Abbott’s new broom is a wire brush

In August last year I attended a talk by Tony Abbott in Sydney. Aside from the snappy sound bite for the evening news, Abbott settles from an evasive and indecisive stutterer to a rather smooth orator certainly on top of his game. That surprised me and prompted the column: Abbott—more than a 10-second news clip.

Abbott’s deliberation was a likely safeguard to avoid the relentless and spiteful attacks upon his character in parliament by an orchestrated chorus of shrill fishwives and other rusted-on Laborites. Even the Coalition’s resounding victory has done nothing to stop the new opposition’s dog-tired assault upon the man who caused them to haemorrhage so profusely at the polling booth.

Just a day or two after the election, Labor resumed blame upon Abbott for more illegal boat arrivals and has continued to do so confirming an inability to recognise the failed tactic that damaged them so badly. The matter that those boats were already en route during Rudd’s reign exemplifies Labor’s disconnect from reality.

However, Abbott’s announcement revealing few women in his government caused predictable hysterics among the Opposition’s inquisitors of misogyny who scattered like headless chooks crying foul. The new Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is one of six women in the 42-strong ministry but the only woman in Cabinet.

Unexpected by many has been copycat bleating from some on the government team. “I think it’s shocking and I think it’s embarrassing, and it’s not just embarrassing nationally but I think it’s embarrassing internationally,” said Senator Sue Boyce. The Senator was a fool to play the “embarrassing internationally” card because nobody in other countries of any consequence could give a damn how many women our parliament has, they have enough problems of their own to worry about. Besides, too many confuse Australia with Austria.

Furthermore, the Coalition will remember Boyce’s defiance of policy when she sided with the Greens, crossed the floor, and voted for their gay marriage bill. Labor Senator Penny Wong says Tony Abbott’s new frontbench sends the message that female Coalition MPs are inferior to their male colleagues. But the fearless Amanda Vanstone, an ex minister of the Howard era, says more women on the frontbench does not equal a good government. Look no further than Labor’s former selection of frontbencher females for that.

Has Tony Abbott been underestimated?

A vignette of Abbott’s past contains clues that form the building blocks of his character. They are there for those who want to look.

Abbott adheres to habit. Fit, he is and seriously competitive. That he is now prime minister will inject confidence into an already ambitious man. He is surrounded with experienced ministers and has already moved to address a number of election promises. Dumping Tim Flannery, Labor’s climate change guru was a good move.

Just hours after his swearing in as PM, sackings of Labor’s padded appointees began and you can bet it is just the beginning of what will become a vendetta against his political enemies.

For a person abused throughout every parliamentary sitting by the gaggle of Labor shrews spitting venom across the despatch-box, Abbott always remained calm, perhaps plotting an electoral judgement-day. That dream has come and now it’s payback time.

For those who can remember, the once seminary aspirant, Rhodes Scholar, and decorous family man showed ambitious capabilities through his role in the damaging of One Nation that ultimately saw the imprisonment of Pauline Hansen and David Ettridge. He wanted to please his boss, a court was told—proof that politics supersedes piousness in his good book.

With unprecedented national debt to be repaid and interest accruing at $24,600 each minute in every day, the government will have to make many unpopular choices. And, the loudest objectors will be from the arsonists whose accountability was ignored for six expensive years.

In the weeks leading to the Coalition victory, Fairfax media seemed resigned to a change of government with a few conciliatory bouquets toward the Coalition. That brief offering now seems an aberration as the left media has mounted renewed attack of blaming Abbott for further boat arrivals never mentioning that those boats set sail during Rudd’s watch.  Watch Fairfax shares further drop as readers tire of the same old.

Nevertheless, the Abbott haters can squawk all they want because the majority of Australians view him as the doctor who knows best how to cure “profligacy” the eternal Labor disease.

Abbott has three years in which to pull that rabbit from the hat. He can and will ignore his raucous detractors before campaigning on what may well be his record of success that wins a second term. If that happens, it would be goodbye Labor for a very long time, I should think as the door will be ajar for a third party to gain a foothold.

Abbott’s new broom is indeed a rough wire brush that easily dislodges rusted-on ideology.

 

Comments

[ibbit]

1.

It pleases me that another thinks Australia needs a third party and is prepared to say so. It is to be hoped that such a party would be credible and led by a person with political and community nous, not to mention business acumen.

One of the reasons I took strongly against Pauline Hansen was that, in many ways, she did much damage to the likelihood of getting a serious third party of the ground, although plenty that was unfair was hurled at her head.

In my mind PUP is not a suitable answer to this need and will expire in time as Katter nearly did this time.

With regard to Abbott - it is undoubted that a man of his ability and tenacity has not reached the position of PM without a great deal of political smarts and all that conveys. However, unlike some who are bereft of community service his dedication to community service and decency is second to none and has not been overshadowed by his ambition to climb to the top of the tree.

It would not be overly fanciful to say he has Australia's interests at heart much more than his own, and in recent memory this is a standout. One has only to look at the Labor nonsense floating around re the current leadership battle to understand this.

[Brian Richard Allen (@Brian_R_Allen)]

2.

.... It pleases me that another thinks Australia needs a third party ....

It pleases me to point out to you that Australia already has a third party.

And that, in successful Coalition with the Liberal Party -- and with neither of the parties compromising its principles nor Australia in any way losing as the consequence -- Autralia's third party has provided Australia with all of the excellent government Australia has experienced these past several decades.

Next?

[ibbit]

3.

My apologies for appearing dumb. However, it's a common mistake given that the Coalition is often thought of as one party, not two, which from a governance point-of-view they nearly are. They clearly share much the same philosophy and have acted in tandem - other than for occasional three cornered fights - for as long as I can remember - and that is back to Country Party days.

I would offer no argument to the proposition that the Coalition govern well, which is a wonder when consideration is given to the endless attacks by the media and various other leftist groups who seem determined to undermine all that is good in Australia.

I would like to see a viable third (sorry, fourth) mainstream, as opposed to protest party, which could challenge the mostly constant rubbish - people and policy - presented by Labor as worthy of government.

Maybe such a party could even displace Labor once and for all. They certainly deserve it.

[Allan]

4.

I agree, ibbit.

For as far back as I care to remember the Liberal/National Coalition have for all intents and purposes been seen as one party. I think it would be straw splitting to insist otherwise regardless of the truth of the matter.

There is currently no real alternative to the current two major parties. PUP, KAP and the Greens will go the way of the Democrats and One Nation and the plethora of minority parties that have little to offer anyone let alone the national interest will come and go as little more than nuisance value.

The LDP, who at least have a range of published policies, have been trying to gain some traction for a decade or more without success. Maybe if they had someone well known, credible and respected who can articulate their policy objectives publicly they would be contenders for the third viable option.

[Gregoryno6]

5.

The left often accuse the right of being dinosaurs and stuck in some bygone era. But they've got some catching up to do themselves. This is the age of the screencap and the instant download.
Yesterday's news isn't turfed out with the rubbish or recycled at the bottom of the budgie cage. When leftoids come out with some idiotic accusation, 99 times out of 100 there's a quote or a response on record to throw back at them. Their criticism on illegal boat arrivals now is in stark contrast to the muted reaction when people drowned on Labor's watch.