Grow a Pair

The 'bat and ball' politics of the Opposition in the first week of parliament has had the affect of exposing the public to terms they usually never hear. To most people, the phrase 'pairing arrangements' is more likely to refer to who Kate Richie and Ray Meagre are Morris dancing with on Dancing With the Stars, or the subtleties of a Danoz steak knife collection they're thinking of slamming on the plastic, rather than the current voting situation in the Federal Parliament. It's not that public education on such matters is bad, it's just that the media and public's insistence on having such things explained in one sentence, leads to a rather simplistic education to say the least.

So, if you'd like a single sentence on this issue, here it is: Refusing to honour the traditional pairing arrangements is the most pissy act of fucktitude Abbott has ever pulled out of his 'How to be a Complete Cowardly Bastard' handbook.

Now, I'm not saying that this hasn't happened before, or that it is beyond the lowest act of any other political party, but let's face it: this is Abbott taking his bat and ball, going home, and crying into the groin of his favourite John Howard stuffed toy. It will not achieve anything other than slightly annoying the people who defeated him. He came so close, but he couldn't get over the line, "So fuck your stupid jerky parliament club for jerks, I didn't want to be PM anyway because you're all unfair poo poos, I'm gonna go write for Quadrant, then you'll see"

All this will do is slow everything down. MPs will give fewer speeches, attend less public events and spend less time on Ministerial business. The Opposition has already won one division. Was it through successfully wooing the independents? No. Was it able to convince a Government backbencher to switch sides? No. Tanya Plibersek was absent because she is less than two weeks away from having a baby and the Opposition refused to give her a pair. If you ever wondered just how committed Tony Abbott was to maternity leave and women in the work place then there it is.

Take that new paradigm.