The Down Under Lounge

[Botany Bay]

Absolutely devastating stuff from WA MP Luke Simpkins : "I have been inundated at my electoral office with complaints about the direction the government is heading. People have stopped listening to the Prime Minister, and if people aren't listening, you can't lead."

It's been a textbook campaign to destroy a leader, this one. Abbott is finished even if he somehow survives on Tuesday. I am not buying this "disorganised uprising" stuff, they wanted Abbott gone, and he is cooked now.

The only question is, when does Malcolm step out of the shadows?

This country can't afford to be rudderless any longer. The RBA has just told us it cut rates to 60 year lows because it sees much higher unemployment this year, and god knows what RBA governor Glenn Stevens was doing at parliament house the other day -- but I daresay it wasn't to tell Abbott and Hockey how beautiful things are going.

I hope Tuesday's result is overwhelming and decisive. The country can't afford to drift at a time like this.

 

[Botany Bay]

And if he loses and stays on the back bench he might try and go for the leadership again (historical precedent).

With his 29% approval rating?

I see where you're coming from alluding to Rudd, but this is a PM effectively being removed by the people. Rudd was removed by the unions, against the peoples wishes.

Abbott speaking to the media shortly.

 

[Botany Bay]

...but if he survives a challenge (likely, given the embarrassment of the alternative)...

Betting markets suggest that's one big "if"...

"Will Abbott be leader at the end of next week?"
YES 4.30
NO 1.20

 

[eyeresist]

And if he loses and stays on the back bench he might try and go for the leadership again (historical precedent).

With his 29% approval rating?

I see where you're coming from alluding to Rudd, but this is a PM effectively being removed by the people. Rudd was removed by the unions, against the peoples wishes.

I thought it was a reference to Howard.

 

[Botany Bay]

Abbott digs in : he'll be standing on a joint ticket with Bishop against the spill motion.

What is the hell is going on? Has he done a deal with Bishop

ETA : Apparently not. A clarifying statement from Bishop emphasises she's opposing the spill motion as a matter of convention (makes sense seeing one of the jobs being spilled is hers!). But, devastatingly for Abbott, she will not be standing on a joint ticket with him.

 

[Australis]

Somewhere, Julia Gillard is laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing...


... and laughing...

 

[Australis]

 

[Miss Chicken]

Somewhere, Julia Gillard is laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing...


... and laughing...

You haven't read this little gem?

http://www.sbs.com.au/comedy/article/2015/02/04/julia-gillard-rushed-hospital-after-overdosing-schadenfreude

 

[Australis]

So, I was right. Laughing and laughing and laughing,,, in hospital.

 

[Botany Bay]

Under the cover of the Abbott demise, Gina Rinehart has taken out the trash, selling her stake in Fairfax for about $300m. Why?

"We have come to the conclusion that the senior leadership of Fairfax Media has no workable plan to revitalise the company and address the declining business and circulation numbers,"

Ouch.

Still, she shouldn't complain, she is up by ~$10m from her baffling foray into the sunset industries of newspapers and AM radio.

 

[Australis]

Hmm, well, hopefully, Fairfax will be, uh, a bit more objective about her and her ilk. Damn, I think she's toxic.

 

[Botany Bay]

She's sure given them a good kicking on the way out. More :

""A series of bad decisions made by the leadership team has instead increased the number of publication errors and reduced the company's performance to cover news to standards expected to maintain the credibility of some of the oldest and finest newspaper mastheads in the country."

And this was on an investment she made money on! I wonder what she thinks of the $150m Lachlan Murdoch has lost her since she piled into Channel Ten under his management?

Meantime, over on spill-watch, there are all kinds of stories floating around tonight, including :

• Turnbull has been offered Treasury in exchange for not running (why would he take it at this point?)
• Senior NSW Liberals are urging Abbott to resign, fearing a state election loss.
• Another Kirribilli conversation looks like it might help bring down a PM.
• Tony allegedly is prone to the odd swear word and tantrum

Never a dull moment in Aussie politics

 

[Australis]

Ahh, but Channel Ten has Andrew Bolt, so she probably feels that makes up for it a little.

As for political rumours, Lib not so different to Lab after all.

 

[Botany Bay]

This is an extraordinary interview on the ABC yesterday with researcher Rebecca Huntley, who has been doing some qualitative polling on voter opinions of Abbott.

What do people think of him? "It's almost unrepeatable to say what people think of Tony Abbott..."; "the main mood is embarrassment"; "people had low expectations of him, and he has under-delivered" etc etc...watch from 8:45.

 

[Marc]

Absolutely devastating stuff from WA MP Luke Simpkins : "I have been inundated at my electoral office with complaints about the direction the government is heading. People have stopped listening to the Prime Minister, and if people aren't listening, you can't lead."

It's been a textbook campaign to destroy a leader, this one. Abbott is finished even if he somehow survives on Tuesday. I am not buying this "disorganised uprising" stuff, they wanted Abbott gone, and he is cooked now.

The only question is, when does Malcolm step out of the shadows?

This country can't afford to be rudderless any longer. The RBA has just told us it cut rates to 60 year lows because it sees much higher unemployment this year, and god knows what RBA governor Glenn Stevens was doing at parliament house the other day -- but I daresay it wasn't to tell Abbott and Hockey how beautiful things are going.

I hope Tuesday's result is overwhelming and decisive. The country can't afford to drift at a time like this.

Interesting thing about the cuts in interest rates. The low rates at present and one again being spun as you get lower rates under the coalition than Labor.

Except before the 2013 election, sloppy joe was saying, in a nutshell, that low interest rates were the sign on a sick economy.

...but if he survives a challenge (likely, given the embarrassment of the alternative)...

Betting markets suggest that's one big "if"...

"Will Abbott be leader at the end of next week?"
YES 4.30
NO 1.20

The bookies gave odds of $1.10:1 for a LNP win in Qld while Labor was at $6:1.

Though admittely the last minute opinion polls also seem to get it seriously wrong.

 

[Miss Chicken]

If Abbott loses the leadership his will be the shortest prime ministership since 1945.

 

[Marc]

If Abbott loses the leadership his will be the shortest prime ministership since 1945.

Shortest elected.

John McEwen was P.M for 22 days following the death of Harold Holt because he was Deputy P.M at the time but being from the Country Party he just filled in until the Libs chose their new leader and thus the new P.M

 

[Miss Chicken]

If Abbott loses the leadership his will be the shortest prime ministership since 1945.

Shortest elected.

John McEwen was P.M for 22 days following the death of Harold Holt because he was Deputy P.M at the time but being from the Country Party he just filled in until the Libs chose their new leader and thus the new P.M

Thanks for the correction.

It does mean that the only shorter serving post-war PM was caretaker PM, even the other non-elected PMs have lasted longer than Abbott current term.

 

[Marc]

If Abbott loses the leadership his will be the shortest prime ministership since 1945.

Shortest elected.

John McEwen was P.M for 22 days following the death of Harold Holt because he was Deputy P.M at the time but being from the Country Party he just filled in until the Libs chose their new leader and thus the new P.M

Thanks for the correction.

It does mean that the only shorter serving post-war PM was caretaker PM, even the other non-elected PMs have lasted longer than Abbott current term.

yep and after the noise he and the libs made over Rudd/Gillard, the irony is delicious.

 

[Australis]

In case it hasn't been posted before, and because it seems even more appropriate now:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2015/feb/04/the-thoroughly-humiliating-and-extremely-satisfying-demise-of-tony-abbott