http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-28/abbott-seizes-on-labor-leadership-speculation/4037988

The Opposition is making the most of the latest outbreak of leadership speculation and internal dissent in Labor following the Government's decision to import 1,700 foreign workers for a mining project.

The Government announced its first Enterprise Migration Agreement (EMA) for mining magnate Gina Rinehart's $9 billion Roy Hill project in Western Australia at the weekend.

But it was revealed earlier that Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who had been visiting the United States, was not informed of the EMA until after she returned to Australia on Wednesday last week.

That served to raise questions about whether her ministers had kept her in the dark and why.

And weekend reports that chief government whip Joel Fitzgibbon was canvassing numbers for a possible Kevin Rudd leadership challenge have also thrown the spotlight back on Ms Gillard's leadership.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott used Question Time in Parliament today to seize on what he says is a "Government at war with itself".

"[It's] a Government where the left hand and the right hand don't know what each other are doing," Mr Abbott said.

"It's more obvious that this is a divided and dysfunctional Government. It's also obvious that the faceless men are gathering around the Prime Minister.

"But it's really up to the Australian people, rather than the faceless men, to decide who should be the prime minister of this country."

The internal Labor division is coming from both the left and right, with Senator Doug Cameron saying the agreement does not do enough to protect workers.

"I think the policy is a policy that needs a lot of looking at," he said.

"You could drive a 747 airbus through the policy in terms of protections for workers."

And the right's Kevin Thompson is also unhappy.

"If we go down the path of Enterprise Migration Agreements, we will end up with a situation where we have foreign companies using foreign workforces to send our resources in foreign ships to foreign countries for the use and enjoyment of foreign customers," he said.

'Hypocrisy'
Some in Labor have accused Ms Gillard of blaming the two ministers involved - Immigration Minister Chris Bowen and Resources Minister Martin Ferguson - by suggesting they came up with the scheme without consulting her.

Under questioning, Mr Bowen spelt out the chronology of events.

"There was, of course, substantial consultation between my office and other ministerial offices, and detailed brief was provided to the Prime Minister's office early in the week of the 21st of May," he said.

The Opposition then probed the Prime Minister about when she found out.

She responded: "I was fully briefed about the Roy Hill Enterprise Migration Agreement, having returned from Chicago on Wednesday."

"Does she [the Prime Minister] support the agreement lock, stock and barrel, including the employment of up to 1,700 foreign workers?" Mr Abbott asked.

Ms Gillard's answer, eventually, was a yes.

"The Roy Hill agreement is about jobs, is about training, is about Indigenous Australians, is about this agreement for up to 1,715 foreign workers. And it has my support," she said.

But the Opposition said her hesitation was telling.

"A prime minister who had to be dragged kicking and screaming to support her own minister in the Parliament today," Opposition migration spokesman Scott Morrison said.

Mr Morrison also accused Treasurer Wayne Swan of hypocrisy, after he recently criticised Ms Rinehart in an essay.

"Wayne Swan today has outed himself as a double agent in his own phony class war he's on one side saying he's opposed to mining magnates and on the other he's doing special deals with them," he said.

Where do we start?

Lets start with Swan. He goes on the attack of billionaires then goes does a deal with them.

Then within the Labor Party - you have people criticising the EMA

Then you have the PM hesitating on endorsing the policy.

Bowen said she was briefed on Monday but she said she was not briefed until Wednesday. So which one is right?

I honestly no longer care.

So long as Abbott never gets anywhere near the lodge, I simply don't care WHAT happens any more.

SPOT THE AUSSIE...
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2010/08/04/GILLARDAND_STANDARD_WEB_N1111803_13474.JPG
:-X :-/ :-*

corporate_whitey wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 12:22am:

SPOT THE AUSSIE... http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2010/08/04/GILLARDAND_STANDARD_WEB_N1111803_13474.JPG :-X :-/ :-*

The question should be, "spot the liar". Clearly, Gillard wins that by a decent nose length.

Armchair_Politician wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 6:50am:

corporate_whitey wrote on May 29th, 2012 at 12:22am: SPOT THE AUSSIE... http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2010/08/04/GILLARDAND_STANDARD_WEB_N1111803_13474.JPG :-X :-/ :-* The question should be, "spot the liar". Clearly, Gillard wins that by a decent nose length.

Only because Abbott has his mouth closed. Otherwise even he admits that what comes out are lies.

Maqqa wrote on May 28^th, 2012 at 9:58pm:

"But it's really up to the Australian people, rather than the faceless men, to decide who should be the prime minister of this country."

And you mob want him as Prime Minister he doesn't even know how the electoral system works.

I have been voting for 40 odd years and not once have I voted for a prime minister, I have voted for a political party I want to form government but not for a PM.

FACELESS MEN! FACELESS MEN!

Pfft like there are not key players in the liberal party behind closed doors.

You know what your average voter is compared to these cockerels? FACELESS THAT'S WHAT.

Kat wrote on May 28^th, 2012 at 11:55pm:

I honestly no longer care. So long as Abbott never gets anywhere near the lodge, I simply don't care WHAT happens any more.

You aren't an island in those thoughts Kat.
Probably 80% of the population would agree with that.
The other 20 are somehow affiliated with the zombies in Canberra.

Kat wrote on May 28^th, 2012 at 11:55pm:

I honestly no longer care. So long as Abbott never gets anywhere near the lodge, I simply don't care WHAT happens any more.

shame kat shame

one thing you should always care...bugger if it doesnt turn out the way you want it too..you sulk..

however a constant no no to Abbott an untried PM.. is pathetic.

he wasnt even deputy PM... the same as RUDD yet you voted him in..

your bias is showing..get over it.

Dsmithy70 wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 8:46am:

Kat wrote on May 28th, 2012 at 11:55pm: I honestly no longer care. So long as Abbott never gets anywhere near the lodge, I simply don't care WHAT happens any more. You aren't an island in those thoughts Kat. Probably 80% of the population would agree with that. The other 20 are somehow affiliated with the zombies in Canberra.

you shock me smithy.. you should encourage not to think like that.. you know its wrong and apathetic...


its a great way of saying..

well so I did vote these cretins in..blame me

but the other side is worse so I am stamping my foot and wont vote either side.. so there..


take your bat and ball in other words.. silly and immature..

the best we can do is Abbott sorry I know..

but at the end of the day you" hate"[ hate that word].. the libs.. so you will die a thousand times when this lot get trashed even though you know its their own doing for the most part they have been terrible..a shambles.

and we the righties have a lot of ammo to give you hell on the boards..ha.ha..

suck it up sunshine..

in the mean time if Abbott goes anywhere near what this lot have done he will be toast... he knows that.. he will have to life his game beyond what anyone expects..

I will vote for him just to give him a go...

if its more shambles.. well I sure as hell wont vote for him again...

I am over the lies and deceit well and truly.. gillards support of THOMO and then turn around is just more of the same lies and deceit.

now its. Ginas turn.. and so it goes on..

I didnt know ??? yes you did???? what sort of govt is that?.. I am over it smithy time to give someone else a turn at the wheel.

and a bit of a fair go to boot.. we have given this lot 5 years to get it right!!!!!!!!!!!

Kat wrote on May 28^th, 2012 at 11:55pm:

I honestly no longer care. So long as Abbott never gets anywhere near the lodge, I simply don't care WHAT happens any more.

How the heck did it come to this?

http://katworld.net/files/abbott.jpg

SOB

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 9:10am:

Kat wrote on May 28th, 2012 at 11:55pm: I honestly no longer care. So long as Abbott never gets anywhere near the lodge, I simply don't care WHAT happens any more. How the heck did it come to this? http://katworld.net/files/abbott.jpg SOB

sooooooooo clever..ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm I think!

cods wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 9:02am:

and a bit of a fair go to boot.. we have given this lot 5 years to get it right!!!!!!!!!!!

And get it right they did. The country is going gang busters where most of the rest of the world is flat on its back, money is being invested in infrastructure again, kids are being educated in decent facilities, money is beginning to be diverted away from old technologies to research the new ones we'll need in future and now we're even beginning to address disabilities.

NONE of which happened in the interminable Howard years. All that happened in the Howard years was that our soldiers got sent off to pointless, stupid wars and money was diverted from the poor to the rich. That's it. Nothing else happened.

So you can stick that "fair go" boot where the sun doesn't shine as far as I'm concerned cods. I won't be voting for Abbott.

Gist wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 9:19am:

cods wrote on May 29th, 2012 at 9:02am: and a bit of a fair go to boot.. we have given this lot 5 years to get it right!!!!!!!!!!! And get it right they did. The country is going gang busters where most of the rest of the world is flat on its back, money is being invested in infrastructure again, kids are being educated in decent facilities, money is beginning to be diverted away from old technologies to research the new ones we'll need in future and now we're even beginning to address disabilities. NONE of which happened in the interminable Howard years. All that happened in the Howard years was that our soldiers got sent off to pointless, stupid wars and money was diverted from the poor to the rich. That's it. Nothing else happened. So you can stick that "fair go" boot where the sun doesn't shine as far as I'm concerned cods. I won't be voting for Abbott.

all thanks to mining and CHINA..dont forget..


you see the left said for years Howard road on the tails of the mining sector...[he didnt try to screw it either]. however since 2007 the mining boom has gone from strength to strength...although we never hear from the lkeft about that do we...

the fact that we get such a good rating from IMF is because of our mining contracts..woo woo..


yeah they also paid off a STUPID HELLISH DEBT>.. HAVE YOU HAD A GOOD LOOK AT THE DEBT THIS LOT HAVE BUILT...nah of course not.. the labs dont care about debt its only their children that get stuck with paying that off..

so all wars are pointless wonder what would have happened if YOU had been in power in 1940????..

hey well at least we would be speaking Japanese.. got to look of the bright side.

Kat wrote on May 28^th, 2012 at 11:55pm:

I honestly no longer care. So long as Abbott never gets anywhere near the lodge, I simply don't care WHAT happens any more.

And this is the attitude that got us into trouble in the first place

You have a person hatred for a person therefore you cannot see the trees from the forest

Rubbish. How many people are unemployed in Australia? How many people are unemployed in Greece, or Ireland or vast swathes of Europe? Now how many people do you think mining employs in this country?

Yes, mining helped get us through the GFC. But it wasn't the only factor that got us through and it would have been useless on its own if it weren't for the quick action by the government of the day to instill confidence in the market. That kept the retail and construction sectors afloat and the retail sector alone employs vastly more people than the mining sector does. The flow-on effects from those actions by the government were enormous. That's what got us through the GFC.

And in any case, mining has done ZERO for infrastructure investment. It's done ZERO for improving education facilities. It's done ZERO for diverting money towards research into new technologies.

Debt? Pah! It's peanuts compared to our income. Debt has never been so low. That's something that you righties just don't have the brains to understand - the best way out of debt is NOT to scrimp and save every last penny while starving yourself on beans and rice. The best way out of debt is to INCREASE your income. Which is what Australia is doing.

Maqqa wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 9:58am:

Kat wrote on May 28th, 2012 at 11:55pm: I honestly no longer care. So long as Abbott never gets anywhere near the lodge, I simply don't care WHAT happens any more. And this is the attitude that got us into trouble in the first place You have a person hatred for a person therefore you cannot see the trees from the forest

Do you agree with Abbots stand on issues like skills migration, privatization, social security for Australian born citizens, job security for Australian born citizens ect ect.

Gist wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 10:00am:

Rubbish. How many people are unemployed in Australia? How many people are unemployed in Greece, or Ireland or vast swathes of Europe? Now how many people do you think mining employs in this country? Yes, mining helped get us through the GFC. But it wasn't the only factor that got us through and it would have been useless on its own if it weren't for the quick action by the government of the day to instill confidence in the market. That kept the retail and construction sectors afloat and the retail sector alone employs vastly more people than the mining sector does. The flow-on effects from those actions by the government were enormous. That's what got us through the GFC. And in any case, mining has done ZERO for infrastructure investment. It's done ZERO for improving education facilities. It's done ZERO for diverting money towards research into new technologies. Debt? Pah! It's peanuts compared to our income. Debt has never been so low. That's something that you righties just don't have the brains to understand - the best way out of debt is NOT to scrimp and save every last penny while starving yourself on beans and rice. The best way out of debt is to INCREASE your income. Which is what Australia is doing.

Why?

Australia was never caught with the bad loans therefore they were only hit with a downturn rather than write-offs

As for the other countries - they problems are systemic for decades now. The GFC just hastened it's impact.

Gist wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 10:00am:

Rubbish. How many people are unemployed in Australia? How many people are unemployed in Greece, or Ireland or vast swathes of Europe? Now how many people do you think mining employs in this country? Yes, mining helped get us through the GFC. But it wasn't the only factor that got us through and it would have been useless on its own if it weren't for the quick action by the government of the day to instill confidence in the market. That kept the retail and construction sectors afloat and the retail sector alone employs vastly more people than the mining sector does. The flow-on effects from those actions by the government were enormous. That's what got us through the GFC. And in any case, mining has done ZERO for infrastructure investment. It's done ZERO for improving education facilities. It's done ZERO for diverting money towards research into new technologies. Debt? Pah! It's peanuts compared to our income. Debt has never been so low. That's something that you righties just don't have the brains to understand - the best way out of debt is NOT to scrimp and save every last penny while starving yourself on beans and rice. The best way out of debt is to INCREASE your income. Which is what Australia is doing.

you do realize this is all on the back of our credit card dont you???.. yes they borrowed all that money,

and they are still borrowing as they are still and have been all along stimulating business to try and keep it alive...


they dont tell us how much it is costing us to do this..

look mate we know you dont care about debt.. we know that...

but even the likes of you have got to be over the scam of CARBON TAX AND GW...its a scam always has been..

but now they have a virtual horn of plenty they can tap into and increase as they see fit..

oh thats right the planet needs saving I keep forgetting.up goes the price on CARBON...

untill they kill the golden goose that is.

corporate_whitey wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 10:03am:

Maqqa wrote on May 29th, 2012 at 9:58am: Kat wrote on May 28th, 2012 at 11:55pm: I honestly no longer care. So long as Abbott never gets anywhere near the lodge, I simply don't care WHAT happens any more. And this is the attitude that got us into trouble in the first place You have a person hatred for a person therefore you cannot see the trees from the forest Do you agree with Abbots stand on issues like skills migration, privatization, social security for Australian born citizens, job security for Australian born citizens ect ect.

Before we can even implement a LIB policy on these issues - we have to fix the crap that Labor created.

As for whether I agree with the policies - the LIBs got it right before 2007. Abbott was part of that government.

You ask about these issues without having an analysis of what Labor is doing in this area.

Labor's Job Security for Aust born workers -  :D :D :D - Gina

Labor's Social Security for Aust born citizens -  :D :D :D - carbon tax

Labor's skilled migration -  ;D ;D ;D ;D - Labor is implementing similar LIB policies that it scrapped in 2007

Maqqa wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 10:09am:

corporate_whitey wrote on May 29th, 2012 at 10:03am: Maqqa wrote on May 29th, 2012 at 9:58am: Kat wrote on May 28th, 2012 at 11:55pm: I honestly no longer care. So long as Abbott never gets anywhere near the lodge, I simply don't care WHAT happens any more. And this is the attitude that got us into trouble in the first place You have a person hatred for a person therefore you cannot see the trees from the forest Do you agree with Abbots stand on issues like skills migration, privatization, social security for Australian born citizens, job security for Australian born citizens ect ect. Before we can even implement a LIB policy on these issues - we have to fix the crap that Labor created. As for whether I agree with the policies - the LIBs got it right before 2007. Abbott was part of that government. You ask about these issues without having an analysis of what Labor is doing in this area. Labor's Job Security for Aust born workers -  :D :D :D - Gina Labor's Social Security for Aust born citizens -  :D :D :D - carbon tax Labor's skilled migration -  ;D ;D ;D ;D - Labor is implementing similar LIB policies that it scrapped in 2007

So what you are saying is this.

1.  You reject the verdict of the Australian people in 2007.
2.  The Lieberals have learned nothing
3.  The lieberals do not respect the ownership of the Australian people of their own country.
4.  The Lieberals will continue the Neo Colonial Imperial recolonization of Australia.
5.  You believe in workchoices
6.  You will support scrapping social security for Australians.
7.  You will continue to support the sackings of Australian workers.
8.  You will continue to support cheap migrant labor. :-X :-X :-X :-X

corporate_whitey wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 10:38am:

Maqqa wrote on May 29th, 2012 at 10:09am: corporate_whitey wrote on May 29th, 2012 at 10:03am: Maqqa wrote on May 29th, 2012 at 9:58am: Kat wrote on May 28th, 2012 at 11:55pm: I honestly no longer care. So long as Abbott never gets anywhere near the lodge, I simply don't care WHAT happens any more. And this is the attitude that got us into trouble in the first place You have a person hatred for a person therefore you cannot see the trees from the forest Do you agree with Abbots stand on issues like skills migration, privatization, social security for Australian born citizens, job security for Australian born citizens ect ect. Before we can even implement a LIB policy on these issues - we have to fix the crap that Labor created. As for whether I agree with the policies - the LIBs got it right before 2007. Abbott was part of that government. You ask about these issues without having an analysis of what Labor is doing in this area. Labor's Job Security for Aust born workers -  :D :D :D - Gina Labor's Social Security for Aust born citizens -  :D :D :D - carbon tax Labor's skilled migration -  ;D ;D ;D ;D - Labor is implementing similar LIB policies that it scrapped in 2007 So what you are saying is this. 1.  You reject the verdict of the Australian people in 2007. What I am saying is the decision of the people in 2007 took us to where we are now. The smart ones will analysise the election campaign and see it for what it was - a populous vote gathering exercise. Happy to discussed it because I still have the policies. 2.  The Lieberals have learned nothing 3.  The lieberals do not respect the ownership of the Australian people of their own country - I am sure you have stats to back this up or is it simply your uneducated opinion? 4.  The Lieberals will continue the Neo Colonial Imperial recolonization of Australia. - do you even understand the word or understand how the LIBs came about? If you did then this point is moot. 5.  You believe in workchoices - how has it changed? 6.  You will support scrapping social security for Australians. Have you got facts and/or policy statements on this? who created social security in the first place? 7.  You will continue to support the sackings of Australian workers. have you got facts to back this up or is it just another baseless accusation that you hope will stick if you repeat it long enough? 8.  You will continue to support cheap migrant labor. have you got facts to back this up or is it just another baseless accusation that you hope will stick if you repeat it long enough?:-X :-X :-X :-X

Maqqa wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 10:51am:

corporate_whitey wrote on May 29th, 2012 at 10:38am: Maqqa wrote on May 29th, 2012 at 10:09am: corporate_whitey wrote on May 29th, 2012 at 10:03am: Maqqa wrote on May 29th, 2012 at 9:58am: Kat wrote on May 28th, 2012 at 11:55pm: I honestly no longer care. So long as Abbott never gets anywhere near the lodge, I simply don't care WHAT happens any more. And this is the attitude that got us into trouble in the first place You have a person hatred for a person therefore you cannot see the trees from the forest Do you agree with Abbots stand on issues like skills migration, privatization, social security for Australian born citizens, job security for Australian born citizens ect ect. Before we can even implement a LIB policy on these issues - we have to fix the crap that Labor created. As for whether I agree with the policies - the LIBs got it right before 2007. Abbott was part of that government. You ask about these issues without having an analysis of what Labor is doing in this area. Labor's Job Security for Aust born workers -  :D :D :D - Gina Labor's Social Security for Aust born citizens -  :D :D :D - carbon tax Labor's skilled migration -  ;D ;D ;D ;D - Labor is implementing similar LIB policies that it scrapped in 2007 So what you are saying is this. 1.  You reject the verdict of the Australian people in 2007. What I am saying is the decision of the people in 2007 took us to where we are now. The smart ones will analysise the election campaign and see it for what it was - a populous vote gathering exercise. Happy to discussed it because I still have the policies. As I said, you reject the verdict of the Australian people in 2007 against the Neo Liberalism of the Howard Government which has no ideological links to Menzies. 2.  The Lieberals have learned nothing 3.  The lieberals do not respect the ownership of the Australian people of their own country - I am sure you have stats to back this up or is it simply your uneducated opinion? The Lieberals neo-liberal philosophical base is all I need. 4.  The Lieberals will continue the Neo Colonial Imperial recolonization of Australia. - do you even understand the word or understand how the LIBs came about? If you did then this point is moot. I do and Menzies was not a radical command socialist like Howard or Abbott. 5.  You believe in workchoices - how has it changed? 6.  You will support scrapping social security for Australians. Have you got facts and/or policy statements on this? who created social security in the first place? Modern Lieberals have no ideological connection with traditional liberalism or conservatism. 7.  You will continue to support the sackings of Australian workers. have you got facts to back this up or is it just another baseless accusation that you hope will stick if you repeat it long enough? Ever heard of reading a newspaper? 8.  You will continue to support cheap migrant labor. have you got facts to back this up or is it just another baseless accusation that you hope will stick if you repeat it long enough? [b][color=#333333]The record of the Howard Government and the comments of Hockey and Abbott speak for themselves. :-[/color][/b]X :-X :-X :-X

So you've got no idea at all CW

Maqqa wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 11:50am:

So you've got no idea at all CW

I know Abbott is a lying Pommy Krunt who denies the existence and sovereignty of the Australian people and that Peter Reith and John Howard are worthless blood sucking maggots. 8-)