The dying days of the Fourth Reich: it's the 2007 AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL ELECTION

to use Bernie Banton's death to simply point out what an idiot Abbott is is in very poor taste as far as I'm concerned.

I didn't use Banton's death against anyone. I referenced it to make the point that Abbott's "people person" claim (if it ever had any substance) is suddenly void.

The significance of the Abbott-Banton incident goes well beyond the election campaign, and imo has nothing at all to do with what's wrong with the party, so I don't know where you got that from.

If it's legacy you're concerned about, I'm sure Banton would be delighted to know Abbott's leadership chances are lessened because of what happened.

Outgoing prime minister John Howard has arrived back at Parliament House for the first time since his election loss, to clean out his office and make way for his replacement Kevin Rudd.

Joy.

hey now we're not hosted in australia any more we can talk about that bob ellis defamation case, rite?

especially that tart [CONTROVERSIAL MODERATOR EDIT]!

Housemate pointed out that Kennet looks like he has a 'shitler'

hahahaitch

Pru Goward to thread

Turnbull supports saying sorry to indigenous people.

The ghost of Howard is being exhumed. It's all happening.

The rodent will definitely be remembered for all the bad stuff he did, especially when four days on his party is already making up for lsot time.

this is an amazing week.

Liberals = Me Too Party

lol

Abbott: 'I suck'

'There I was, on the road to Damascus and there was this blinding flash of light....'

Fuck missing the internet for a week when all this was happening!

Am I the only one saddened by Tony Abbott pulling out for the Libs race? It would have been one of the great opposition trainwrecks of all time, even worse than Latham and up there with Downer.

Also, a bit late due to internet probs, but I am still amused by how far down the gutter than election night on Australian TV has gone...

ABC: Red Kerry O'Brien getting angry mistaking the Julia massiv for a Chaser stunt. Mad props for Stephen Smith for calling it early.

Seven: LOL IT'S KOCHIE AND MEL LOL and the dude from Deal or No Deal with Peter Beattie and Jeff Kennett. YEAHHHHH. If Seven were really serious about this, they would have got the Indian Bingo guy on boa...oh, nevermind.

Nine: Hours of Ray Martin frustrated by how out of touch he is with the world tempered by Robert Ray cutting fully sick on the Libs, SWANEEEE and THE SHREDDER!

As I said above, I don't think an opposition train wreck does all that many favours for an incoming, inexperienced govt. A little surprisingly, the thing I'm saddened by in this election, that I really can't stop thinking about, is that Matt Price isn't here to give us his view on the goings on.

A Turnbull-led Liberal Party might swing things around faster than one might think. He comes across as reasonably sane and competent, he's not associated with Howard, has said the right things about Workchoices, Kyoto, "Sorry", etc. He'd appeal to precisely the kind of voters who swung away from Howard.

gem otm

lol at biblical references

Mr Abbott described it as the "last supper at the Lodge for quite some time".

Mr Abbott refused to say whom he favoured for the leadership, but is believed to be strongly against Mr Turnbull. "Malcolm is a primal force of nature, someone once said. Things will be interesting under Malcolm."

He said that while both Dr Nelson and Mr Turnbull had served in the Howard cabinet, "I was a member of John Howard's praetorian guard, you might say. I always regarded myself as the honorary life president of the John Howard fan club."

Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd has dropped six frontbenchers from his new-look ministry, installing a host of new faces.

Mr Rudd is believed to have dropped Laurie Ferguson, Kate Lundy, Jan McLucas, Kerry O'Brien, Arch Bevis and Bob McMullan, sources confirmed.

I, um, suspect that this is a mistake.

Also Arch Bevis sounds like an enemy out of Trsnformers.

Wait, no, it turns out there's a guy called Kerry O'Brien in the ALP. Not the other Kerry O'Brien, who was also once in the ALP.

Brendan Nelson got it.

So it's now a choice between the ALP and someone who was in the ALP. SUCK ON THAT HOWARD YOU DISEASED FUCKING LITTLE RODENT.

Re Nelson's background... (from Wikipedia, but still, I think there's some truth in it)

When he was elected Federal President of the AMA it was widely known that he had joined the Australian Labor Party in 1988 and was ambitious to enter politics. He stated publicly that he had never voted Liberal in his life. His partner in his medical practice was Dr David Crean, brother of Simon Crean and later a Tasmanian state Labor minister. By 1994, however, Nelson was a member of the Liberal Party and in 1995 he gained Liberal endorsement for Bradfield, one of the safest Liberal electorates in Australia. It is believed that he told the Labor Party he wanted to be endorsed for Denison, the strongest Labor seat in Tasmania (held by Duncan Kerr), and that when he was rejected he defected to the Liberal party.

So a real man on conviction then.

man OF conviction. Bugger.

Put the ear-ring back in Brendan. Go on...

John Howard was right. The Unions ARE taking over Australia.

I mean, Labor's been in less than a week and they've already taking over the Liberal Party!

haha

brendan nelson is a total creep

But at least he was educated by the jesuits guys. fuck.

Actually I think it's pretty good tactics of the Liberals to put Nelson in. He's the fall guy, the one who will lose the election the Liberals will have to lose anyway, whoever's the leader. Then Turnbull can come in, untainted by failure.

^^this

did anyone notice how nelson's eyebrows start halfway down his head?

"Actually I think it's pretty good tactics of the Liberals to put Nelson in. He's the fall guy, the one who will lose the election the Liberals will have to lose anyway, whoever's the leader. Then Turnbull can come in, untainted by failure."

Yeah. The smarmy Martin Place toad couldn't have arranged it better himself. Otherwise he would have.

But Turnbull already IS tainted by failure. The total bollocks he made of the 1998 CanConCon (according to the conspiracy theorists there should be another Con on the end) and the referendum, will be front and centre come election time. If that is any showcase of his leadership ability (ie, if he was actually trying), he's pushing shit up the Parliament House steps organising a pie night ant the Four and Twenty factory.

And there's more than a handful of old guard still in the Liberal caucus and in influential positions in the branches that arten't totally happy that he got entangled with those disgusting Republican slimebags in the first place. Once again Mal may not have been as smart as he doubtless thinks he is. But then again Einstein wasn't anywhere near THAT smart either.

I love how the Federal Liberals are copying the awesome and vote-winning formula of the State Liberals by putting in a no-name with no polices and hoping that by divine intervention they will return to power. Because it works, right?

Still, I am glad that Turnbull didn't get the job. Fuck him wanting to ratify Kyoto or whatever, he fucked up the Republic so fuck him.

Also, how long before Tony Abott tries to stab Nelson in the back?

If Tony does that, Brendan should buy him beer until the next Christmas because Tony would be doing Brendan the biggest favor of his life.

But he won't be making smooth any paths for Turnbull. Neither, unless things have markedly improved since the CCCC referred to above, will Julie Bishop.

where are the Santorum.jpg style pictures of Howard condeding defeat?

What? The Libs have a FEMALE as their Deputy Leader? Talk about "me too"!!

Also, what is Bill Hefferman gonna say about THAT?

Best thing about being raised by Labor-ites: calling your mum on election night and drunkenly shouting, "we won, comrade!"

For the record, I'd like to state that I voted with my penis this election. In the Lower House for Kate Ellis and in the Upper House for the Greens' BBW.

O happy days are here, when we can confidently answer your question about Bill Heffenidiot with 'who cares?'

Who cared in the first place?

I fkn cared that he was bandying about archaic bigotry apropos of... absolutely nothing. Hate mongerer.

On Chaser this week Craig Reucassel basically offered Heffernan man sex. He didn't take it very well at all.

congrats Australia on having your first (openly) gay minister.

does Don Dunstan count for nothing?

Wasn't really a Minister was he? At least not at Fed level.

Tony Abbott becomes spokesman for families, community services, indigenous affairs and the voluntary sector.

WTF I MEAN HONESTLY

Four groups that couldn't be more ideologically opposed to Abbott's shitfuckery.

You're forgetting about his 'reasonable people skills'.