The only momentary interest came right at the finish. At the end of his closing address, Abbott said “so this election will determine whether the Prime Minister is to be elected by the people or by the powerbrokers. Whether Prime Ministers are to be chosen on the basis of the job they’ve done, or gender."
If Tony Abbott think[s] Julia Gillard became Prime Minister because of her gender, or that the only way she’ll win the election is if female voters reflexively vote along gender lines, then he really does have a problem with women, and not just a political one.
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11 comments:
In my perfect dream of The PM Australia Quest, my preferred candidate slips into a red baywatch Speedo suit and with full media, does a bouncy-racked jog on Bondi Beach, and blows him and his package right out of the water.
in my dream. and possibly in his.
I almost spat at the TV when he said that. Nasty little bleep. I think my husband is starting to understand that I really am serious about living o/s if TA gets in. I'm hoping that Julia gets in and TA gets rolled before the next election so I won't have to though.
Reminds me of the commuter I got talking to at Melbourne Central, who said that if Abbott got in he was moving to Denmark. Said commuter was a youngish gay bloke.
Yes, I've told my family I'll be moving to New Zealand, which is at least within visiting distance if they make a bit of an effort.
"I'm hoping that Julia gets in and TA gets rolled before the next election so I won't have to though."
Don't worry Mindy, if Julia wins (and I think it more than likely unless something drastic and unexpected occurs), Tony Abbott will be a dead man walking. No way are we going to be asked to vote for him again in 2013. He'll be loooooonggg gone.
It doesn't even make sense as a concept anyway - if women were sure to get in just becuase they are women, then why has neither party tried it before - and why doens't Tony let good old Julie have a go for the libs??
Annabel Crabb: http://tinyurl.com/32vmock
"My wife, Margie, and I know what it's like to raise a family," began Tony Abbott last night.
He did not add "unlike you and your hairdresser, Madam", but the impression hovered in the air like a squirt of Taft.
I wouldn't have put Taft, I'd have put something spelled a bit like Taft but with the F at the beginning and a R added.
But things will still be appalling if Gillard gets back in, because the ALP had already lurched to the right under Rudd and has gone further in that direction under Gillard.
As deputy PM she declared her commitment to education but did zilch to improve equity in what is basically a two-tiered system; the building program was available to the wealthiest schools, and all private schools had greater say over what they got and the final cost. The computer program was also available to all, and some government schools couldn't afford to pay for the infrastructure. Gillard fought against hard working teachers over the NAPLAN tests and the MySchool website.
The poorest people won't even get the education rebate because they don't pay tax.
Now we have the demonising of asylum seekers; no carbon tax; continued welfare quarantining for some disadvantaged groups; a shamefully low unemployment benefit; continued tax breaks for the middle classes that cost billions each year, such as negative gearing and the capital gains tax exemption on family homes; no staff ratios in nursing homes; no gay marriage; a scheme to replace old cars that will actually increase emissions ... I could go on.
The ALP is no longer a progressive party, and Gillard's sole aim is to retain power.
I'm particularly concerned about the absence of welfare issues from the media coverage in this election. The single parents, unemployed (ie non-working families), kids with disabilities, mentally ill, homeless children, aged pensioners and frail aged are all absent from the debates. Instead it's unending bribery and middle class welfare, and the ABC in the main colludes in this silence.
Cultural Gal, I agree with some of that, though I think 'Gillard's sole aim is to retain power' is a massive overstatement and oversimplification. But the post is about Abbott, not Gillard, and the point of the post is Abbott's dopeyness in not realising that elections have always been about gender, ie, naturally the nation elects a man. As someone said online somewhere at the time, 'Why shouldn't it be about gender? It always has been before.' It goes to the heart of feminist theory, which examines the unspoken sociocultural assumption that maleness is the norm. Which is a completely separate issue from your feelings about Gillard. Trashing Abbott doesn't equate to barracking for Gillard, and anyway the whole tribal taking-sides thing is starting to give me the screaming meemies.
unfortunately the 2-party system is all about 'taking sides' and it gives me the screemies too
Our entire culture has a 'pop contest' slant - Idol, B.Brother, Chefshit - and the morons who vote think the Polling Booth should have SMS texting to Vote Off the candidate whose hair they don't like.
goes off humming
"Do ya wanna be in my gang? My Ga-ang!
Sorry, I did get off topic - I probably should have chosen another blog entry to comment on.
I don't have any trust left in the ALP at all, and I'm at the point where I'm irritated by any attempt to read even some progressive tendencies into the actions of any of the Cabinet, but particularly Gillard who seems dry as burnt toast to me - but yes, probably the wrong entry on which to vent my spleen!
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