate suffer.
Too many true Labor voters on blog sites are all too forgiving, have limited(selective) eyesight or memory issues.
If they reviewed a bit more of Labor’s post Rudd assassination with both eyes they would see that Abbott has been a caustic membrane from day one.And yet instead of capitalising on it they took up every dare and bait he through their way,usurped and amplified his policies,and when he said jump they said how high.If the Labor spin doctors don’t have a plan B (Other than the massive pork barrel simmering in the background) then the is no future for Labor.The disenchantment is obvious and yet the Ministerial line up is in pure denial.
When Gillard,the NSW right plant, finally bit back it was too late.
Seriously,have a good look at Labor’s post Rudd history.If you like what you see you need your eyes checked.
The last two alone were incredibly Howardesque.
“I could live on the dole”
“Budget surplus cancelled.”
There are dozens more.
No one could sell Abbott to me.
What the country needs is for those “True Labor” voters, to tell Labor how they feel.Abbott already knows how we feel about him.It’s wasted breath. Expose him and his foundations, for sure, but FFS let’s at least make the alternative accountable to their own value set.
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EDITs
“Threw their way”
“then there is no future for Labor”
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My point, if you’d care to read through what I wrote again, wasn’t that the Liberals won’t get into government. My point was that the Liberals would be more certain of getting into government if they’d supply some policy. Yes, sure, Tony Abbott may be a great bloke. That doesn’t mean I’m going to preference the Liberal candidate over here in the electorate of Brand any higher unless I see a few positive policies coming out of the Liberal party. It also doesn’t mean I’m going to be preferencing the ALP candidate (the current sitting member) any lower.
Tony Abbott’s current political “style” is very Presidential. We’re being told we should vote for the Liberal party because their party leader is a great bloke – and for NO OTHER REASON. Oh, there’s “because they’re not the ALP”, but that isn’t a unique qualifier. The Nationals aren’t the ALP. One Nation isn’t the ALP. Bob Katter’s Australia Party isn’t the ALP. The Greens aren’t the ALP. If we don’t want to preference the ALP first, we have a host of options to choose from, so why should we choose the Liberal Party of Australia? Oh, that’s right, because their leader is a Great Bloke.
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I don’t happen to think Abbott’s such a great bloke. Where does that leave me?
After all you can be a great bloke (or Sheila) who appeals in inclusive kind of way, or you can be as Abbott seems to be, an exemplar of great blokeiness to the exclusion of other redeeming qualities. He’s very driven and determined, but really quite closed to women’s issues and the social diversity. When half of the electorate is female and some other significant proportion belong to immigrant or gay communities, then taken overall the good bloke tag could leave him in the minority.
I think he’s wound up, whether by choice or otherwise, being seen as something of a conviction politician, which is often a good thing, but when it comes to conviction politics you don’t share with the candidate, then it’s more of a liability.
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Dont fret Hudson,from what I know of megpie 71, its unlikely she is the Monks biggest fan, either.
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As I commented upon Anne Summers’ Drum Article, the best summation of my view on this would still be….
Every good thing said in support of Abbott’s record on women’s issues that isn’t said by the man himself just makes him look less capable of saying anything good about women’s issues.
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Exactly
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Labor continues to smash in their own heads.Another free kick to Abbott.
Another 25,000 Labor votes in the bin(minimum)
Arrogance like this will not go unpunished IMHO.And the Libs will push it for weeks.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-09/labor-mp-sorry-for-abbott-stunt-tweet/4458118?section=justin
Upcoming book.
“How Labor Installed Abbott”,
Subtitled-and ran his own policy agenda simultaneously.
In effect we will probably have two coalition terms.The current Labor run one, and the upcoming one under Abbott.
Thanks faux Labor.
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Reblogged this on iheariseeilearn.
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It seems what we have here is a “Credlinbility Gap”.
Are we to actually believe the ‘alleged’ words of a woman who is actually paid to put the words in Abbott’s mouth ?
Is she behind the tactic to get the coalition ‘ladies’ to fight Abbott’s battles?
After all he has admitted “unless he writes it down…..”
(Then again he did not write ‘that’ down?)
If she is speaking for Abbott who speaks for her?
Loughnane?
And IMO the photo of Abbott/Credlin looks a bit too close for comfort.
Get ready fro the next instalment of women’s admiration.
Abbott, covered in black soot, embracing his ‘waiting’ daughters when he returns from the fire front.
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I just don’t care about the awful sickening political couple.
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Loughnane is the man Abbott so publicly supported, after encouraging Peter Reith to stand against him as Federal Director. At least, Peter thought so 🙂
Deceptive and duplicitous are two words well known to readers of this blog; they apply rather well to Abbott, unless that is he simply did a weather-vane switch.
As for Credlin, she would say that wouldn’t she. Maaaargiiieee!
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I think we can just safely and wholesomely accept that everything Abbott says/does is about the top job, and that he will do/say/spin anything to get it.
Given his view on the most ‘female’ of female issues, it speaks volumes about Credlin. Given she is a (the key) part of the drive to create what is clearly an Abbott character makeover it says even more about her and goes to the heart of where her interests lay.
S E L F .
We all know this.Right?
Women (anyone) would be fools to consider that cosy little team has their (women/others) interests anywhere on their agenda.
Credlin is probably choosing the colour scheme of the lodge, as we speak.
Oh, and checking out the fridges as well.
😉
I’ll bet Julie Bishop is a shade of light green, these days.She seems to have forfeited that pugilistic ‘tennis racquet ear’ she used to whisper in,so often, to another femme fatale.
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Mr-Poodle needed IVF, who`da guessed.
Fully with you on this one JW, exactly what I thought, Brian who?
Mr-Rabbit allows egg-steroids to be stored in his fridge,
probably protected with a Howard fridge magnet. Big Deal.
Sideshow Sam and Limited-News once again, lend their arse and credibility to propping up Mr-Rabbit.
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Is that a Pyne Needle ?
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Anne Summers doesn`t like the nasty Twitter blowback Credlin got for peddling her eggs on Mr-Rabbits behalf.
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4455364.html
Suck it up princess!
I`m with Twitter on this one.
Credlins job is to create/help Mr-Rabbit dish-out his nasty crap.
Don`t cry when it is returned.
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I reckon if you dug around enough you would find a tangible personal connection between Summers and Credlin.
In the end Credlin’s role is nothing more than a political pimp.
(Keeping in mind Tony’s arse is not for sale – according to a real politician)
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No, but next-Pope Sanctimonious I might fancy it . . .
And Lord Rupert of Hackphone might as well . . .
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Yes,
They are both women.
Summers is to be commended on her campaign against the obvious flaws shown by our conviction opposition leader and his attitudes, although I think many others got pissed off with his obstructionism after waiting a long time for some thing more productive, about the same time.
He’s been utterly destructive. He’s done nothng to get the government to do right on the real issues of our time and I can only feel limited sympathy for him, even now, as he is hoisted on his own petard.
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Better if the political parties spent a bit of time coming with policies, rather than wasting their time, money and what passes for intellect on image antics in mags like Marie Claire,
I mean, I should vote for Credlin or Gillard on the length of their spikes or jacket-colour?Abbott or Keating on the cut of fashionable Italian suits, or be elected on the basis of whether my genitals bulge out of my bathers, rather than what my ideas are for improving society are?
Never mind if it is right, so long as it looks like it- that’s my message from this silly season antic.
The Credlin ploy as to eggs in Abbott’s bar fridge has to be basement level crass, btw.
Just as well someone didn’t feel like an omelet.
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Sorry Paul, but I’m feeling just a little bit sick, no scrambled eggs for me tomorrow morning…
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Great with parsley and chives.
I suppose they’d look a bit watery, poached.
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Helvi, apparently that’s what Peta reckons, she also wants to feel, “a little bit sick”.
btw, congrats on your “little” announcement.
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OK I’ll start the egg, I mean ball, rolling….
People for the Ethical Treatment of Abbott?
Park the Eggs in the Top of the Ariston
(As always I recommend the ‘bottom mount’)
http://www.comparison.com.au/fridges/Ariston/MBL-300-F-FE-
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Not exactly your motel bar fridge is it.
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Now there’s a funny concept : A conviction politician.
That must be one after the charges have been proven?
Any politician worthy of the name is open to negotiation on just about any issue you care to name; they need to be to remain in a Party. It may cause some difficulties with their credibility, especially when they come under the spotlight of a leadership position. How they react to that spotlight determines whether they can go on to statesman status or fall by the wayside.
When someone is described as a conviction politician reach for your “vote no” option, for invariably they will have inflexible views on issues where there should be room for manoeuvre and will flip flop where they should not, just to prove their “flexibility”.
The disastrous leaders of the 20th century were all conviction politicians. They are too well known to bother naming, sure they were right all the way to their timely demise. Unfortunately they took millions with them.
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HAS EVERYONE SEEN THIS BRILLIANT PHOTO MONTAGE OF TINY ABBOTT THAT FORREST GUMP SENT TO ME: http://tonyinthetele.tumblr.com/
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I am the egg man……
Coocoocachoo
“Sing the other chorus:
He obviously lives in a yellow fi-re suit, a yellow,fi-re suit, a yellow fi-re suit,
He obviously lives in a yellow fi-re suit, a yellow,fi-re suit, a yellow fi-re suit
(Montage wise, I would also loved to have seen him replace Paul on the stroll across the crosswalk-to Abbey road, or perhaps placing the flag on the moon)
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“Turn me on, dead man..”.
What would you do,
If I sang out of tune
Would you still need me?
Would you still feed me?
Any time?
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“The Fool on the Hill”
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It’s a young lad’s fantasy world.
Snoopy on his kennel,after the Red Baron, Indiana Jones, Jungle Jim…
I notice they left out the six he hit to bring up his double century and win the Ashes,
And that soaring over head mark and goal from an impossible angle that won the AFL premiership last year, when drafted back to take on teams of towering thugs half his age.
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They are all “conviction” politicians, DQ. So many convictions they should be all locked up for decades at Pentridge or Long bay.
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Look out everyone!
There’s a control freak in the building!!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-11/rudd-calls-for-compassion-on-dole/4460680
And he’s carrying a heart!!
(Albeit a repaired one)
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I see Smacka Fitzgibbon again noisily representing the Abbott types on the ALP Right, really taken with Alan Jones’ “Struggle street” meme and neolib “disciplining”.of the Unwashed Classes.
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When Fitz got the flick for his Ministerial f/ups, he decided he would hold a grudge.And he has.
Another narcissist.(Most senior politicians are, or become one, quick enough)
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It’s quite incredible, the extent and magnitude of the significance some of them attribute to themselves.
If only they knew, In contrast to what others think of them.
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The mind boggles.
2 words
Martin Ferguson
Logic, where are you now, my fleeting friend?
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Why do you continue to demonise Rudd, he was and always will be better than the Gillard racist coward.
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Marilyn,
I WASN”T demonising Rudd.It was a dig at those who do.
(Sarcasm)
I was actually pointing out what ‘genuine’ compassion looks like, and it comes from someone who has actually experienced heart disease form an early age.Like JW said sarcasm font would be good.
I don’t think Rudd being a control freak is a bad thing for a PM, anyway.What is the alternative? A jumping puppet to the NSW right?
Yep.
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Nothing wrong with Rudd, in his place. He was a competent minister and a hard working politician; just not a good choice for PM.
As for the Newstart allowance, if I had my way it would be nearly doubled, to the disability allowance. A worker out of work needs to be able to maintain his or her lifestyle whilst seeking work or retraining for a prospective new job. This is not best done on a subsistence level payment.
Rent for a glorified dogbox in Sydney is higher than the allowance, by itself. Forcing a worker to relocate to a dogbox in the outer suburbs will not assist in the re-employment of the worker.
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Helvi,come back. Have a nice slice of quiche waiting for you.
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That’s nice, Paul…I love quiche, also Spanish omelet with thinly sliced potatoes and plenty of garlic, and of course Frittata…
I used to know a Spanish girl called Mercedes, her omelettes were to die for; she introduced me to her Argentinian friend who was called America…
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Oh Looooord won’t you buy me……………
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A Spanish girl called Mercedes!
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State and Federal Governments are full of Jumping-Puppets Hypo.
That`s why the public keeps getting Panto served up to them.
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Barrel-o-Monkeys.
(Deepest apologies to our hirsute primate friends.)
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Onya DQ, that has a nice sound to it.
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