Tony Abbott is having an unprecedented good run as Opposition Leader. It's not that he's hitting everything out of the park, because he's not doing that. It's not because his vision for the nation is outshining the Government's, because he doesn't seem to have one. It's unprecedented because Tony Abbott is doing all the things bad Opposition Leaders usually do; things that get them swiftly knifed and consigned to a life of slightly squinty "don't I know you?" looks from the general public; and doing them to public and media acclaim. It appears that talking shit, engaging in needless obstructionism, spreading deliberate misinformation and possessing a paucity of policy is in vogue.
All the negativity, the nay-saying, the fear mongering, and the smug defence of the status quo; all that is backed up by a stained wet piece of paper with nothing written on it. What would a Tony Abbott lead government do? Who the hell knows? There is no basis for knowing.
The only thing approaching a policy position is not even a well outlined one. Abbott's 'Real Action on Climate Change' policy is a non event, a floating turd in a shallow pool of bilge water. The basic gist is that an Abbott Government will pay polluters not to pollute, at a cost of God knows what for God knows how long. In the biggest debate of this term of parliament, the biggest the country has had on a single issue in a long time, the Opposition is coming to the table with a hessian sack full of low quality hot air, and getting away with it.
In all the media Abbott has done trashing the Carbon Tax, he is yet to be truly questioned as to how his policy is better, how it will be less of a financial impost, and how it will result in any reduction in emissions at all. Why are those questions not being asked? Are there even answers to those questions? The subtext of course is that there are none, because under an Abbott government the issue of climate change would float away in haze of self indulgent opulence. The under-lying message is that there is no need for change, so why do it.
Abbott is getting a free, unchallenged run by a media obsessed with gotcha stories and the ratings of their network's respective cooking show.
And the public is lapping it up.
Joe Hockey is another example. On the rare occasion he actually received a tough question about his very shaky budget reply, he accused the journalist of being in collusion with the Government. What? What the fuck are you talking about Joe? Answer the question, or at least pretend to answer it. Isn't that what your job is, pretending to answer questions? Yet you go for "This is a conspiracy. Is it because I is Liberal?" Absolutely pathetic.
Can you imagine what would happen if Julia Gillard or Wayne Swan accused a journo of being fed questions by the Opposition. There would be a shit-storm of epic proportions, they would be a laughing stock. Joe on the other hand got a rebuke in a tweet from the ABC that no one read, and a hanky from News LTD to wipe his bitter tears away.
As I live and breathe…
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