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SHE COULD STILL BE RIGHT
Pre-election foreboding from the SMH’s Marian Wilkinson:
With the political career of the Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, in jeopardy at today’s election ...
Turnbull, re-elected with an increased vote, is now a chance to become party leader. Events are moving kind of quickly these days.
UPDATE. Yet more pre-election foreboding, this time from profoundly paranoid Graham Bell:
Several times over the past few months, I have said that I expected all sorts of dirty tricks and egregious abuse of power to be used to hinder, delay, postpone or even stop the federal election.
Now, with only 8 hours to go [in Queensland anyway] until the opening the polls, I am truly amazed that a federal election looks iminent. That it has been allowed to get this far is completely out of character for a regime that has stomped all over our traditional rights, duties and protections, that has perverted the parliament, the public service, academia, the armed forces and the judiciary against the interests of the citizenry of Australia.
The “regime” had held three previous elections prior to this one.
I think he would be good. He’s talented, ambitious, and he wants the job.
Posted by daddy dave on 2007 11 25 at 08:14 AM • permalinkTurnbull has so much ambition and tenacity, he will either lead the Libs to victory at the next election, or completely destroy the party.
Posted by Alex of Canberra on 2007 11 25 at 08:23 AM • permalinkMaybe he was talking about Hugo Chavez and got confused
Posted by Torontosteve on 2007 11 25 at 08:36 AM • permalinkI rate Turnbull highly - he’s crash or crash through, which is what you need from an Opposition Leader.
And he’ll be killer in any debate in the House.
Meanwhile, I’m now out of a job.
See? Labor in = Unemployment rises.
Hey Andrea, how do I change my screen name to ‘The Poster Formerly Known as Apparatchik’?
Posted by Apparatchik on 2007 11 25 at 08:37 AM • permalinkNo need to change your nick, Apparatchick.
Kevni will buy you a new computer and give you free gee-whiz super broadband to run it.No need to rely on the previous boss’s bandwidth, soon the rainbows and unicorns will appear. and peace and light will spread across the world and, and . . . . . . . .
Posted by Pedro the Ignorant on 2007 11 25 at 08:52 AM • permalink#8 are you allowed to say who you were an apparatchik for? or would that not be prudent?
Posted by daddy dave on 2007 11 25 at 08:52 AM • permalinkOf course it was a boys school… well everyone thought it was, anyway.
The 30th High School Reunion pictures were hilarious.
That was only 6 months after the change began too. We’ve found a dozen similar cases, just none where it happened so quickly. Two years after those photos were taken, it’s still a bit of a medical mystery.
Back in 1972, I was in the debating team, trying to overcome my natural shyness by diving into the deep end. There were some good orators, some great ones, and then there was Malcolm Turnbull. Even at age 15, it was obvious that this boy was probably the best debater the school had seen that century.
Let’s put it this way, if he was a cricketer, he’d be Bradman.
When he went into merchant banking rather than politics, a lot of people were disappointed. They thought he was capable of far better things than becoming just another millionaire. They were right.
So far he’s been testing the waters, just getting his feet wet. As leader of the opposition for a few years, he’ll get much-needed experience. Enough by 2010? Don’t know. Enough by 2013, certainly, if he survives a Rudd re-election.
The long term use of marijuana leads to paranoia and memory loss - which explains the behavior of the left.
Posted by Wylie Wilde on 2007 11 25 at 09:14 AM • permalinkI am truly amazed that a federal election looks iminent. That it has been allowed to get this far is completely out of character for a regime that has stomped all over our traditional rights, duties and protections, [blah blah blah]
Baseless paranoia like this should be reserved for self-muttering homeless pants-shitters. Was Graham posting from a public library, by any chance?
Maybe when he was inventing the telephone some of the electrcity leaked out and fried his frontal lobes? Should’ve been wearing suitable protective clothing. There’ll be no more of these horrible workplace mishaps when the union movement returns to its rightful place, protecting members from harm while doggedly persuing evil tories and toffs to provide a fair days pay for a fair days work.
Well, I for one say let’s take a page from the left’s playbook and start the protesting. I call for a full investigation in the LIES ISSUED BY KEVIN RUDD. What lies? Um, I’ll get back to you on that.
And we need a full investigation into the corrupt vote Australia has just experienced. Is Australia not a democracy? That vote was a denial of human rights! Bring out the protest parade puppets.
I call for a full accounting by the ALP of their flagrant abuse of power once they, you know, take power.
Posted by wronwright on 2007 11 25 at 09:58 AM • permalinkIt’s quite telling that the alternate viewing (in the Southern States at least, where Channel 10 broadcasts) to the election coverage was The Empire Strikes Back. We have just seen the Star Wars plot happen in real time.
A young
Kevin RuddAnnakin Skywalker, bereaved at the loss of a parent whilst young and powerless to prevent it, vows revenge and sets out on an apprenticeship that will give him the power he craves. Realising that his youth and inexperience keep him sidelined by his betters, he enters into a dark pact with theunionsSith, swearing fealty to a shadowy overlord in exchange for the power he desires. In an epic showdown with a realPrime MinisterJedi Master, he is badly injured, but survives to see his opponent forced into exile. Driven by the power of the dark side, he is healed and rebuilt, only to be further enthralled to his dark overlord. Now he embarks on his quest to enslave thecountrygalaxy and rule by totalitarian decree, with the unseen power of his master guiding his hand.Will we see the birth of a rebel alliance? That remains to be seen. But for now, to quote Governor Tarkin “The last remnants of the old republic have been swept away”.
Posted by Richard Sharpe on 2007 11 25 at 10:13 AM • permalinkCast of Characters
Kevin Rudd - Leader of the Opposition
Posted by Richard Sharpe on 2007 11 25 at 10:48 AM • permalinkSeveral times over the past few months, I have said that I expected all sorts of dirty tricks and egregious abuse of power to be used to hinder, delay, postpone or even stop the federal election.
Mr. Bell sounds positively disappointed. How can anyone have a decent revolution if there’s no oppression?
Out of the news loop for a few days, I came over, with with more than a little trepidation, to see what happened. An unhappy, if not unanticipated, result. John Howard, who did great things for Oz, is an admirable man and a fine leader (and George Bush’s best friend on the planet)—he will be missed. I wish Mr. Rudd the best of luck keeping Australia strong, safe and free. Less luck, however, with his resolve to lurch the country to the left. May wiser heads prevail there.
I commented not too long ago that, while much of the planet is tacking to the right, our two countries seem determined to go in the opposite direction. My husband says with time, people develop a selective amnesia about the governing left. I agree and add that moderate swing voters (God love ‘em) eventually always seem to buy into the idea that conservative policies are mean-spirited and ungenerous and that countless numbers suffer as a result of them. They may be doing just fine, but they worry their neighbors aren’t, even when such neighbors prove difficult to find.
Look on the next few years (or less—is there a rule about how soon a new election can be called??) as an opportunity to hone those conservative skills (which do become dull with use unfortunately). There’s sure to be comedy gold at every turn. This loss demonstrates that the contrast between left and right couldn’t be more marked. Reading through the hundreds of comments, I couldn’t help but notice that the losers are accepting it with grace and (generally) good humor while the winners are as vitriolic and, frankly, demented in victory as they were in defeat (gee, who saw that coming). Even the crow-eating Graham, in the end, doesn’t disappoint:
Can’t help wondering though, if wiser heads had prevailed and the hazards of a blatant seizure of power were seen in time …. or if a cunning way has been worked out to cook the books whilst keeping the mug voters happy.
Posted by Kyda Sylvester on 2007 11 25 at 01:36 PM • permalinkThat thread with the Graham Bell comment also yields this comment about Noel Pearson. Aren’t there laws against statements like that?
Kyda Sylvester
Sort of like when people spot that workchoices have made everyone worse off, but they couldnt name anyone personaly?
Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2007 11 25 at 05:31 PM • permalinkYeah, I also hope Downer “takes the reins”. The party really needs stability right now. Yeah, Downer. Hah! Yeah, that’ll work. Words fail me. lol.
Posted by Miranda Divide on 2007 11 25 at 08:03 PM • permalinkGawdalmighty. Downer as Leader?
Talk about scraping the barrel.
The Libs should wait until some of the blood congeals before starting another fight over leadership issues.
Posted by Pedro the Ignorant on 2007 11 25 at 08:20 PM • permalinkWe have similar lefties to your Bell character. Every time an election goes their way they seem disappointed that there wasn’t a military coup. Two and a quarter centuries of free elections and they still can’t figure out how democracy actually works.
Maybe if they had role models other than Castro and Chavez…?
Posted by Steve Skubinna on 2007 11 26 at 01:08 AM • permalinkMr. Bell is truly an idiot.
Adolf Hitler only needed two months from the date of his becoming Chancellor of Germany to effectively destroy all organized political opposition and make his Nazi party the only legal political party.
The fact that John Howard hasn’t done anything remotely similar in 11 years, and has competed openly in several national elections in the meantime, proves that was never his intention. (Or, alternatively, that he’s the most incompetent totalitarian dictator ever. Maybe he needs lessons from Hugo Chavez. I wonder what Mr. Bell thinks of Chavez.) John Howard ought to sue Mr. Bell for libel.
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At least there are a few names being suggested as possible starters for the job, if there were no one suitable it would be a real worry.